It’s been less than a year since I attended my first After Hours event at a Disney Park. And in less than a week, I’ll be attending my third. Having previously felt that the hard ticket events were a lot of money, for less time in the park, I have now embraced the uniqueness of the events and the way they add something fresh to the parks. But I think I’ve now found my absolute favorite Disney Park special event in Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And I’m confident in this even though it hasn’t happened yet.
Halloween at Disney World isn't over yet, but my eye is already on the Christmas season. Walt Disney World will host a pair of holiday events this year. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will return to Magic Kingdom, but one of the new attractions at Disney World this year is Jollywood Nights, which will launch at Disney’s Hollywood Studios next month. At this point, I have no plans to make the trip across the country. But for this event I may try, because it seems to be geared for the Disney Adult that I unapologetically am.
A few new details regarding Jollywood Nights dropped today, including a list of all the delicious food and drinks that will be available exclusively during the event. While there’s plenty of food that anybody could enjoy, a lot of the options skew distinctly more toward adult tastes than that of kids. And of course, since the event is taking place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and not Magic Kingdom, there is a wide selection of available cocktails.
Of course, what good is a cocktail if you don’t have a cocktail lounge themed to classic Hollywood to drink it in? The thing that has me absolutely sold on Jollywood Nights has to be Jazzy Nights. The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant will be transformed into a smooth jazz joint with food and drink, decorations, and music. I can’t decide if I’d rather spend more of my time there or at the Twilight Soirée, which will have a live band and dancing in the courtyard of the Hollywood Tower Hotel.
As somebody who has always loved the music, and the general vibe, of the first half of the 20th century, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been a fun park to hang out in. Adding the holiday element is only going to improve the mood. It's like celebrating Dapper Day at Christmas. I’ve never wanted to wear a suit to Disney World before, but now I do.
Jollywood Nights is the perfect companion to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. The latter event is the "fun for the whole family" sort of affair that kids will love and adults can also enjoy, but sometimes you want a Christmas party where you leave the kids at home.
It feels like a similar party would work very nicely at Disney California Adventure, as it also has a portion of the park dedicated to early 20th-century Hollywood. Since that’s a party I could attend much more easily, I’d certainly love to see it. Unfortunately, for reasons that have never been made clear, Disneyland Resort is doing no after-hours Christmas event of any kind. Until that changes, I need to figure out if there’s a way to get myself to Hollywood and attend Jollywood Nights.
