Where to See Santa at Walt Disney World

The most magical time of year is even better at the most magical place on Earth. And what could be more magical than seeing Santa at Walt Disney World?

Get family photos with the jolliest man there is at Disney Springs. Or wave hello as he passes by in a festive parade. We’re sharing all the places you can see Santa at Disney!

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*Pictured: Santa at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in 2024.

And there are even more places to see Santa Claus in Orlando – check it out at Orlando-Parenting.com.

Basics of the Holidays At Walt Disney World

Let’s start off with the basics of what you need to know about celebrating the holidays at Walt Disney World.

The holidays at Walt Disney World kick off November 12, 2024 and run through early January 2025. EPCOT gets a later start on November 29, 2024.

If you plan to visit on Christmas or any dates close to it, book your Disney Park Pass Reservation as soon as possible. These will book to capacity very quickly, even though park pass reservations are not required for some ticket types.

Other things to know:

• Each theme park and Disney resort hotel is decorated
• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is very popular
• Special holiday food and beverage is available at each Disney theme park
• Santa Claus appears at each of the four Disney theme parks and Disney Springs

Keep reading to learn where Santa is in each Disney theme park. And at the end you’ll find info about visiting Santa for FREE at Disney Springs.

Where to See Santa at Walt Disney World

Each of the four Disney theme parks has a way for you to see Santa Claus. Magic Kingdom is the most popular spot for seeing Santa, however, it takes the most work.

Santa Claus at Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom tends to top everyone’s list for the holidays. The decorations are classic, especially on Main Street USA. However, seeing Santa at Magic Kingdom is not as easy as EPCOT or Disney Springs.

Santa appears at the parade at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and in the NEW Santa’s Christmas Carnival in Storybook Circus from 7 pm-midnight during the party.

This parade also performs during the day during the week of Christmas Day, and the week after. These two weeks of Christmas are also the busiest time of the entire year at Disney.

Santa Claus has also done meet and greet appearances near the front of Magic Kingdom, next to City Hall on Main Street. You’ll want to check the My Disney Experience app for times.

Santa usually appears at Magic Kingdom for greetings during midday in the surrounding weeks close to Christmas Day.

Santa Claus at EPCOT

Santa Claus appears at EPCOT in multiple ways. During the Festival of the Holidays, EPCOT comes alive with holiday cheer. Each World Showcase pavilion has a Holiday Storyteller, sharing the history and origin of international holiday traditions, in many entertaining ways.

Three holiday storytellers resemble Santa Claus. In the United Kingdom Pavilion, France Pavilion, and Norway Pavilion these storytellers are similar to our modern-day version of Santa.

Each performance lasts about fifteen minutes, and the storytellers perform on a small stage not far from the main promenade. This makes it easy to grab something to eat or drink from a nearby Holiday Kitchen while you watch the storyteller.

Plus, the classic Santa Claus as we know him meets guests at the American Adventure pavilion at the center of World Showcase.

The setup for Santa at EPCOT is beautiful and makes for great family photos. Santa at EPCOT is the most readily available Santa at Disney greeting. EPCOT is the best place to meet Santa in all four theme parks.

Santa Claus at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

While I love the Christmas decorations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, it is not the best place to meet Santa himself. Catch sight of Santa cruising down Hollywood Boulevard in his candy-apple red convertible during the Santa Claus Merry Motorcade.

This brief appearance is a fun, modern way to see Santa. It goes by quickly so be sure to check with a Guest Experience Team Cast Member for showtimes.

Santa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The unique interpretations of the holidays at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is one of my favorite things about the holiday season at Walt Disney World. And this year is super special because it is the ONLY year you’ll ever get to meet Santa Claus at Animal Kingdom, combined with a dinosaur theme! 

You can meet Santa Claus at the “75th Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party” on the patio at Restaurantosaurus. Santa will greet guests in this festive new location as the students and faculty of the Dino Institute celebrate the season in (pre)-historic fashion from November 12-December 24, 2024!

See Santa for FREE at Disney Springs

You can see Santa for free at Disney Springs, but you’ll need to get there early. To see Santa at Disney Springs, you’ll need to sign up through the virtual queue. When you arrive, check for a sign with a QR code. The virtual queue signs are near the entrance to Once Upon a Toy as well as once you’ve entered Disney Springs from each parking area.

Once you’ve entered the virtual queue you’ll get a notification on your phone when it is your turn to see Santa. You can check the MyDisneyExperience app, under Virtual Queues to see how much longer you have to wait.

While you wait go explore the rest of Disney Springs, though you’ll need to get to the Santa greeting area within 45 minutes of notification that it is your turn. So don’t go too far.

Once it is your turn, you’ll meet the big man himself at Santa’s Marketplace hosted by Bauducco, near Disney’s Pin Traders. You can also have Breakfast with Santa at Disney Springs, at Maria and Enzo’s Italian Restaurant.

Checking it twice…

• Santa appears at all four Disney theme parks and Disney Springs
• EPCOT is the easiest theme park for traditional photos with Santa meet and greet
• Disney Springs is free to enter and offers photos with Santa
• Santa meet and greet at Disney Springs usually starts in early November and goes to Christmas Eve
• A virtual queue is required for meeting Santa at Disney Springs