This article is your ultimate guide to Walt Disney World Special events! While Walt Disney World Resort offers many special events throughout the year, certain ones are the most popular and highly anticipated. From Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to EPCOT festivals and the runDisney events, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
So, if you’re ready to learn about the Disney World events, read on!
SPECIAL NOTE: If you need help picking the best time to visit Disney World for your next vacation, check out our Disney crowd calendar!
From start to finish, guests can experience New Year’s Eve at Disney World, the EPCOT Festival of the Arts from January through February, the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival from March through May, the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival in July through November, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party August through October, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party November through December, and EPCOTs Festival of the Holidays November through December as well.
That doesn’t even include the four spread-out RunDisney holiday weekends, which make for a jam-packed year of fun at Walt Disney World!
Here is a Walt Disney World Special Event list:
*dates not announced yet for certain Disney events in 2025
Related post: Complete List of EPCOT Events
The first special event at Disney World might be one of our favorites, as we always love to start the year off at the most Magical Place on Earth! One of our favorite things that Walt Disney World does for New Year’s Eve is the Fantasy in the Sky nighttime spectacular at the Magic Kingdom Park. This fireworks display is only offered on December 30th and 31st and starts at 11:50 PM each night. Guests can also enjoy all of the amazing Christmas decorations, especially parades, fireworks, character meet and greets, and so much more during the New Year’s celebration. On the flip side, we must also warn you these are two of the busiest days of the year at Magic Kingdom Park, but luckily, guests can also enjoy special events at the other three Disney World theme parks as well!
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Epcot’s International Festival of the Arts is the newest Epcot festival that just keeps getting better and better every year. This festival is all about creativity, color, artwork, and more. You can celebrate Figment the Purple Dragon, see live artists, or get a colorful slice of cake to remember this festival. From art galleries to Broadway performances in the America Gardens Theater and some of the prettiest food we’ve ever seen, this festival has something for everyone.
There is also a Disney on Broadway Concert Series during the Festival of the Arts with live performances of Disney Broadway legends. The Festival of the Arts runs from January 12th – February 19th, 2025.
Related post: Complete Guide to Epcot Attractions and Rides
One of the hidden Walt Disney World special events is Easter. The Magic Kingdom Park has been known to host the Easter Bunny meet and greet in Town Square. EPCOT hosts an Easter egg extravaganza scavenger hunt the week leading up to Easter.
Many of the Walt Disney World hotels host special egg hunts, egg decorations, and Disney characters in Easter attire. The Grand Floridian also displays giant Easter eggs in their main lobby. Guests can also reserve special Easter reservations for breakfast, brunch, and dinner. This is one of our favorite Disney World events in April because the Disney Culinary team is so talented that we love seeing all the treats!
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Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is the perfect way to celebrate the start of spring. As one of our favorite Disney World events, we are happy to hear that Walt Disney World will be extending the dates to this festival! With beautifully crafted topiaries and all the colors of spring, this festival usually starts in early March and runs until the beginning of summer.
Walt Disney World guests at this festival can also look forward to the Garden Rocks concert series at America Gardens Theater every night of the festival, as well as butterfly gardens and fresh foods from outdoor kitchens around the World Showcase.
The dates of the Flower and Garden Festival are March 1st – July 5th (approximate dates based on the previous year)
Related post: Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Guide
Are you thinking about celebrating the Fourth of July at Walt Disney World? This has always been one of our favorite events at Disney World! Disney has been known to celebrate with amazing firework shows during almost all of the special times of year and the Independence Day celebration is no exception. Here is how the 4th of July is celebrated at each of the Walt Disney World theme parks.
Magic Kingdom: This park offers special 4th of July fireworks on July 3rd and 4th above Cinderella Castle. Guests can also enjoy specially-themed treats, as well as dance parties in Tomorrowland and Frontierland during the nighttime fireworks show.
EPCOT: EPCOT has also performed a special version of their nighttime fireworks show on the 4th of July. Guests can also enjoy Disney characters dressed in patriotic attire while the Voices of Liberty, the acapella group, performs in the American Gardens theater.
Hollywood Studios: Although Hollywood Studios does not host specialty-themed fireworks for the 4th of July, guests can still enjoy the nightly showing of Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Just like Hollywood Studios, there are no special fireworks. Animal Kingdom refrains from fireworks to keep the animals safe and comfortable in the park.
One of the mega events at Disney World is the fan-favorite Food and Wine Festival that comes to EPCOT every year. A foodie’s dream, EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival is one of Epcot’s longest and largest festivals at Walt Disney World, and for good reason. With food and drinks from all over the world, there is just so much to experience. Featuring international outdoor kitchens, food demonstrations, and the Eat to The Beat concert series, the International Food and Wine Festival always has something going on and is a great reason to visit Walt Disney World in the fall.
Be sure to check out our complete guide to the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival here!
One of Epcot’s shorter festivals, the International Festival of the Holiday, takes place in December. Discover holiday traditions celebrated around the world, along with seasonal holiday treats and even the opportunity to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus! Although it’s one of the smaller festivals at Epcot, we think the Festival of the Holidays is a great reason to make a trip over to Epcot during the holiday season. The World Showcase is full of Disney Holiday special magic as there are cultural aspects of the holidays that guests can learn about around the world!
At this festival is another one of Disney World’s events, which is the Candlelight Processional. Many guests travel far to view this celebrity-hosted retelling of the traditional Christmas story.
The dates for the Festival of the Holidays are November 29 to December 30, 2024, this year!
