One Disney World attraction is facing a significant schedule change starting today.
The holiday season is officially underway at Walt Disney World Resort, bringing Christmas decorations, seasonal entertainment, and special events to its four theme parks. However, the festivities also come with changes to regular operations, particularly at parks hosting separately ticketed celebrations.
At Magic Kingdom, for example, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party sees the park close earlier than usual to regular guests. The same is true at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which hosts Disney Jollywood Nights on select evenings throughout November and December.
These events can also impact individual attractions. Certain experiences close ahead of the rest of the park, while others temporarily suspend operations to accommodate exclusive entertainment, merchandise locations, and other festivities.
Now, Disney has confirmed a major reduction in operating hours for one attraction, beginning November 7.
Disney World Attraction Cuts Five Hours From Operating Schedule
Guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have significantly less time to experience Vacation Fun at the Mickey Shorts Theater on select dates.
According to the latest operating schedule in the My Disney Experience app, the attraction will close at 3 p.m. on Disney Jollywood Nights dates, five hours earlier than its usual 8 p.m. closing time.
On these dates, Vacation Fun will operate from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meanwhile, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will remain open to regular guests until 7 p.m., meaning the attraction will close four hours before the rest of the park.
The reduced hours will apply to all 15 Jollywood Nights dates: November 7, 14, 16, 21, 23, and 28; December 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, and 23; and January 3 and 5, 2027.
Fortunately, this isn’t a permanent change. The attraction is scheduled to resume its normal 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. operating hours on November 8, with the shorter schedule limited to Jollywood Nights dates.
Disney hasn’t officially explained why the attraction will close so early. However, the timing suggests that the theater may once again be used to accommodate some of the event’s exclusive merchandise.
This wouldn’t be the first time Disney has repurposed the location during the holidays.
Disney Previously Closed the Attraction for Its Christmas Celebrations
Located in the Echo Lake area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Mickey Shorts Theater opened on March 4, 2020, replacing Star Wars: Path of the Jedi.
Its main attraction, Vacation Fun, is a roughly 10-minute animated film featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Combining original animation with clips from Disney’s modern Mickey Mouse cartoons, the film follows the characters as they prepare for a vacation.
Guests can also explore a collection of themed photo opportunities after the film, including recreations of scenes from Potatoland, Entombed, and Panda-monium.
The theater has undergone several temporary closures in recent years. In October 2025, Disney shuttered Vacation Fun ahead of the Jollywood Nights season, subsequently using the location to sell exclusive event merchandise.
The attraction remained closed throughout the Christmas party season, finally reopening on December 27, 2025.
It experienced another extended closure in 2026, shutting down on August 9 to accommodate a distribution location for an exclusive Kermit the Frog Annual Passholder magnet. The theater reopened on September 27.
This year’s schedule is therefore an improvement on 2025, when guests couldn’t experience Vacation Fun at all during the Jollywood Nights season.
As for the Christmas event itself, Disney Jollywood Nights returns with several changes for 2026.
For the first time, the separately ticketed celebration will extend into January, with its final event scheduled for January 5, 2027. Guests can enter Hollywood Studios from 5:30 p.m., although the party officially runs from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
New offerings include the Checkin’ It Twice Lounge in Animation Courtyard and appearances by George Sanderson and Needleman from Monsters, Inc.
The returning Glisten! skating show also features Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Genie for the first time, while Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets has introduced a limited-time holiday soundtrack.
Other attractions and shows will also operate on reduced schedules during Jollywood Nights.
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, for example, will hold its final performance at 3:50 p.m. instead of the usual 6:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage will conclude at 3:30 p.m. rather than 5 p.m.
Are you attending Jollywood Nights in 2026?
