2025 is bringing quite a few changes to Walt Disney World! While we know that Disney is always updating and improving things, 2025 is an especially busy year.
Disney has made many announcements have about new park developments, attraction closures, and refurbishments. Here is a summary of everything going on in 2025!
Magic Kingdom Refurbishments and Closures
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad:Â Closing January 6, 2025 until 2026
- Astro Orbiter:Â Closing January 13, 2025 through summer 2025
- Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Square Riverboat:Â Closing in 2025
- Cars Land: construction begins 2025
- Hall of Presidents:Â Closing from January 20, 2025 through TBA
- Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Square Riverboat: permanent closure TBA in 2025
EPCOT Refurbishments and Closures
- Test Track:Â Closed June 17, 2024 for reimagining, opening late summer 2025
- Gran Fiesta Tour:Â Closing on January 6, 2025, and reopening on March 15, 2025
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Refurbishments and Closures
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug: Closing TBD, new Zootopia opening winter 2025
- DINOSAUR:Â Closing 2026
- Kali River Rapids:Â Closing January 6, reopening TBA
- TriceraTop Spin:Â Closing permanently January 13, 2025
- Dino-Rama Area:Â Closing permanently January 13, 2025
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Refurbishments and Closures
- Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy: Permanently Closed. Keep an eye out for Villains Magic Mirror Stage Show in summer of 2025
- Monsters, Inc. Land:Â construction begins 2025
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Will be rethemed to The Muppets, date TBA
- Muppets Courtyard: Permanently closing to make way for Monsters, Inc. land – date TBA
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid – Reopens in Summer 2025 as “The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure”
How This Impacts Your Vacation
Announcements of ride closures at Walt Disney World brings a myriad of feelings. Everything from “finally, its about time” to “NO…I loved that ride!” How 2025 attraction closures impact you is largely subjective.
That being said, you will likely notice that Magic Kingdom feels – and potentially looks – quite different for 2025 and beyond. The closure of Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat are a big loss. Not only is this area huge, but it provided space for kids to play, families to enjoy a boat ride, and grandparents to reminisce about watching the riverboat glide by when they were kids. The closure of this area is bittersweet.
Big Thunder Mountain closing for an entire year is a massive disappointment if you have never been to Disney World and wanted to ride this classic coaster. Additionally, the closure of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will inevitably make wait times at some of the other main attractions go up in the Magic Kingdom. We highly suggest utilizing Lightning Lanes at Magic Kingdom because of this.
You will obviously notice the closures of attractions at the other parks, but Disney is always doing updates on some rides throughout the year. Test Track will be reopening in EPCOT which brings a ton of excitement – and long lines!
Animal Kingdom has quite a bit happening, but for most guests it won’t dramatically impact their visit. Hollywood Studios will potentially have some bigger and more noticeable hiccups, but it remains to be seen what will happen with timing with Rock ‘n Roller Coaster and the Muppets.
If you know your vacation dates you can go here and check what attractions are scheduled to be closed. Of course, keep in mind that Disney is constantly changing and updating their rides.
On our last vacation we found out shortly before we left that Jungle Cruise was going to be down. Were we disappointed? Yes! But we were glad we could adjust our expectations before we left. Try to have an open mind and you should be just fine!