CALENDAR
Magical extras are happening all the time at Walt Disney World. Disney also loves to celebrate holidays big and small! Use the calendar below to see if any parties, festivals, openings, special events, or holidays are taking place during your visit. They can make your visit more magical (or more crowded).
Please note that some items on the calendar require advance registration or a ticket purchase. If you have any questions, email us at info@mainstreetpopin.com
2022
NOW! Gingerbread Displays!!! See the Grand Floridian’s life-size gingerbread house, complete with a chimney that blows clouds of cinnamon! Hop on the Monorail over to the Contemporary resort and you’ll also be able to see the Cinderella Gingerbread Castle! Transport yourself over to the BoardWalk area and see the working gingerbread and chocolate carousel at the Beach Club!
NOW through Dec 24 The Disney Ultimate Toy Drive takes place. At Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, TOYS FOR TOTS collection bins will be located at the World of Disney store, Marketplace Co-Op, Star Wars Galactic Outpost, and the Disney Springs Welcome Center. Walt Disney himself was an early participant in Toys for Toys. It was Walt Disney Company artists who came up with the catchy name and logo, which is still used today.
NOW through November 19 – The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival is happening!!! The festival includes 25 Global Marketplaces, the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak, and Emile’s Fromage Montage! POP IN HERE to link to this year’s Foodie Guide. POP IN HERE for the concert series lineup.N
NOW Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is playing at the AMC DINE-IN Disney Springs 24 movie theater. Need a rainy-day activity or a break from the parks? Take in a Disney Blockbuster!
NOW through the spring of 2023 Walt Disney World is hosting The World’s Most Magical Celebration to honor the Magic Kingdom’s 50th Anniversary. The celebration kicked off on Oct. 1, 2021.
NOW Sneak peeks at scenes from Strange World, the newest animated film from Disney Studios are being shown at Hollywood Studios.
Most of November Keep an eye out for the fall treats being offered for a limited time around Walt Disney World. Some promising options include the Pumpkin Pie Shake at Beaches and Cream (Beach Club Resort), the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at Gasparilla Island Grill (Grand Floridian Resort), and the Caramel Holiday Flight at Karamell-Kuche in EPCOT.
November 8 to December 22 – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties take place on November: 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27, 29 and December: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22. This year the parties include a special stage show, fireworks, parade, Santa, attraction overlays, hot cocoa and cookies, and a special 50th Anniversary gift. (Please note this is a specially ticketed event. Prices range from $149 to $199.) Click here for the Foodie Guide.
November 8-January 1 Hollywood Studios will have treats at the following locations: ABC Commissary (Holiday Minnie Mouse Bundt Cake, Reindeer Mousse, Frozen Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa); Backlot Express (Red Velvet Whoopie Pie, Frozen Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa); Dockside Diner (Holiday Tree Marshmallow, Hot Cocoa Flight); Fairfax Fare (Hot Cocoa Flight); Hollywood Scoops (Candy Cane Milkshake); Hollywood Brown Derby (Winter Signature Dessert); PizzeRizzo (Melted Snowman Sugar Cookie, Frozen Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa); Rosie’s All-American Cafe (Santa Mickey Mouse Cupcake, Frozen Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa); The Trolly Car Cafe (Mickey Mouse Gingerbread Cookie, Red Velvet Whoopie Pie); and Woody’s Lunchbox (Hot Chocolate Lunch Box Tart). Various locations will offer the In Holiday Fashion cocktail, Mickey Mouse Snow Globe Sipper, and Popcorn Buckets!!! Both a Musical Holiday Tin popcorn bucket and a Toy Story Block popcorn bucket are available this year!
Now Through December 31 Popcorn carts around the Animal Kingdom will be selling the The Musical Holiday Tin Premium Bucket, the Mickey Mouse Snow Globe Sipper cup, and the Gold Tree Popcorn Bucket
Nov. 11-Dec. 30 Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll
November 11-December 30 Disney Springs has a ton of Holiday Treats available this season. CLICK HERE for more info (and photos) from the official Disney Eats Foodie Guide!
November 11-December 31 Tusker House (Animal Kingdom) has a holiday specialty drink, the In Holiday Fashion (also being served at various location inside of Hollywood Studios).
November 13 Blizzard Beach Reopens with some new FROZEN features like Olaf and his Snowgie friends.
