2026 Disney World Refurbishment Calendar

This Walt Disney World ride refurbishment calendar lists the closure schedule for 2026 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom. Attractions close for routine maintenance, safety upgrades, improvements, and reimaginings.

While no one wants attraction downtime during their trip to Walt Disney World, refurbishments are necessary to keep the rides looking good (and safe!) for future visitors. Usually, there are only a handful of simultaneous closures, plus new attractions being built.

Several projects are currently underway, but the good news is that the vast majority of those are at the hotels–pool closures, restaurants, a boat dock, and more–as opposed to attractions. And several of the ride closures that are in progress will wind down by the peak week of spring break.

When it comes to ride refurbishments, there actually are not that many happening right now or on the calendar. There are some lengthier ones, but most are better categorized as reimaginings or enhancements. When it comes to routine maintenance, there’d usually be more this time of year. The first few months before spring break kicks into high gear are typically ‘refurbishment season’ in the parks, and that normally results in multiple closures in all 4 parks, usually lasting a few days to a few weeks in duration.

The reason for this is probably because Walt Disney World has started its next development cycle and also is undertaking several lengthier ride reimaginings. There’s a lot of ongoing construction throughout Walt Disney World, beyond the scope of attraction closures. Entire lands and areas of the parks, from Dino-Rama to the Rivers of America to Muppets Courtyard, are completely closed. Accordingly, Disney doesn’t have as much ‘excess bandwidth’ to take even more attractions offline for brief preventative maintenance or TLC.

As a result of this deferred maintenance, you can also expect unplanned downtime. Since this happens as a result of rides breaking down, you can’t really plan for it (hence it being “unplanned”). We’re still mentioning this because you should expect rides to go offline during your trip, and prepare to roll with the punches. If anything is a “must-ride” for you, be sure to prioritize it and give yourself a buffer just in case it breaks down during your days at Walt Disney World.

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Here is the current schedule of Walt Disney World refurbishments to attractions, when the closure starts, and when the refurbishment will conclude, updated as of May 7, 2026:

Animal Kingdom

• Affection Section – Reopening on May 26, 2026 (with the new name Jumping Junction)
• Animation Experience – Permanently closed
• Bluey’s Wild World – Opening on May 26, 2026
• Conservation Station – Reopening on May 26, 2026
• DINOSAUR – Extinct
• Wildlife Express Train – Reopening May 26, 2026

The latest development is that the entirety of Rafiki’s Planet Watch is closed ahead of the Bluey’s Wild World takeover that debuts in Summer 2026. Most of this is expected to return once the Bluey’s Wild World debuts on May 26, 2026 with the kickoff of Cool Kids’ Summer.

Construction is now underway on the Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, which will replace Dinoland USA. Walls are up around the Dino-Rama half of this expansion, which was the roadside carnival area of the land. Tropical Americas will feature Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions, and the expansion will open in 2027.

The Encanto dark ride is being built on the former Primeval Whirl, which went extinct years ago, whereas Indiana Jones Adventure is a reimagining of DINOSAUR. The final piece of the puzzle is that the permanent closure of Dinoland USA, including DINOSAUR. The land and attraction are now extinct.

Magic Kingdom

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Recently reopened!
• Carousel of Progress – Closing for reimagining sometime in 2026 or 2027
• “Let the Magic Begin” Welcome Show – Audio only version during Cinderella Castle repainting
• Liberty Square Riverboat – Permanently closed
• Pete’s Silly Sideshow – Closed for refurbishment until TBD
• Tom Sawyer Island – Permanently closed
• Walt Disney World Railroad – Operating in shuttle mode for next few years

Carousel of Progress was not mentioned as part of that announcement, suggesting that the timeline for that reimagining is not yet firm. That likely means it’s slated to happen in the second half of 2026, or potentially even early 2027. More recently, permits have been filed for Carousel of Progress, suggesting that preliminary work will be done after hours. A closure is still likely at some point.

Otherwise, despite this lengthy list, the only project that qualifies as a routine refurbishment at Magic Kingdom is to Pete’s Silly Sideshow, and even that’s nothing major. The tents are being repaired or replaced, and the meet & greets normally in that venue have moved outside in Storybook Circus.

EPCOT

• Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along – Reopens May 10, 2026
• Frozen Ever After – Reopened following enhancements!
• Impressions de France – Reopens May 10, 2026
• Soarin’ Across America – Debuts by May 26, 2026
• Soarin’ Around the World – Closes on May 14, 2026

Over at EPCOT, the Palais du Cinema in the France pavilion is receiving a refurbishment. This means there’s a closure to both attractions that rotate in the venue: international treasure Impressions de France and the unbelievably bad Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. The scope of work is unclear, but it’s likely just a routine refresh of the theater. Both shows will return starting May 10, 2026.

