Disney World Reveals New Novelties & Holiday Popcorn Buckets, Plus Christmas Party Freebies
Walt Disney World has announced free things given to guests during the 2026 Jollywood Nights and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, from cookies to keepsakes. Alternatively, if the ~$200 special event tickets are just too cheap for you, there will also be exclusive popcorn buckets and other novelties available for purchase. This post runs down all of the freebies and upcharges for your perusal.
As basic background, the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (MVMCP) is a separately ticketed event at Magic Kingdom on select nights from November 8 to December 22, 2026. The event features festive atmosphere, special entertainment, character meet & greets, and seasonal treats. Guests with special event tickets to MVMCP can enter Magic Kingdom as early as 4 pm, with the party running from 7 pm until midnight.
MVMCP highlights include Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration Stage Show, Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, snow on Main Street, and much more. Tickets to the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party range in price from $189 to $229, depending on the date; discounts are available for select guests. See our Guide to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for everything else you need to know.
Over at Hollywood Studios, Disney Jollywood Nights (DJN) is “counter-programming” of sorts for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom. Now in its fourth year, this special hard ticket event returns on select nights from November 7, 2026, to January 5, 2027.
During DJN, you can enjoy five festive hours from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Tickets to Disney Jollywood Nights cost $169 to $199, with discounts also available for select guests. And as with MVMCP, there’s entertainment included, along with seasonal ride overlays, and more.
Obviously, $169 to $229 is a lot of money depending upon which event and which dates you’re attending. Ticket prices to Walt Disney World’s Christmas parties have skyrocketed over the years, with some dates more than doubling in price in less than a decade. Given that, it’s probably appropriate to categorize every component of the event as “included with admission” as opposed to “free.” That would be fair.
It’s also probably fair to say that the core components of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are expected to be included with event admission, whereas there are some little extras that are not. These things are almost assuredly still baked into the price of tickets, but would ‘surprise and delight’ an average guest. The type of normal person who, when recapping the event to their friends back home would casually call X or Y a freebie in conversation. Event sweeteners (literally and figuratively), if you will.
Before we dig into the freebies, let’s cover the novelties available for purchase during Christmas 2026 at Walt Disney World, some of which are exclusive to MVMCP and DJN…
NEW! Holiday Train Bucket
- Available starting November 8, 2026
- Includes Popcorn at time of purchase. Limit two (2) per person, per transaction. Available while supplies last.
- Available at Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
- Sold at select outdoor vending locations
NEW! Holiday Wreath Straw Clip
- Available starting November 8, 2026
- Add to any non-alcoholic beverage for an additional purchase.
- Limit two (2) per person, per transaction. Available while supplies last.
- Available at Magic Kingdom during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
- Sold at Casey’s Corner
NEW! Toy Story Gingerbread House Bucket
- Available starting November 6, 2026
- Includes Popcorn at time of purchase. Limit two (2) per person, per transaction. Available while supplies last.
- Sold at select outdoor vending carts in Magic Kingdom
- Sold at select outdoor vending carts in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
NEW! Stitch Christmas Tree Sipper
- Available starting November 6, 2026
- Includes any Fountain Beverage at time of purchase. Limit two (2) per person, per transaction. Available while supplies last.
- Sold in Magic Kingdom at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
- Sold in EPCOT at Connections Eatery and Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue
- Sold in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Fairfax Fare, ABC Commissary, Backlot Express, and select outdoor vending locations
- Sold in Disney’s Animal Kingdom at select outdoor vending locations
NEW! Holiday Christmas Tree Truck Bucket
- Available starting November 6, 2026
- Includes Popcorn at time of purchase. Limit two (2) per person, per transaction. Available while supplies last.
- Sold in Disney’s Animal Kingdom at select outdoor vending locations
NEW! Holiday Kermit Straw Clip
- Available starting November 7, 2026
- Add to any non-alcoholic beverage. Limit two (2) per person, per transaction. Available while supplies last.
