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As any sports fan can tell you, certain traditions go beyond the game itself. An afternoon of baseball, for example, isn’t complete without a rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame;” an NHL hat trick will always be met by a shower of headwear. Patrick Mahomes took part in one of those iconic rituals Sunday night; after winning Super Bowl MVP, he announced, “I’m going to Disney World.”

The Kansas City Chiefs’ collective schedules, however, are now chock full of various celebrations. Will Mahomes really head to Orlando to meet with Minnie and Mickey? Or is that famous line just a marketing slogan?

Why do Super Bowl winners say they’re going to Disney World?

While we might love sport for their perceived purity, the NFL is a massive business. Unsurprisingly, their link with Disney has a commercial basis.

Everything began in 1987 when the New York Giants edged out the Denver Broncos. After a series of highlights played, cameras cut to Phil Simms, the winning quarterback. He was asked what he would do after winning the championship; Simms, of course, looked right into the camera and said: “I’m gonna go to Disney World.” Acting, apparently, wasn’t his strong suit.The iconic phrase, however, arose by accident. During a dinner, Disney CEO Michael Eisner asked what they planned to do after flying around the world. Rutan quipped that he was going to Disneyland; Eisner’s wife, Jane, remarked that the plan sounded like a good slogan. From there, the wheels started turning.

When the Super Bowl arrived, Eisner asked Phil Simms and John Elway if they’d be interested in saying the now-famous line. Both quarterbacks agreed, and an iconic piece of popular culture was born.

Patrick Mahomes proves to be prophetic

Growing up, virtually every young athlete pretends to win the championship of their favorite sport. On Sunday night, however, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes killed two birds with one stone.

While Mahomes wasn’t at his best, he helped the Chiefs pull off another comeback and break their 50-year championship drought. The quarterback also took home the game’s MVP award and put himself in line for a long-awaited trip.

It turns out that Mahomes actually tweeted about winning the Super Bowl and going to Disney World in 2013 when he was still in high school. While it took him a few years to make it to the podium, the young quarterback now knows how it feels to utter those famous words.

Will Patrick Mahomes actually be at Disney World?

As a newly crowned Super Bowl champion, Patrick Mahomes will surely have a busy schedule. He will take some time, however, to fulfill his promise of going to Disney World.

According to Disney Parks Blog, Mahomes will be visiting Disney World on Monday afternoon. He’ll take part in a celebratory parade at the Magic Kingdom Park, but the quarterback won’t be taking in the experience alone. He’ll be sharing the spotlight Nathan, a Make-A-Wish child; Disney will also donate $1 million to the foundation in Mahomes’ honor.

On the field, Patrick Mahomes works plenty of magic. He’ll get to see some Disney magic first hand on Monday.

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Senior Writer, Programmer

Joe Kozlowski

Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sportscasting in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sportscasting, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he’s a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie.

Growing up loving Shaquille O’Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he’s continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives.

As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He’s barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe’s big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level.

Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.