Mickey Mouse pumpkins are still displayed on Main Street, U.S.A., but Walt Disney World will soon trade “trick or treat” for “ho, ho, ho” as Halloween gives way to the holiday season. Disney’s year-end festivities always include a showstopping lineup of special events, food, and entertainment, and even more news was just announced for this year’s soon-approaching holidays. This follows previous announcements.
Disney World made 10 announcements for the 2026 Christmas holiday season, revealing news for all four theme parks. We are really excited for a few of these! In this story, we’ll break down each reveal and add context to help you see it all. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including new perks for Disney+ subscribers and a restaurant closure added to Disney World’s refurbishment calendar.
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New Holiday Version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
The Muppets permanently took over Aerosmith’s residency at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios earlier this year. True to the characters’ tongue-in-cheek style, the signature coaster will celebrate the season with the debut of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: Olibatory Holiday Overlay.
A new version of the pre-show will pay tribute to The Muppet Christmas Carol with appearances by Gonzo as Charles Dickens and Rizzo the Rat “as himself,” just like in the movie. Once onboard the ride, guests will hear 1 of 4 holiday songs from a random selection:
- “Holiday Road” – The Electric Mayhem ft. Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear
- “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by The Electric Mayhem featuring Jennifer Hudson
- “Silver Bells” by The Electric Mayhem featuring Cyndi Lauper
- “Little Saint Nick” by The Electric Mayhem
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This new version of the ride will operate from November 4, 2026, through January 6, 2027.
See more about the overlay and other holiday versions of Disney World rides here.
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New Candlelight Narrators Announced & Another Removed
Disney revealed 2 new narrators for the Candlelight Processional, the annual Christmas pageant at EPCOT.
Benjamin Bratt will narrate on December 2 and 3, and Josh Groban will narrate on December 13 and 14. It’s both of their first time being part of the event.
In an unusual occurrence, a previously announced narrator has been removed from the lineup. Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, was originally scheduled to narrate the Candlelight Processional on November 27 and 28. Those dates are now listed as “TBA”.
The Candlelight Processional will perform 3 times nightly from November 27 through December 30, 2026. See the full list of narrators here and information on dining packages here.
First Ever Merchandise Featuring Tally the Elf
Disney shared a first look at some merchandise coming to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom this year, and a few of the items feature a familiar face.
Tally the Elf is a character who went viral on the parade route of Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade in 2024 by checking his list to verify if guests on the curb were naughty or nice. He’s not from any Disney movie. His popularity led to Disney changing the character and reducing guest interactions for 2025’s parade.
2026 merchandise displays Tally front and center alongside Mickey and Minnie. Tally’s presence, or lack thereof, in 2026’s parade remains to be seen.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returns to Magic Kingdom on select nights from November 8 through December 22, 2026. See all the party dates with pricing here.
New Christmas Lounge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney Jollywood Nights is a separately ticketed party event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The event is known for its pop-up party zones, like Pixar Disco, and lounge spaces, like Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby.
A new space, the Checkin’ It Twice Lounge, will debut at Jollywood Nights this year. Disney describes the Checkin’ It Twice Lounge as a “stylish hideaway” with a live DJ and specialty drinks.
Disney says the Checkin’ It Twice Lounge will be located in Animation Courtyard, but hasn’t specified exactly where. I’m guessing it will be inside the soundstage where Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! is performed during the daytime.
Interestingly enough, the artwork for the lounge seemingly includes Tally the Elf as a bouncer.
Disney Jollywood Nights will take place on select nights from November 7, 2026, through January 5, 2027, extending its schedule beyond Christmas Day for the first time. See all the dates with pricing here.
Revamped Holiday Version of Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT debuted a special festive version of the roller coaster in 2022 that only lasted for one year, called Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Holiday Remix. This iteration of the ride replaced the soundtrack’s typically randomized throwback radio songs with one singular new medley of Christmas songs with lyrics about Rocket.
