The holiday season is giving a 37-year-old Disney icon another chance to take center stage.
Walt Disney World has revealed several new additions for Disney Jollywood Nights in 2026, but one familiar face dates back much further than the after-hours event itself.
She has been around since 1989, remains inside the park today, and will soon become a much bigger part of this year’s Christmas celebration.
Gertie Gets a Bigger Role at Jollywood Nights
That familiar face is Gertie the Dinosaur, one of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ opening-day icons.
There’s an important distinction with her return, though. Gertie herself never disappeared from the park.
The massive dinosaur continues to stand along Echo Lake, just as she has for decades. Instead, Disney is putting Gertie back in the spotlight through Disney Jollywood Nights in 2026.
This year, she appears throughout the newly revealed holiday collection rather than being limited to one small cameo. Guests will find her across accessories, apparel, and collectibles connected to the after-hours event.
One of those new items pairs Gertie with another familiar Disney character.
Gertie and Duffy Celebrate Christmas Together
Disney is bringing Gertie and Duffy together on a new Disney Jollywood Nights Mickey ear headband.
The design gives both characters a place in the Christmas celebration, while a bright red bow between the ears adds to the festive look. Disney also included a gold ornament in the middle of the bow.
It’s an option for guests who want to express their appreciation for Gertie, but Disney has also created something that places the dinosaur much more prominently in the design.
A Loungefly Bag Goes All-In on Gertie
Gertie becomes the main attraction on one of the biggest accessories in the collection: a new Loungefly bag.
Disney didn’t simply place a small image of the dinosaur onto a standard bag. Instead, the design takes its inspiration directly from the recognizable park icon.
Gertie wears a Santa hat, and a bright red Christmas ornament hangs from her mouth. Those details give the familiar dinosaur a seasonal makeover while keeping her recognizable appearance at the center.
Guests looking for holiday apparel will also have another Gertie option.
New Jollywood Nights Sweatshirt Features Gertie
The 2026 collection includes a blue Disney Jollywood Nights sweatshirt featuring the Echo Lake favorite.
Disney placed the Jollywood Nights logo prominently on the apparel and surrounded it with a star pattern that fits the event’s old-Hollywood Christmas atmosphere.
Gertie appears to be wearing her Santa hat near where a pocket would normally be. Her positioning makes it look as though she is popping into the design rather than simply appearing beside another event logo.
For collectors, Disney has also brought several of the event’s recognizable faces together on a smaller souvenir.
Gertie Joins Duffy on a 2026 Pin
A new Disney Jollywood Nights pin features Gertie alongside Duffy and a festive Jollywood gingerbread character.
The three characters share the design, while the Disney Jollywood Nights logo appears along the bottom. The year 2026 is also incorporated into the pin, connecting the collectible directly to this year’s event.
Gertie once again appears in her Christmas look, giving guests another way to remember their visit without purchasing one of the collection’s larger pieces.
Disney isn’t finished with the dinosaur-themed collectibles, either.
Gertie Gets a Christmas Ornament of Her Own
Guests can also find Gertie on a new Disney Jollywood Nights Christmas ornament.
The smiling dinosaur wears a Santa hat and holds a bright red ornament, maintaining the same festive look seen throughout the rest of the collection.
“Jollywood Nights 2026” appears along the bottom, making the ornament especially connected to this year’s holiday celebration.
That dated design could make it an appealing keepsake for guests attending in 2026, particularly those who return to Disney Jollywood Nights year after year.
A 37-Year-Old Disney Icon Finds a New Audience
Gertie’s larger-than-life presence this Christmas gives Disney Jollywood Nights another connection to the park's earliest days.
The dinosaur has stood at Echo Lake since Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened in 1989, remaining in place as much of the surrounding park has changed over the decades.
Now, 37 years later, Disney is giving that original icon another opportunity to take center stage.
Guests will find Gertie across Mickey ears, a Loungefly bag, a sweatshirt, a pin, and a Christmas ornament during the 2026 holiday season.
Gertie never needed to make a physical comeback because she never went away. Instead, Disney is using its latest holiday offerings to introduce one of its longtime originals to another generation of guests.