Related post: Complete Guide to Disney World During Christmas Time
Halloween at Disney World is highly anticipated as Magic Kingdom park fully transforms into a spooky lovers dream. Most of the Halloween magic happens in Magic Kingdom park, as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is the main event of the season. Guests can enjoy Halloween treats in all four theme parks, but will find all of the decor and special events in the Magic Kingdom theme park.
This After-Hours event is the most popular separately ticketed event that happens at Walt Disney World to date. Guests can show up in their favorite costumes after the park closes and enjoy exclusive meet and greets, Halloween parades, trick-or-treating, free snacks and drinks and more! Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party also brings low wait times and special entertainment on select nights during the Fall season.
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Disney Parks have been known to throw After Hours events, and the holiday parties tend to be the most popular Magic Kingdom events. Disney has been known to hold two special holiday parties at the Magic Kingdom park every fall, and they have quickly become fan favorites.
The popular holiday events that occur in Disney World are Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios.
These special ticket events at Disney World are 3-4 hour events with exclusive character meets, free select food items, and other specially scheduled events.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is the Christmas After Hours event where guests can enjoy a party starting at 7PM and ending at midnight with low waits, special meet and greets and more. There is Minnie’s Christmastime Fireworks display which is always a crowd favorite, along with Mickey’s Very Merry Christimastime Parade! There are special performances all night, as well as, a stage show that showcases so many Disney favorites in their holiday best.
We can’t forget the free cookies, hot cocoa, cider and eggnog throughout the night, which is free and unlimited.
The newest Disney special event is Disney Jollywood Nights, which sounds like an incredibly swanky time for the holidays! This party is at Hollywood Studios Park on select nights from November 9th – December 1st, 2024. This is a separately ticketed event that will go from 8:30 PM to 12:30 AM for guests to enjoy on ten different nights.
The event will feature a special sing-along at the Hyperion Theater, led by Jack Skellington from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Other characters from the movie, like Oogie Boogie and Sandy Claws, will also make appearances.
The Animation Courtyard will be filled with characters, including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Pluto. Other characters like Powerline Max, Chip ‘n’ Dale, and Phineas and Ferb will be found at Echo Lake. Over at Pixar Place, guests can meet Edna Mode with a 1950s theme and enjoy Frozone’s Snow Zone.
The Hollywood Tower Hotel Courtyard will host an “otherworldly soiree” with a ghostly band, and the Hollywood Brown Derby will be home to a swingin’ good time. A marquee on Hollywood Boulevard will provide a special photo opportunity in the “Welcome to Tinseltown” area. There will also be specialty food and beverages available, along with a DJ spinning holiday, classic, and pop music.
Related post: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets
RunDisney events have become increasingly popular over the past few years and always draw a crowd. Aside from the races, runners can look forward to expos, unique photo ops, and race-specific merchandise.
As one of the most popular Disney events, coming back in 2024 meant that Disney runners would be making it back to the finish line. Now, with the runDisney Disney World events 2024 being back in person and virtually, make sure to secure your spot before they all sell out!
The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend sold out very quickly, with all of the events with a popular 90’s retro theme. Runners can enjoy a healthy competition with a dose of iconic characters and a glimpse into the runDisney past as runDisney fans celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Marathon Weekend. The Walt Disney World Marathon weekend will have the Walt Disney World 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, and Marathon. In 2024, guests can enjoy virtual runDisney races that you can do at home!
The Disney Princess Half Marathon includes a 5k, 10k, half marathon, and Disney Fairytale Challenge. Runners can choose to run in one race, two races, or all three. Runners participating in the half marathon get the privilege of seeing Epcot and Magic Kingdom during their run. This weekend always promises to be a fun one!
This is the newest half marathon weekend, which also includes a 5k, 10k, kids races, and, of course, the Springtime half marathon. This runDisney event is a great one to get the whole family involved. Run familiar courses inspired by fan-favorite races, including Disney Pixar Cars 5K, Disney Pixar Monsters 10K, and Disney Pixar Toy Story 10-Miler.
Disney’s Wine and Dine Marathon weekend coincides perfectly with Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival, as it is generally held in November and offers up the same theme.
The Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend includes kids races, a 5k, a 10k, and a half marathon, which takes place at night! You can find information about all of the runDisney events here.
Disney’s After Hours events have made their way back, and we are so excited to return to our favorite parks with low crowds. Even the Disney Water Parks participate in after-hours events, and the Typhoon Lagoon H20 Glow After Hours party is one of our favorite events of the summer.
This special event will grant guests access to the theme park beginning at 7:00 PM, although most events won’t begin until the park officially closes and last for 2-3 hours per party night. Once the party does start, guests will have access to all of the ice cream, popcorn, and sodas/waters included in the cost of their ticket.
Related post: Disney After Hours: Everything You Need to Know
A: The Walt Disney World events include New Year’s Eve at Disney World, EPCOT Festival of the Arts (January-February), EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival (March-May), the opening of Tron at Magic Kingdom (April), Happily Ever After fireworks show (April), EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival (July-November), Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (August-October), Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (November-December), EPCOT Festival of the Holidays (November-December), and RunDisney events spread throughout the year.
A: The best Disney World events are Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. These events offer unique experiences, including special parades, fireworks, and extended park hours. They provide added benefits for guests, allowing them to enjoy popular rides and attractions with shorter wait times.
Our Disney World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you get the most out of your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, park hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also break down the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.
Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages. The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your Walt Disney World Tickets, and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets. If you’re brand new to Disney vacation planning, we recommend our Walt Disney World Planning Page! Learn more about Disney hotels by reading our Walt Disney World Hotels Review page.
Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well!