If catching Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie is on your Hollywood Studios to-do list, you'll want to move quickly. Walt Disney World's operating calendar shows the Mickey Shorts Theater presentation going unavailable beginning October 28, 2026 — and Disney has not announced a reopening date.
A Theater That's Had a Busy Year
Vacation Fun is one of Hollywood Studios' smaller attractions, but 2026 has kept its flexible theater space unusually busy. The show temporarily closed earlier in the year for May the 4th operations, then shut down again on August 9 so the Mickey Shorts Theater could serve as a distribution point for a Kermit the Frog Annual Passholder magnet through September 24. The attraction only just returned in late September after that extended closure — making the upcoming October 28 interruption arrive barely a month later.
For guests who love an indoor, seated Mickey and Minnie experience, that's a noticeable gap. Disney describes Vacation Fun as an original animated short combining new animation with clips from Mickey Mouse cartoons, followed by photo opportunities in life-size recreations of Mickey's world.
Does Jollywood Nights Have Something to Do With It?
Disney has not officially explained why the October 28 closure is happening, but last year's calendar offers some context. In 2025, Vacation Fun closed on October 20, and the theater's exit area was used as a Disney Jollywood Nights merchandise location. The attraction didn't return until December 27, according to Disney's operating calendar at the time.
That pattern is worth noting because Disney's 2026 Jollywood Nights season officially begins on November 7 — less than two weeks after Vacation Fun disappears from the schedule. However, Disney has not confirmed that Mickey Shorts Theater will again become Jollywood Nights space, so any connection between the closure and the holiday party remains based on last year's precedent rather than an official announcement.
Jollywood Nights Is Bigger Than Ever in 2026
What is confirmed is that Jollywood Nights is expanding its footprint this year. The separately ticketed holiday party runs on select nights from November 7, 2026, through January 5, 2027 — marking the event's first-ever extension into January. Disney has scheduled 15 Jollywood Nights dates in total, including January 3 and January 5, 2027.
The event features Disney Holidays in Hollywood, a Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along, character encounters, themed venues, Jingle Bell Jingle BAM!, and access to selected attractions. Rides listed among the party's offerings include:
- Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway
- Slinky Dog Dash
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Vacation Fun is not listed among those highlighted party attractions.
What This Means for Regular Parkgoers
Jollywood Nights is not included with standard daytime admission. Disney lists 2026 event tickets at $169 to $199 per person, plus tax, with the five-hour party running from 7:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Ticket holders may enter Hollywood Studios beginning at 5:30 p.m. without purchasing an additional daytime park ticket.
That distinction makes the loss of a daytime attraction more noticeable. Guests visiting Hollywood Studios on regular admission could find one fewer experience available while Disney simultaneously prepares a substantial lineup for a separately priced nighttime event. That said, there is no confirmed evidence that Disney closed Vacation Fun specifically to favor higher-paying guests, and Disney has not publicly explained the October 28 calendar change.
How to Plan Around the Closure
For anyone visiting on or after October 28, the safest assumption is that Vacation Fun will be unavailable unless Disney updates its calendar. Guests should check the official Walt Disney World Vacation Fun page and My Disney Experience close to their visit, as operating schedules can change.
If the theater follows a similar pattern to 2025, its downtime could stretch into early January — especially since Jollywood Nights now runs through January 5 rather than ending before New Year's. But an early-January return should not be treated as confirmed until Disney posts additional operating times or announces how Mickey Shorts Theater will be used during the holiday season.
The bottom line: Vacation Fun is poised to leave the daytime Hollywood Studios lineup just as Walt Disney World's holiday season begins. If Mickey and Minnie's animated short is on your must-do list, keep a close eye on the calendar before your visit.