Jollywood Nights Sells Out First Night Early, as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Adds New Sold Out Dates
Walt Disney World’s holiday season is less than one month away, and both the 2026 Jollywood Nights and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are starting to sell out. Here’s what you need to know before buying tickets to the special events at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom!
If you’re new to the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) scene, the hard ticket event has sold out every single night for each of the last 4 years. This is the ‘new normal’ for Walt Disney World events, and it’s not unique to MVMCP. Special events and other upcharges sell better now despite most also suffering from staleness and higher prices.
One exception to that has been that Disney Jollywood Nights (DJN) has not sold nearly as strongly in its first few seasons. Jollywood Nights sold out 6 nights in its inaugural year; roughly half of all dates. It was a rocky road to get there, as ticket sales were initially strong but got derailed by negative night one reviews after the first party was a veritable trainwreck.
In 2024, Jollywood Nights took a step back, selling out only four nights–November 9, plus December 7, 14 & 21. That was the first party, and 3 of the final 4. So at least it finished strong! That momentum continued into 2025, when Jollywood Nights sold out 8 dates, its highest total ever. That included opening night, two Thanksgiving week dates, plus 5 of 7 dates in December and the final 4 parties.
This year’s Disney Jollywood Nights season kicks off on Saturday, November 7, 2026, which is consistent with each of the previous 3 seasons. Tickets for that first night are now sold out as of October 11, 2026, which is the second earliest sell out ever for opening night of DJN.
Ticket sales started in July, which is also when Walt Disney World revealed date-based pricing; opening night was priced at $179, the second-lowest price point of the season. Although November 7th is now sold out, every other 2026 and 2027 date of Disney Jollywood Nights remains available.
For reference, opening night also sold out in 2023, 2024 and 2025. It’s one of the few nights to sell out each of the first three years, and obviously the only one at present to go 4 for 4. The event’s inaugural year was the earliest-ever sell out, with the debut event being gone by August 27, 2023.
That inaugural night ended up being such a trainwreck that it set Jollywood Nights back considerably, with a tarnished reputation lasting into the next season. In 2024, the first night of DJN sold out the day before the event began. In 2025, opening night was gone about three weeks in advance. This year marks the second-earliest sell out ever, with the November 7, 2026 opening night gone nearly four weeks in advance.
For reference, the first Disney Jollywood Nights sold out on October 17th last year. Following that, the next to go was November 22nd, over a full month later and only one day in advance of the event, on November 21st.
There was something of a run on tickets following that, with November 24th and December 6th selling out in the next few days, followed by December 22nd, 13th, 20th, and 17th (in that order) by mid-December.
With that said, we do not believe last year establishes a clear precedent that the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights will follow. This is for a couple of reasons.
Why DJN Should Sell Out More Dates in 2026
The first is that Walt Disney World identified the least popular DJN dates over the last couple of years, and eliminated them. There are lengthy gaps between the first and second party, as well as the last event in November and the first in December.
This is almost certainly due to these weeks being slower, and hence there being diminished demand for the parties. Last year’s December 1st party has been removed, with another date added in mid-December when Christmas crowds start picking up.
This is unfortunate for DTB readers, as there are gaps with no Disney Jollywood Nights during two of the date ranges we strongly recommend to readers in our lists of the Best & Worst Weeks to Visit Walt Disney World in 2026, 2027 & 2028. Of course, the reason we recommend those dates is lower crowds, which is the same reason why Walt Disney World didn’t schedule DJN then.
The other reason we hesitate to look too hard at last year is because it looks like Walt Disney World is adding more to the 2026 Jollywood Nights Christmas Party. Aside from a couple character changes, last year felt like it was largely on autopilot.
By contrast, Walt Disney World just announced two ride overlays at Hollywood Studios, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: Obligatory Holiday Overlay and Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Christmas Jams. Although not exclusive to Jollywood Nights, those will help move the needle on ticket sales among locals without Annual Passholders.
