Walt Disney International has introduced new perks together with a loose Muppets magnet at Hollywood Studios for what’s principally an extension of AP Appreciation Days, albeit a gentle one, for past due summer time and early fall. This covers all the legit main points plus our predictions about an upcoming Annual Cross bargain, since many readers have requested about one–and we’re nonetheless anticipating it to come back.
As fundamental background, V.I.Passholder Summer time Days simply wrapped up on the finish of July, after beginning in mid-Would possibly. Formally, those AP appreciation days are the corporate’s approach of claiming ‘thanks’ for being a Walt Disney International Annual Passholder! Unofficially, they’re the corporate’s approach of claiming “please come seek advice from throughout the freshest and slowest months of the 12 months, we’re begging you; that entire ‘unwanted’ quip used to be only a funny story, we swear!”
Irrespective of the true explanation why for V.I.Passholder Summer time Days being introduced, it used to be a nice run that used to be longer than final 12 months with some highlights, like 40% off make a selection eating places! I’ve been stunned that those V.I.Passholder Days finish so early at Walt Disney International, however on the similar time, DVC Welcome House Weeks simply began to in short fill the void.
Over at Common Orlando, AP appreciation days run from August 15 via September 30, 2026. This moves me because the extra logical time-frame, despite the fact that Would possibly via July additionally is smart. And it almost definitely is smart not to pass overboard with a unmarried match that’s interminably lengthy, as locals would get bored and it might turn into ‘much less particular’ if it consumes all the calendar.
In different phrases, it is smart that V.I.Passholder Summer time Days ended and, nearly right away, Walt Disney International is filling the space with a brand new slate of choices–however now not a named match–over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Talking of which, one fascinating wrinkle to this 12 months’s offseason choices is they’re DHS versus Animal Kingdom. Most often, that’s the park Walt Disney International desires to push APs in opposition to throughout the offseason, because of its anemic attendance.
I guess the underlying motivation for finding that Muppets freebies and particular choices at DHS is just as a tie-in to Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring The Muppets. However it however is fascinating that Disney selected to move this path, versus an Encanto or Indiana Jones decal to get APs serious about the approaching additions. Perhaps they need to spice up numbers at DHS since that’s the place such a lot of 2026 additions are concentrated, together with the approaching Magic of Disney Animation.
Anyway, listed below are the Muppets freebies and choices you’ll experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios over the following couple months…
Unfastened Muppets Magnet
Head over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the latest Passholder magnet that includes Kermit the Frog. Transfer proper alongside to Mickey Shorts Theater from August 11 to September 24, 2026—from park open to park shut—to pick out up a magnet!
When you’re at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, take a zany trip via Hollywood set to the rockin’ sounds of the Electrical Mayhem on the new Rock ‘n’ Curler Coaster Starring The Muppets.
Each and every Passholder should be provide and display their legitimate Annual Cross card, connected MagicBand, MagicBand+ or Disney MagicMobile cross, and a government-issued picture ID to obtain a magnet. Restrict one magnet in keeping with Passholder.
Muppets Magnets are to be had whilst provides final. There’s generally a lengthy line for those magnets on unencumber day, and however at the first weekend they’re introduced. On the other hand, we’ve discovered that merely going a few weeks later cuts the wait time all the way down to near-zero, and we’ve but to come upon any problems with Walt Disney International working out of magnets. Knock on picket. I’m an enormous Muppets fan, however will clutch mine round Exertions Day versus enduring the day one or two crowds.
AP PhotoPass Muppets Magic Shot (Unfastened)
Hello ho—come to find this limited-time Magic Shot that includes Kermit the Frog enjoying his banjo. Make it a duet while you pose with a banjo prop!
In finding the Disney PhotoPass photographer ready on the finish of Hollywood Side road, on the subject of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. You’ll be able to snap up this Passholder-exclusive Magic Shot from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM each day from August 11 to September 24, 2026.
Key Lime Kermit Milkshake (Now not Unfastened)
It’s really easy to experience a inexperienced milkshake—to be had in Disney’s Hollywood Studios from August 11 to September 24, 2026. Hop on over to Dockside Diner to buy the Key Lime Kermit Milk Shake—Vanilla Milk Shake, Key Lime Cake Crumbs with Key Lime Sauce and Sprinkles.
