Holiday prep has begun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with snow machines now installed along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. Christmas lights are wrapped through the bushes along Hollywood Boulevard. This year’s setup brings a hardware change, too. Newer Boreas snow machines from Froggy’s Fog now line Sunset Boulevard, while the familiar Snow Storm units from Global Special Effects stay put along Hollywood Boulevard.
Snow Machines and Christmas Lights Arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Snow machines are installed along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, with more units staged nearby.
- Christmas lights now wrap the bushes along Hollywood Boulevard.
- Sunset Boulevard has newer snow machines from a different manufacturer than Hollywood Boulevard.
The Walt Disney World holiday season officially starts November 13th, but Hollywood Studios gets a head start. Disney says The Electric Mayhem’s holiday overlay at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster begins November 4th, and Disney Jollywood Nights opens November 7th. That leaves crews a few short weeks to turn the park’s two grand boulevards into a snowy movie set. The first pieces of the puzzle are already in place.
Snow Machines and Lights Return to Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards
Along Hollywood Boulevard, snow machines sit on the rooftops of the Art Deco storefronts, including a row beside the “A Star-Worthy Supporting Cast” billboard. Each one has a yellow-tinted fluid jug clipped to its side and a black cover draped over the top. More units hang from the light poles near the Chinese Theater, clamped in next to floodlights and moving-head fixtures. Those poles handle the area’s nighttime lighting, so the snow and the lights play off each other.
Christmas lights have also returned. Strands of multicolored string lights now wrap the hedges and shrubs along Hollywood Boulevard, unlit for now but ready for the season. The timing lines up with last year, when snow machines and Christmas lights arrived at Hollywood Studios in mid-October. Hollywood Studios is right on schedule.
Sunset Boulevard looks different this year. Black Boreas M6 IP machines now sit on stands tucked between the palms and cypress trees near Tower of Terror, with another mounted on a rooftop beneath a billboard frame. Their sleek housings and wireless receiver badges stand out next to the older units down the street.
Scaffolding still wraps the upper levels of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, though crews have already uncovered the first sections of the refreshed Tower of Terror exterior. Disney says “Sunset Seasons Greetings” returns this year with nightly holiday projections on the building. According to Disney, holiday magic transforms the hotel into “a Muppets gingerbread masterpiece, a Toy Story toy hotel, a snowy corner of Arendelle.” Disney hasn’t said whether the remaining scaffolding will come down before the show begins.
New vs Old Snow Machines
Labels on the Hollywood Boulevard machines read “Snow Storm 20th Anniversary Edition” by Global Special Effects. The Alabama company started out as Snowmasters in 1992, so the anniversary label points to an older generation of the machine. It makes evaporative snow, a fluid designed to disappear within about two minutes of falling. Last year, we saw these snow machines at about $4,000 each, and today’s version lists for $4,495.
Over on Sunset Boulevard, the Boreas M6 IP comes from Froggy’s Fog. The “IP” refers to its weather protection, with IP54-rated connectors and a motor built for extended outdoor use. That matters in Central Florida, where pop-up storms are common. Here’s a quick look at both machines, based on each manufacturer’s listed specs:
- Snow Storm (Hollywood Boulevard): Global Special Effects, evaporative snow fluid, four-channel DMX control, over 75 feet of throw and a $4,495 price on the current model
- Boreas M6 IP (Sunset Boulevard): Froggy’s Fog, IP54-rated outdoor connectors and motor, three-channel DMX plus a wireless remote, 1.3-gallon fluid tank, $3,299.99
For guests, the result should look roughly the same: flurries drifting over Sunset Boulevard and Hollywood Boulevard once the sun goes down.
Keep Reading
- See how the park looked one year ago in our photos of last year’s snow machine and Christmas light installation, which arrived in mid-October as well.
- Get a closer look at the scenic paintwork behind the scaffolding in our first look at the refreshed Tower of Terror exterior.
- Plan your holiday night at the park with the full 2026 Jollywood Nights dates, shows, and ticket prices.
- Book early if you’re eyeing a party night, since Jollywood Nights opening night has already sold out nearly four weeks ahead.
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!