New National Parks Minnie & Mickey Costumes Debut at Disney World’s Best Kept Secret

Disney has revealed that Minnie and Mickey Mouse have debuted brand-new U.S. National Parks inspired character costumes in their meet & greet held after hours during Membership Magic Beyond in the ImaginAtrium at EPCOT, which we’ve previously dubbed Walt Disney World’s actual Best Kept Secret.

As longtime fans probably know, “Disney’s Best Kept Secret” was the original ad campaign for Disney Vacation Club. The slogan was plastered everywhere to the point that it became a punchline. As you’re probably aware, one thing that cannot be said about DVC is that it’s marketing is secretive. It’s the exact opposite of that.

Fast forward a couple decades and Membership Magic Beyond actually has become Disney’s Best Kept Secret. Or at least, DVC’s Best Kept Secret. For whatever reason, Disney Vacation Club hasn’t really pushed the paid perks program or iterated on it all that much since it launched at the beginning of last year.

By extension, the ImaginAtrium lounge located in the former upstairs ImageWorks above Journey Into Imagination with Figment at EPCOT is likewise a secret. At least during its extended evening hours. Disney Vacation Club owners who are enrolled in Membership Magic Beyond have exclusive access to the ImaginAtrium every night of the week.

Since joining Membership Magic Beyond, there have been several occasions when I’ve been one of only two guests in the entire lounge. There have been countless other occasions when the lounge has fewer than four parties at any given time, and I’ve never seen it anywhere close to capacity. I haven’t even seen it at half or even one-quarter capacity. I’d say ~10% capacity is about the norm.

Speaking of which, here’s a look at their latest U.S. National Parks inspired looks that are available nightly in the ImaginAtrium during the Membership Magic Beyond benefit:

Minnie and Mickey Mouse just debuted their fourth and final costumes of 2026, which feature the couple gearing up for adventure in the great outdoors with outfits inspired by America’s Best Idea, our National Parks.

Mickey sports a sharp-looking teal flannel over an abstract landscape graphic tee (presumably meant to evoke the Patagonia logo). He pairs that with a bucket hat (proving to Sarah that they are cool!), along with brown cargo pants (also cool!) and hiking boots. All in all, Mickey’s outlook looks slick, and anyone who would dress like this must be a cool dude.

Minnie wears a similar mountain graphic shirt, brown skirt, 90s style leggings, and a teal bandana. She also sports an orange fanny pack (worn along her waist as intended), proving yet again that this looks cool. Next to the couple is a wooden trail marker with signs pointing toward Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Denali National Parks. The directions are wrong, for whatever it’s worth.

The U.S. National Parks costumes replace the charming “cottagecore” vibe that the two embraced over the summer. Those provincial looks were right out of a quiet village; the kind that’s home to a peculiar girl with her nose always stuck in a book, and a barge-sized man who eats five-dozen eggs each day for breakfast.

Before those, Minnie & Mickey had cruise-inspired outfits that were perfectly at home over at Disney’s Beach Club Villas, and the dynamic duo’s alpine apparel for winter. The previous costumes have lasted about two to three months each, which suggests that the apres ski looks will return around Christmas.

I’m still holding out hope there’s one more unannounced look for Festival of the Holidays, but the National Parks costumes being September through November and apres ski being December through February makes sense. When releasing the graphic above, Disney Files indicated that these were the four costumes for 2026, before returning to the earlier outfits.

Between these exclusive costumes for Minnie & Mickey Mouse, and the character appearances at Moonlight Magic events, DVC has quietly become the club for rare character fans. There must be someone in DVC leadership who is a rare character hunter, as members have been treated to some deep cuts from the vault over the years, plus costumes that never appear elsewhere.

As noted above, these costumes sported by Minnie & Mickey Mouse are exclusive to Membership Magic Beyond. Mickey & Minnie are available nightly to eligible members from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at EPCOT’s DVC ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge.

This is a fantastic experience in the former upstairs ImageWorks above Journey into Imagination, and one that I highly recommend. That’s doubly true during dates when the sunset is earlier and you can enjoy evening in the ImaginAtrium.

The ImaginAtrium during its extended evening hours for Membership Magic Beyond is likely the most “exclusive” escape in EPCOT. It’s just an exceptional escape from the crowds, and a secret I don’t mind sharing because–quite frankly–I’m worried that if more people don’t buy into Membership Magic Beyond, Disney is going to pull the plug on it. I cannot imagine this program being viable at its current volume.

Membership Magic Beyond would appeal to many DVC Members if they simply knew about its existence and stopped to put a dollar value on its benefits, including the less-quantifiable ones. Part of the problem is that MMB is a grabbag with something for everyone, but not quite enough for a lot of DVC Members.

Personally, I think the bigger issue is overcoming the perception of paying for perks. Walt Disney World fans already have upcharge fatigue, and this comes across as another cash grab to add to the list after Lightning Lanes and everything else. Upon seeing the marketing email or whatever, it’s easy to just say “nope” and dismiss Membership Magic Beyond out of hand.

