The Quick Read
Key Takeaways
- What: Santa Claus is meeting guests at all four Walt Disney World theme parks and Disney Springs.
- First Stop: Disney’s Animal Kingdom opens Santa’s Holiday Grove on November 13.
- Last Day: Santa’s park and Disney Springs meets wrap up on December 24.
- After Christmas: Goofy dressed as Santa greets guests at Animal Kingdom December 25 to January 3.
- Catch: Santa at Disney Springs uses a virtual queue only, with no standby line.
OPEN Brief: Knowing where to meet Santa at Disney World this year comes down to timing, because each Walt Disney World park opens its Santa meet on a different day. Build your game plan around the right park and the right week, and the big guy fits neatly into your trip.
In This Story (7 sections)
Where Can You Meet Santa at Disney World in 2026?
Santa meets guests at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs this season.
Each Walt Disney World location has its own start date, so the calendar matters. Here is the full lineup, sorted by when Santa arrives.
| Location | Where Santa Meets | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom | Santa’s Holiday Grove | November 13 to December 24 |
| Disney’s Hollywood Studios | Walt Disney Presents | Now through December 24 |
| Disney Springs | Santa’s workshop near Disney’s Pin Traders | Now through December 24 |
| Magic Kingdom | Storybook Circus | Thanksgiving Day (November 26) to December 24 |
| EPCOT | CommuniCore Hall | November 27 to December 24 |
Visiting before Thanksgiving? Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs are your options. For more holiday planning, keep our Walt Disney World coverage handy all season.
Where Is Santa’s Holiday Grove at Animal Kingdom?
Santa’s Holiday Grove at Disney’s Animal Kingdom sits across from Theater in the Wild, home of Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the first park to welcome Santa this year. The grove adds intermittent snow flurries, a festive soundtrack, and specialty food and drinks to the visit.
Start your Animal Kingdom day here if Santa is on the list, then catch the Nemo show right across the path. Coming after Christmas? Goofy dressed as Santa takes over the grove through January 3, which makes this the only park on the list with a holiday character meet after December 24. See more of the park in our Disney’s Animal Kingdom guide.
Where Is Santa at Hollywood Studios This Year?
Santa meets guests inside Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which has a new holiday installation this year.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios pairs the meet with a limited-time theater showing classic Disney holiday shorts. The lineup includes Walt Disney’s On Ice, Pluto’s Christmas Tree, and The Art of Skiing.
Plan a little extra time here. The shorts make a nice cool-down break before or after your Santa visit. Staying for Disney Jollywood Nights? Keep an eye out for Duffy dressed as Santa.
Where Does Santa Meet Guests at EPCOT?
EPCOT’s Santa meets guests in CommuniCore Hall, next to a gingerbread version of Spaceship Earth.
EPCOT’s Santa meet arrives with the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, presented by AdventHealth, which begins November 27. Goofy dressed as Santa also appears at The Odyssey.
Make it a World Showcase night after your CommuniCore Hall stop. Père Noël shares stories in France, and Barn Santa does the same in Norway. Get the full lay of the land in our EPCOT guide.
Where Is Santa in Magic Kingdom?
Magic Kingdom’s Santa meet is in Storybook Circus, starting on Thanksgiving Day.
Magic Kingdom also gives you a second way to see Santa. He waves from his sleigh in Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. Disney did not list parade dates in its announcement.
Head to Storybook Circus in Fantasyland for the meet, then swing over to Adventureland. The Jingle Cruise is back with holiday jokes and decorations, and it’s an easy way to keep the energy going.
How Do You Meet Santa at Disney Springs?
Disney Springs guests meet Santa in his workshop near Disney’s Pin Traders by joining a virtual queue.
Disney Springs is the one Santa stop that changes the game plan. You join through the My Disney Experience app, and Disney says a standby queue will not be available.
No Walk-Up Line
Disney Springs Santa visits require the virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app. Disney says there are multiple chances to join during the day, so check the app more than once if your first try doesn’t work out.
Can You Get Holiday PhotoPass Photos at Disney World?
Disney PhotoPass photographers work all four Walt Disney World parks and Disney Springs with seasonal props this holiday season.
Disney PhotoPass photographers offer festive backdrops, seasonal props, and holiday Magic Shots. To download every photo from your trip, Disney points guests to Memory Maker, its all-inclusive photo package.
If you’re meeting Santa at more than one location, those extra photos add up fast. That’s when Memory Maker starts to make the most sense for your itinerary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you meet Santa at Disney World after Christmas?
Santa’s Walt Disney World meets end December 24, but Goofy dressed as Santa greets guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom from December 25 through January 3.
Which Disney World park has Santa first in 2026?
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is first, opening Santa’s Holiday Grove on November 13. EPCOT is last to start, on November 27.
Is there a standby line for Santa at Disney Springs?
No. Santa at Disney Springs is virtual queue only through the My Disney Experience app, and Disney says a standby queue will not be available.
Details confirmed with Disney on November 13, 2026. Meet times, parade dates, and Lightning Lane options have not been announced.
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