On a positive note, Frozen Ever After received a major enhancement for the first time in forever, with the upgraded Audio Animatronics of Kristoff, Anna & Elsa. The ride was closed for a few weeks last month, but has since reopened and looks fantastic!

Soarin’ Across America is an all-new airborne adventure as part of the US Semiquincentennial by May 26, 2026 (as discussed here, we strongly believe this is another high-probability soft opening candidate). The new bi-coastal offering will showcase the United States—from sea to shining sea—highlighting some of the country’s natural beauty and iconic cityscapes, including the Grand Canyon.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Animation Academy: Olaf Draws! – Debuts later in Summer 2026
• Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! – Debuts on May 26, 2026
• The Magic of Disney Animation – Opens later in Summer 2026
• Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run: A New Mission – Debuts May 22, 2026
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith – Permanently closed
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets – Opens on May 26, 2026
• Star Wars Launch Bay – Permanently closed
• The Walt Disney Studios Lot – Opens on May 26, 2026
• Vacation Fun with Mickey & Minnie – Recently reopened

The latest change to the calendar is that “Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie” has reopened after a brief one week closure. No reason was given for the closure, and the reopening was confusingly listed as “later this year” originally. Technically, that was not inaccurate, as one week into the future is “later” this year, even if we’d argue something longer was implied.

Vacation Fun was closed as Walt Disney World used the venue for May the Fourth merchandise. If this sounds like deja vu all over again, that’s because Vacation Fun closed last year from October through late December under similar circumstances during Jollywood Nights. No discernible changes were made during that “refurbishment.”

We mention all of this because it’s likely that Vacation Fun will be used for future special events in a similar capacity. Expect another closure ahead of this year’s Jollywood Nights, next year’s Star Wars Day, and any other merchandise events in between. (Perhaps for launch products when the new rides debut later this month?)

Animation Courtyard is now permanently closed to be reimagined into the Walt Disney Studios Lot, which will open in phases during Summer 2026. Two attractions within this “land” will remain open during that time: Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Walt Disney Presents.

Then there’s Star Wars Launch Bay, which was previously ‘The Magic of Disney Animation.’ That has closed permanently to become…The Magic of Disney Animation. What’s old is new again!

This reimagined land is likely to open in two phases. The Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live dance party and the land itself will debut in time for Cool Kids’ Summer on May 26, 2026. The Magic of Disney Animation and everything in that building is slated to open “later” in Summer 2026, which likely means sometime after late June 2026.

MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano are all now officially closed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Muppets Courtyard area is set to be replaced by the Monsters Inc. Door Coaster and Monstropolis miniland, with an unannounced show taking over the MuppetVision 3D theater and new restaurants replacing the existing ones.

The Muppets are movin’ right along to Sunset Boulevard! Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith has now officially closed for its ride reimagining. Walt Disney World has revealed that the reimagined Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets will open in Summer 2026.

Even before Aerosmith retired, Walt Disney Imagineering started reimagining the pre-show while Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was operational. This is the biggest component of the project, meaning the turnaround time on the closure could be condensed significantly.

Outside Theme Parks

• Disney Skyliner – Closed January 24, 2027 through January 30, 2027
• Blizzard Beach Water Park – Reopen for Summer
• Typhoon Lagoon – Reopens on May 12, 2026.

Walt Disney World has announced a reopening date for Blizzard Beach and closing date for Typhoon Lagoon. Beyond that, they’ve revealed that both parks will then be open at the same time from May 26 through September 8, 2026. This doesn’t set a reopening date for Typhoon Lagoon, it sets a deadline (although it could end up being both). It’s also unclear which park will close as of September 8, 2026–probably Blizzard Beach.

This water park changeover happens every single year, with each water park taken offline for a seasonal refurbishment. This is equal parts routine maintenance and lack of demand, as it’s routinely colder during the fall through spring to the point that Walt Disney World doesn’t need both water parks.

Finally, there’s the Disney Skyliner Gondolas Closure in Winter 2027. The 2026 version of this project just uneventfully wrapped up, and Walt Disney World has already posted the refurbishment dates for 2027. These are routine refurbishments that usually occur annually, so it’s not particularly noteworthy or unsurprising.

Thankfully, Walt Disney World provided plenty of notice so guests can plan around the closures. As explained in that post, we do not recommend staying at a Skyliner resort during the downtime (hence WDW providing so much advance warning).