Nov. 13-14 – Sugar Ray at the America Gardens Theatre in EPCOT
November 17 Go to the BoardWalk Inn to see the entire BoardWalk area recreated in gingerbread!
November 17 Life Day (a very important date on the Wookie Calendar)
November 18 Mickey & Minnie’s Birthdays
November 20-December 29 Enjoy a Pumpkin Mousse Cake at the Roaring Fork (Wilderness Lodge).
November 20-January 2 Le Petit Cafe (Riviera Resort) will be selling its style of Gingerbread Cookies (glazed in dark chocolate and sugar).
November 23 See the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s life-size Baby Gingerbread Giraffe and Baby Zebra!
November 24 Thanksgiving (Numerous Disney restaurants will be serving thanksgiving dinner during the week. Some offerings are traditional and some play to the restaurant’s theme.)
November 25 Kick off of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.
November 25 See The American Adventure at EPCOT’s gingerbread display of our nation’s classic monuments. A gingerbread version of The American Adventure pavilion will also be on display.
November 25 EPCOT’s Candlelight Processional at the American Gardens Theater (this even generally runs until Dec. 24)
Nov. 25-Dec. 30 EPCOT’s Holiday Cookie Stroll
November 27-31 Have some peppermint cheesecake or a snowman chocolate marshmallow pie at Gasparilla’s Island Grill (Grand Floridian)
November 27-January 2 Traditional Italian Panettone will be available at the Le Petit Cafe at the Riviera Resort.
November 28-December 31 The Mara (Animal Kingdom Lodge) will add a special chai mousse and coconut marshmallow dessert called the Mickey Santa Hat to its menu. Guest can order a Holiday Shake from the Beaches and Cream restaurant (Beach Club Resort).
November 28-December 31 Candy Cane Lattes will be on the menu at the Kona Island Coffee Bar (Polynesian). The perfect caffeine boost before boarding the Monorail!
November 28-January 7 For cheesecake lovers, you might like to try the Vanilla/Cherry/Gingerbread Cheesecake dessert at Primo Piatto (Riviera Resort)
December Blizzard Beach will add some holiday cheer to the waterpark with themed treats and holiday inner tubes. You can even meet a tropically-dressed Santa.
December 1-23 Horse-Drawn, Holiday Sleigh Rides can be purchased at the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. (Advance booking is highly recommended and may be done 60 days in advance.)
December 1-26 At the BoardWalk Deli, some holiday treats added to the menu include: the apple cider loaf, Peppermint Brownie Cheesecake, and the Hot Cocoa Cupcake.
December 1-31 Just about every resort added some sort of holiday goodies to its menus this month. CLICK HERE to read the official Disney Eats Foodie Guide for the holidays.
December 1-31 Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto and Tiki Terrance (Polynesian) will be serving up specialty drinks for the holidays.
December 1-31 At the Animal Kingdom, Flame Tree Barbecue, Pizzafari, and Restaurantosaurus will be offering gingerbread Menagerie Cupcakes. Isle of Java will be whipping up S’mores Hot Cocoa, Sea Salt Caramel Hot Cocoa, and Peppermint Hot Cocoa.
December 1-January 7 At Coronado Springs, head to the Dahlia Lounge or Toledo for a Poinsettia Punch or to the Three Bridges Bar & Grill for a Spiced Chocolate Mexicana.
December 1-January 8 Steakhouse 71 will add a drink called the Snowy Dreams. It is a rendition of Walt and Lillian Disney’s favorite holiday beverage.
December 3 Walt Disney World Day (declared by the City of Orlando in 2021)
December 4-31 Guests at Coronado Springs can celebrate the holidays at the Barcelona Lounge with a Holiday Tart. A Gingersnap Cold Brew will be offered Dec. 4 to Jan. 2.
December 5 Walt Disney’s Birthday Remembered (1901)
December 6 Saint Nicolas Day
December 7 Pearl Harbor Day
December 10 Dapper Day Holiday Outing at Hollywood Studios. See the well-dressed Disney fans from Dapper Day dressed to the nines! Visit the park to see or join in on the fun. Learn more at dapperday.com
December 11 Dapper Day Holiday Outing at the Animal Kingdom Studios. See the well-dressed Disney fans from Dapper Day dressed to the nines! Visit the park to see or join in on the fun. Learn more at dapperday.com
December 11-25 These are the only dates you can head on over to the Polynesian Village to enjoy a Moana Holiday Cupcake at Capt. Cook’s or a Stitch Holiday Dome at the Kona Island Coffee Bar.
