Jollywood Nights, Opening Night Thoughts

Last week, I took a whirlwind trip to Walt Disney World – supposed to be a full week of Jollywood Nights, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and the last hurrah of Food and Wine. But life, much like trying to navigate Disney crowds, had other plans. My partner, Rob, got an offer to teach until the end of the semester, leaving me to tackle the magic alone. Cue the sad trombone. Fortunately, Jennifer from our travel agency swooped in like a fairy godmother, ready to tackle Jollywood Nights with me.

Jollywood Nights, an after-hours extravaganza in November and December, promises Hollywood vibes, glitzy decor, and red-carpet moments – all for a price ranging from $159 to $179.

Tip: Embrace the glam or flaunt your unique style. I opted for a White Christmas themed blue dress, while Jennifer went for the classic park look. Surprisingly, we fit right in, proving that Disney magic works wonders.

We strolled into Hollywood Studios fashionably early, a little before 7 pm. The park was buzzing, and we managed to snag our wristbands without getting caught in the chaotic line that stretched longer than a Disney movie marathon.

Our grand plan involved hitting up The Brown Derby, catching Ms. Piggy and Kermit's stage show, and checking out the Twilight Soiree – all before anything kicked off at 8:30 pm. We by breezing through Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge, realizing that skipping the daytime park chaos was the key to enjoying the event. Once we finished our loop, we headed towards the back of Twilight Tower to check out the Soiree and to be close to the theatre for the first show. At exactly 8 pm I pulled a virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance and received boarding group 29 in other words in about an hour. The area where the Soiree is taking place is way too small for what is being offered back there. It is a beautiful area that adds to the evening but once you added a snack/bar cart, a band platform, and lots of people there was no room left. The band was great with the 1940s spin on holiday classics. However, they needed to add more bartenders to the staff as the line for drinks at one point was over 40 minutes long. I would want this to be set up in an area that not only allows for a larger bar but also a little dancing to the great music. Looking at the marketing that came out before the event I really thought there would have been. In full disclosure, we did not get any of the snacks that were party-exclusive during the evening. They either did not sound good to us, or the line was too long. We didn’t stay long back here as it was just too crowded. We planned on catching the first show of Disney Holidays in Hollywood but the line was huge and we wanted to try and get on the walk-up list for the Brown Derby.

You cannot get on the walk-up list unless you are within 400 feet of the restaurant. By the time we got there, the list was full, and they didn’t know how it was going to go for the evening. This was the biggest complaint I heard about the evening. There was much confusion about the process and how quickly it filed up. The marketing for the evening there was labeled as Jazzy Nights and it was going to be transformed into a smooth jazz club. What we saw was one very good piano player and singer entertaining people. They draped red garland around his area, and a little other holiday décor about the place but not much more. There seems to be no real transformation. Since Jennifer and I had not eaten dinner, we were looking forward to going there for a little something to eat. Jennifer, at 8:15 pm, checked in at the lounge to find they had plenty of seating. We could not see the piano player from there, but they pumped the music outside and got all the holiday décor that surrounded the restaurant. We ordered the Bison Pork sliders and the charcuterie for our snacks, with the Margarita flight for me and a Side Car for Jennifer. We enjoyed the sliders; they were perfectly cooked and flavorful. The charcuterie was a nice collection of meats and cheeses but like all, they needed more toast. At the following party our fellow agent told us that they now fill the restaurant at 8 pm then once it is full, then they go to the walk-up list. I don’t believe that they have increased the décor at all.

We tried to ride Rise of the Resistance, but it broke down right before we should have gotten on. They closed it for the night at 9:15 pm but gave us all a Genie + lane for any ride. We headed right over to Slinky Dog. We would not have needed it as there was a walk-on for almost all of the rides. Right after this one we walked right onto Rockin Roller Coaster. Which I don’t recommend with large Mickey Crystal earrings, but we had fun. It was a good night if your purpose is to ride rides. If this is taking the place of your Hollywood Studios day then it works well.

We tried to get on line for the show again at this point, but it was still very long, or at least seemed to be. We thought we would not even get in with how long the line looked. It turned out that they were opening the theatre very close to show time, and they were not filling the house quickly and efficiently. The length of the line (or seemingly long length) prevented us from seeing the show at all that night. Our fellow advisors who saw the show told us we missed something very special. The show is a little longer than 20 minutes and has Mickey and Minnie, several Princesses, and classic holiday songs. We were sorry that we missed it and if the event is back next year, we will put it on our must-do list.

Since Jennifer had a very early flight the next morning she headed out via the shops, and I continued. But not before enjoying the Holiday Show on Sunset Blvd. They project holiday scenes onto Tower of Terror while playing holiday songs and making it snow. It is must-see. There is just something about it snowing in Florida that gives you the holiday feel.

I regrettably missed the Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along, where a large Jack puppet and full-sized Oogie Boogie made appearances. My excuse? I was too busy enjoying specialty snacks and drinks at Baseline Tap House – priorities, right?

The night ended with a sudden downpour while watching Jingle Bells, Jingle Bam, proving that even rain can't dampen the holiday spirit. In the end, despite Disney's first-night hiccups, I had a blast. Here's hoping Disney takes notes and sprinkles a little more magic on Jollywood Nights next time. Stay tuned for my escapades at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – because the holiday fun never stops in the House of Mouse!