For resort work, please see our 2026-2027 Walt Disney World Hotel Construction & Refurbishments. If you are worried that any of resort hotel renovations will impact your stay, here’s a general rule to keep in mind: room refurbishments rarely impact hotel stays. These occur in specific clusters, and you’ll rarely notice the work being done.

Now, here’s a bit of my philosophy concerning refurbishments…

General Thoughts on Refurbishments

When news comes out about any refurbishment, my immediate reaction is always, “this is great–it means they’re actually doing something to the attraction!” My mind races with the possibilities of how attractions could be improved or plussed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Even though we might miss it on our next Walt Disney World visit, I’m always excited.

In reading feedback from others, I’ve discovered this perspective puts me in the minority. Others online fume about this, and how it would alter or impact their vacation plans. The saying “vacation ruined” has attained near-meme status among some fans, and that felt apt for some of the complaints. I can understand the perspective. Assessing the scope of the refurbishment in advance, scheduling liberal refurbishment dates, and opening early (under-promising and over-delivering) is always preferable to the alternative.

I can also understand that there’s other pent-up frustration at play here, ranging from radio-silence on projects to Walt Disney World’s tardiness in releasing park hours while expecting guests to plan several months in advance. Neither of these moves by Disney, among others, are defensible. At best, this communication is poor guest service. At worst, it’s demonstrative of a contemptible attitude towards guests.

However, I remain of the mindset that this refurbishment extension–and other current refurbishments–is potentially a good thing. Among the most vocal fans upset about the extension are those who are like me: guests who visit Walt Disney World at least every-other year. We are playing the ‘long’ fandom game.

From my perspective, investing in the long-term quality of an attraction is far more important than the temporary satisfaction I’ll get out of riding it on my next visit. I get excited when thinking about ways rides could be plussed, improving the experience for years to come. This is why it always perplexes me when regulars contend that their vacation will be ruined because their favorite attraction will be closed.

If it’s your favorite attraction and you’re active in the Disney fan community, that means you’ve been to Walt Disney World before and probably will visit again. It would thus stand to reason that you would want something you love to get the TLC it deserves, and continue to improve.

DINOSAUR works as a good example here. This attraction used to be called Countdown to Extinction (“CTX”) before an ill-advised movie tie-in was added. During that era, DINOSAUR had a litany of additional effects, many of its AAs had greater functionality, and the attraction was, as a whole, more impressive.

If you are a long-term fan, would you rather experience DINOSAUR every single year with 66% of the effects working, or every single year minus one with 95% of the effects working? For me, the answer to that is easy. I’ll take a superior long term experience every time. (That this is even a legitimate question for long-time fans speaks to the ‘instant gratification’ nature of things today, but that’s well beyond the scope of this post.)

Beyond that, there’s the much more compelling justification for regular refurbishments: they are essential for the safety of attractions. While we think of these attractions as all fun and games that offer a safe sense of exhilaration, that’s when they are properly maintained.

It’s unpleasant to think about, but there have been several preventable deaths in the history of Disney’s parks. During a dark era of Disneyland history, improper maintenance was the cause of death on Big Thunder Mountain (thankfully, Paul Pressler’s reign of terror is over). Years of neglect at Disneyland Paris have led to incidents of injury that could be attributed to a lack of maintenance (again, this has been addressed).

This is not meant to scare anyone or provoke an emotional reaction; the fact is that Disney’s worldwide safety record is sterling as compared to other park operators. It’s still important to remember that these fun, ‘magical’ places also exist in the real world and use a lot of potentially dangerous elements if safety is not viewed as key. (Or, in Disney’s case, one of the “Five Keys.”)

When it comes to maintenance that is not essential to the safe operation of an attraction, we are left to contemplate what amount of show quality should be accepted. If following a strict Nunisian practitioner of the Four Keys, show is another paramount consideration, and it should always be 100%. This is nice corporate propaganda, but I think the practical reality is that 100% is an unworkably high threshold in many circumstances.

I think we have seen this play out with Expedition Everest. Fans joke about the “Disco Yeti” and lament the fact that this jaw-dropping Audio Animatronics figure has not worked in nearly a decade. There are numerous theories as to why the Yeti hasn’t been fixed; what each of these share is that there are large-scale problems and no quick fixes.

Fixing the Yeti will require a closure of at least 6 months, and be quite expensive. The working Yeti is truly a magnificent sight to behold (and one most of you probably haven’t seen in A-mode unless you rode over a decade ago), but the attraction is still impressive with the Disco Yeti. At this point, it’s likely that Disney has determined the closure would take too long, cost too much, and the improvement would not be worth the investment.

