Everything Coming to Walt Disney World (New Rides, Events & More)
I keep a running list of everything coming to Walt Disney World, mostly because there is genuinely too much happening at once for me to keep it straight any other way. Between major land expansions, refurbished classics, and a packed calendar of races and festivals, it can be hard to know what’s actually new versus what’s just been rumored for years.
I’ve broken this down by park, plus the resort-wide events that run every year, so you can use this as a real planning reference rather than just a list of headlines.
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Planning a Disney World vacation? Be sure to check out our guides to Walt Disney World in 2026 and Walt Disney World in 2027 for everything the resort has to offer!
Everything Coming to Walt Disney World This Year
The biggest annual draws at Walt Disney World are still the runDisney race weekends and the rotating slate of ticketed after-hours parties. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend typically runs in early January and includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and the Dopey Challenge for anyone brave enough to run all four. The Princess Half Marathon Weekend follows in late February with a similar lineup themed around Disney royalty.
Springtime Surprise runs in April, and the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend wraps up the year in October, themed around EPCOT’s World Showcase. Each one books up fast, so if you’re hoping to run, registration windows tend to open months in advance, usually with an earlier window for Club runDisney members.
Disney After Hours also runs across most of the year at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios, with select evenings offering early 7 PM entry and three hours of significantly lower wait times after regular park hours end. These aren’t the same as the Extended Evening Hours that come with a Deluxe resort stay. Anyone with a ticket can attend, and the perks typically include complimentary popcorn, ice cream, and bottled drinks on top of the shorter lines.
Cool Kids Summer
Cool Kids Summer runs from late May through early September and is included with regular park admission across all four parks. It’s less a single event and more an umbrella for new seasonal experiences and limited-time offerings that debut across the resort during the summer months. In recent years, it’s also doubled as a soft-launch window for permanent additions, like some of the new lands below, before their full official debut.
Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopened on May 3, 2026, after a lengthy refurbishment, and it was worth the wait. The ride now features a new track, refreshed trains, and a new Rainbow Caverns sequence with glowing stalactites and stalagmites, along with refreshed Audio-Animatronics and returning critters throughout the Tumbleweed scene. Disney also lowered the height requirement from 40″ to 38″, which is a meaningful change if you’ve got younger kids who weren’t tall enough to ride before. Be prepared for long waits in the months following reopening, since the demand has been intense.
Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land
This is the project reshaping the most physical space in Magic Kingdom right now. The former Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island have been fully demolished to make way for two new lands: Piston Peak National Park, a Cars-themed area anchored by an off-road racing attraction with a smaller, family-friendly ride tucked in alongside it, and Villains Land, located beyond Big Thunder Mountain. Imagineers have described Villains Land as including two major attractions, plus dedicated dining and shopping.
Construction is well underway, but this is a multi-year project. Infrastructure work alone is permitted through 2027 and 2028, and most insiders expect Piston Peak to open before Villains Land, likely sometime around 2028 to 2030. I would not plan a trip around either of these yet, but it’s fascinating to watch the construction progress if you’re visiting anyway.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
This longtime favorite is getting an upgrade rather than a full overhaul. Disney is refreshing the ride vehicles, improving the scenes, and adding better gameplay elements to the target-shooting mechanics. It’s a relatively quiet update compared to everything else happening in Magic Kingdom right now, but it’s a nice refresh for an attraction that’s been due for one.
Carousel of Progress
Carousel of Progress closed on July 6, 2026, for its biggest overhaul since 1975, and it’s expected to reopen sometime in 2027. The reimagined version will introduce a new Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney himself, with all four scenes updated to reflect new eras, including the 1960s, the 1980s, the dawn of the internet, and a space-age future. The beloved family characters and the classic “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” theme song are staying put, so longtime fans don’t need to worry about losing what makes this attraction special.
EPCOT
EPCOT runs four major festivals every year, and they’re worth building a trip around if a particular one appeals to you. The International Festival of the Arts typically runs mid-January through late February, with animation classes, gallery walks, and the Disney on Broadway Concert Series mixed in with all the artistic food. The International Flower and Garden Festival runs from early March through late May and transforms the park into a springtime showcase of topiaries, with the Garden Rocks Concert Series and the Egg-stravaganza scavenger hunt as recurring favorites.
The International Food and Wine Festival is the biggest of the bunch, typically running from late August through November. The 2026 festival runs August 27 through November 21, with more than 30 Global Marketplaces expected, the return of the Eat to the Beat Concert Series at America Gardens Theatre, and the Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt through World Showcase. And the International Festival of the Holidays closes out the year from late November through December, with the Candlelight Processional and the Holiday Cookie Stroll among the highlights.
Exact dates shift each year slightly, so I’d always confirm specifics on Disney’s official calendar before booking a trip around one.