Holiday Remix will return for 2026, but this time with a new approach. Guests will hear 1 of 3 holiday hits during their ride:
- “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams
- “Christmas Eve / Sarajevo 12/24” by Trans-Siberian Orchestra 8
- “Christmas Wrapping” by The Waitresses
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind – Holiday Remix will operate from November 25, 2026, through January 6, 2027.
See more about the overlay here.
Merchandise Featuring Gertie the Dinosaur
Gertie the Dinosaur was an influential 1914 animated film by Winsor McCay, and Gertie’s place in history is honored with a giant statue of the dinosaur that stands tall next to Echo Lake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At ground level, the dinosaur doubles as a snack window called Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction year-round.
During the holidays, Disney’s giant Gertie dons a Santa hat and holds a giant ornament in her mouth. She’s become a fan favorite in recent years, so much so that Disney is rolling out a slate of Gertie merchandise as part of this year’s exclusive items available at Disney Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The new Gertie merch includes a Gertie-shaped Loungefly bag, a Gertie ornament, a Spirit Jersey with Gertie on the front, and a Minnie Mouse ear headband with Gertie’s illustration on one of the ears, along with Duffy the Disney Bear and Ollie the gingerbread man.
Disney Jollywood Nights will take place on select nights from November 7, 2026, through January 5, 2027.
New Area With Snow at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
For the past few years, guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom have been able to meet Santa Claus inside DinoLand, U.S.A., during the holiday season. Now that DinoLand is permanently closed as Disney replaces it with the new Tropical Americas land, Santa will move to a new area called Santa’s Holiday Grove.
Santa’s Holiday Grove will be a trail with Santa meet-and-greets, snow flurries, and specialty food and drinks.
Disney says this space will be located “across from” the Theater in the Wild, the venue where Finding Nemo: The Big Blue … and Beyond! is performed. The only entity immediately across from the Theater in the Wild is an unused amphitheatre with bleacher seating. Adapting this space into a meet & greet area would take some restructuring, but I’d be happy to see Disney utilizing this abandoned area of the park again. It’s also possible Santa’s Grove could simply be located on a nearby path. The language describing its proximity to Nemo piques my interest nonetheless.
Santa’s Holiday Grove will open on November 13, 2026. Santa typically disappears from meet-and-greets after December 24, but it’s possible that the space itself may stick around through January 6, 2027, the last official day of Disney World’s holiday season.
Characters Added to Ice Skating Show
Glisten! is the name of an ice skating show performed during Disney Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. A special ice rink is set up just for the show in front of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Since its debut in 2024, Glisten! has featured a cast of talented skaters without any Disney character appearances. New for 2026, these performers will be joined by Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and the Genie from Aladdin.
Disney Jollywood Nights will take place on select nights from November 7, 2026, through January 5, 2027.
Monsters, Inc. Character Appearances
Disney Jollywood Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios gives party attendees the chance to meet many Disney characters who don’t appear during other events. Such rarities include Phineas and Ferb, Bing Bong from Inside Out, Scrooge McDuck, and Chewbacca wearing his Life Day robe from the Star Wars Holiday Special.
New for 2026, George Sanderson and Needleman from Monsters, Inc. will greet Jollywood Nights guests. If you need a refresher, George Sanderson is the monster who woefully gets a sock on his back, triggering emergency 2319 protocol and having his entire body shaved. Needleman is part of the custodial crew at the Monsters, Inc. factory, and often yells bad advice at Mike and Sulley.
The arrival of Monsters, Inc. characters is fitting for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as a whole new Monstropolis land is currently under construction.
Disney Jollywood Nights will take place on select nights from November 7, 2026, through January 5, 2027.
New Holiday Version of Toy Story Ride
Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Jams in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will play a selection of holiday songs this season:
- “Toyland”
- “Deck the Halls”
- “Swirling, Swirling Saucers”
- “Joy to the Swirl”
The ride was recently revamped to now include Lilypad, the frog-like tablet from Toy Story 5.
The holiday overlay of Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Jams will operate from November 4, 2026, through January 6, 2027.
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