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In 2019, Disney’s Animal Kingdom debuted elaborately sculpted reindeer, arctic foxes, penguins, polar bears, seals, and more for the Christmas season. Since then, the collection of blue and white creatures has only grown.
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Christmas at Disney World
This year, the Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, EPCOT celebrates the return of its Candlelight Processional during the International Festival of the Holidays, and Hollywood Studios becomes Disney Jollywood Nights. Meanwhile, Animal Kingdom is bringing back its popular Merry Menagerie.
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Merry Menagerie Returns
Every year Discovery Island comes alive with artisan-sculpted puppets to create a winter wonderland of natural beauty.
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The puppets feature winter animals from around the globe that are guided by puppeteers, who interact with Guests and sometimes dance.
During the holidays, the Tree of Life will come alive at night with a projection show that displays winter animals awakening and celebrating Christmas.
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Africa
In Africa, you’ll find some unique holiday decor sprinkled throughout the area. Although the theme Park village of Harambe is fictional, it is modeled after a collection of actual places in Africa. In keeping up that concept by Imagineers, African villages don’t typically have a lot of flashy holiday decorations. Instead, people create beautiful structures and decor using common items and objects are available, such as using a bicycle wheel or car tire for a wreath.
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Asia
Over in Asia, you won’t find any Christmas decorations at all. Imagineers once again wanted to be authentic and respect the cultures represented. Asian countries do not, in any large numbers at least, celebrate Christmas. Imagineers, instead, try to focus on dozens of winter holidays that are more commonly celebrated in Asia.
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Animal Kingdom’s holiday celebrations come together to create an excellent thesis statement for the theme Park. Although the experience during the Christmas holidays is never as flashy as the other Walt Disney World parks, it is a beautiful celebration for those willing to stop and take it in.
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