REVIEW: Jazzy Holidays at Jollywood Nights is a Snazzy Good Time

Jollywood Nights is five hours long. We don’t usually recommend spending your prime hard-ticket event time on a sit-down meal. So, is Jazzy Holidays at the Hollywood Brown Derby worth it? Should you make a reservation? Our parks team stopped in at the party and here’s what they thought.

Jazzy Holidays Basics

New this year, you can make a reservation for Jazzy Holidays in advance. Disney’s site says “strongly recommended” which those in the know translate as “we take walkups, but we don’t think odds are great that you’ll find one.” As of right now, we see a fair amount of availability for future dates, so don’t be afraid to at least ask about walkups. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Reservations begin at 7:30 pm, and the last reservation is at 11:30 pm. The location closes with the party at half past midnight. You can check in for your table on My Disney Experience or in person, just as you can for any Disney World dining reservation.

At the party we attended, we saw a wide range of attire at Jazzy Holidays. Folks were dressed in everything from t-shirts and shorts to tuxedos and sparkly gowns. We even saw a few pajama outfits, so however swanky this event is supposed to be, you’ll be fine in whatever you wear to the party.

Seating is both indoors and outdoors. If you can manage an outside seat when Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! happens at 10:00pm, you’ll have a wonderful view of the fireworks. If you decide to sit inside – which is our preference – you’ll be able to enjoy the rotating musicians and their jazzy versions of holiday and Disney classics. We also liked the padded, high-backed booths that are a good portion of the interior seating.

There are no Annual Pass discounts, and you can’t pay for Jazzy Holidays with the Disney Dining Plan.

Jazzy Holidays Food & Beverage

This event is billed as cocktails and “light bites” but we found a few of the dishes very hearty. Since the menu is smaller, everything we ordered came out very quickly. So quickly that the bar was well behind the food. We’ve heard that this has since improved.

One thing to know: the menu is special for the event. Even dishes like the Shrimp Cocktail that appear on the Brown Derby’s regular menu have differences on the Jazzy Holidays menu.

Our Drinks:

⭐ Holiday Mickey Hot Cocoa $5.49. If you’re not after alcohol, this precious cup makes a sweet picture and dessert in one.

⭐ The Sleigh Bell, $6.79. This is the single best non-alcoholic drink we’ve ever had in Walt Disney World. Ever. No joke. Non-alcoholic drinks around the parks are usually super-sweet juice, but this was sophisticated enough to go with the swank. We had no idea that Rosemary Syrup could be such a game-changer.

⭐ Blueberry Smash, $5.29. Also wonderful, if you like ’em sweet. The rosemary sprig really gave this a spark, but the drink was maybe a bit too sweet for us.

⭐ Peppermint Schnapps Sipping Chocolate, $17.50. True confessions: we only got this because Len goes on and on about sipping chocolate. Turns out it’s not so bad when you add vodka.

⭐ Sugar Cookie Martini, $11.00. This was pretty with the sugared rim, and it would be a nice dessert drink. It’s cheaper than some of the other cocktails, which could be because it’s not as strong. But we loved the vanilla vodka and would get this again.

Our Food:

⭐ Pork Belly Bao, $14.00. Rosemary was a common theme in the cocktails, and kimchi is the guest star on 25% of the dishes on the special menu. We loved the Korean BBQ flavor, and the bun was hot and soft. The Crispy Lettuce was unusual and provided a bit of texture contrast to the softness of the bun and pork belly. We would order this again.

⭐ Tofu Bao, $12.00. Look for the same flavors as the Pork Belly, but with Tofu. If you’re after a decent plant-based option, this is it.

⭐ Chorizo Arancini, $14.00. This was the only dish we ordered that we would not get again. We love a basic arancini and the sauce wasn’t the problem. The chorizo really overwhelmed this dish, and we didn’t even finish 1 of the two on the plate.

⭐ Shrimp Cocktail, $16.00. We loved this. We know it’s probably the most pedestrian item on the menu it was quality. The house-made cocktail sauce and spicy avocado spread were fantastic. Yes, this is $4 a shrimp but this kitchen really understands how it is supposed to be cooked.

⭐ Sticky Chicken Wings, $15.00. This was 5 large wings covered in the best wing sauce we’ve had in a while. The house-made scallion ranch was divine and we always love a pickled veg. It’s not daring or extraordinary, but this really was a great dish.

⭐ Jazzy Holiday Sliders, $18.00. Don’t be put off by the “Bison” -these just taste like really great baby burgers. They’re hand-made and the onion jam is sweet and deep – so great with the Dulce Gorgonzola. We loved this.

Closing Thoughts

Disney is positioning Jollywood Nights as a sophisticated, adult alternative to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and Jazzy Holidays is exactly as ordered. It really nails the swanky jazz vibe, and if you’re attending the party to have an adult or date night, it’s a fantastic option. If you’re only going to pick a few dishes, stick with the Sliders, Wings, and Shrimp. Elevated sports bar food that is well worth the money.

You probably can’t ride all the rides, see all the entertainment, meet all the characters, and do Jazzy Holidays. But if you’re not stressed about hitting rides, we think it can be a good use of your party time. You can hustle through like we did so you don’t miss a Santa Duff hug or Doctor Strange sighting. Or you can sit and mellow to some really beautiful music and enjoy a few lovely bites.

Have you been to Jazzy Holidays this year? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!