Animal Kingdom has really stepped it up when it comes to decorating for the holidays.

And just like the park, the decorations here are *very* unique.

Here’s everything you need to know about the holidays at Animal Kingdom:

Animal Kingdom holiday offerings for 2021

Holiday Flotillas

If you’ve had a chance to visit the parks since they reopened in July 2020, you may have seen some of your favorite characters floating down the waterways in Animal Kingdom.

These are one of our favorite new things about Animal Kingdom! And we are excited to share that during the holidays these character floats are getting a special seasonal makeover!

Guests visiting from November 12 through and December 30 will be able to see some of their favorite characters decked out for the holidays:

• Donald’s Dino Bash Festive Flotilla
• Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Festive Flotilla
• Discovery Island Drummers Festive Flotilla
• Mickey and Friends Festive Flotilla
• Santa Claus Festive Flotilla

Tree of Life Awakenings (Holiday Edition)

Alternating with the 50th Anniversary Beacon of Magic, the Tree of Life Awakenings projection show gets a holiday makeover in November and December.

Santa Claus

At Animal Kingdom, Santa has ditched his sleigh for a decked out boat.

Like the rest of the flotillas, Santa can also be seen floating down Discovery River intermittently throughout the day. Make sure you wave “hello!’ when he passes by. 

Decorations

If you are a fan of unique decorations, you are going to LOVE Animal Kingdom.

Not only are there lots of decorations to see, you’ll be happy to know that they aren’t all concentrated in one area.

Instead, you’ll see decorations spread throughout the park. Here’s what you can expect to see:

Discovery Island

Once again, this heart of Animal Kingdom will become the centerpiece for the celebration of winter.

Here, guests will find the buildings transformed into a holiday village filled with sparkling white decorations.

At night, “rooftop luminaries and bird lanterns all around Discovery Island bring a warm and festive glow to the entire village.”

During the daytime, you can also find life-sized animal puppets:

And, after the sun goes down, guests will be entertained by gorgeous projections as the Tree of Life awakens for the holidays.

Dinoland U.S.A.

Dinoland goes full kitschy during the holiday season!

Asia

In Anandapur, you’ll find the theatre district decorated for Diwali (which is the festival of lights in India). 

Here, guests will be greeted with glowing flowers and lanterns that will illuminate the square between Anandapur Theater and the waterfront stage.

Africa

Guests visiting Africa will find a “unique holiday presentation” with a blend of western traditions and the colors and textures of African celebrations.

Pandora

And even the residents of Pandora get in on the holiday action:

What is on hiatus in 2021?

Holiday Character Dining

In previous years, Tusker House got in on the action and you were able to find Mickey and his friends (complete with holiday-themed accessories) spreading holiday cheer to all who dined. Even though Tusker House has reopened, we haven’t heard anything about the themed costumes coming back for 2021.