Disney's Hollywood Studios celebrates in style with Jollywood Nights: Here's your guide
Feeling dapper? Disney's newest holiday event, Jollywood Nights at Disney's Hollywood Studios, invites guests to don their retro-glamorous best for a specially ticketed after-hours bash.
FLORIDA TODAY was invited to an opening night media preview. Here's your guide to the event, along with some tips for making the most of your experience.
Attractions
Because this is an after-hours event with fewer people in the park, you can enjoy your favorite rides with shorter wait times. The popular Rock 'n' Rollercoaster and Slinky Dog Dash will be available, as well as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Over at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you'll have a chance to fly on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and be part of an epic battle between the First Order and the Resistance in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which will use a virtual queue during the event.
To sign up for the virtual queue, you will need to use the My Disney Experience app and request to join at 8 p.m. on the day you attend. You don't need to be inside the park at the time the queue becomes available.
Entertainment
New live shows are on tap to keep your spirits bright throughout the night.
Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy are special guests for "Disney Holidays in Hollywood" at Theater of the Stars. This stage show includes special appearances by Tiana, Belle, Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse, accompanied by singers, dancers and jazz musicians.
Want to be the star? You can join in a sing-along at "What’s This? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along" at the Hyperion Theater. Jack Skellington leads guests in songs from the iconic film.
End the night with “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!,” a nighttime show featuring the elf duo Wayne and Lanny from Disney Animation Studio’s “Prep and Landing.” You can expect music, fireworks and dazzling state-of-the-art projections on the façade of the park's Chinese Theater.
Are they worth it? Disney Halloween, holiday events can cost more than regular park days.
More about Jollywood Nights: Disney introducing jolly new event this holiday season amid returning fan favorites
Refreshments
On Commissary Lane, visit Holiday Fiesta en la Calle to sip drinks and nibble on treats inspired by Latin holiday traditions.
In the courtyard of The Hollywood Tower Hotel, visit the Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club, a swingin' celebration where you can sip cocktails while a live band croons holiday tunes.
At The Hollywood Brown Derby, you'll find Jazzy Holidays. The restaurant transforms into a smooth jazz joint where you can enjoy craft cocktails and an exclusive menu of light bites. This experience has limited capacity, so you'll need to join the mobile walk-up list on the My Disney Experience app.
Note that food and beverages are not included with your event ticket. Alcohol will only be served to guests 21 and older with identification.
Characters
Go to Animation Courtyard to meet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and Pluto on the set of their holiday movie. If you're feeling nostalgic, head over Echo Lake to snap a selfie with Powerline Max, Rescue Rangers Chip 'n Dale and Phineas and Ferb. Over at Pixar Plaza, you can strike a stylish pose with Edna Mode and Frozone.
Know before you go
On opening night, many guests were dressed to impress in suits, sequins, feather boas and festive light-up Mickey Mouse ears. When you're planning your outfit, keep in mind that you'll be walking around a theme park, possibly in the rain, so comfortable shoes are a must. You may also want to toss an umbrella in your bag.
Be aware that the lines for character meet-and-greets can be long - in some cases, over an hour - so it's a good idea to be selective about which ones you most want to see.
Didn't bring your camera? Photographers will be there to capture your red carpet moments, and free downloads of your PhotoPass digital photos are included with your event ticket.
The mobile walk-up list for Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby, which goes live at 8:15 p.m., had some logistical issues on opening night. The app does not allow guests to select a timed entry slot, it just places them in the next available spot in line. Scores of guests received misleading messages saying their table would be ready in five minutes, leading to a crush of people at the entrance, but in reality wait times exceeded 50 minutes.
The system made it challenging to plan the evening's activities. Notifications for the mobile walk-up list come to your phone via text message or the My Disney Experience app, causing guests to be glued to their screens watching for updates.
The Twilight Soiree at the Tip Top Club also had a large crowd at the entrance on opening night. That location did not have a mobile walk-up list, so guests had to wait outside for a spot to become available.
Similarly, the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance was full within minutes of going live at 8 p.m. Because the app doesn't allow guests to plan in advance with a timed entry slot, many ended up with conflicting activities if they were also trying to get into one of the dining locations. You may find yourself crisscrossing the park more than once.
If you time your visit to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge when the crowds are watching the live shows elsewhere in the park, you should have a little extra breathing room and shorter wait times. On opening night, Disney photographers were on hand to take fun photos of guests with light sabers in front of the Millennium Falcon, and entry to Oga's Cantina had very little wait time, if any at all.
If you go
Disney Jollywood Nights
Where: Disney's Hollywood Studios, 351 S. Studio Drive, Lake Buena Vista
When: Select nights through Dec. 20, from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Tickets: Start at $159
Info: 407-939-5277
On the web: disneyworld.disney.go.com
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Looking for more? Be sure to check floridatoday.com and the TGIF section in print on Fridays for ongoing coverage of Christmas and holiday events.
Christina LaFortune is the Entertainment and TGIF Editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/christinalafortune or send her an email at clafortune@floridatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Know before you go: Jollywood Nights at Disney's Hollywood Studios
