Disney World Refurbishments and Closures for 2025 (and beyond)

Disney World refurbishments and closures are a necessary part of ensuring the park is always at its best. Whether it’s routine maintenance, the exciting reimagining of attractions, or the addition of new rides, these updates are inevitable. For many visitors, the refurbishment schedule plays a significant role in choosing their vacation dates, as nobody wants to realize that their favorite attraction is closed during their dream Disney vacation!

Disney attractions can sometimes close unexpectedly, but the good news is that the refurbishment schedule for routine maintenance and reimagining is fairly reliable. This not only applies to the parks but also to the Disney Resorts, as well as transportation. So, here’s what you need to know about the current refurbishment schedule for Disney World.

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Planning a Disney World vacation in 2025? Be sure to check out our guide to all that the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer this year! (Our guide for visiting Disney World in 2026 is now available as well!)

In This Post

Magic Kingdom

EPCOT

Disney World Planning Guides

Disney World Refurbishments and Closures

Please note that this list could change at a moment’s notice.

Magic Kingdom

Now Open – TRON Lightcycle Run Roller Coaster – The highly anticipated Tron Lightcycle Power Run coaster, inspired by Shanghai Disneyland’s attraction, made its debut at Magic Kingdom in April 2023. This exhilarating ride offers an adrenaline-pumping race on sleek, two-wheeled Lightcycles. The introduction of this coaster also prompted a revamp of Tomorrowland to align with the immersive Tron Lightcycle theme.

Now Open – Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – In early 2023, Splash Mountain closed its doors to make way for this exciting, all-new attraction. Set in the enchanting bayous of Louisiana, visitors accompany Princess Tiana on a musical adventure as she embarks on her new venture, Tiana’s Foods. While utilizing the same ride system as the original Splash Mountain, riders still get to enjoy a massive splash after an exciting drop!

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – This attraction will be closed until 2026. This has been a fairly significant refurbishment project with all of the track being replaced and show scenes being refurbished.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – This Tomorrowland attraction will be closed for enhancements from August 4, 2025, until sometime in 2026.

Dumbo the Flying Elephant Playground – Closing for maintenance in February 2025, this area, located in the attraction’s circus tent indoor queue, will be closed through “later” in 2025. It’s worth noting that the ride is still operating as usual.

Rivers of America, Liberty Square Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island – These classic attractions have permanently closed to make way for construction on the new Cars area in Frontierland. (More on that below…)

Walt Disney World Railroad – The train will be operating in “shuttle mode” for the next few years due to construction projects, as the Frontierland Station is now closed.

The Beak and Barrel – Adventureland will soon welcome a new tavern near Pirates of the Caribbean, further immersing visitors in the story of the famous attraction. It is currently scheduled to open in late 2025.

Piston Peak National Park Area – Disney is planning to revamp a section of Frontierland and turn it into a Cars-themed area. This new area will include two exciting attractions. The first attraction will offer a thrilling rally race through the mountains, allowing guests to race across the landscape, navigate mountain trails, avoid geysers, and splash through mudholes. The second attraction will be a family-friendly experience designed for younger racers. Construction is now beginning as several attractions have closed for the project, but it’s likely not to open until at least 2029.

New Villains Area – Disney has confirmed the development of a new section of the park, located beyond Big Thunder, which will be centered around beloved Disney villains. This new area will feature two exciting attractions, along with exclusive dining and shopping options. While preparations for construction are already underway, Disney has not yet released any information regarding a specific timeline for the new area. Although many believe it will be at least 2029 or 2030 before the new land is open to visitors.

EPCOT

Now Open – Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind – Now open, this brand-new “omnicoaster” features vehicles that rotate on the track to turn the guests to face the action happening around them. This VERY popular Epcot attraction has been touted by some as the “best ride in all of Disney.” That being said, many others have had issues with motion sickness, so ride at your own risk!

Now Open – Test Track – This major attraction underwent an extensive transformation with assistance from Chevrolet, marking another evolution for this ride since its inception with the original World of Motion.

Spaceship Earth – The iconic ride will be getting a needed refurbishment beginning August 25, 2025. It is currently scheduled to reopen later this year, so it won’t be closed for too long.

Hollywood Studios

Now Open – Villains Unfairly Ever After Show – This brand new show debuted recently and is already gaining popularity!

Now Open – The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure – “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” is permanently closed, and was replaced with a fully reimagined production called “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.” This live performance of Ariel’s story features beloved songs and characters from the classic movie.

Disney Jr. Play and Dance! – The popular show will be closed temporarily until 2026 due to Cool Kid Summer. The show will likely be reimagined and renamed when it reopens.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – Perhaps some of the biggest news concerning Hollywood Studios is the reimaging of this very popular attraction. Instead of Aerosmith, the roller coaster will feature the Muppets and “friends.” The original version of the ride will close in 2026, and the newly reimagined ride will reopen before the end of 2026.