On top of that, there’s the new Checkin’ It Twice Lounge in Animation Courtyard, which promises a stylish hideaway where guests can sip, socialize, and soak up the atmosphere. Another addition is George Sanderson and Needleman from Monsters, Inc. appearing for the first time during the event. Then there’s some awesome merchandise featuring Santa Duffy and Dinosaur Gertie.
Finally, the “Glisten!” ice skating show is adding Disney characters. As world-class skaters glide across the rink in front of the Chinese Theater, keep an eye out for appearances from Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Genie, adding even more Disney character moments to the sparkling production. What’s unclear is whether the Ducks and Genie will actually ice skate, which would be wow-worthy, or just dance around in front of the stage, which would not.
All of this was just announced last week, and although the timing is not necessarily conclusive, it would seem that those announcements moved the needle on ticket sales, causing the earliest sell out of opening night since Jollywood Nights’ inaugural season in 2023.
The first thing I did upon seeing the Jollywood Nights announcements, even before writing up the news, was (finally) purchase my opening night ticket. I had a hunch that would be enough to cause an earlier sell out than normal, and didn’t want to get shut out of the event. (Ironically, I got my MVMCP ticket months ago, erroneously assuming it’d sell out sooner!)
My gut is that subsequent nights of the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights will outpace last year’s sales. I don’t expect more dates to sell out immediately, but I definitely do expect a run on tickets once opening night arrives. Even if the “Glisten!” updates end up underwhelming, photos of the merchandise and characters hitting social media could alone do the trick. It’s a good idea to buy now if you’re on the fence.
Do DJN Over LLPP
I would also add that Disney Jollywood Nights is a great alternative to Lightning Lanes! As covered earlier today in Walt Disney World Raises Lightning Lane Single Pass Prices to New Highs, $50 Increase on Premier Pass Coming, the top-tier line-skipping option will likely reach a new record high of $399 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this Christmas. Meanwhile, DJN tickets peak at half that price.
Walt Disney World doesn’t stress low waits with Jollywood Nights like they do After Hours, but our experience has been that wait times are minimal during the Christmas Party. (The Muppets’ Obligatory Holiday Overlay will be the exception to that rule in 2026.)
Here are the attractions available during the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights:
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets: Obligatory Holiday Overlay
- Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Christmas Jams
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
- Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
- The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure
- Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Toy Story Mania
- Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
The added upside of choosing the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights over Lightning Lane Premier Pass, beyond the included holiday entertainment, is that you can repeat favorite rides. It’s not exactly an apples to apples comparison, but we nevertheless highly recommend DJN over LLPP.
More Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2026 Dates Sold Out
Thus far, 7 dates of the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party have sold out:
- November 9, 2026
- November 12, 2026
- November 17, 2026
- November 24, 2026
- December 1, 2026
- December 20, 2026
- December 22, 2026
The first to go was Tuesday, November 24th, which sold out on September 28th.
Tuesday, December 22nd was the next to sell out, on October 1st. Then December 20th sold out shortly thereafter, on October 4th. These two parties carried the highest price point of the season, coming in at $229 each and offering no Annual Passholder or Disney Vacation Club discounts. The commonality among all three dates is that they’re during holiday weeks.
Since then our last update a week ago, 4 additional parties have sold out in mid-November and early December. These were the cheapest dates (and during the busy Veterans Day week), along with one of only two December dates to offer AP and DVC discounts. Surprisingly, November 8, 2026 opening night of MVMCP remains available, despite DJN’s selling out!
Why MVMCP Started Slower, But is Gaining Momentum
The slower start to sell outs for MVMCP was unsurprising. Ticket prices for the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party range from $189 to $229, which is the exact same peak price as last year, plus a $20 increase to the starting price ($169 vs. $189).
After all, the difference between $189 and $229 is a lot less extreme than it is between $169 and $229. Rather than this being a story of lower across-the-board demand, it could just be a matter of ticket sales being better spread out over the course of the entire season, or locals not feeling a sense of urgency to buy. On top of that, opening night this year is a school night, whereas the first DJN is on a Saturday.
