Jollywood Nights Adds a Live DJ Lounge in Animation Courtyard, a Month Before the Party Starts

Disney Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios is getting a new lounge, two new character meets and a Gertie the Dinosaur bag this year. Disney added the details on Tuesday, October 6, to the same Disney Parks Blog page that has carried the 2026 dates since at least June. The first party night is Saturday, November 7.

The short version: A new Checkin' It Twice Lounge opens in Animation Courtyard with specialty drinks and a live DJ. Monsters, Inc. characters George Sanderson and Needleman meet guests at the party for the first time. Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Genie join the Glisten! skating show. Party-only merchandise is sold at a shop Disney places near Frozen Fractal Gifts.

Disney's illustration of the Checkin' It Twice Lounge. Image: Disney

What is new compared with June

We compared Tuesday's page with an archived copy of the same page from June 26. The dates, the January extension, the 5:30 p.m. entry time and the Glisten! skating show were all there in June. These items were not:

• Checkin' It Twice Lounge. Disney pitches it as a spot to unwind and socialize between shows and attractions, with specialty drinks, a live DJ and entertainment running all night. Disney says the menu will come with the Jollywood Nights Foodie Guide, which has not been released yet.
• Two new Monsters, Inc. meets. Disney says guests can meet George Sanderson and Needleman during the event for the first time. Mike Wazowski, already part of Pixar Disco in June, returns to Pixar Plaza too.
• Characters in Glisten! Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and Genie appear in the skating show on the rink outside the Chinese Theater, which Disney says is a first for the show.
• Merchandise. Disney revealed the party's exclusive merchandise (details below).

Disney did not say where in Animation Courtyard the lounge will be, whether it costs extra beyond the party ticket, or whether it has an age requirement. The Hollywood Brown Derby's Jazzy Holidays is the party offering Disney describes as adult-oriented and recommends reserving in advance. It made no similar note for the new lounge.

The merchandise, and where it is sold

The lineup leans on Gertie the Dinosaur, the green brontosaurus that also sits in Echo Lake as the Dinosaur Gertie's Ice Cream of Extinction stand. Disney's list:

• A Gertie Loungefly bag, with Gertie in Christmas attire (a small Santa hat in Disney's photo) and snow draped over her back
• A 2026 Jollywood Nights pullover with Gertie on the front
• A headband with double-sided ears, a detachable bow, and Gertie, Duffy and Ollie
• A Gertie ornament
• A Duffy as Santa mug

Disney did not publish prices. It says the merchandise is sold only on party nights, in a shop it describes only as near Frozen Fractal Gifts, and that buyers must have a party wristband and a valid event ticket.

The Gertie Loungefly bag. Photo: Disney

That location is worth noting. As we reported on October 3, Vacation Fun at the Mickey Shorts Theater goes dark from October 28, and last year that theater was used as a Jollywood Nights merchandise location. Disney has still not said what the theater is being used for this year, and Tuesday's post does not name the merchandise shop.

What was already announced

The party runs 15 nights, November 7 to January 5, and this is the first time it extends into January. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., the party runs 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., and ticket prices vary by night. Annual Passholder and Disney Vacation Club discounts apply on every night. Tickets are priced by night, from $169 to $199 per person plus tax, according to BlogMickey and Inside the Magic.

The full nights are November 7, 14, 16, 21, 23 and 28; December 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21 and 23; and January 3 and 5, 2027. The returning entertainment includes Disney Holidays in Hollywood at Theater of the Stars, the Nightmare Before Christmas sing-along at Hyperion Theater, the Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club, Pixar Disco, and the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! nighttime show.

Jollywood Nights 2026 merchandise outside the Chinese Theater. Photo: Disney

Planner note: The Muppets version of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster starts its holiday soundtrack on November 4, so it will already be running on the first party night. If Jazzy Holidays at the Brown Derby is on your list, build your night around it. Disney says space there is limited and recommends reserving ahead, though booking details are not out yet. It has said nothing about capacity at the new lounge.

Will the new lounge change how you plan your Jollywood Nights evening, or are you holding out for the Foodie Guide menu first?

Sources

• Disney Parks Blog, Disney Jollywood Nights 2026 Dates, Tickets, and Sneak Preview (updated October 6, 2026)
• Internet Archive, the same Disney Parks Blog page as of June 26, 2026
• BlogMickey, Disney Jollywood Nights date-based ticket prices (July 2026)
• Inside the Magic, on the Mickey Shorts Theater closure and 2026 Jollywood Nights ticket prices

Image credits: Disney, via Disney Parks Blog.