DinoLand, U.S.A. holiday celebration to debut at Animal Kingdom for 2024
DinoLand isn’t done yet — the soon-to-be-closed-forever area at Animal Kingdom will introduce something new for the 2024 holiday season.
75th Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party in DinoLand, U.S.A.
Yes, you read that correctly. Even though DinoLand, U.S.A. will soon close permanently — to make way for new attractions based on “Encanto” and Indiana Jones — Walt Disney World isn’t finished introducing new experiences to this corner of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as announced on Oct. 15, 2024.
The Orlando park will celebrate the “75th Annual” Dino Institute Holiday Party from Nov. 12 – Dec. 24, 2024. We say “75th Annual” with quotations because, well, Animal Kingdom opened in 1998. The Dino Institute, however — the fictional setting of the park’s Dinosaur ride — has existed for much longer (within the land’s story, that is).
Held during regular park hours, the 75th Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party is something of a nomenclature flourish; this isn’t another Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or Disney Jollywood Nights special event. Rather, the anchor of this celebration will be a new, highly themed character greeting location for Santa Claus at the patio outside of Restaurantosaurus, DinoLand’s quick-service eatery.
DinoLand is abundant with props and scenic design that help convey its citizens’ stories, and the new holiday character greeting area will continue the tradition. Zooming in on Disney’s concept artwork, we spy messages from the Dino Institute interns, lights with rubber dinosaurs instead of bulbs, the Carnataurus from Dinosaur mounted on the wall, and even Dr. Seeker’s dinosaur puppet being used as a tree-topper.
Santa’s arrival reinforces DinoLand’s status as Animal Kingdom’s top spot for character greetings. In addition to Santa, guests can meet Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, and Kevin from “Up” all throughout DinoLand. Most of them tie in to the ongoing Donald’s Dino-Bash! celebration.
Santa is canon to DinoLand, confirmed
This being DinoLand, of course there’s some holiday backstory involved with the 75th Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party. Within the fictional lore of DinoLand, Diggs County is home to scientists, grad students, and tourist attraction proprietors, all of whom love dinosaurs (though each for different reasons). Now, it seems, Santa Claus is canon within this narrative. He’s visiting the Dino Institute during their Christmas party.
As the guest of honor himself, Santa’s checked his list twice and invited everyone to join him in this festive new location as the students and faculty of the Dino Institute celebrate the season in (pre)-historic fashion.
Mallory Heinz Ledet, Public Relations Manager
(Hey, if the Dino Institute folks are on the nice list, does that mean Chester and Hester are on the naughty list?)
Leave it to DinoLand — known for its many layers of often-overlooked backstory — to introduce another layer of lore two months before part of its real estate closes forever. Never change, Diggs County. Never change.
DinoLand will say farewell in phases, starting with Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama! permanently closing on Jan. 13, 2025. Beyond that date, Dinosaur will continue to operate, but will eventually (and permanently) close at a later, unspecified date.
DinoLand holiday décor photos
For old times’ sake, here’s a look at some of DinoLand’s previous holiday décor, which we expect to return for 2024 (possibly its final operating season).
Ever-detailed, DinoLand’s holiday decorations even extend to its many character greetings. These were only just introduced for the 2019 holiday season, making them quite limited-time magic indeed.
Scrooge McDuck and Launchpad McQuack formerly greeted guests in DinoLand, too. Any chance they’ll return for the big holiday party?
More holiday events at Animal Kingdom
Aside from the new 75th Annual Dino Institute Holiday Party, several returning experiences will be part of Animal Kingdom’s 2024 holiday lineup: the Merry Menagerie puppet troupe on Discovery Island, the winter edition of the Tree of Life Awakenings projections, and special outfits for Mickey and Minnie at their meet & greet inside Adventurers Outpost.
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