Why Super Bowl winners say, ‘We’re going to Disney!’

While each Super Bowl is unique, some things stay the same. Think: delicious snacks, top-tier commercials, musical halftime shows and … the players from the winning team saying that they are going to Disney right after the confetti drops.

Putting the iconic “I’m going to Disney” commercial together in the minutes after the game ends doesn’t look like the easiest job in television. There are edits to make, contracts to sign and the final game outcome often isn’t known until the very end.

But that hustle and subsequent quick-turn creation of the “We’re going to Disney!” commercial are as much a part of the modern-day Super Bowl experience as the flashy halftime show and buckets of chicken wings.

If you’ve ever wondered how this came to be, the iconic commercial got its start after the 1987 Super Bowl when winning quarterback Phil Simms was the first to take in a payday (reportedly $75,000 in 1987) in exchange for saying a couple of lines and taking a trip to Disney World.

The commercial, largely unchanged from its original version, has happened almost every year since.

And yes, the players who say the magical phrase really do go to Disney World or Disneyland, usually the very next day after the game. This year, the lucky winners will head to Disney World, the closer of the two U.S. parks from New Orleans, the location of this year’s Super Bowl. Disney has shared on Instagram that they will indeed celebrate with the winner from this year’s Super Bowl on Feb. 10 at Disney World.

Related: How to use points to buy Disney tickets 

If you’re ever at Disney World or Disneyland the day after the Super Bowl (again, at typically whichever park is closer to the location of the Super Bowl), there’s a decent chance you’ll see a representative or two from the winning Super Bowl team take their place in a celebratory parade down Main Street, U.S.A. that following afternoon.

Often, though not always, it is the MVP of the game that’s at either Disney World or Disneyland the next day.

If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, then know that it’s likely to happen at Disneyland the day after the Super Bowl is both 2026 and 2027, as both of those games are scheduled to take place in California. After Feb. 10, 2025, Disney World is unlikely to host a day-after-the-big-game celebration until the Super Bowl heads to Atlanta in 2028.

Related reading:

• How to book a Disney resort room for less with DVC points
• Where to stay at Disneyland
• Best hotels at Disney World
• Why you might want to use a Disney Vacation Planner for your next trip