I’m now not typically one for Walt Disney International’s dear and sugar-forward drinks, however make an exception for milkshakes–particularly Key Lime ones themed to Kermit the Frog. This one sounds find it irresistible might be implausible.
As a reminder, Annual Passholders should have legitimate admission and a theme park reservation for the day to go into Disney’s Hollywood Studios, except visiting after 2:00 PM or on a “good-to-go” day with no park reservation. Given the offseason crowds, or lack thereof, we’re anticipating a majority of these weekdays to be G2G days.
AP Cut price Prediction
The most productive predictor of long run reductions is previous ones, as Walt Disney International has a tendency to persist with a development with particular gives each and every 12 months. That is true for lodge and price tag offers, lots of which can be equivalent each and every 12 months and launched round the similar time. Whilst there’s much less fresh precedent for reductions on Annual Passes, the primary promo of 2026 reflected final 12 months.
The final Annual Cross promotion that Walt Disney International introduced used to be 50% off down bills, which ended June 24, 2026. That used to be now not a real deal (therefore “promotion”) because it merely shifted across the timing of bills, versus lowering the whole. So don’t be too labored up in case you overlooked it.
Extra particularly, Disneyland launched a deal providing a Unfastened Disney Eating Present Card As much as $100 with Magic Key Renewal! Whilst Walt Disney International has completed AP offers lately, that’s unparalleled for Disneyland, suggesting {that a} similar or higher deal is coming quickly for Walt Disney International.
That comes in opposition to the backdrop of Walt Disney International’s new survey checking out large $400 Annual Cross & Lightning Lane reductions again within the spring. As we wrote there, we think each of those gives to come back to fruition, and it’s now not in the least unexpected that Walt Disney International would first get started with lowering the AP down cost. The most productive predictor of long run particular gives is previous ones, and we’ve noticed this prior to–lower than a 12 months in the past.
Final 12 months, Walt Disney International introduced ~50% off down bills for roughly 3 months prior to having a short lived hole in promotions. Then, on July twenty fifth, they launched a actual deal: Unfastened Present Card for New WDW Annual Cross Purchases.
That precise bargain introduced present card values in accordance with Annual Cross sort:
- $100 Disney Present Card eGift – integrated with a Disney Incredi-Cross
- $75 Disney Present Card eGift – integrated with a Disney Sorcerer Cross (for Florida citizens and eligible Disney Holiday Membership Individuals most effective)
- $50 Disney Present Card eGift – integrated with a Disney Pirate Cross (for Florida citizens most effective)
- $25 Disney Present Card eGift – integrated with a Disney Pixie Cross (for Florida citizens most effective)
Final 12 months’s bargain used to be most effective legitimate for brand new Annual Passes. It couldn’t be mixed with another bargain or promotion, together with any renewal reductions. That precise deal ended on September thirtieth of final 12 months, proper prior to the beginning of the brand new fiscal 12 months.
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It’s our expectation that historical past will repeat itself, and Walt Disney International will deliver again this present card deal for brand new AP purchases within the coming weeks. There are just a couple of wrinkles that might throw a monkey wrench into this.
The primary is new management, each on the most sensible of Parks & Accommodations and at Walt Disney International. On the other hand, new Parks Chair Thomas Mazloum used to be competitive with discounting throughout his tenure at Disneyland. Likewise, new Walt Disney International President Joe Schott restored offers at Disney Cruise Line, and he’s nonetheless brand-new, so no matter particular gives are at the horizon had been almost definitely set in movement prior to he began the day before today. Accordingly, there’s no explanation why to consider management adjustments would adversely affect the trajectory of discounting.
The opposite large issue is profits. We’ll have visibility into this day after today (August 5, 2026), when Walt Disney Corporate stories its 3rd quarter numbers. Right through that, the corporate’s Studies (Parks & Accommodations + Client Merchandise) section will document its effects for the months of April via June, together with hotel occupancy and attendance statistics.
There’s little explanation why to be expecting Q3 to overperform. Right through the final profits name, Disney CFO Hugh Johnston shared that attendance used to be down in Q2 via 1%. Moreover, Disney warned of attendance “headwinds” within the coming quarters because of decreased global visitation and shopper sentiment. Anything else kind of on par with or worse than that are supposed to give upward thrust to a brand new spherical of reductions, together with on Annual Passes.
