Walt Disney World has set the food-and-beverage dates for Santa’s Holiday Grove, a new holiday offering at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The menu will be available from Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, according to Disney’s holiday food guide.
Santa’s Holiday Grove is located near Theater in the Wild, across from Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!. Disney has described the experience as a festive trail with intermittent snow flurries, holiday music and Santa hearing guests’ wish lists.
The dates begin with Walt Disney World’s broader holiday season, which runs Nov. 13 through Jan. 6. The Grove’s listed menu end date falls three days before the resort-wide season ends. Disney has not said whether the location will be closed or operate differently from Jan. 4 through Jan. 6, and it has not confirmed how long Santa himself will appear there.
The menu includes Pan de Jamón, a bread roll filled with smoked ham, olives and orange raisins; a jalapeño-cheddar pretzel; two hazelnut-filled croissants; mixed berry focaccia; pistachio and festive chocolate-chip cookies; a chocolate-dipped Mickey gingerbread cookie; an ice cream sandwich; a cookie butter milkshake; and chilled mulled wine. Disney identifies all but the chocolate-dipped Mickey gingerbread as new for 2026.
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The new holiday location replaces the former Dino Institute Holiday Party setup at Restaurantosaurus in DinoLand U.S.A., where Santa greeted guests during the 2025 season. Restaurantosaurus and the rest of DinoLand U.S.A. closed in February 2026 as Disney begins work on the planned Tropical Americas area.
Animal Kingdom’s returning holiday offerings are set to include the Merry Menagerie and the holiday version of Tree of Life Awakenings.
