Walt Disney World is getting into the Christmas spirit, and Disney's Hollywood Studios has added another reason for families to explore the park this holiday season.
Christmas at Disney usually means elaborate decorations, festive entertainment, and plenty of opportunities to celebrate with favorite characters.
However, the park's newest seasonal addition takes visitors beyond the usual holiday festivities.
Instead of focusing entirely on today's Christmas celebrations, Disney is giving guests a chance to discover how its holiday traditions began and what happens behind the scenes to make them possible.
It's a nostalgic experience that longtime Disney fans may especially appreciate.
New Disney Christmas Exhibit Officially Opens
Disney's Hollywood Studios welcomed “Disney Takes a Holiday” on November 4, 2026.
Located inside Walt Disney Presents, the exhibit features historical decorations, photographs, and displays celebrating decades of Disney Christmas traditions.
According to WDWMAGIC, guests can explore several themed areas, each focusing on a different part of Disney's holiday history.
One display recreates a cozy Christmas setting where Disney characters have prepared letters for Santa Claus.
Visitors will find a red North Pole mailbox, holiday decorations, and oversized envelopes from Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy.
Another section takes guests back to Disneyland's earliest Christmas celebrations.
The historical display includes photographs of holiday parades, toy soldiers, and decorations dating back to the park's opening era.
It even explores some unusual early entertainment, including camels appearing along Main Street, U.S.A.
For guests who enjoy Disney history, these details offer a fascinating look at how much the company's Christmas celebrations have evolved.
Disney Reveals the Work Behind Its Christmas Decorations
One of the most interesting parts of the exhibit focuses on the enormous effort required to decorate Walt Disney World.
Disney's Holiday Services team works throughout the year preparing decorations for the resort's seasonal celebrations.
The team manages more than 50,000 decorations and over 800 themed Christmas trees.
Much of that decorating happens overnight, helping create the seemingly magical transformation guests experience every November.
Visitors can also examine an original Imagineering drawing from 1989 showing plans for a Christmas tree outside the Chinese Theater at what was then Disney-MGM Studios.
Another display explains how Disney creates artificial snowfall using a special soap-based mixture called “snoap.”
The effect helps bring a winter atmosphere to Florida, even when temperatures feel nothing like Christmas.
Disney Adds Classic Holiday Entertainment
Along with the new exhibit, Disney has introduced a seasonal animated presentation inside the Walt Disney Theater.
The approximately 25-minute program includes three classic shorts: On Ice (1935), Pluto's Christmas Tree (1952), and The Art of Skiing (1941).
The cartoons feature familiar characters, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, and Goofy.
For families spending a busy day at Hollywood Studios, the theater provides a comfortable place to enjoy a little Christmas entertainment.
The exhibit is expected to remain open throughout the holiday season, giving visitors plenty of opportunities to check it out.
While it might not attract the same attention as the park's larger holiday offerings, “Disney Takes a Holiday” brings something special to Hollywood Studios.
It's a chance to appreciate the history, creativity, and traditions that have made Christmas at Disney such a memorable experience for generations.
