Where to Meet Santa at Walt Disney World in 2024 (Every Location)
While Santa’s busy making his list and checking it twice, we’ve been busy creating a list of where you can meet him at Walt Disney World this holiday season. Santa will meet in all four theme parks and Disney Springs in 2024. Below, we’ll discuss each location (new and old) and what you can expect. If you visit during the holiday season, we encourage you to take the time to have a family photo made with Santa in at least one of these locations. Disney does a fantastic job of elaborately decorating the sets where Santa meets. Let’s take a look at what to expect.
Santa Claus Meet-and-Greet Locations
Guests can meet Santa Claus on select dates throughout the holiday season at the following locations.
- Magic Kingdom
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (Storybook Circus)
- Epcot (The Odyssey Pavilion)
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios (It’s a Wonderful Shop)
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Patio of Restaurantosaurus in Dinoland, U.S.A.)
- Disney Springs (Santa’s Marketplace)
We’ll preview each of these location specifics and dates below. It’s important to note that Santa only meets through Christmas Eve. You might find Santa Goofy, Santa Stitch, or Santa Duffy in his place at a few locations in the parks on Christmas Day leading up to New Year’s Eve. However, they are not guaranteed. You’ll want to check availability on the day of your visit.
Magic Kingdom
- Dates: November 8 through December 24, 2024
Santa will have a new location at Magic Kingdom in 2024. Formerly, he met at the Enchanted Glade Gazebo in Liberty Square. However, this year, he will meet at a new location: Santa’s Christmas Carnival in Storybook Circus. Per Disney:
During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Storybook Circus transforms into a land filled with joyful Christmas cheer, friends, the North Pole, and—of course—Santa Claus.
You’ll want to check the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit for the exact location and showtimes. Santa’s meet-and-greet will likely be listed underneath the “entertainment” section.
Epcot
- Dates: November 29, 2024 through December 24, 2024
Santa Claus returns to the Odyssey Pavilion at Epcot during the International Festival of the Holidays. He begins meeting at this location the day after Thanksgiving and continues through Christmas Eve. Below is a photo of his set-up from last year. For more details, see Meeting Santa at Epcot’s Odyssey Pavilion. This is the traditional place to meet Santa at Epcot.
Additionally, a few Holiday Storytellers in the World Showcase are Santa’s, so you might run into them when touring the various countries. However, those Santas are not traditional meet-and-greets. For more information, see our International Festival of the Holidays Guide.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Dates: November 12, 2024 through December 24, 2024
Santa returns to the It’s a Wonderful Shop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the 2024 holiday season. This meet-and-greet debuted at this location last year, and it’s a fun place to meet Santa! A virtual queue will be in place. So guests can receive a time to return, and the wait won’t be nearly as long. We had to wait approximately 15 minutes to meet Santa here last year. For more details and photos of the space, see where to find Santa at the It’s a Wonderful Shop.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Dates: November 12, 2024 through December 24, 2024
Santa has been on a character cruise at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the past couple of years. However, those cruises ended earlier this year. For 2024, guests can participate in a special Santa meet-and-greet on the patio of Restaurantosaurus at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We have a few more details about this limited-time meet-and-greet.
Disney Springs
- Dates: November 8, 2024 through December 24, 2024
Santa Claus has met at Once Upon a Toy at Disney Springs for the last few years. However, he’s moving to a new location, Santa’s Marketplace, in the home of the former Star Wars Trading Post. This meet-and-greet will have a virtual queue that must be joined at specific times. We have the details of meeting him at Santa’s Marketplace at Disney Springs if you want to learn more.
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide helped you find the best place to meet Santa at Walt Disney World this holiday season. For more on the holidays, you might enjoy the Resorts Gal Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World.
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In the Comments
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