My advice would be to give it more thought than that! Beyond the easily quantifiable benefits like the ticket deals, one-time use points, PhotoPass packages and everything else, consider the intangibles. The value of kicking back in the ImaginAtrium at night, when the lounge above Journey Into Imagination is basically a better and more exclusive version of Club 33!

Think how cool it would be to have a private meet & greet with Minnie & Mickey Mouse, meeting them in exclusive costumes throughout the year. That’s not an exaggeration, either.

I would say that the majority of the time I’m in the lounge, Minnie & Mickey aren’t meeting anyone. It’s actually amusing to watch them remain in character, doing their routines for no one. (Well, except me, I guess…since I am watching these routines.)

Honestly, I’m a little worried that this Membership Magic Beyond experiment won’t continue into 2027 because it feels too good to be true. I’d be shocked if it’s not losing money. Suffice to say, the “Disney’s Best Kept Secret” slogan is completely apt.

Although I’ve enjoyed the fruits of this secret, it’s probably in my own best interests of the word getting out a little bit more so MMB sticks around. So if you’re wondering why I’m going out of my way to blabber about Membership Magic Beyond, it’s not because I got a sweet sponsorship deal, but rather, because I selfishly don’t want the program to be discontinued.

If you’re unfamiliar with Membership Magic Beyond because the secret has been so well kept, here’s basic background on the 2026 version of the program. Fingers crossed the program is not retired, and we get 2027 info soon! It’s a day one purchase for us if continued!

Membership Magic Beyond Basics

The “Membership Magic Beyond” add-on option is a yearly enhanced benefits package over and above Membership Extras, which gives you special ways to elevate your family’s stays.

Eligible Members can purchase the 2026 Membership Magic Beyond benefits package for $99, with a usage window from now through December 31, 2026. The program is not prorated for those who purchase it later in the year, so you could theoretically buy for a family vacation during Christmas week and still pay $99 for that one week of access.

Membership Magic Beyond offers the following perks for 2026:

• Purchase specially priced 5-day weekday Walt Disney World Theme Park tickets, each with up to 5 water park visits or sports options included. Available for the enrolled Member and up to 7 guests in the traveling party. Save up to $140 per ticket compared to the non-discounted price of a standard ticket.
• Purchase specially priced 3-day weekday Disneyland Resort Theme Park tickets that include Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Available for the enrolled Member and up to 7 guests in the traveling party. Save up to $177 per ticket.
• Receive an 8×10 photo print during your stay at AULANI.
• Receive a 30-day Memory Maker entitlement to capture and share treasured Walt Disney World memories. Up to a $210 value if purchased separately.

Exclusive Access

• Special Character Access: Meet and mingle with special Disney Characters daily from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM at Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge at EPCOT. The enrolled Member can bring up to 4 guests or the number of guests on their resort stay reservation, whichever is greater. Available 7 days a week. Capacity restrictions may apply.
• Priority Access to Member Lounges: Take advantage of priority access to Disney Vacation Club ImaginAtrium – A Member Lounge, Disney Vacation Club Star View Station – A Member Lounge and Disney Vacation Club McKim’s Mile House – A Member Lounge at Magic Kingdom Park. Use this benefit when lounge access goes on a waitlist. Same rules apply for party sizes as above.

More Flexibility

• Use your Points to purchase the Disney Sorcerer Pass to enjoy Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks. Get a new pass for 75 points or renew your pass for 65 points.
• Get one bonus One-Time-Use Point for each One-Time-Use Point purchased! Members can purchase up to 12 Points for a total of 24 One-Time-Use Points in a Benefit Season. Excludes bookings offered through the hotel exchange program.
• Enjoy having your $95 transaction fee waived when booking Disney Collection Resorts and experiences, including Adventures by Disney, Disney Cruise Line and National Geographic Expeditions experiences.

The Membership Magic Beyond option is part of Membership Extras which, effective June 3, 2021, requires having an ownership interest with 150 Vacation Points or more purchased directly from Disney Vacation Development, Inc.

This is an incidental benefit subject to availability, change or termination. Yearly enrollment fee applies. All offers are subject to availability. Special ticket and Annual Pass offers are not part of the ownership interest and are subject to change or termination.

This means Membership Magic Beyond is what’s colloquially known as a “blue card” perk. It’s all-digital now, so “blue card” member is a misnomer, but that’s what most DVC members still call it. Disney Vacation Club is able to restrict perks to only certain owners because these things are funded by DVC’s marketing budget–or some other budget–and not annual owner dues.

If you’re thinking about joining DVC, be sure to read our Ultimate Guide to Disney Vacation Club. This covers the pros & cons, resale v. direct, how much money you’ll save, and other important things to know before taking the plunge. If you still can’t decide whether membership is right for you, “try before you buy” with the recommendations in How to Save BIG on Deluxe Disney Accommodations Renting DVC Points.

YOUR THOUGHTS

Thoughts on Minnie & Mickey’s brand-new U.S. National Parks inspired character costumes? If you’ve joined Membership Magic Beyond, would you agree that it’s actually Disney’s Best Kept Secret? Will you be doing Membership Magic Beyond at some point this year or in 2027 (if it still exists)? Or is MMB a non-starter for you? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Share any questions, tips, or additional thoughts you have in the comments!