Soarin’ Across America
Soarin’ at EPCOT has gone through a few transformations since opening in 2005, and the latest is the biggest shift in nearly a decade. The version most guests have ridden over the past several years, Soarin’ Around the World, took guests on a simulated hang-gliding flight over global landmarks like the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, and the Eiffel Tower. That version closed in May 2026 and was replaced by Soarin’ Across America, a new film celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States that takes guests coast to coast over locations like the Grand Canyon, New York Harbor, and the New England coastline.
One thing worth knowing if this attraction is on your must-do list: Disney has described Soarin’ Across America as a limited-time engagement tied to the anniversary celebration, not a permanent replacement. No end date has been announced yet, so I’d plan to experience it sooner rather than later if seeing the new version specifically matters to you.
Hollywood Studios
The Walt Disney Studios Lot
This is the addition I think flies under the radar the most, and I genuinely think it deserves more attention. The former Animation Courtyard, Star Wars: Launch Bay, and Disney Jr. Play and Dance space have all been reimagined into The Walt Disney Studios Lot, a new mini-land inspired by the real Walt Disney Animation Studios campus in Burbank.
The courtyard officially opened on May 26, 2026, alongside a new Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! show. It includes Pluto’s Corner, character handprints in the style of the Chinese Theatre, and a relaxed, shaded gathering space that’s genuinely a nice break from the Florida heat. The bigger piece, The Magic of Disney Animation inside the former Launch Bay building, is set to open later in summer 2026 and will include character meet-and-greet experiences inspired by the animation process, along with a new Audio-Animatronics Olaf in an attraction called Olaf Draws!. The Little Mermaid musical and Walt Disney Presents remain in place from the old Animation Courtyard.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge got a meaningful update when Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run added a new mission led by Din Djarin and Grogu, timed to the release of “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” If you’ve ridden Smugglers Run plenty of times before, it’s genuinely worth riding again now that the story has changed.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets
The former Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith has been reimagined with The Electric Mayhem and a new set list featuring guest collaborations, including Jennifer Hudson, Questlove, Def Leppard, and Kelly Clarkson. This has quickly become one of the most in-demand attractions at Hollywood Studios, so I’d prioritize Lightning Lane for it if it’s high on your list.
Monstropolis
The former Muppets Courtyard is being transformed into Monstropolis, a new Monsters, Inc.-themed land. On June 4, 2026, Disney revealed the story framework for the land: it’s set after the events of the original film, when Mike and Sulley discovered that laughter generates more power than screams, an idea that ends up transforming Monstropolis itself into a city now powered by laughter rather than fear.
The headline attraction is Disney’s first suspended roller coaster, which will send riders through the iconic door-chase scene from the film. The land will also include Harryhausen’s, a themed restaurant, and a new show at a venue called The Glob Theater. Construction is visibly progressing, but Disney hasn’t announced an opening date yet.
Animal Kingdom
Tropical Americas
DinoLand U.S.A. officially closed in February 2026, which was a genuinely emotional moment for longtime fans who grew up with it. In its place, Disney is building Tropical Americas, an 11-acre land centered around Pueblo Esperanza, a fictional rainforest village with the kind of lush, lived-in theming that makes you forget you’re standing in a theme park. It’s expected to open in 2027.
The land will include three new attractions. The Encanto ride is the first-ever ride-through attraction based on the film, putting guests inside Casita the day after young Antonio receives his gift and taking them through the rooms of the Madrigal family.
The Indiana Jones attraction replaces the former Dinosaur ride and uses a ride system similar to the Disneyland version, though with an entirely new storyline that sends guests into an ancient Mayan temple in search of a mythical creature. And a Disney animal-themed carousel with hand-carved animals offers a gentler, family-friendly option at the heart of the village. Disney has also described what will open as one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World as part of the land.
Bluey’s Wild World
Bluey’s Wild World opened at Conservation Station in 2026 and has quickly become a favorite for families with younger kids. If meeting Bluey and Bingo is a priority, I’d head to the Wildlife Express Train toward Conservation Station early in the day, since this one tends to draw a crowd fast.
Resort Hotels
Disney Lakeshore Lodge
Opening in summer 2027, Disney Lakeshore Lodge is a brand-new hotel on the shores of Bay Lake, one of the most coveted pieces of real estate on Disney property. Rather than leaning on bold, character-forward theming like many Disney resorts, Lakeshore Lodge is built around a quieter concept centered on nature and Disney’s cinematic relationship with it, drawing influence from films like Bambi, Pocahontas, and Brother Bear in subtle, sophisticated ways. It’s expected to be one of the most in-demand stays at the resort almost immediately after opening, so I’d keep an eye on booking windows once they’re announced.
Be sure to check back, as I update this page regularly as new rides and entertainment are announced. And for the most current, official details on dates and tickets, check out the official Walt Disney World park calendar, since timing on festivals and ticketed events especially can shift.
Planning your first Walt Disney World vacation? Be sure to visit my step-by-step planning guide to get started!
Ready to Keep Planning?
Here are some resources to help you get started!
- Planning Your First Vacation to Walt Disney World
- Guide to Walt Disney World in 2026
- Guide to Walt Disney World in 2027
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