You can always rely on Downtown Disney to provide excitement, great shopping, dining, and unique entertainment. However, our favorite time of year to visit this Disney hotspot is when the Festival of the Seasons comes to town. From November 28th through December 24th, Downtown Disney fills with holiday cheer, hustle, and bustle as all the stores fill with unique holiday merchandise and holiday decorations dot the landscape. With all the dazzling lights and amazing holiday window displays, you’ll love just walking through all the Downtown Disney shops during the Festival.

In addition to hosting a festive holiday atmosphere, the Festival of the Seasons will feature seasonal carolers, musical acts, and live entertainment on the streets throughout the month. Enjoy the sounds of school choirs performing at the Dock Stage, as well as DJ Dance Parties throughout the season. And at Downtown Disney’s West Side, strolling musicians and Tin Soldier stilt walkers will add to the merriment and revelry.

And no holiday celebration is complete without Santa, who’ll be making daily appearances from noon to 10 pm. There’ll also be Santa previews from November 15th through November 27th, from 5 pm to 10 pm. Kids will be able to get their picture taken with Jolly Ole’ St. Nick at Santa’s Christmas Chalet, located near World of Disney. And if they’ve been good this year, leashed doggies can also pose with Santa – there’ll be a grassy area behind Once Upon a Toy and House of Blues where dogs can be walked. To get your photographs, follow the red-and-green reindeer hoofprints from Santa’s location to Guest Relations.

With an incredible selection of shops at Downtown Disney, you’ll definitely find gifts for everyone on your Christmas list during the Festival of the Seasons. Holiday shopping has never been easier with The World of Disney Store, the world’s largest character emporium; Once Upon a Toy, filled with exclusive playthings from Disney and Hasbro; Virgin Megastore, an expansive musical playground; Team Mickey, the ideal place for Disney and brand-name sports gear; LEGO Imagination Center, a kid paradise with a vast array of LEGO play sets; and the Disney’s Days of Christmas holiday shop, which features Christmas merchandise all-year round. For a truly unique gift, you can also visit the Hoypoloi Gallery, which features hand-crafted holiday gifts, including pieces of Jewish art.

When you’ve worked up an appetite from visiting all the Festival’s stores and seeing all the incredible displays, don’t forget to stop by Downtown Disney’s restaurants, which also get in on the Festival fun with delicious seasonal treats.

Whether you like to shop, dine, or simply people-watch, the Festival of the Seasons is your must-stop destination during the holidays for a fun atmosphere of merriment and holiday cheer. No other place in Orlando manages to capture the holiday spirit that lingers in the air quite like Downtown Disney during the holidays. No matter what holiday you celebrate, you won’t help getting excited by all the Festival’s festivities.