December 16 Avatar: The Way of Water opens in Theaters (Team Tip: The AMC at Disney Springs is a “plussed up” place to check out a new release.)
December 18 Hanukkah begins at Sundown
December 18-24 Steakhouse 71 will be offering a Holiday Brunch.
December 18-25 Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort) menu will be holiday-inspired.
December 18-25 Toledo (Coronado Springs) has added a coconut panna cotta to its menu.
December 18-29 For a limited time only the Roaring Fork (Wilderness Lodge) will be serving a Christmas Tree Mousse, a Peppermint Cheesecake, and Molasses Crackle Cookies (a Wilderness Lodge tradition).
December 19-31 Holiday Mousse Domes will be on sale for a limited time at Animal Kingdom’s Creature Comforts.
December 21 First Day of Winter
December 22-31 Animal Kingdom’s Satu’li Canteen will add a Peppermint Cream Cheese Mousse to its menu.
December 22-26 Grab an ‘Olu Mel Christmas Float at the Pineapple Lanai (Polynesian) made with Dole Whip Lime and Pineapple Juice.
December 24 Christmas Eve
December 24 & 25 Try the Yachtman’s Yuletide dessert (White chocolate-peppermint and mocha ice cream, chocolate cake, mocha ganache, vanilla meringue, and candy clouds) at the Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club Resort. (That’s a lot of Yachts.)
December 24, 25, and 31 The Flying Fish (on the BoardWalk) will offer a filet mignon and lobster dinner and Trattoria al Forno (on the BoardWalk) will offer a Steak al Forno Dinner (Reservations Recommended).
December 24-31 Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge) will be offering a Holiday Feast featuring bone-in ribeye (reservations recommended).
December 24-January 1 Tiffins (Animal Kingdom) will add a special holiday dessert to its menu, Horchata Mousse.
December 25 Christmas Day
December 25 Various quick-service resort restaurants will be adding a “Christmas Feast” (turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, veggies, and cranberry relish) to the menu on Dec. 25 only. A few places will also be offering an Apple Tart that day only as well.
December 25 Toledo (Coronado Springs) will have a prime rib Christmas Dinner.
December 25 Sanaa (Animal Kingdom Lodge) will be offering a roast beef dinner on Christmas Day (reservations recommended).
December 25 The California Grill’s Christmas Dinner will feature Fire-Roasted Venison (reservations recommended).
December 25 Boatwright’s Dining Hall (Port Orleans) will have port loin on the menu for Christmas Dinner (reservations recommended).
December 25 Christmas Day will be the only day a Chocolate Lava Cake with vanilla creme anglaise and peppermint crunch will be on the menu at Olivia’s Cafe (Old Key West)
December 25 For Christmas only, The Turf Club Bar & Grill (Saratoga Springs) will be serving a holiday dinner featuring pork shank. A special chocolate lava cake will be on the dessert menu (reservations recommended).
December 25 Whispering Canyon Cafe (Wilderness Lodge) is the first place we’ve noticed serving ham on Christmas Day. The Holiday Skillet features glazed ham, pulled pork, sausages, pork-ribs, plus sides!
December 25 and December 31 Citricos (Grand Floridan) will add a chipotle-maple glazed pork chop dinner to its menu for the holidays.
December 26 Kwanzaa
December 26-January 8 Steakhouse 71 will be offering a Holiday Brunch.
December 26 Boxing Day
December 31 New Year’s Eve
2023
The Disney Company, which was started by Walt and Roy Disney in 1923, turns 100!
Coming to Disney’s BoardWalk: Several enhancements are slated for this resort area open to the public. Additions will include: The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers (a new table service restaurant and bakery); a new BoardWalk bakery sandwich shop; a new coffee bar at the BoardWalk Inn, and updates to the Inn’s lobby, lounge, and guest rooms.
January 1: New Year’s Day
January 4-8: Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
January 13-16: Martin Luther King Day Weekend
January 22: Start of the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rabbit
February 1: First Day of Black History Month (EPCOT often celebrates with patriotic creations, food, and displays of iconic historical artifacts.)
