Spending the holidays at Disney World can be an extra magical experience. As a Disney World annual passholder, I love coming to the parks to experience the decorations, lights, and special events throughout Disney World during the holiday season. Each of the theme parks, including Animal Kingdom, are decked out in Christmas decorations and often have specialty food items and other exclusive experiences for guests to celebrate the season.
Although guests may think Magic Kingdom is the best park to visit During Christmas due to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, the other theme parks and resorts at Disney World are also amazing during Christmas! We even wrote an article about the best Disney World resorts during Christmas. There is so much to enjoy at each of the theme parks, resorts, and Disney Springs throughout Christmas and I always do my best to see as much as I can.
In this article I will discuss everything you can see and do throughout Disney's Animal Kingdom at Christmas. This includes decorations, special entertainment, character meet and greets, as well as seasonal snacks. The Christmas decorations and overall atmosphere make Animal Kingdom a great theme park to visit during Christmas!
In this article:
Christmas Decorations at Animal Kingdom
The decorations throughout Animal Kingdom at Christmas are beautiful and make the park truly come to life. I think the animal and rustic themes of the park make the decorations and lights even more incredible during Christmas. Although Animal Kingdom doesn't get too dark for long due to their somewhat early closing time, I absolutely love visiting Animal Kingdom at night during the Christmas season.
My favorite part of Animal Kingdom at nighttime and especially during the holidays is in the Pandora World of Avatar area. While this section is amazing during the day, it comes alive at night! Even the ground and the plants around this large world light up after it gets dark.
Located near the Pongu Pongu quick service restaurant in Pandora, guests can see a large AMP suit dressed up in a Santa Claus hat and beard. The Amplified Mobility Platform (AMP) suit is inspired by the suits of power armor in the Avatar film. This has been one of my favorite decorations to see at Animal Kingdom and throughout Disney World during Christmas.
Another one of my favorite Christmas decorations at Animal Kingdom are the animal lanterns seen throughout the front of the park. Lined on the roofs of the gift shops, guests can spot beautiful lanterns that are unique and exclusive Christmas decorations to Animal Kingdom. These lanterns paired with the wreaths, ornaments and lights make walking into Animal Kingdom during Christmas even more special both during both the daytime and at night.
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Christmas Entertainment at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom has so many great shows and entertainment year round. My favorite show in all of Disney World, the Festival of the Lion King, is at Animal Kingdom and cannot be missed whether you are visiting during Christmas or any other time of year! However, Animal Kingdom also has two unique holiday performances which is another reason why I love experiencing Christmas at Animal Kingdom.
Merry Menagerie
The most famous holiday entertainment at Animal Kingdom during Christmas is the Merry Menagerie. The Merry Menagerie consists of a collection of winter animals including penguins, polar bears, reindeer, foxes, penguins and more. The animals are unique and lifelike puppets that are operated by cast members. Guests can interact, pet, and watch these animals walk around Animal Kingdom during Christmas. Each animal in the Merry Menagerie was designed and hand-crafted using natural materials and fabrics. These incredible animals can usually be found on Discovery Island near the Tree of Life and are a great addition to the Animal Kingdom holiday celebrations. They typically operate between 9:45 AM and 5:00 PM which makes them easy to spot.
Tree of Life Awakenings: Holiday Edition
Another amazing show which returned during the 2023 holiday season is the Tree of Life Awakenings: Holiday Edition projection show. After sunset, guests can watch this nightly projection show on the Tree of Life every ten minutes. Although you can see glimpses of the show on the Tree of Life from different angles throughout the park, the best spot is front and center near the entrance of Animal Kingdom in Discovery Island.
The Tree of Life Awakenings: Holiday Edition projections include wintery tales of different animal families which is both beautiful and adorable! We were very excited to see this show return last holiday season and look forward to seeing it again this year.
Holiday-Inspired Treats at Animal Kingdom during Christmas
Another huge reason why we love going to Disney World during Christmas is to try all of the festive snacks and drinks during Christmas! Although we don't know what holiday treats we will see in 2024, last year Animal Kingdom had some amazing Christmas snacks which included:
- Peppermint Cream Cheese Mousse at Satu'li Canteen: Peppermint-cream cheese mousse, peppermint sauce, peppermint candy pieces, and chocolate cookie crumbs
- Merry Menagerie Cupcake at Pizzafari and Restaurantosaurus: Gingerbread cupcake with cream cheese filling and frosting
- Mickey Holiday Mousse Dome at Creature Comforts: Amaretto-chocolate mousse, cherry-cranberry coulis, orange-chocolate cake, white chocolate glaçage, and chocolate Mickey ears
Guests can always find amazing desserts throughout the Walt Disney World Resort during Christmas, and the treats at Animal Kingdom were a big hit last holiday season.
