Santa Claus has a new home at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this holiday season. Disney says Santa’s Holiday Grove sits across from “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” at Theater in the Wild, where a trail with intermittent snow flurries leads to Santa himself. The space also brings specialty food and beverage items and a festive soundtrack. Walt Disney World’s holiday season begins November 13th and continues through January 6th, 2027.
Santa’s Holiday Grove at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Where Santa’s Holiday Grove is located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
- What Disney says guests will find in the Grove.
- How the new location follows Santa’s two seasons in DinoLand USA.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is giving Santa a dedicated space of his own this holiday season. Walt Disney World’s resort-wide holiday celebration begins November 13th, and the Grove gives Animal Kingdom a new seasonal stop for families to visit between attractions. Snow flurries and a festive soundtrack bring a touch of winter to the park’s wildlife setting.
Where to Find Santa’s Holiday Grove
Disney says Santa’s Holiday Grove sits across from “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” at Theater in the Wild. That places Santa next to the reimagined Finding Nemo stage show that debuted at the theater in June 2022, so families can pair a show with a wish-list visit.
Disney has not given an exact spot, but the Grove could sit along the pathway from Theater in the Wild toward the Discovery Island bridge. That route bends around the Tropical Americas construction.
Disney describes the area as “a magical trail with intermittent snow flurries.” Guests will also find Santa himself there, ready to hear their holiday wish lists.
Specialty food and beverage items and a festive soundtrack round out the Grove, according to Disney. Disney has not yet detailed those food and beverage items, or shared meeting times and dates specific to the Grove, but we’ll keep tracking. The holiday season continues through January 6th, 2027, and Disney says Santa will meet guests at all four Walt Disney World theme parks during it. That said, Santa usually disappears following Christmas Eve.
Santa’s New Animal Kingdom Home After DinoLand USA
The Grove gives Santa a new home after two holiday seasons in DinoLand USA. Before that, Santa sailed around the park’s waterways during holiday cavalcades. In 2024, he moved onto dry land with an all-new meet-and-greet on the Restaurantosaurus patio, and he returned for one final season there in 2025.
DinoLand USA closed permanently on February 2nd, 2026, to make way for Tropical Americas. Santa’s Holiday Grove puts him in a setting created for the season, with snow flurries and holiday music to match.
Santa joins other holiday favorites at the park. Disney says Merry Menagerie returns to Discovery Island with artisan-sculpted puppets of penguins, reindeer, foxes, and polar bears. Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition lights up the Tree of Life each evening after sunset. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will also appear in holiday attire at Adventurers Outpost, and the ECO-RHYTHMiCS percussion band joins the season in festive gear. Artist Rob Kaz will greet guests at Island Mercantile from November 1st through November 22nd.
Keep Reading
- Catch up on Santa’s final season at Restaurantosaurus in DinoLand USA, including the dates he met guests in 2025.
- Get the full picture of what is replacing the old land with our Tropical Americas guide.
- Revisit last year’s Walt Disney World holiday season guide for a park-by-park look at how the resort celebrated in 2025.
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!