ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Disney World has canceled this year’s edition of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom and the Candlelight Processional at Epcot.


What You Need To Know

  • Very  Merry Christmas Party, Candlelight Processional canceled

  • Disney World still plans to celebrate the holidays

  • Other holiday experiences will be offered instead

  • Character cavalcades, castle projections, Santa appearances

The two holiday events will be “on hiatus” this Disney said Tuesday in a blog post confirming the news.

“We know these experiences are a cherished part of holiday traditions that will be missed by guests and cast members alike, but we’re glad to be able to bring holiday magic in other creative ways,” the blog post read.

Despite the cancellation of the two big holiday events, Disney World still plans to celebrate the Christmas season and will be offering other holiday experiences. The festivities will officially kick off November 6 and run through December 30.

At Magic Kingdom, in place of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the park will feature character cavalcades with a “holiday twist.” Gingerbread men, toy soldiers, elves and reindeer will make their way through the park.

Another change will come to Cinderella Castle. In place of the Castle Dream Lights show, the castle will get rotating holiday projections that transform it into various holiday designs, including a Christmas sweater and red, green and gold ornamentation.

Over at Epcot, Disney still plans to hold a version of its holiday food festival.  The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays will kick off on November 27 and feature highlights from the festival, including holiday kitchens around the World Showcase. Also, the Voices of Liberty will perform carols at the America Gardens Theatre.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will get a holiday motorcade, while Disney’s Animal Kingdom will have “festive flotillas.”

All of the parks, as well as Disney Springs, will get special pop-up appearances from Santa Claus.

Disney Springs visitors will also be treated to a nightly snowfall and elaborately-decorated, Disney-themed Christmas trees throughout the complex.

During the holidays, many visitors love stopping by the resort hotels to see the gingerbread displays. The resort hotels will still be decorated for the holidays, but there won’t be any gingerbread displays this year, Disney said.

The cancellations come amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which has cause theme parks to implement new health and safety measures, including social distancing protocols. Earlier this year, Disney canceled its popular Halloween event, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party due to coronavirus restrictions.