Character Meet and Greets during Christmas at Animal Kingdom
During Christmas, guests can meet characters decked out in special Christmas outfits at Animal Kingdom! For example, Mickey and Minnie can be found at Adventurer's Outpost wearing special holiday attire. Although not yet confirmed for 2024, last holiday season guests could meet Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Chip ‘n' Dale in their usual locations. Each of these characters wore holiday themed outfits which were adorable and another reason why it is worth visiting Animal Kingdom during Christmas.
Christmas Merchandise at Animal Kingdom
In addition to the Christmas decorations, treats, and entertainment, guests can also find limited edition Christmas merchandise at Animal Kingdom.
Last holiday season, we spotted Merry Menagerie puppets for sale for guests to take home. Guests could choose between a penguin, baby seal, Arctic fox, or polar bear puppet for $24.99 each and were exclusively sold at Animal Kingdom. We also saw Merry Menagerie t-shirts, ornaments, and magnets for sale which were also very cute souvenirs to remember Christmastime at Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom gift shops will also have lots of other Christmas merchandise including Minnie ears, spirit jerseys, ornaments, and more which may not be exclusive to Animal Kingdom only but are also great reasons to visit Disney World during the holidays!
Weather During Christmas at Animal Kingdom
Another positive to visiting Disney World during Christmas is the typically pleasant weather during the November and December months in central Florida. However, we always recommend checking the weather in the days leading up to any trip to Disney World. Especially in the last couple years, we have run into some cold rain showers in central Florida during the holiday season which can put a damper on a trip if not adequately prepared. To read more about the weather patterns at Disney World throughout the year, check out our Disney World weather guide here.
Even if there is rain, Disney World can still be magical and fun, especially if guests prepare and wear the proper attire. Although some of the outdoor rides such as Expedition Everest and Kiliminjaro Safaris may close during the rain, most of the rides, attractions, and shows will go on at Animal Kingdom during rainy weather. Check out ideas on what to wear to Disney World for Christmas here.
Plan Your Next Disney World Vacation
Be sure to subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter and read our blog for more tips on how to prepare for your next Disney World vacation. Whether or not you are visiting the parks during Christmas, we will help you plan everything from how to find the cheapest Disney World tickets anywhere to the best dining and shopping on property! You can find more information on planning your next vacation to Disney World below:
- Disney Gift Card Discounts 2024 – Save Money on Your Next Disney Trip
- How to Get from One Resort to Another at Disney World
- Animal Kingdom Rope Drop & Early Entry Strategy 2024
- Best Animal Kingdom Rides – Top Disney World Rides
- Best Breakfast in Animal Kingdom
Frequently Asked Questions about Christmas at Animal Kingdom
Yes, Animal Kingdom is definitely worth visiting for Christmas. The decorations, entertainment, special character meet and greets, and festive snacks are amazing at Animal Kingdom during the holiday season. One of our favorite things to do at Animal Kingdom during Christmas is interact with the Merry Menagerie, which is a collection of animal puppets crafted from natural fabrics and operated by cast members. Animal Kingdom also has incredible decorations throughout the park during Christmas, and offers a nighttime holiday projection show on the Tree of Life called The Tree of Life Awakenings: Holiday Edition.
Yes, Disney decorates Animal Kingdom for Christmas. Guests can see a large Christmas tree at the front of the park decorated with animal-inspired ornaments and decorations. There are also beautiful lights, animal lanterns, and wreaths throughout Animal Kingdom during Christmas. In the Pandora World of Avatar area, guests can also spot a large AMP suit decorated with lights and a Santa Claus costume.
Although guests cannot visit or interact with Santa up close, he does make an appearance at Animal Kingdom during the Christmas season. Santa can be seen floating on his very own flotilla boat throughout the park's waterways. The flotilla schedules usually aren't planned in advance, but occur frequent enough that it is very likely guests will spot Santa at Animal Kingdom at some point during their visit.
The Merry Menagerie is a holiday entertainment experience at Animal Kingdom during the Christmas season. It is a collection of lifelike animal puppets including polar bears, penguins, reindeer, foxes, and more which are operated by cast members. The animals were designed and hand-crafted using all natural fabrics and materials and are a truly unique and beautiful experience. Guests can find and interact up close with the Merry Menagerie on Discovery Island near the Tree of Life every day between 9:45 AM and 5:00 PM. The Merry Menagerie only performs during the holiday season which runs between the beginning of November through the end of December. The Merry Menagerie is a big reason why guests love visiting Animal Kingdom during Christmas.