We’d additionally notice that the 1% lower used to be for the home parks, together with each Walt Disney International and Disneyland. In response to our anecdotal observations, Disneyland is in truth up (and lovely considerably) 12 months over 12 months, that means that Walt Disney International attendance might be down via kind of 5%, which might align with wait time traits.
Since then, Disneyland’s competitive price tag deal for Southern California citizens ended and each coasts have skilled a slower than anticipated summer time. In the meantime, Common not too long ago launched its effects for a similar quarter, and issued weaker ahead steering, pointing to these similar problems with shopper sentiment and better commute prices because of the Iran warfare.
All of this would appear to set the desk for Walt Disney International to supply any other incentive for Annual Cross purchases. If anything else, the aforementioned headwinds amongst vacationers would fortify a more potent incentive for locals and different diehard lovers to seek advice from.
After all, this assumes Walt Disney International’s numbers have worsened since the second one quarter and are in line with the consequences that Common Orlando already reported. There’s all the time the chance that WDW by hook or by crook outperformed, and doesn’t really feel the want to incentivize AP gross sales (something we would notice is that hotel bookings for October via December seem very sturdy).
We’ll be paying attention to the profits name intently, and if the consequences are roughly as anticipated, we’d watch for a powerful Annual Cross particular be offering within the subsequent couple of weeks. Probably coinciding with the beginning of those Muppets choices.
As for what “lever” Walt Disney International would pull, the obvious follow-up is the present card deal from final fall. Every other wildcard will be the Annual Cross Bounceback mentioned within the aforementioned survey.
In all probability Walt Disney International will pass even additional, as we’ve in the past prompt that they will have to, via bringing again the ’15 months for the cost of 12′ (or 3 loose months) deal. This makes a large number of sense, particularly for the reason that the following ~15 months almost definitely haven’t any main new points of interest or lands opening.
This sort of promotion will be the surest signal that Tropical Americas isn’t debuting till October 2027 or later. Now not most effective that, however as Common Orlando and Epic Universe undergo their very own struggles, the chance will increase that the brand new park rolls out APs via early 2027. Getting out forward of that and locking extra locals and theme park lovers into Walt Disney International APs could be savvy.
There’s additionally the wildcard of the global commute pullback, which remains to be a sizzling matter on profits calls. As mentioned across the time of the final profits name, the lag between reserving and commute may imply that the affects of this at the moment are being felt worse than they had been final 12 months.
There’s all the time the chance that declining shopper self belief and financial anxiousness will lead to a tourism downturn sooner or later sooner or later, particularly the longer fuel costs and airfare are increased. Even if I think like we’ve been on “Recession Watch” for the final 3 years, just about since pent-up call for burned off in the second one part of 2022 (satirically sufficient, the final time fuel costs spiked considerably).
Walt Disney International has already pulled from the 2019 playbook for reductions. If there’s a downturn, they’ll want to pass a step past that into extra ingenious territory. It’s protected to mention that is the start of that, and lowering the in advance Annual Cross cost gained’t have sufficiently moved the needle.
Any one of the crucial above components on my own would just about necessitate this. A confluence of them, coupled with the loss of new points of interest round which to construct a advertising and marketing marketing campaign, all however promises higher reductions and particular gives.
It’ll be fascinating to look at what discounting “levers” Walt Disney International pulls going ahead in 2026. We’re anticipating much more than final 12 months, which is in point of fact one thing since there have been a large number of them then! Every time extra reductions are launched or rumored, we’ll ship you an alert ASAP in case you join our FREE Walt Disney International e-newsletter.
Making plans a Walt Disney International commute? Find out about accommodations on our Walt Disney International Motels Opinions web page. For the place to consume, learn our Walt Disney International Eating place Opinions. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to shop for, learn our Guidelines for Saving Cash on Walt Disney International Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys put up takes a novel have a look at artful pieces to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney International Trip Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most productive position to start out is our Walt Disney International Shuttle Making plans Information for the whole thing you want to grasp!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Will you be making the most of this Muppets freebies at Disney’s Hollywood Studios between August 11 and September 24, 2026? If there’s an Annual Cross bargain, what can be sufficient to persuade you to buy? Are you an Annual Passholder? Ideas on AP perks? What would get you to seek advice from the parks, spend extra money, or purchase an AP within the first position? Do you settle or disagree with our remark? Any questions we will be able to let you resolution? Listening to your comments–even while you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please proportion your ideas underneath within the feedback!
