Dad at Disney Weekly #059

Hi All,

Here is your weekly dose of the top Disney news, tips, tricks, new products, and more! This week Disney's Christmas party did something it hasn't done in years — and since I read the Halloween version of this exact signal wrong a month ago, I've got some thoughts. Let's get to it:

LATEST NEWS

🎄 Not One Christmas Party Night Has Sold Out — and Halloween Is Completely Gone

Two party stories, pointing in opposite directions. Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party finished selling out the evening of September 17 — all 38 nights, gone. Meanwhile, as of September 22, not a single one of the 25 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party nights had sold out. Last year opening night was gone by September 10.

My honest take, after getting Halloween wrong in public: slower sales mean you get to pick your night instead of grabbing what's left. They don't mean a sale is coming. Disney has never discounted a party ticket. If you only have one night that works, buy it this week. WDWMagic's report on where Christmas party sales stand.

🌙 2027 After Hours Is On Sale to Everyone — and It Costs More

General sale opened Monday. Magic Kingdom nights now run $189–$209 (up from $175–$199 this year), EPCOT $159–$189, Hollywood Studios $159–$199. The cheapest nights are the late-summer EPCOT and Studios dates in August.

Two things worth knowing before you buy: there's no Passholder or DVC discount at Magic Kingdom this time, and the $30 discount at the other two parks is for DVC owners — if you're renting points, you won't see it. Every 2027 date and price.

💦 The $89 Water Park Pass Is Back

Disney's Water Park Seasonal Pass returned: $89 for ages 10+, $83 for ages 3–9, good at both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach through May 15, 2027. Blockouts are Feb 19–21 and March 20–28, 2027. A single water park day runs $64–$74 for adults, so this pays for itself on the second visit. Only one water park is usually open at a time in the cooler months (Blizzard Beach right now), so check which before you plan a rest day around it. Pricing and blockout details.

🕯️ EPCOT Will Close Earlier This Holiday Season

Disney's posted hours for the Festival of the Holidays (Nov 27 – Dec 30) show EPCOT closing at 9 p.m., not the 9:30 it's used in past holiday seasons. That's likely why Candlelight Processional showtimes moved 15 minutes earlier this year (4:45, 6:30, 8:00). Practical upshot: if you catch the 8:00 show, do your festival eating before. Also opening today, September 24: reservations for the after-dark Glimmering Greenhouses tour of Living with the Land. Disney Tourist Blog on the hours change.

Quick hits:

• DVC Members: bonus Moonlight Magic nights at EPCOT (Oct 15) and Animal Kingdom (Nov 30, Dec 22); early registration opens today. Members only — renters aren't eligible. Details

• Diamond Horseshoe reservations open Sept 29 at 8 p.m. ET — not the usual 6 a.m. Details

• Hurly-Burly opens at the BoardWalk Oct 1: family-friendly by day, 21+ after 9 p.m., walk-up only. The menu

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NEW ON THE BLOG 📝

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party 2026: Which Night to Buy (and Why I'm Not Telling You to Wait)

All 25 dates, what a night actually costs a family of four ($776 on a $199 night, before tax), and my pick by family type. Short version: a mid-November weeknight for value, an early-December weeknight for the full Christmas feeling. Plus the one Magic Kingdom crowd trick that still works — party days are some of the best days to do the park, because it closes to everyone else at 6. → Read which night I'd buy

The Disney World Rides That Cause Motion Sickness, Ranked by a Dad Who's Held the Bag

It's almost never the scary rides. It's the spinning ones and the screens. The ranked list by park, the gentler swap for each one (Mission: SPACE has a Green version with no centrifuge, and most people walk right past the split), and the seat tricks that actually help — pilot seat on Smugglers Run, front rows on Star Tours, and yes, you're allowed to just not spin the teacup. → See the full list

Saratoga Springs vs. Old Key West — Finally Published

This sat in my drafts since June. The two cheapest villas to rent at Disney World, head to head: same price ($22 a point at both this week), and Old Key West wins on room size by a lot. Saratoga wins if you want to walk to Disney Springs or need an elevator for certain. → Read the comparison

In case you missed these:

• Candlelight Processional 2026 — dates, narrators, and whether the dining package is worth it before booking opens October 14

• Disney's 2027 Spring Offers vs. Renting DVC Points — the room discount ends April 29; only the package reaches summer

• The Disney World Mistakes That Cost Us the Most Money — seven of them, with receipts

Everything I use to plan a trip lives on the tools page, and the free DVC Savings Guide walks through the rental process start to finish.