February 2 Groundhog Day
February 14 Valentine’s Day
February 23-26: Princess Half Marathon Weekend
February 17-20: President’s Day Weekend
March 10: A new Haunted Mansion movie comes to Disney+
March 12: Spring ahead! It’s Daylight Saving Time
March 21: Mardi Gras – a fabulous time to visit Disney’s Port Orlean’s French Quarter Resort!
March 17: St. Patrick’s Day (In a party mood? Go to the website for the Raglan Road Irish Pub at Disney Springs! Reservations fill up quickly on the nights surrounding the holiday.)
March 20: First Day of Spring! The EPCOT Flower & Garden festival should be in full bloom by now!
March 22: Ramadan begins
April 1: April Fool’s Day & Blizzard Beach’s Birthday
April 5: Passover
April 9: Easter Sunday – The Easter Bunny often makes an appearance at the Magic Kingdom on this day!
April 13-16: RunDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend
April 22: Earth Day & Animal Kingdom’s Birthday
May TBD: A Live Action remake of The Little Mermaid hits theaters. (If you are near Disney Springs, try to catch the film at the AMC theater!)
May 4: May the 4th Be With You (a.k.a. Star Wars Day and the perfect time to be at Hollywood Studio’s Galaxy’s Edge.)
May 5: Cinco de Mayo
May 14: Mother’s Day – Disney is known to offer up a few specialty desserts and brunches on Mother’s Day weekend.
May 29: Memorial Day – If you are at the Magic Kingdom do make the effort to see the flag ceremony in front of City Hall.
June 1: The first day of Pride Month
June through November: Hurricane Season (While a hurricane is possible at any time, the peak months for rough weather are August and September.)
June 14: Flag Day (You may see an extra special flag ceremony at Magic Kingdom’s town square.)
June 16: Pixar releases its 27th film, Elemental, the story of two beings made of fire (Ember) and water (Wade) . The duo learn that despite their differences, they are actually a lot alike. (If you are at Walt Disney World during a film’s opening, it’s almost sure to be playing at the AMC located in Disney Springs!)
June 19: Juneteenth
June 14: Father’s Day – Disney likes to make fun and chocolaty treats for Dad’s Day. Be on the lookout!
June 21: First Day of Summer (and longest day of the year). Don’t forget your sunscreen!
June 26: Stitch Day (Experiment 626)
July 1: Canada Day! Stop by the EPCOT’s Canada Pavilion and wish cast members a Happy Canada Day!
July 4: Independence Day – the most amazing time of year to see Disney fireworks!
July 14: Bastille Day (Check out EPCOT’s France Pavilion, something special may be happening to commemorate this uniquely French holiday.)
July 17: National Ice Cream Day! This one’s not hard to celebrate at Disney. Ice cream carts and shops seem to be everywhere!
July 29: Eid al-Adam
September 1-4: Labor Day Weekend
September 11: Patriot’s Day (Anniversary of 9/11)
September 16: Rosh Hashanah
September 23: First Day of Autumn
September 25: Yom Kippur
October 1: The Magic Kingdom’s Birthday 51st Birthday
October 3: Unity Day (Stop by the EPCOT’s Germany Pavilion and wish cast members Happy Unity Day!)
October 9: Columbus Day
October 31: Halloween
November 1-2: Dia de los Muertos
November 5: Fall Back!!! Daylight Saving Time Ends
November 7: Election Day – If you are registered to vote, don’t forget to stop by the polls on your way to the parks!
November 11: Veterans Day (A flag retreat ceremony takes place every evening in Main Street U.S.A.’s town square, but the event takes on a bit more meaning on the Veterans Day holiday.)
November 12: Diwali
November 17: Life Day (a very important date on the Wookie Calendar)
November 18: Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse’s Birthdays
November 23: Thanksgiving (The week of Thanksgiving is traditionally very busy!)
December 3: The City of Orlando’s Walt Disney World Day
December 5: Walt Disney’s Birthday Remembered (1901)
December 6: Saint Nicolas Day
December 7: Pearl Harbor Day
December 8: The 1st Day of Hanukkah
December 21: First Day of Winter
December 24: Christmas Eve
December 25: Christmas Day (Traditionally, the week of Christmas and New Year’s are very crowded.)
December 26: Kwanzaa
December 26: Boxing Day
December 31: New Year’s Eve (Check early for special parties that may be happening to ring in the New Year! Fireworks at midnight may be part of the festivities on Dec. 31 as well!)
