Santa Gets His Own Snowy Trail at Animal Kingdom This Year in Santa's Holiday Grove, Across From Theater in the Wild

Santa is getting his own snowy trail at Disney's Animal Kingdom this year.

In its big holiday round-up for the 2026 season, the Disney Parks Blog introduced Santa's Holiday Grove, a new spot for meeting Santa at the park. Here is how Disney describes it:

"Across from 'Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond!' at Theater in the Wild, find a magical trail with intermittent snow flurries and Santa himself, ready to hear your holiday wish list. Explore specialty food and beverage items, and enjoy a festive soundtrack that will be sure to put you in the spirit of the season."

Disney's Animal Kingdom entrance during a past holiday season. Image: Disney

Why Santa needed a new spot

Santa has moved around at Animal Kingdom. BlogMickey notes that he used to sail the park's waterways in holiday cavalcades. In 2024 he switched to a meet-and-greet on the Restaurantosaurus patio in DinoLand USA, and he came back there for one more season in 2025.

That spot is gone now. DinoLand USA closed for good on February 2, 2026, to make way for Tropical Americas. Unlike a restaurant patio, the Grove is a space dressed for the holidays, with its own snow flurries and soundtrack.

What we do not know yet

Disney has not yet said when the Grove opens, what the meet times are, or which food and drinks will be on offer. BlogMickey says it will keep tracking those details. Disney also has not said exactly where across from the theater the Grove sits.

What Disney has said:

• The holiday season at Walt Disney World runs from November 13, 2026 through January 6, 2027.
• Santa will visit all four theme parks this holiday season. He will also be at Disney Springs through December 24.
• Disney says to check My Disney Experience for times and locations to meet Santa.

One thing to plan around: the season runs into January, but BlogMickey points out that Santa usually disappears after Christmas Eve.

The rest of the Animal Kingdom holiday lineup

A Merry Menagerie penguin puppet greets a guest during a past holiday season. Image: Disney

Santa's Holiday Grove joins a list of other holiday offerings at the park:

• Merry Menagerie: the handmade polar-animal puppets (penguins, polar bears, reindeer and foxes) are back roaming Discovery Island.
• Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition: starts at sunset and repeats about every 10 minutes until the park closes.
• ECO-RHYTHMiCS: the conservation-themed percussion band plays in its holiday gear.
• Mickey and Minnie meet guests at Adventurers Outpost, dressed in their holiday outfits.
• Artist Rob Kaz is selling original artwork at Island Mercantile this season and will be in the shop to meet guests November 1 to 22.

Will a snowy trail with Santa become a must-do on your Animal Kingdom day, or will you save that time for another ride on Everest?

Sources

• Disney Parks Blog, Holidays at Disney World 2026: Christmas Lights, Festive Deals, Jolly Fun, and More
• BlogMickey, New Offering, Santa's Holiday Grove, Debuts at Disney's Animal Kingdom This Holiday Season

Image credits: Disney (Animal Kingdom entrance and Merry Menagerie photos, via Disney Parks Blog).