The narrower price range is why we previously predicted that peak holiday weeks and non-school nights would sell out earliest, without much regard for pricing since there isn’t that much daylight across dates in the first place. Another date that could sell fast is during our favorite week of the year at Walt Disney World: December 3, 2026.
That’s the final discounted date for Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members and, as a result, they’re usually among the faster parties to sell out. It should be a similar story for opening night, which doesn’t have the typical blogger tax, and coincides with the tail end of Jersey Week.
If you’re on the fence about attending MVMCP, we’d recommend making a decision one way or the other ASAP. We could still get some minor news, but our assumption is that ~95% of the event substance is already known, and is substantially similar to last year’s event. This is doubly true after last week’s flurry of Christmas announcements that only included MVMCP merchandise.
In other words, you should have all of the information you need to make an informed decision about whether or not to attend. Of course, this doesn’t account for your own scheduling conflicts, planning, budgeting, etc. But as far as the event itself is concerned, it’s highly unlikely that there will be any outcome-determinative announcements. You can comfortably make a decision now without FOMO, etc.
If you’re looking for a rundown of last year’s experience, here’s our Photo Report & Review: Baby Bricker’s First Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. As the title suggests, this was our first time attending with a toddler after doing MVMCP (literally) dozens of times as childless “Disney Adults.” It was definitely a very different, and slower, evening!
It’s likely that the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will sell out across the board.
Unlike the 2026 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP), which didn’t sell out one date and came close on a few others, there are no truly off-season dates in November and December. Some weeks are slower and off-peak, but they’re not downright dead like late August and early September.
Last year’s trends were consistent with the previous year, which was similar to the year before that. Some specific nights will sell out slightly earlier or later, but the overarching trend is pretty well established. Not only that, but occupancy is already high for the final three months of 2026, and is actually up year-over-year. (See Why Sold Out Disney World Hotels Don’t Cause High Crowds & How to Find ‘Hidden’ Room Availability!)
MVMCP and DJN dates selling out signals very little about daytime crowds and overall attendance. The popularity of the party is divorced from overall crowd levels, just as is hotel occupancy. Sold out MVMCP, DJN or hotels does not equal crowded parks.
There are a lot of reasons for MVMCP and DJN selling out faster. While some critics assume it’s diehard Disney fans eating up the same stale event year after year, this is lazy and largely incorrect analysis.
The biggest demographic of all for Walt Disney World is first-timers and infrequent tourists. Many of these guests have never done MVMCP or DJN, period, or haven’t been in a while. There’s a subset of these guests that have generally become freer-spending over the years and they’re more inclined to buy premium products and add-ons. (Look no further than the Lightning Lane Single Pass and Premier Pass price increases for evidence of that!)
There are also locals who have been priced out of Annual Passes but want an annual Disney fix, and tourists opting for MNSSHP or DJN tickets instead of 1-day park tickets. These guests are essentially doing the opposite, trading down on regular day visits in favor of party time.
Ultimately, if you’re thinking about attending either the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and haven’t already bought tickets, we’d encourage you to make a decision soon. New details probably won’t be released that should influence your choice, so there’s little reason to wait. Every MVMCP will almost certainly sell out and it’s entirely possible that DJN will sell out a double-digit number of dates for the first time ever.
If you’re leaning towards going, we’d encourage buying sooner rather than later. Despite the higher prices, both are excellent events that strike us as “worth it.” Clearly, enough guests agree with us and are voting with their wallets accordingly, given the 4 year stretch of sold out dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This might finally be the year that Disney Jollywood Nights follows suit, shedding its ‘sticky’ inaugural year reputation as being a trainwreck.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you attended Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or Disney Jollywood Nights? Did you think these events were “worth it” or not? Thoughts on the entertainment, wait times for rides, character meet & greets, or anything else? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
