Big news for anyone who’s ever used Hollywood Studios as an excuse to sit somewhere cool for ten minutes. Vacation Fun, the Mickey and Minnie animated short, is officially back open after basically getting kicked out of its own theater for the better part of two months. Fans are thrilled, and honestly, so are we.
It’s not a headline attraction by any stretch, but the show has built up a quietly loyal following over the years, mostly from guests who’ve discovered just how valuable a dark, air conditioned room can be in the middle of a busy park day.
Why This Show Kept Disappearing All Year
Here’s the thing, this wasn’t even the first time Vacation Fun got bumped in 2026. This show got shut down twice, and neither time had anything to do with a refurbishment. First it closed for a May the 4th merchandise pop up. Then on August 9th it closed again, this time to hand out Annual Passholder Kermit the Frog Magnets. Twice in one year. For a theater show. That’s a lot.
That second closure stuck around for close to two months before finally reopening to guests on September 27. Two months is a long time for any attraction to just sit there dark, especially one people quietly rely on as their go to break spot during a long, hot park day.
Why People Actually Love This Random Little Show
Vacation Fun follows Mickey and Minnie prepping for a vacation, with flashbacks showing all of Mickey’s past trips going hilariously wrong. Makes total sense why the guy’s nervous heading into another one honestly.
The whole thing runs about ten minutes with shows scattered throughout the day, so it’s easy to squeeze in without much planning. It’s definitely not the biggest attraction in the park, but it offers something every Hollywood Studios visitor eventually needs, a dark, air conditioned room where you can just sit down for a bit. Anyone who’s survived a full day at Disney World in Florida heat knows that’s sometimes worth more than any thrill ride.
Hollywood Studios Is Adding a Ton of Stuff Right Now
This reopening’s happening during a genuinely busy stretch for the park. The Magic of Disney Animation opened early, beating its planned September 14 debut, finishing off the makeover of the old Animation Courtyard into the new Walt Disney Studios Lot. It’s all about hand drawn art, classic Disney references, and character moments that feel way less scripted than your typical meet and greet.
Inside you’ve got Drawn to Wonderland for hands on drawing, Olaf Draws!, and the Once Upon a Studio Theater celebrating Disney’s whole animation history instead of just one movie. There’s also actual sketches from older films on display, including art tied to The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949) and The Fox and the Hound (1981). Hours already changed too, dropping to 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting September 28, way shorter than the first couple weeks.
Meanwhile over in Toy Story Land, there’s a new character named Lilypad running the show now. She’s a frog shaped smart tablet from Toy Story 5 (2026), and instead of walking around like a normal character, she lives on a big screen, running interactive games without needing anyone to wait in line. You can guess what she’s drawing, solve puzzles revealing characters like Partysaurus Rex, or watch goofy home videos with the toys.
She also brought a whole new soundtrack with her, mixing remixed classics with brand new songs like “Spin It Back, Lilypad” and “Pizza Planet Promo,” plus a nod to Partysaurus Rex (2012) with its own anthem, and even an instrumental version of “I Knew It, I Knew You,” the Taylor Swift track from Toy Story 5.
Here’s What You Should Actually Do With This Info
None of this means you need to blow up your existing trip plans, but Hollywood Studios genuinely has more going on right now than it did just a few months back. If your family’s the type to split up, one person riding while someone else waits with a kid too short for the ride, both the reopened Vacation Fun and the new Lilypad stuff in Toy Story Land give everyone something to actually do instead of just standing there.
Also worth planning around, The Magic of Disney Animation’s shorter hours starting September 28. If that’s on your list, check the schedule before you head in that day so you don’t miss it.
Between a returning classic and a bunch of genuinely new stuff, Hollywood Studios deserves a fresh look right now, even if you’ve been a hundred times before. Sometimes the small, quiet stuff ends up mattering just as much as the big attractions everyone rushes to first.
Happy to see Vacation Fun back, or planning to check out Lilypad next trip? Let us know in the comments what’s on your Hollywood Studios list these days.