REEL OF THE WEEK 😍

CHECK OUT @DAD_AT_DISNEY FOR MORE AWESOME PHOTOS LIKE THIS!

DISNEY DEALS

DVC Rental Rates — Re-Verified This Week 💰

Checked on the brokers' own pages on September 23: $22/pt at Saratoga Springs and Old Key West, $24/pt at Bay Lake Tower, Boulder Ridge, Animal Kingdom, Copper Creek and Riviera, $26–$29/pt at the Premium and Platinum resorts booked 7–11 months out. Unchanged. No discounted-points offer is running.

New this week: the DVC booking window now reaches into late August 2027, so summer 2027 is squarely in the 7–11 month sweet spot. One honest thing to know before you book: DVC Rental Store's standard cancellation policy gives you credit toward a future stay, not cash — cash refunds require their paid Cashback Protection add-on, which has to be added at least 121 days before check-in. Get a DVC quote → · Compare with David's →

Kingdom Strollers — Delivered to Your Resort 🔥

A Christmas party runs until midnight. The walk down Main Street at 11:40 p.m. with a five-year-old is long. Ask me how I know. A stroller for the week costs less than one park dinner. Reserve a stroller →

Disney Store: Santa Mickey & Minnie Family Pajamas 🎅

The holiday matching-PJ set is up — kids' one-piece $39.99, kids' PJ set $26.99, baby sleeper $17.99, adult lounge pants $44.99. Full price, no promo right now, but these are the ones that sell through in the popular sizes before Thanksgiving. The Christmas-card-photo move. Shop the Holiday Shop →

Christmas Mouse Ears for the Party — $9.99 🎄

If you're doing the Christmas party, don't pay park prices for ears. These are 4.7★ across 2,145 ratings and in stock as of this morning. Not official Disney merch — just good ears that cost less than a churro and a Coke. See them on Amazon →

Touchland Disney Hand Sanitizer + Mickey Case — $20 🧴

Clip-on Mickey case, watermelon scent, TSA-sized. 4.9★ across 1,100+ ratings, and 1,000+ bought last month. We ran the Minnie version a couple of weeks ago; this is the Mickey one. Park bag essential in cold-and-flu season. See it on Amazon →

Trick-or-Treat Glow Sticks — $15.99 🎃

With the Halloween party sold out, a lot of you are doing Halloween at home this year. This 467-piece glow stick pack (200 sticks plus connectors for bracelets and necklaces) is 4.6★ across 6,600+ ratings and down to $15.99. Kids stay visible on the sidewalk, and they'll build glasses out of them before you've finished the first street. See it on Amazon →

Disney Food Blog Dining Guides — 30% Off

Food & Wine runs through November 21, and The Wedge cheese hall is open through November 8. Use code DADATDISNEY for 30% off. Get the guides →

My Own Shop 👕

If you need a Disney shirt and would rather the money come to me than to Amazon, that's my TeePublic store. No hard sell. It's just there.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Sept 29, 8 p.m. ET: Diamond Horseshoe pop-up reservations open

• Oct 1: Hurly-Burly opens at Disney's BoardWalk · DVC Moonlight Magic general registration opens

• Oct 4: The Diamond Horseshoe returns to Magic Kingdom

• Oct 14: Candlelight Processional dining packages open for booking

• Oct 15: DVC Moonlight Magic at EPCOT

• Nov 2: Tiana's Bayou Adventure closes for its first refurbishment

• Nov 8: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party season begins (through Dec 22) · The Wedge closes

• Nov 21: EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival ends

• Nov 27: EPCOT Festival of the Holidays and the Candlelight Processional begin

• Jan 15 – Mar 1, 2027: EPCOT Festival of the Arts

• Mar 10 – May 31, 2027: EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival

• May 15, 2027: Water Park Seasonal Pass expires

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