There’s also the reality that Animal Kingdom is lacking in rides. Even after the opening of Pandora – World of Avatar, the park still is heavy on shows and animal exhibits and light on rides. Taking one of the park’s flagship rides down for 6 months to a year to fix one Audio Animatronics figure that guests see for 1-2 seconds might not be worth the sacrifice.

As a staunch proponent of show quality, I have a difficult time accepting the same argument for any attraction in Magic Kingdom, a park with a veritable “mountain range” and diverse slate of other attractions. In fact, the same goes for every castle park. These parks have enough attractions to pick up the slack if 1-2 attractions have to be taken offline simultaneously without ruining any vacations.

Guests are understandably concerned when it appears an inordinate number of attractions are closing during their vacation. Walt Disney World vacations are not cheap and are often once in a lifetime experiences. First-timers certainly do not want to miss out on experiences about which they’ve read extensive hype.

However, the problem with a “not during my vacation” attitude like this is that it’s always going to be someone’s (or tens of thousands of someones) vacation. If attractions with show quality issues don’t close for refurbishments for fear of some guests during a time-limited window missing out, all guests in perpetuity are going to have a lesser experience.

Running an attraction with broken effects is only going to compound problems, and eventually a single broken effect will turn into myriad broken effects. Imagine this scenario park-wide, played out to its natural consequences. That’s not exactly what I’d call the “Disney Difference.”

Again, DINOSAUR is a good example here. If it’s your first visit and you experience DINOSAUR with 66% of the effects working, you won’t know what you’re missing. Riding it will, no doubt, be superior to not riding it. However, I’m guessing your satisfaction rating of the attraction wouldn’t be nearly as high, and you might question why so many people love the attraction, and why Disney was lazy with so much empty, dark space. (Or, perhaps you won’t: if you only ever eat dog food, you won’t know what you’re missing in a nice steak.)

The thing is, if Disney would not close DINOSAUR during your vacation so you don’t miss out on it, chances are that they would extend the same “courtesy” for other guests, and it would be standard operating procedure to never close anything during anyone’s vacation.

The end result of this would be a park full of “66% attractions” and first-timers would be left wondering why there was so much hype about Walt Disney World, in the first place. If you’re reading this as a lifelong fan, consider the possibility that you wouldn’t have become a lifelong fan if this were actually Disney’s modus operandi. (In fact, I’d argue that Walt Disney World is trending in this direction, dragging its feet on several necessary refurbishments, with the inaction being predicated upon short term guest satisfaction or cost-savings.)

This might sound like we’re applying ‘heavy’ Rawlsian theory to the lighthearted topic of theme parks, but philosophy isn’t worth a damn if it can’t be applied to theme parks. 😉

A lot of this might seem like an effort to absolve Disney of blame when it comes to refurbishments, but this is not the case. Disney has brought a lot of the guest unrest concerning refurbishments upon itself. The first issue is that Disney has numerous parks that have opened in the last two decades with incomplete slates of attractions, making it difficult to justify taking attractions offline for refurbishment. So step one, a wholly impractical step at this point, would be to open theme parks that are complete on day one.

Failing that, Disney could avoid a lot of the guest backlash concerning refurbishments if they would schedule more 3-4 day refurbishments of attractions to proactively address problems with preventative maintenance. Although this would not totally negate the need for extended refurbishments, it would improve show quality across the board and help avoid a lot of situations where attractions have to abruptly close because they are in dire need of maintenance. Moreover, a 3-4 day refurbishment is shorter than the duration of most vacations, allowing tourists to effectively plan around the refurbishment.

In this case, both parties planning ahead would prevent those “vacation ruined!” complaints. Don’t worry, Disney, we fans are resilient: we’ll still find something else to complain about. 😉

Joking aside, I realize that’s a tough line to draw between an excusable refurbishment and a frustratingly irritating one. Even if you subscribe to the some degree of the ‘philosophy’ I’m advancing, there is no bright-line rule. It’s still going to amount to a value judgment about what should ‘trigger’ a need for refurbishment, how many attractions should be down simultaneously across Walt Disney World, and what times of year are ideal for which refurbishments.

Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!

Your Thoughts

Any questions about the current refurbishments at Walt Disney World? What do you think about refurbishments at the Disney Parks? Are you more concerned about an improved long-term experience, or do you think “not during my vacation!”? Where do you draw the line? Any other factors you think are worth considering? As mentioned, we think this is a conversation, so please share your ‘refurbishment philosophy’, or any other thoughts or questions you have, in the comments!