Will Disney New Year's Eve be held this year? Possibility of a revival in 2025-2026
It has been officially announced that Tokyo Disney Resort's countdown and New Year's Eve event, scheduled for 2025 and 2026, will not be held.
This marks the sixth consecutive year that the New Year's Eve event has been canceled.
During this period (December 31, 2025 to January 1, 2026), there will be no special overnight hours and the station will operate as usual .
On New Year's Eve, December 31st, and New Year's Day, January 1st, 2026, the store will be open from 9:00am to 9:00pm.
About past New Year's Eve events
The annual countdown and New Year's Eve event, "New Year's Eve," will be held for the last time in 2019-2020 .
New Year's Eve was a hugely popular special event that allowed people to enjoy the park all night long, from 8:00 PM on December 31st to 6:00 AM on New Year's Day, January 1st.
Fireworks were launched to count down to the New Year, and after midnight fans could freely move between Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, making it an irresistible and blissful time for them.
Of course, tickets for this event were so popular that they were in high demand, and every year there was an extremely fierce battle for tickets.
Why New Year's Eve events haven't been held in recent years
There has been no official specific explanation as to why the hugely popular New Year's Eve event continues to be canceled, but several complex factors are thought to be the cause.
High operating costs (expense reduction)
Keeping the park open late into the night comes at a much higher cost than usual.
The electricity bill for operating late at night alone amounts to tens of millions of yen, and labor costs for operating late at night add up to hundreds of millions of yen.Additionally, costs such as setting off fireworks and operating all night add up, so the reality is that a one-day event costs the equivalent of several percent of annual sales, and it is likely that the event is deemed unprofitable.
Labor shortages and work style reform
Holding a countdown event requires a "total war" in which almost all cast members are mobilized, but there is currently a serious shortage of cast members.
Additionally, working late at night places a heavy burden on cast members, and it is thought that the decision was also influenced by the trend toward work style reform, in which continuing to hold large-scale events that require long working hours and late-night shifts is no longer in line with the times.
Long-term strategic changes
Tokyo Disney Resort is currently focusing on building permanent facilities that can attract guests in the long term, such as investing 250 billion yen in Fantasy Springs and rebuilding Space Mountain.
It has been determined that it makes more sense from a business perspective to invest in facilities that can be enjoyed for years to come, rather than one-day events.
Safety measures and congestion relief
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the management has changed its operating style to prioritize the safety of guests and cast members.
One reason is that countdown events bring together tens of thousands of guests at the same time, making huge crowds unavoidable and significantly increasing the difficulty of safety management.
Consideration for neighboring residents
Consideration for local residents is also cited as a reason why it is difficult to hold the event, as there have been complaints from local residents in the past about noise and traffic congestion during New Year's Eve.
New Year's Events in 2026
The countdown event will be canceled, but the special New Year's event will still be held !!
The 2026 New Year's events will be held simultaneously at both Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea from January 1st (Thursday, national holiday) to January 12th (Monday) .
At the park, a "New Year's Greetings" parade will be held, in which Mickey, Minnie and friends will appear in traditional Japanese clothing and greet the new year.
It will be held as a harbor show at the sea, and fireworks will be launched at night.
The entrance will be decorated with kadomatsu and zodiac motifs.
New Year's limited edition goods (Japanese patterns, zodiac animals, Daruma motifs) and special menus (ozōni, oden, etc.) will also be available, and with meals there will be desserts that come with a souvenir teacup with a New Year's illustration.
Merchandise will go on sale from Monday, December 1st, 2025, and food will go on sale from Friday, December 26th, 2025 .
How to spend the New Year's holiday season at the park
Even though there are no countdown events, the park is filled with a special atmosphere during the New Year holidays.
Although you cannot spend New Year's Eve inside the park, it is recommended to spend the year at a hotel.
By staying at a Disney hotel, you can take advantage of Happy Entry, which is available exclusively to guests, and enter the park 15 minutes earlier than general admission.
Even at the official hotels, travel and rest are smooth, and you can stay comfortable even when it's crowded.
Also, the park tends to get crowded during the New Year's event period, especially from January 1st to 4th, so if you want to spend a quieter time, we recommend visiting on a weekday from the 5th to the 9th .
Is there a chance that Countdown will be revived?
This does not mean that there will be no more countdown events in the future.
Since other seasonal events (Halloween and Christmas) have been revived, it is thought that there is a possibility that it will be revived in the future.
However, even if it does return, it is unlikely to be on the same scale as before.
In order to cut costs and take safety measures, it is expected that only one of the parks will be hosting the event, either Land or Sea, opening hours will be limited to around 2am (opening until the morning will no longer be permitted), and ticket prices will rise significantly to over 15,000 yen.
Disney New Year's Eve Summary
Even if events are canceled, for those who look forward to New Year's events every year, the festive mood for the new year can be said to be prepared in the form of a kind of "New Year's gift," with gorgeous decorations spread throughout the park and greetings with characters dressed in traditional Japanese clothing.
It's a shame that there will be no New Year's Eve events, but you can still enjoy New Year's at Disney to the fullest!