A Complete Review of Jollywood Nights at Disney's Hollywood Studios

I attended the second night of Jollywood Nights, a brand new after-hours event at Hollywood Studios, and I must say, it was an amazing experience. Although there were a few minor issues that needed to be addressed, we executed the event perfectly and had a great time overall. We came dressed to impress in our theme park best! Before we dive in, let’s cover the basics.

What is Jollywood Nights?

Get ready to indulge in the glitz and glamour of Hollywood while soaking in the festive spirit at Disney Jollywood Nights. This after-hours event takes place at Walt Disney World Resort's Hollywood Studios and is an adult-focused event. The event offers a perfect combination of Hollywood-style. sophistication and holiday cheer. I appreciate the vision behind this concept and hope it continues to gain popularity.

Will Joyllowod Nights be enjoyable for everyone?

In all honesty, I do not recommend taking young children to this event. As a parent of four kids aged 11, 8, 8, and 3, I believe that despite the cute characters and entertaining shows, the admission price can be quite expensive, especially closer to the holidays, and there is not much for younger children to enjoy. Actually, it can be more costly than a regular park day with Genie+. However, if all your children are pre-teens or older, the event is definitely worth attending. You will get to enjoy the entertainment geared towards an older audience, and the ride wait times are incredibly low. Additionally, dressing up for the event with your family is a fun bonus.

Here is a complete list of everything we did at Jollywood Nights along with timestamps, and how we felt about it:

7 pm: We entered the park through the Standard Ticket line with our Annual Passes (the park closed at 8 pm to the public) instead of the Jollywood Nights line. The Jollywood Nights line was incredibly long, and since most people are not annual passholders, I highly recommend getting to the line at 6 - 6:30 pm and waiting until you can enter to ensure you can get a head start on the party.

7:08 pm: We headed straight to Launch Bay to pick up our Jollywood wristbands, lanyard passes, and event maps. The traditional plastic wristbands were given out, not the new ones used at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

7:25 pm: We were waiting in line for the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant, and it quickly reached its maximum capacity within 10 minutes of our arrival. The queue is located in Animation Courtyard, just behind the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant. Once you get in, you will put your name down and they will notify you when your table is ready via text. The estimated time they gave us was accurate, and we were called back around 90 minutes after putting our name down.

7:50 pm: We got in line to meet Daisy and Donald in Animation Courtyard - we then found out that it was either Donald OR Daisy. They take turns meeting in the same spot. I was thrilled to have Daisy as our first character at the party since the girls love her. The party was scheduled to start at 8:30, but Daisy arrived at her designated spot around 8 pm. Just to give you a heads up, there were about 5 people ahead of us in the Daisy line, and the Mickey and Minnie line was long throughout the evening, they already had about 40 people in line when we lined up for Daisy. Goofy and Pluto were also available for meet and greet in the same area, and their line was about the same length as the Donald and Daisy's.

8:15 pm: After finishing our meeting with Daisy, we went directly to the What's This? Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along in the Hyperion Theater. It was an impressive display, with a larger-than-life Jack the Skeleton that I absolutely loved. The Frozen Ever After Holiday Sing-A-Long that we had watched earlier in the day at 3:30 was transformed into the Nightmare Before Christmas for the night show. At the sing-along theatre, we joined in the singing and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The finale was especially satisfying.

We received our page from Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant at 8:44 pm. We knew we had to check in within 10-15 minutes, or we would lose our spot. The show ended at exactly 8:51 pm, making it a 20-minute show.

8:58 pm: We checked into the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant, a restaurant that takes you back to old Hollywood. It's a spacious and beautiful venue with a lot of old-world charm. The place is advertised as a Jazzy Lounge, and there wasn't a single child in there while we were there. It's definitely an adult-only area, and considering its price and menu, I wouldn't recommend bringing kids here. During the Jollywood Night events, it turns into a cocktail and appetizers lounge. I had a hard time finding something I liked on the menu as I'm not a fan of duck or bison, but my husband enjoyed his dish. I ended up having the Charcuterie Board. We also ordered an Old Fashioned cocktail for $19, which my husband immediately regretted as he didn't check the price first. (The Market near Toy Story Land has a much better Old Fashioned for only $9.)

It has been quite some time since we last visited the Hollywood Brown Derby, where we were treated to excellent live music by a pianist and singer who serenaded us throughout dinner. They were incredibly talented. However, when I first heard about the Jazzy Lounge, I had a different expectation of what it would be. I was anticipating a jazz band with a piano, a saxophone, and other instruments, not just jazz tunes. Unfortunately, the Jazzy Lounge did not meet my expectations. The menu options were limited, and the prices were quite high. Nonetheless, it did provide for a nice little date within a larger party. I don't think I will be visiting the Jazzy Lounge again when we attend the next party.

