The Day After: Mickey Mouse Becomes Candidate for Next Year’s Super Bowl

It’s the day after Super Bowl LX, and the sports world is still doing what it always does: celebrating the winner for about five minutes and then immediately moving on to the next big thing.

The Seattle Seahawks just took down the New England Patriots with a convincing 29-13 win, and today they were spotted doing what every Super Bowl champion is basically required to do at this point—heading straight to Disneyland.

And while that part isn’t shocking at all, the timing of it is what has fans spiraling online.

‘The Handoff’ continues…

Throughout Monday, ESPN is live from @Disneyland with a set in Town Square@Seahawks #SuperBowlLX Champs Sam Darnold & MVP Kenneth Walker will be onsite for the customary celebratory parade & join ESPN’s shows

📸 (Melina Pizano / ESPN Images) pic.twitter.com/uSYNHBfqCr

— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) February 9, 2026

Because even though we’ve got a full year until the next Super Bowl, people are already talking about Super Bowl LXI like it’s tomorrow. And thanks to where the game will be held next year, a very unexpected name is getting thrown into the halftime show conversation: Mickey Mouse.

The Seahawks’ Disneyland Visit Is Fueling the Buzz

The “I’m going to Disneyland!” tradition is one of the most recognizable post-Super Bowl moments in sports history. It’s been around for decades, and it always feels like the perfect victory lap.

So when the Seahawks showed up at Disneyland today, it was exactly what fans expected.

But at the same time, it hit differently.

Because their celebration didn’t just feel like a fun little media moment. It felt like a reminder that the Super Bowl isn’t just a football game anymore. It’s a week-long entertainment takeover. And Disneyland is basically the ultimate stage for that kind of victory celebration.

That’s why fans started joking almost instantly.

If the Super Bowl champs are already partying with Mickey… why not bring Mickey into next year’s game?

Super Bowl LXI Is Basically in Disneyland’s Backyard

Super Bowl LXI will be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

And if you’ve ever been to Southern California, you know that Disneyland and Los Angeles are practically neighbors in the grand scheme of things. SoFi Stadium is only about 30 miles away from Disneyland.

That means the Super Bowl is basically heading right into Mickey Mouse territory.

And that’s where the conversation got interesting.

Because while the NFL has hosted games all over the country, this is one of those rare moments where the host city isn’t just “near Disney.” It’s close enough that Disney could easily become part of the entire Super Bowl week vibe.

The hotels will be packed. The celebrities will be everywhere. The media coverage will be nonstop. And you can guarantee Disneyland will be full of fans who make the trip into a full vacation.

So naturally, people started wondering: could Disney be involved in something bigger?

Disney Has Actually Performed at the Super Bowl Before

This is where the Mickey Mouse jokes start to feel less ridiculous.

Because Disney isn’t new to the Super Bowl stage at all.

In fact, Disney has been part of multiple halftime shows over the years, especially back when halftime entertainment leaned more toward theme, spectacle, and big family-friendly productions.

One of the earliest examples came during Super Bowl XI in 1977, when Disney played a role in the halftime festivities and even brought elements of its iconic style to the field. Mickey Mouse was part of the show, and the performance leaned into the kind of grand, choreographed “Disney magic” that was much more common during that era.

Then, in Super Bowl XXV in 1991, Disney was involved again in a major way. That halftime show became one of the most memorable examples of the “classic” Super Bowl halftime era.

It featured thousands of children, massive staging, and a Disney-style production that made the field look more like a theme park show than a modern concert. Mickey Mouse once again made an appearance, proving Disney was comfortable being part of the NFL’s biggest night.

And then in Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000, Disney’s presence showed up again. That halftime show was built around a huge celebratory theme tied to the new millennium and featured major pop artists like Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, and Toni Braxton. It was big, theatrical, and very much felt like a production Disney would want its name attached to.

So yes—Disney has absolutely been a Super Bowl performer and producer in the past.

And once fans started remembering that, the Mickey Mouse halftime speculation suddenly became way more believable.

The Halftime Show Has Changed, But the NFL Loves a Moment

These days, the halftime show isn’t really about marching bands or themed productions anymore.

It’s about headlines.

It’s about viral moments.

It’s about social media exploding in real time.

And it’s about making the Super Bowl feel bigger than sports.

That’s why the halftime show has evolved into a concert-style performance featuring some of the biggest names in music. It’s less “family spectacle” and more “global entertainment event.”

But here’s the thing: the NFL still loves nostalgia. It still loves branding. And it still loves anything that feels like a pop culture crossover.

That’s why Disney could fit right in.

Disney isn’t just a theme park company. It’s an entertainment machine. It owns characters, franchises, music, film properties, and enough cultural influence to build an entire halftime theme around.

And if the NFL wants Super Bowl LXI to feel like a Hollywood-level event?

Disney is sitting right there.

Why Mickey Mouse Makes Too Much Sense

No, nobody is seriously expecting Mickey Mouse to walk out at midfield and start singing.

But as a symbol? As a co-star? As part of a promotional campaign? That’s a totally different story. Or, what about Disney producing Fantasmic! to hundreds of millions of viewers? That would be absolute magic.

If the Super Bowl is in Southern California, you can bet the NFL will want the week leading up to it to feel like a celebrity festival. And Disneyland is one of the most obvious “big event” destinations in the area.

That means it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Disney becomes more visible during Super Bowl week next year.

Maybe that’s through commercials. Maybe it’s through special Disneyland tie-ins. Maybe it’s through celebrity appearances filmed in the parks. Or maybe it’s through some kind of halftime show crossover where Disney characters are used as part of the show’s theme, visuals, or opening segment.

If Disney has done it before, they can absolutely do it again.