- Available at Disney’s Hollywood Studios only during Disney Jollywood Nights
- Sold at Rosie’s All-American Café and Catalina Eddie’s
NEW! The Bauble & Bright
- Available starting November 7, 2026
- Teremana Blanco Tequila, Grand Marnier Liqueur, white cranberry juice, glitter simple syrup, and lime juice garnished with cranberries. Served in a souvenir cup while supplies last.
- Available at Disney’s Hollywood Studios only during Disney Jollywood Nights
- Sold at Tune-In Lounge
Popcorn buckets and novelty buckets aren’t really my thing, so I have nothing thoughtful to add in terms of commentary. I can appreciate the artistry of the Toy Story popcorn bucket, but otherwise, don’t really “get” any of this. To each their own, though!
Free MVMCP Ornament
Walt Disney World has revealed the keepsake ornament that guests will receive during the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The design features Mickey Mouse conducting a holiday train, hauling elves and/or children carrying presents. The MVMCP text logo is below the locomotive, which has been tricked out with peppermint candy cane spinners on the wheels.
Guests will receive the ornament at check-in to the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and the keepsake is included with your party ticket. In each of the past few years, the ornament has been distributed in the Main Street USA bypass. Honestly, I can’t recall whether we had to double-back to the bypass or if we received it at one of the other in-park check-in locations previously; the years all blend together.
These ornaments are a nice touch, and they’re something Walt Disney World started doing when Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party resumed post-reopening (last year’s is pictured two photos above). They’ve been a hefty metal ornament (but not too heavy) that’s suitable for hanging on an actual tree–not just cheap plastic junk. For a year or two, Disney also distributed a lovely poster upon exiting the park, but that didn’t happen in the last few years.
Free DJN Ornament
It’s a similar story during Disney Jollywood Nights, with this year’s complimentary keepsake being a metal wreath-shaped ornament. Chip and Dale are at the top, flanking a sparkly golden bow. At the bottom is a film strip with the logos for Disney Jollywood Nights and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Colorful ornaments are decorating the wreath, which has a red star-patterned center that we assume is for a small photo. This is one difference between the DJN and MVMCP ornaments, and was the case with last year’s also being a photo frame. Another distinction is that in each of the last several years, guests have picked up their party favor at the front of the park as they exit the event.
FREE Cookies!
During MVMCP, the highlight for many guests is stopping for the free cookies, hot cocoa, and other holiday refreshments. There are stations to get these all over the park, and different cookies are served at each of them.
Here’s a list of locations and the tasty-treats available during the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party:
- The Lunching Pad – Snickerdoodle Cookie
- Gaston’s Tavern – Snowman-shaped Pretzel
- Sunshine Tree Terrace – Hot Cocoa Cookie made with Dove Chocolate
- Tortuga Tavern – Buttercream Frosted Candy Cane Flavored Cookie
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe – Buttercream Frosted Green Sprinkle Cutout Cookie
- Storybook Circus Train Station – Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosted Cookie
Note that this lineup is a bit different than last year and notably doesn’t list the beverages that’ll be available at each station. With that said, it’s not a dramatic departure from prior years. It mostly just switches around what’s served where versus last year.
The following free treats are allergy-friendly for peanut, tree nut, egg, milk, fish, shellfish, soy, gluten/wheat and sesame allergies (the top 9 allergens):
- The Lunching Pad – Ginger Cookie
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe – Vanilla Mini Cookies
- Storybook Circus Train Station – Chocolate Chip Cookie
- Sunshine Tree Terrace – Double Chocolate Cookie
- Gaston’s Tavern – Pretzel Twists
- Tortuga Tavern – Chocolate Mint Mini Cookies
Some of the allergy-friendly cookies actually sound better than the normal ones. Might have to do some taste-testing…for the sake of Very Important Research, of course. Some of the options at MNSSHP were very good, while others were abominations that never should’ve made it out of the lab.
My hope is that someday Disney will restore a greater variety of offerings. The cookies really peaked in 2018-2019, with the Peppermint Crunch and Ginger Molasses Cookies.
