Walt Disney World has announced more details about the 2026 holiday party at Hollywood Studios. Jollywood Nights has been running for a few years now and seems to improve with each passing holiday season. This year will include a few new additions and some of the cutest merch you’ll ever see! I don’t usually include merch on this site but I can’t help myself with this one. In this post, we’ll share everything new that is coming to Jollywood Nights.

Disney announced the dates for Hollywood Studios Christmas Party a few months ago. None of those dates have sold out yet, with tickets available on Walt Disney World’s website. Here are the dates:

• November 7, 14, 16, 21, 23 and 28
• December 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21 and 23
• January 3 and 5

Additionally, we’ve already covered what’s returning to Jollywood Nights and have our review from last year! We will update the review and add a bit of an itinerary ahead of the first party in 2026.

We’re very happy to see some new additions this year, even if a portion of that is just really cute merch! Jollywood Nights is still relatively young and has plenty of room to grow, even if it is the Christmas Party we’re most interested in at Walt Disney World. The amount of progress made in the early years of the party is remarkable and so exciting in terms of how it could evolve in the future.

I’m not sure any of this year’s adds will move the needle for Jollywood Nights in the future, but they are more layers to a party that has quite a bit to do. For those crazy people that don’t just want to hop between seeing Kermit and Miss Piggy and meeting Santa Duffy all night, there are plenty of other options. We recommend the party and are looking forward to returning. Let’s get to what’s new at this year’s Jollywood Nights!

New This Year at Disney Jollywood Nights

The halls are decked, the music is playing, and this year’s nighttime event is serving up even more holiday cheer with brand-new experiences you won’t want to miss.

Checkin’ It Twice Lounge

Every glamorous holiday celebration deserves a stylish hideaway. New this year, the Checkin’ It Twice Lounge in Animation Courtyard invites you to step inside, sip, socialize, and soak up the atmosphere. Featuring specialty beverages, a live DJ, and entertainment throughout the evening, this new lounge offers the perfect spot to unwind between shows and attractions.

More details on this lounge will be released soon, including what food will be offered. So far, it doesn’t appear that the Checkin’ It Twice Lounge will require dining reservations but that has not been confirmed.

We’re happy to see another swanky spot coming to Jollywood Nights along with Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby. This lounge experience appears to be a little more casual than that one. Adding it into the Animation Courtyard space should only make the new offering better.

A Monstrously Merry Encounter

The Monsters, Inc. crew is expanding their guest list! While Mike Wazowski returns to Pixar Plaza to keep the party going, guests will also have the opportunity to meet George Sanderson and Needleman from Monsters, Inc. for the first time during the event.

More Magic Takes the Ice

“Glisten!,” the holiday skating show is returning with a few familiar Disney friends joining the fun for the very first time.

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.

Merchandise Coming to Disney Jollywood Nights 2026

As I mentioned, I try not to make it a habit of sharing new merchandise on this website. There’s nothing wrong with it and other sites do a great job of showcasing new things, but it’s just not really what we’re going for here. With that out of the way, if an event is going to heavily feature Santa Gertie AND Santa Duffy then I’m going to showcase it. That’s my solemn vow to you, dear reader.

Gertie and Duffy are certainly having a moment in merchandise. It appears that the Duffy & Friends hype has started to take off in the states. It’s taken a while to get going and will probably never reach the fever pitch of the Asian parks but it’s exciting to see. Adding Duffy merch to an event that showcases Santa Duffy just makes sense!

Likewise, Gertie should always be showcased. She is everything that is right in the world. Speaking of…

Gertie Jollywood Nights Loungefly Bag

The ultimate Gertie keepsake might just be the one that keeps all your park goodies. This Gertie Loungefly bag features Gertie in her Christmas attire and snow laying over her like a blanket. This Gertie bag truly commemorates your night at the park, featuring the icon herself! I don’t especially care about Loungefly but this bag is incredible! Great job by them.

2026 Jollywood Nights Pullover

The 2026 Jollywood Nights Pullover carries the spirit of the holidays and wonder witnessed at Jollywood Nights with vanity lights, stars, snowflakes, and sparkles swirling around the sleeve. The front print reads, “Disney Jollywood Nights 2026” as Gertie wades in water, surrounded by sparkles and holiday ornaments.

This is really up my alley, like they’ve personally consulted me here. For the record, they did not. I love the small graphic on the front. I could do without the sleeve stuff (title of my memoir) but the color, crewneck, and great graphic make this really appealing. We weren’t planning to do Jollywood Nights this year, largely because of the dates, but this might turn me.

2026 Jollywood Nights Headband

Featuring three iconic Jollywood Night guests, this headband has everything you need for your night out, no matter what you’re feeling. Want Gertie and Duffy as Santa front and center; you got it! Prefer a bow and Ollie greeting those who walk by? That works too! The bow is detachable, and the ears are double sided, meaning twice the fun.

If the crewneck was enough to make me question our no-go on Jollywood Nights, those Gertie/Duffy ears might have Melissa buying a ticket regardless of what I do! They are adorable, featuring two of our favorite characters.

Jollywood Nights Gertie Ornament

Remember that time we ate Gertie cookies by Echo Lake? You can take Gertie home with you and be reminded of your Jollywood Nights memories every time you decorate the Christmas tree with this cute ornament.

What more is there to say, all of the Santa Gertie merch all of the time! This is definitely needed for everybody’s Christmas Tree.

Jollywood Nights Duffy as Santa Mug

A cup of hot cocoa will help get us all through the rest of winter after a visit to Jollywood Nights. And your sips only get better with this cozy mug featuring a smiling Duffy as Santa.

What an incredible mug! We have too many mugs already but this would immediately become a top 5 mug in our household, joining a Muppet Treasure Island number released earlier this year, a Foghorn Leghorn cup, at a few others. Melissa does not sign off on this very official ranking of household mugs.

The Jollywood Nights merchandise is only available during Jollywood Nights at the shop near Frozen Fractal Gifts in Hollywood Studios.

While the Jollywood Nights additions aren’t flashy or huge, they will add more substance to a really fun party. More importantly, more people will become aware of the wonders that are Santa Gertie and Santa Duffy. This Christmas Party seems to keep improving and we’re excited to see the new offerings.

Are you looking forward to Jollywood Nights? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Interested in a trip to Walt Disney World? Check out our Planning Guide to help you along the way! Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!