PHOTOS, VIDEO: The Charming Merry Menagerie Returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the 2021 Holiday Season

Katie Francis

2021-merry-menagerie-ak-5-1044776

PHOTOS, VIDEO: The Charming Merry Menagerie Returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the 2021 Holiday Season

After its absence last year due to COVID-19, the Merry Menagerie performers have finally returned to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the holiday season! This delightful experience features multiple life-size, artisan sculpted puppets brought to life by their performers as they create a playful atmosphere of festive fun.

First Set

2021-merry-menagerie-ak-1-5448878
2021-merry-menagerie-ak-5-1044776

The show opens with the birds on sticks, followed by a friendly gathering of winter animals such as polar bears and foxes portrayed by life-size handmade puppets.

2021-merry-menagerie-ak-9-3517706
2021-merry-menagerie-ak-10-2308373

Guests are free to both interact with the puppets and pet them as though they are real animals. Performers will also choose Guests out of the crowd to direct their animal puppets towards.

2021-merry-menagerie-ak-29-1969468
2021-merry-menagerie-ak-49-7083077
2021-merry-menagerie-ak-50-3354943

Polar bears and foxes headline the first round’s puppets, and the performers are excellent at bringing their animals to life.

2021-merry-menagerie-ak-12-9429804

A violinist underlines this set of puppets as well to set the tone for their interactions.

Second Set

ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-1-8510926
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-3-8551330

Reindeer, penguins, and seals are the key players in the second set of the Merry Menagerie. These sets aren’t consecutive so you may have to come back at a later time to see them.

ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-6-2673674
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-9-2120089
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-41-7790748
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-42-6055414

Two reindeer make up the full-body puppets in the second set.

ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-37-3813089
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-36-9256961

Guests can also meet a fluffy and absolutely darling little seal, handheld by its performer.

ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-13-5918094
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-22-1184268

The fluffy penguins are also absolutely amazing in detail and craftmanship. There are two of the baby penguins, one on its own and two together.

ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-21-2818660
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-28-2199554

A full-body mama penguin roams around as well looking for her babies.

ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-34-1749292
ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-35-3019814

And when she finds them, its an adorable and heartwarming scene sure to make you go “awww”!

ak-2021-merry-menagerie-2nd-set-11-8303420

The second set of puppets is underscored by a steel drum player as well.

And of course, you can watch our full video of this year’s performances below courtesy of our YouTube channel.

Are you excited to see the Merry Menagerie return to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below!

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

1 thought on “PHOTOS, VIDEO: The Charming Merry Menagerie Returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the 2021 Holiday Season”

Comments are closed.