Walt Disney World is preparing for another massive holiday season, but guests aren’t rushing to purchase tickets for one of its biggest Christmas events quite as quickly this year.
As of September 22, all 25 dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party remain available.
That puts 2026 noticeably behind the pace Disney saw during the previous two years, raising questions about whether demand for the separately ticketed Magic Kingdom event is beginning to cool.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party begins November 8, so Disney still has plenty of time to sell tickets. However, recent history shows that the first sellout normally arrives much earlier.
Disney Has Zero Christmas Party Sellouts
In 2025, opening night sold out on September 10.
Disney saw even stronger early demand in 2024, when the November 8 opening-night party sold out on September 3.
Now, September 22 has arrived, and Disney hasn’t sold out a single 2026 party.
That means this year’s first sellout is already 12 days behind the 2025 pace and 19 days behind 2024.
It’s an unusual development considering how quickly these parties eventually disappeared last year.
Following the first 2025 sellout, November 10 sold out September 24. The December 21 finale followed September 25. Every November date was unavailable by November 3, and the entire season sold out November 19.
Disney could certainly see another rush once the first 2026 date disappears. For now, however, guests have considerably more choices.
Christmas Demand Could Still Accelerate
The slower sales pace doesn’t necessarily mean Walt Disney World itself will experience smaller Christmas crowds.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a separately ticketed event, and regular Magic Kingdom attendance is a different measurement entirely. Thanksgiving week and the weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year’s could still bring extremely busy parks.
What has changed is the urgency surrounding Christmas party tickets.
At this point in 2024 and 2025, guests were already losing options. This year, someone booking on September 22 can still choose from the entire 25-night schedule.
The timing becomes even more interesting following Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Disney has already sold out every 2026 Halloween party while Christmas hasn’t recorded its first sellout.
Disney’s holiday ticket situation could change quickly over the coming weeks. Opening night remains one of the dates to watch based on recent patterns.
Still, September 22 gives us a clear comparison.
Christmas party demand is running behind recent years, and Disney has reached late September without selling out a single night.
For guests still planning a 2026 Christmas vacation, that’s good news: for now, every party remains an option.