I can’t recall who the sponsor of the cookies was last year (or if there even was one), but it was Cheryl’s Cookies for a stretch. I actually still have some of the 2025 cookies (probably should clear those out), and there’s nothing on the labels beyond the candies featured inside, so I’d assume they’re off-brand or private label.
For the Joeys out there salivating at the cookie lineup and saying, “here’s where I win my money back,” you’re in luck. The cookies that Walt Disney World serves at MVMCP are pre-packaged and shockingly high quality. All you need to do is grab approximately 100 of these bad boys, and you’re coming pretty close to breaking even.
Free Holiday Photo Card Opportunity from Shutterfly
Capture picture-perfect holiday photos with a Disney PhotoPass photographer at a sparkling, snowy scene, presented by Shutterfly.
Find this festive photo op at the gazebo behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It’s one of many other photo experiences available during MVMCP, including several Magic Shots.
What’s unclear about this is whether there’s anything special about the Shutterfly offering. Does this entitle guests to a free Christmas card order, coupon code, or something else? Or is it simply a sponsored location in order to tout the new Disney and Shutterfly partnership. Our hope is that there’s an actual hook to this, but we could see it going either way.
Unique photo ops with props and Magic Shots will be available. Look for these festive offerings:
- NEW! Olaf Holiday – Main Street U.S.A.
- NEW! Holiday Mickey and Minnie – Main Street U.S.A.
- Holiday Zero Magic Shot – Near Haunted Mansion
- Goofy Gifts Magic Shot – Main Street U.S.A.
- Glowing Gift Box Prop – Town Square
- Chip ‘n’ Dale Holiday Ornament Magic Shot – Town Square
- Jack’s Sleigh – Main Street near The Plaza Restaurant
- Holiday Orange Bird – Entrance to Adventureland
- Mickey Bokeh Lights – Near the Christmas Tree after dark
- Stitch Gift Box – Near Tomorrowland Bridge
- Mistletoe and Winter Confetti – Most Disney PhotoPass locations
- Mickey Snowman – Hub in front of Cinderella Castle
- Bean Bunny Holiday – Liberty Square
- Muppet Christmas Carol – Liberty Square
- Mickey Peppermint Prop – Hub in front of Cinderella Castle
- Winter Tinker Bell – All Cinderella Castle-facing locations
- Pluto Letter to Santa – Near park entrance
FREE DVC Member Gifts
During the 2026 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, eligible Disney Vacation Club Members can swing by McKim’s Mile House – A Member Lounge to pick up a free holiday keepsake. This special freebie is included with your event admission on all event nights in 2026 (as opposed to only select nights last year).
The lounge space of McKim’s Mile House will be closed, and regular lounge amenities (like Coke Freestyle) and services will not be available during the event. A valid DVC Digital Membership Card and photo ID are required at check-in, and the Member listed on the Digital Membership Card must be in attendance to receive the holiday keepsake. We got this at MNSSHP and it was a Halloween-themed tote bag.
There’s also a DVC party favor at Disney Jollywood Nights, albeit with the “select nights” asterisk that MVMCP had last year. During the DHS Christmas party, eligible DVC Members can pick up a free holiday keepsake and hot cocoa at Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After. This freebie is offered on five nights, all of which are Mondays: November 16, November 23, December 7, December 14, and December 21, 2026. Eligibility and verification requirements are the same at DJN.
One of the last couple of years, the Christmas party gifts were nice metal ornaments–here’s hoping it’s a repeat of that! Disney Vacation Club also seems to have a surplus of mummy-shaped rice krispie treats from Halloween, so attendees of the first couple Christmas parties might also be “treated” to those. (Or even day guests of McKim’s Mile House.)
For comprehensive tips for planning your Christmas-time trip to Walt Disney World, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World. For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you think about the list of freebies during the 2026 Disney Jollywood Nights or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? Excited to attend MVMCP or DJN, or will you be skipping the events? Plan to win your money back by eating your weight in cookies during MVMCP? Any other ‘hacks’ to justify the high ticket prices? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!