Walt Disney Studios – It was recently announced that Animation Courtyard will be reimagined into the Walt Disney Studios. And while the Animation Courtyard will close on September 25, 2025, the two attractions in this area (Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Walt Disney Presents) will remain open.

Star Wars Launch Bay – This area will be permanently closed on September 25, 2025, to become The Magic of Disney Animation once again.

New scenes in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run – Din Djarin and Grogu will be featured in a new version of this iconic attraction. The mission will debut around the same time as the new movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” which will be released on May 22, 2026.

New Monstropolis Area – This new Monsters, Inc. area will feature a suspended roller coaster inspired by the doors chase scene in the original movie. MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano are all now officially closed to allow for construction to begin on the project. The Muppets Courtyard area is set to be replaced by a Monstropolis “miniland,” with a new (unannounced) show taking over the MuppetVision 3D theatre and new restaurants replacing the ones that closed.

Animal Kingdom

DINOSOUR – This major attraction will be closing at some point in 2026 (likely January) as part of a bigger reimagining project for Dinoland U.S.A. (More on that below…)

It’s Tough to Be a Bug – This show is permanently closed and will be replaced with Zootopia: Better Zoogether. This brand-new show will likely open in November 2025 to correspond with the opening of Zootopia 2 in theatres, but no official opening date has been announced yet.

2027 – Tropical Americas (re-theming of Dinoland U.S.A.) – Exciting changes are coming to Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! The entire area is set to be transformed into a “Tropical Americas” land, drawing inspiration from the enchanting film Encanto and the action-packed Indiana Jones franchise. In order to begin construction on the project, TriceraTop Spin was permanently closed, and The Boneyard will permanently close on September 2, 2025. New attractions coming to Animal Kingdom include an Encanto dark ride and a reimagining of DINOSAUR as an Indiana Jones Adventure ride.

Outside the Parks

Blizzard Beach Water Park – The water park will be closing for the season on September 8, 2025.

Disney Skyliner – The skyliner will be closed from January 25-31, 2026, for scheduled maintenance.

Disney World Resorts

Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach & Riviera Resorts – The Disney Skyliner Gondolas will undergo routine refurbishment starting in early 2024. The refurbishment will be conducted in phases from January 25-31, 2026. During this time, all Skyliner routes and resorts will experience temporary closures.

All Star Music Resort – From August 4 through mid-October 2025, Maestro Mickey’s will undergo a phased refurbishment. The store will remain open during this time, but guests will likely hear construction throughout the project.

All Star Sports Resort – From January 2026 until late April 2026, the Surfboard Bay Pool and the kiddie pool will be closed for maintenance. The Grand Slam Leisure Pool will be available along with other pools throughout Disney’s All Star Resorts.

Beach Club Resort – The hotel exterior will be undergoing routine maintenance from early June through October 2025. During this time, the porte cocheres will be closed.

Contemporary Resort – Refurbishments have been ongoing and are scheduled to be complete in July 2026. Refurbishments will take place in select areas of the resort, including Bay Lake Tower and the Convention Center. Bay Lake Tower will be receiving a hard goods room refurbishment and is expected to wrap up late summer or early fall 2025. From January 26, 2026, through early May 2026, the Bay Cove Pool, the water play area, and the whirlpool spa at Bay Lake Tower will be closed for maintenance. (The Bay Lake Pool, the Cove Bar, and the feature pool, the water play area, and the whirlpool spa at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will remain open during this time.)

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – From now until November 2025, this resort will be undergoing refurbishment in the lobby and convention center areas. Portions of the lobby may be closed at times, but pools, dining, and most other hotel areas will remain available.

Polynesian Village Resort – Through 2026, some areas of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows are being refurbished. Work includes the reconfiguration of the front entrance roadway and bus area.

Pop Century – From July 28 through early October, the lobby will undergo a refresh. During this time, the lobby will remain open, but guests may hear or see maintenance. In addition to the lobby, rooms are being refurbished through mid-February 2026.

Port Orleans Riverside – From now until February 2026, rooms are being reimagined at this resort. It is likely that this timeline will be extended, however. The current project will focus mainly on the Magnolia Bend rooms, and it is likely Disney will move on to the Alligator Bayou section once the first phase is complete.

Wilderness Lodge – Two projects are currently taking place at this resort, including an exterior refurbishment and refurbishments to the Copper Creek Villas inside the main building. Construction is scheduled to be complete by September 2025, although exterior work could last until 2027.

*Be sure to view Disney’s interactive park hours calendar for more detailed information regarding your specific travel dates.