9:28 pm: After leaving the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant, we immediately headed to the Disney Holidays in Hollywood show at Theater of the Stars for the 9:45 pm show, and it did not disappoint. The show was excellent, and the bonus of seeing popular characters made it even more enjoyable. I wish I could bring my kids to see it, as I know they would love it just as much. The stage show is reminiscent of a 1950s live TV special and includes cute commercial breaks. It was undoubtedly one of the highlights of our night, featuring a myriad of songs, dance numbers, and surprise guests, including Princess Tiana, Belle, Minnie, and Mickey.

After the show, I went to meet my friends Katie (@themagicaldetails) and Megan (@misswizardingworld) at Echo Lake in front of the Powerline Max meet and greet. It was great to catch up with them. If you're a fan of Universal Studios and Disney, be sure to follow both. Unfortunately, we were all busy that night and I forgot to take pictures with my friends, but they looked beautiful and I was so happy to hug them.

10:25 pm: After we left Katie and Megan, we decided to grab some food at ABC Commissary and check out the Holiday Fiesta en La Calle. Although the prices at ABC Commissary were reasonable, the portions were small. We absolutely loved the street corn and chicken and cheese empanada. Later, we went to Baseline Tap House to try the ceviche and the Strawberry lemonade, which was phenomenal. Unfortunately, the Latin band didn't live up to our expectations. I later discovered that there were two band stations, and I had only watched the solo singer, missing the larger band my friend Molly said was really good. It would be nice if Disney hired dancers to make the area more appealing. Perhaps the area could be turned into a West Side Story-themed dance-off area with street performers to encourage more people to dance and hang out. I do not want to minimize the talent of the solo singer because he was VERY good, but my expectations were higher.

After leaving Baseline Taphouse, we bumped into our friends Molly (@molly_mcawesome_) and Alan (@just_alan91). It was great to catch up - again - no pictures because we were running all over the park trying to cover this event. If you're a fan of theme parks they are 2/3 of @mammothclub.

10:58 pm: We decided to return to the Animation Court to try out the interactive picture experience. On our way there, we saw Jiminy Cricket in front of the Chinese Theater. At Animation Courtyard, we went to the entrance of Disney Junior Play and Dance. They had transformed it into an interactive photo station, which looked pretty cool. There was a line of about 20 minutes, but we decided not to wait for our turn. Nevertheless, it appeared to be a fun experience.

11:16 pm: After hearing horror stories about it, we finally decided to go to the Tip Top Club. We waited until close to the end of the event. Upon arrival, we noticed two lines for drinks (instead of one like the first night), we received our drinks within 5 minutes. I ordered the Twilight Daiquiri, which was sweet and delicious! The band performing that night was absolutely incredible. I am not exaggerating; if seating had been available, I would have spent the entire night listening to the singer crooning into the microphone. She was an exceptionally talented performer, and a large crowd had gathered to watch the band.

11:30 pm: We found a bench on Sunset Boulevard and watched the Tower of Terror light show, Sunset Seasons Greetings. We debated whether we could make it until 12:30 am for Jingle Jam, Jingle Bam. I wanted to head to Pixar Place to take pictures with a few more characters before we left. So, we met Edna Mode at the Edna Mode Experience and Frozone. There were also interactive photos and a couple of cute backdrops.

11:45 pm: We stopped at The Market and grabbed a quick snack - buffalo chicken egg rolls with jalapeno ranch sauce. They were amazing! That's when we discovered the Old Fashioned drink for $9. It had a round ice cube and tasted better than what we had before. It was definitely a better buy.

11:56 pm: We decided to leave the park, and as we were walking out, we unexpectedly spotted Santa Stitch! Unfortunately, the line to meet him was closed, so I decided to take some photos instead. I noticed that the park had added several new characters, including Santa Duffy, that were not present on our first night. This is great news because it means that there will be more character meet and greets throughout the park, which should help to reduce wait times. However, the park's app still needs to be updated with this information.

We left the park at midnight feeling exhausted. I always advise against having a park day when traveling with children, and in hindsight, I should have skipped it even on our adults-only trip. We had been there for a half day from 8 am to 4 pm, took a break, and returned at 6:30 pm. Jingle Jame, Jingle Bam is a wonderful show. Fortunately, we saw the show before the pandemic. The only thing we missed out on was getting a new photo of the show. However, we had an early flight to catch the following day, and we wanted sleep.

