The Disney Jollywood Nights event is drawing to a close soon, with only three nights left on the calendar. The 10-night schedule began back on November 11th, but Disney didn’t commit to too many dates in the event’s first year.
Over the same time period, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party had 25 event dates, which is to be expected for a tenured upcharge event. That said, it looks like the Jollywood Nights event failed to excite guests this year, with only three sold-out dates according to the Disney World website:
| Event Date | Event Ticket for ALL Ages (Excludes Tax) | Annual Passholder/DVC Price (Excludes Tax) |
|---|---|---|
| November 11, 2023 (SOLD OUT) | $159 | $149 |
| November 18, 2023 (SOLD OUT) | $159 | $149 |
| November 20, 2023 | $179 | $169 |
| November 27, 2023 | $159 | $149 |
| November 29, 2023 | $159 | $149 |
| December 4, 2023 | $169 | $159 |
| December 6, 2023 | $169 | $159 |
| December 16, 2023 (SOLD OUT) | $169 | $159 |
| December 18, 2023 | $169 | $159 |
| December 20, 2023 | $169 | $159 |
Even if December 18th and 20th sell out, that’s only a 50% of available dates, which is lower than we expected to see when the event was first announced. Before opening night, there was middling interest in the event, but the first two dates sold out in the pre-sale window. Then, opening night was a bit of a disaster and the event seemingly couldn’t crawl out from that early negative feedback.
Even with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party sold out for the 2023 holiday season, Jollywood Nights didn’t benefit from being the only game in town.
Disney made some early adjustments to the event in an effort to right some wrongs that were present on opening night. Some of the changes included adding more characters for guests to meet, relocating the DJ from an afterthought to Center Stage in front of the Chinese Theater, and putting a little bit more effort into the Tip Top Club by adding more staff and dressing them in Tower of Terror costumes. Overall, the changes didn’t seem to be enough to move the needle.
While we were not fans of our experience on debut night, we do think that the event can come back stronger next year. We love Hollywood Studios during the holiday season, and while the magic of the Osborne Lights may never be replicated, Studios remains a great holiday park. In terms of the event itself, the two shows were exceptional, and if Disney can invest some time and money into expanding the event beyond utilizing less than half of the park, it could be more compelling in 2024. That said, it’s far too early for Disney to announce any plans for next year.
Did you attend Jollywood Nights this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on social media!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!