Santa Claus is meeting guests at all four Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Springs this holiday season. Disney has now confirmed where to find him at each spot, along with the dates for every location. The biggest change is at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where Santa’s Holiday Grove opens today as his new home in the park. Disney Springs keeps him on a virtual queue with no standby line.
Santa Claus Meet and Greet Locations at Walt Disney World for the 2026 Holidays
IN THIS ARTICLE:
- Where Santa meets guests in each of the four theme parks and at Disney Springs.
- The dates for each location, including when Goofy takes over as Santa at Animal Kingdom.
- How the virtual queue for Santa at Disney Springs works.
The holiday season at Walt Disney World started today, November 13th, and Santa’s schedule is now set across the resort. Each park gives the big guy a different setting, from a campsite on the Discovery River to a wintry corner of CommuniCore Hall. All five locations wrap up on December 24th, when Santa leaves for his big night. Here is where and when Disney says you can find him:
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Santa’s Holiday Grove, November 13 to December 24
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Walt Disney Presents, through December 24
- EPCOT: CommuniCore Hall, November 27 to December 24
- Magic Kingdom: Storybook Circus, November 26 (Thanksgiving Day) to December 24
- Disney Springs: Santa’s workshop near Disney’s Pin Traders, through December 24
Santa’s Holiday Grove Opens Today at Animal Kingdom
Santa has a new spot at Disney’s Animal Kingdom this year. As we reported when Disney first announced Santa’s Holiday Grove, the trail sits across from “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” at Theater in the Wild. Guests walk through intermittent snow flurries on the way to Santa, with a holiday soundtrack playing. The Grove also has specialty food and drinks. Santa spent the last two holiday seasons in DinoLand USA, which closed on February 2nd, 2026, to make way for Tropical Americas.
Disney built the Grove as stop on Santa’s trip around the world. James Silson, Show Director at Disney Live Entertainment, described the setting: “As Santa is traveling the globe, he’s made a special stop along the Discovery River where he’s joining in the ways that people around the world celebrate the spirit of the season through the sharing of toys, traditions, and craftsmanship. When guests visit Santa’s campsite, they’ll discover handcrafted toys and sculptures inspired by his travels, along with an assortment of tools he’s using to put the finishing touches on a few more creations. They might even spot some of Santa’s navigational instruments and maps that help him chart the course for his next journey!”
Santa’s last day at the Grove is December 24th. From December 25th through January 3rd, Goofy dressed as Santa takes over. That gives families visiting between Christmas and New Year’s a Santa photo at Animal Kingdom. The Merry Menagerie animal puppets on Discovery Island and the holiday Tree of Life Awakenings projections are back for the season too.
Santa at the Other Three Parks and Disney Springs
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Santa is meeting guests inside Walt Disney Presents. The venue has a new holiday installation this year about how Walt Disney World decorates for the season. Its theater is also showing classic holiday shorts for a limited time, including Pluto’s Christmas Tree and The Art of Skiing with Goofy. Disney says the meet-and-greet room feels like Santa’s cozy toy shop, with Disney holiday artwork from past years near the entrance. Guests at Disney Jollywood Nights may also spot Duffy dressed as Santa.
EPCOT’s Santa arrives with the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays on November 27th. He meets guests in a wintry setting inside CommuniCore Hall. The hall also has a Spaceship Earth gingerbread display during the festival. Over at The Odyssey, Goofy dressed as Santa poses for photos. World Showcase has its own holiday storytellers, including Père Noël in France and Barn Santa in Norway.
Magic Kingdom opens its Santa meet-and-greet on Thanksgiving Day, November 26th, in Storybook Circus. Disney calls it a dedicated spot for Santa, and it is open to all guests. Santa also rides his sleigh in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Our Magic Kingdom holiday season guide notes that this parade takes the place of the Starlight parade on Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights. The Jingle Cruise is back in Adventureland as well.
Disney Springs puts Santa in his workshop near Disney’s Pin Traders through December 24th. To see him, guests need to join a virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app. There is no standby line. Disney says the app will have multiple chances to join throughout the day, so check back later if you miss the first one.
PhotoPass photographers are working throughout the four parks and Disney Springs this season, with limited-time holiday props and Magic Shots. Memory Maker covers downloads of all of those photos if you plan to visit more than one Santa this year.
Keep Reading
- Get the full background on Santa’s Holiday Grove at Animal Kingdom, including where Santa met guests before DinoLand USA closed.
- Plan your EPCOT holiday visit with our rundown of 2026 Festival of the Holidays dates and details, from the World Showcase storytellers to Goofy at The Odyssey.
- See every event night and ticket price for Disney Jollywood Nights 2026 at Hollywood Studios.
- Our 2026 Magic Kingdom holiday season guide covers the Jingle Cruise, the nightly parade schedule, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
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!