Overall Thoughts…

My husband and I think Jollywood Nights is 85% there and we had a great time. The event is mainly for adults and feels like an adult-only event. If you're going for the rides and want a bit of holiday spirit mixed in, then it's definitely worth it. However, if you're only interested in the event offerings and bringing kids, skip it.

One thing to note is that we got the virtual queue for Rise of the Resistance, which opens at 8 pm. We didn't join the queue until 8:16 and still got boarding group 49. That's how uninterested most people were in the rides. So, if you're bringing kids and rides are your focus, then go for it! Your kid can even meet Santa Stitch.

What would I want Disney to add?

I really wish I had an extra hour at the event. With only four hours, I felt rushed and couldn't spend enough time in any one area. I wanted to experience many different areas, but it felt like I only had 30 minutes in each. I would have loved to wait for one more character, like Stitch or Jiminy Cricket, but I didn't have an additional 30 minutes to spare.

Considering how expensive the ticket is, it would be great if the event offered something for free. Something similar to the cookies and cocoa stations at MVMCP would be nice, where attendees can explore more of the park.

Although the event was great, some aspects lacked the extra magic that makes Disney special. Adding things like Latin dancers to street performances, a few more specialty characters, places to sit and watch the live music, and more pieces to the jazz band at Hollywood Brown Derby would have added that extra Disney magic. There was something left to be desired in numerous areas.

Some things to note:

Photopass is included in the event, but it only starts after 8:30 pm. Therefore, any character pictures taken in Animation Courtyard before that time will not be included. If you are worried about the virtual queue for Rise, don't be. We got in after 16 minutes and still had a great board in group. Not all characters were listed, but this may change as they improve the event.

The Tip Top Lounge is a favorite of everyone because the band is incredible, but it will be VERY crowded if you go there first. So my advice is to wait until later in the evening. The Nightmare Before Christmas show is 20 minutes long, and the Hollywood Hills show is about 25 minutes long. If you are looking to grab a bite to eat, keep in mind that the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant is very expensive, and there is better food available around the park.

During the event, there was also a DJ in front of the Chinese Theater, and he was great. The music was so good that you couldn't help but start dancing. It kept the party atmosphere going, but it wasn't until the end of the night that a crowd formed there, and more than likely, they were gathering for the fireworks.

The Highlight of my evening:

Apart from greeting to see Katie, Megan, Alan, and Molly, the shows were incredible. They lived up to everything I expected and wanted from Disney. The Hollywood Hills show was a delight for everyone, irrespective of their age or preferences. The Nightmare Before Christmas show, on the other hand, requires a little love for the movie to enjoy it to the fullest, but it was still great, and I was thrilled to see Oogie Boogie making an appearance. My husband and I loved both shows, and we'd give them a perfect 10 out of 10.

The cast members emerged as the real stars during the second party night. They were everywhere, and I have never been in a place with so many legacy cast members. Every corner I turned, there was a blue cast member name tag. They were truly amazing and helpful.

In conclusion, we did Jollywood Nights 100% right. We had a game plan, knowing exactly what was essential to us, and we prioritized that. We left some room for magic with the character meet and greets and ended up taking pictures with three of them and also taking some cute photo pass pictures throughout the park, which was unexpected but delightful.

Here Was our Priority list in order:

Hollywood Brown Derby

Hollywood Hills Show

Nightmare Before Christmas

Tip Top Lounge

Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam (did not happen - due to being too tired)

Everything outside of this was a bonus for us.

Tips if you want to go to the party:

If you're planning to visit with little kids, it's better to leave them at the resort with a theme park nanny, unless your top priority is to get on the rides. In my opinion, this kind of event would be more enjoyable to attend with pre-teens and teens who are Disney fans. I personally had a great time during my date night at the park.

If you're interested in visiting the Hollywood Brown Derby Restaurant, make sure to go there first. After the initial seating, there is a queue you can enter at the front door, but there is a high probability that you may not get in. Before deciding, take a look at the menu for options and prices. In my personal opinion, there are other places in the park with better food and drinks.

The Tip Top Lounge is on most people's must-do list, so it's better to go there later in the evening. Most people will rush there first because the band is phenomenal.

Don't miss the shows - they're great!

Make sure to meet some characters. The sensational six all have new outfits, and I loved getting to see them. The unique characters at the park were a surprise to me last night, and I'm sure that the park will continue to evolve.

We had an amazing experience at the event and are definitely planning to come back next year. It will be exciting to see the growth and changes that it undergoes. We appreciate that Walt Disney World took feedback from the first party and made improvements for the second one. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend it. However, we have decided not to bring our kids next year as they are still too young to enjoy it. Although I would love for my daughter to meet Santa Stitch, it wouldn't be worth the money to bring all of them. Besides, my husband and I had a great time just the two of us.

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