This Walt Disney World ride refurbishment calendar lists the closure schedule for 2024 and 2025 at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios & Animal Kingdom. Attractions close for routine maintenance, safety upgrades, improvements, and reimaginings. (Updated August 18, 2024.)
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. Note that the list below includes several refurbishments that have either been scheduled last-minute, extended, or are longer than normal.
If you’re visiting Walt Disney World in the next couple of years, you’ll probably encounter more ride closures than in the past. There are already a couple of major attractions on the refurbishment calendar that will be closed for portions of 2024 and 2025. And these aren’t the only attractions likely to go down for long closures in the next year, Walt Disney World made major announcements at the 2024 D23 Expo. That construction will start in early 2025, and necessitate a number of ride closures.
Prior to this, Walt Disney World had not been doing nearly enough preventative maintenance or ride refurbishments during the off-season over the last few years. As a result, you can also expect plenty of unplanned downtime. Since this happens as a result of rides breaking downtime, you can’t really plan for it (hence it being “unplanned”), but we still mention this because you should prepare for rides to go offline during your trip. 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.
There’s also a lot of construction occurring, albeit not nearly as much as even a few years ago. That’s in large part because Walt Disney World is now in between development cycles, one just ended with the completion of the EPCOT overhaul and opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The next has yet to begin, but will likely kick off with Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom and (perhaps) Beyond Big Thunder at Magic Kingdom.
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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 August 18, 2024:
Animal Kingdom
- DINOSAUR – TBD closure date (likely early 2025)
- It’s Tough to Be a Bug – TBD closure date
All is quiet now, but Animal Kingdom will soon be a park in transformation once again. A Zootopia Tree of Life Show is replacing It’s Tough to Be a Bug at some point in the future–likely sometime in late 2024.
What else is next for Animal Kingdom is unclear. Primeval Whirl permanently closed and the company has confirmed that what’s currently Dino-Rama is the next big expansion site at Walt Disney World. They’ve also officially announced that the replacement will be the Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, and backstage work has already started to prepare for this.
Walt Disney World has teased Encanto and Indiana Jones concepts that are supposedly just “under consideration.” It’s our understanding that they’re a done deal, but other recent official projects have been cancelled even after construction started. DINOSAUR being converted to Indiana Jones Adventure is almost a sure thing, and we anticipate it closing either late this year or early in 2025.
Magic Kingdom
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – TBD closure date (likely January 2025)
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree – Now open!
- Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade – Permanently closed
- Liberty Square Riverboat – Closed August 20-22, 2024
- Liberty Square Riverboat – Closes permanently in 2025
- Jungle Cruise – Closed August 26 to October 17, 2024
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – Now open!
- Tom Sawyer Island – Closes permanently in 2025
Walt Disney World has revealed that the newly-announced Cars land in Magic Kingdom will replace the Rivers of America, resulting in permanent closures of Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat. While work on the Cars land starts in early 2025, this does not mean that the Rivers of America will close then. Rather, that’s when work on the laydown yards behind the park will begin, and that prepwork itself is likely a multi-month project.
As far as closing timelines go for the Rivers of America, all Walt Disney World has announced is this: “Ahead of work revving into high gear next year, guests will have plenty of time to experience the charm and nostalgia of Frontierland as it is today.” Our guess is that this means those closures won’t occur until after Easter 2025, but that’s just that–a guess.
If it’s imperative that you have a chance to say goodbye to the Rivers of America, we’d highly recommend erring on the side of caution and visiting this year or in early 2025. While we strongly suspect there’s more time than that, it’s probably not worth risking. What you also should not bank on is fan backlash “saving” the Rivers of America. The wheels are already in motion on this project–that is not going to happen.
Frontierland is already an area in flux even before the 2025 changes. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened at the end of June, but daily downtime is still a regular occurrence. (See You Might Have Problems Riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom.) Even though this is done, work continues in this area. Last month, Country Bear Musical Jamboree opened while Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade permanently closed to make way for a new DVC lounge.
Even more is expected, with Pecos Bill still rumored to close at some point for a reimagining, as well as a lengthy closure of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that’s likely to last almost all of 2025. In nearby Adventureland, Jungle Cruise will close in late August and reopen in mid-October.
See Magic Kingdom Ride Refurbishment Rumors for more on the construction permits that have been filed. Honestly, we’re expecting a few more projects of this nature in 2025.
EPCOT
- ¡Celebración Encanto! – Seasonal entertainment ends September 7, 2024
- CommuniCore Hall & Plaza – Now open!
- Luminous: The Symphony of Us – Now showing!
- Moana’s Journey of Water – Now open!
- Test Track – TBD reopening (likely Spring or Summer 2025)
- World Celebration – Now open!
The biggest thing happening at EPCOT is Test Track’s reimagining. The popular thrill ride closed in mid-June, and a reopening date has not yet been announced.
This Test Track reimagining will likely last until at least Spring 2025, with a reasonable probability of it taking until Summer 2025. We expect 9-12 months of downtime, with an outside chance of the closure lasting even longer if Test Track 3.0 really is getting elaborate show scenes like its predecessor, World of Motion.
Looking forward, Spaceship Earth is long overdue for track and ride system maintenance, and that would necessitate a multi-month (if not year-plus) closure. Journey into Imagination is also about a decade overdue for a redo, but there’s no word that’s on the horizon, either.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple – Permanently Ended
- Star Wars: Galactic Spectacular – Permanently Ended
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid – Reopens in Fall 2024
Walt Disney World has announced that Voyage of the Little Mermaid won’t be returning. At least, not by the same name. A reimagined version of that stage show is coming in Fall 2024 and will be renamed to “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.”
Outside Theme Parks
- Blizzard Beach Water Park – Closed for the Season
- Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort – Permanently Closed
Blizzard Beach has once again closed, which occurred simultaneous with Typhoon Lagoon reopening. This is a standard seasonal closure, and happens every single year due to a lack of demand during the colder time of year. The big question is whether both will operate simultaneously in Summer 2025. Our guess, unfortunately, is that they will not.
Otherwise, the attraction closures above are pretty straight-forward. To the extent that specific dates are not yet listed, those will be updated once Walt Disney World provides precise start and/or end dates.
In addition to scheduled attraction refurbs, unscheduled downtime can also occur during a visit. This usually only occurs for a few hours at a time, so if you find an attraction is closed during your vacation and it’s not listed below, it’s likely a temporary closure that will last (at most) for a few hours. Check with nearby Cast Members to confirm.
For resort work, please see our 2024-2025 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.
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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!
