March is shaping up to be one of the most consequential months at Walt Disney World in 2026. Between major new openings, a high-profile closure, another special event, and spring break crowds descending on Central Florida, there’s a lot happening that’ll impact, excite, and (probably) disappoint fans.
Next month also has the potential to be the second-biggest month of 2026 for Walt Disney World announcements, perhaps only behind August. At least, we’re hoping that the month of the 2026 D23 Expo is bigger than March, but with the rumor mill already kicking into high gear, it’s possible something beyond Villains Land leaks early.
Beyond all of the changes taking effect inside the parks, there’s the potential for major March news, as we’ll explain below. Even if you aren’t visiting Walt Disney World in March, it should be a highly eventful month. Some of this is already covered in Walt Disney World’s 2026 Calendar of Events: Dates & Details for Reimagined Rides, Areas & Attractions. But just as much of this is new or anticipated developments…
CrazyShake by Black Tap Opens at Disney Springs
On March 2, 2026, CrazyShake by Black Tap will open as a limited-time pop-up at Disney Springs, taking over the former Sprinkles Cupcakes location. This location will only serve the signature over-the-top milkshakes; there won’t be burgers or other menu items like at the full Black Tap outpost in Downtown Disney at Disneyland.
The menu features Black Tap’s Instagram-famous CrazyShakes, which are exactly what the name suggests–monstrous milkshakes piled high with stuff. The Disney fan-favorite is the Special Edition Mickey Mouse Shake, rimmed with vanilla frosting and Mickey sprinkles, topped with a Mickey-shaped crispy treat, rock candy, whipped cream, and a cherry.
As announced, this is a 90-day pop-up, meaning it’ll run through late May 2026. Don’t be surprised if it gets extended “by popular demand” if the guest response is positive (and it will be). Still, it’s probably pragmatic to not lock CrazyShakes into a long-term lease. These kinds of viral dessert concepts are gimmicky and have a limited shelf life once the fad fades (just look at the previous tenant).
In our view, the CrazyShakes are fun, but also a one-and-done. They’re surprisingly good–better than what you’d expect from the photogenic gimmick–but they don’t hold a candle to the best Disney desserts. There are many better alternatives at Disney Springs.
Garden View Tea Room Opens
After 6 years of being closed, the Garden View Lounge at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort reopens on March 19, 2026 with a completely reimagined afternoon tea experience. Finally.
Advance Dining Reservations opened on February 19th, and if you didn’t already score some, you’re probably out of luck. They ‘sold out’ fast. Emphasis on “probably” out of luck, as we’ve seen with other recent restaurant openings that Walt Disney World has scaled up operations slowly and dropped big batches of ADRs after a few days or weeks (Beak & Barrel being a prime example). So keep your eyes peeled or use a notification service.
As for the Garden View Lounge itself, the space has been refreshed as part of the Grand Floridian’s massive lobby transformation, and the new tea service features touches inspired by Alice in Wonderland. There’s a traditional afternoon tea for adults ($79) and a children’s afternoon tea ($49) with whimsically dishes. The menu also includes a variety of tea selections and the requisite upcharges if $79 is just too darned cheap for your sophisticated tastes.
This is a significant restoration to the Grand Floridian dining lineup. The Garden View Tea Room is beloved by longtime guests, with a loyal fan following. Since its closure in March 2020, readers have regularly asked “when will it reopen?” With this and 1900 Park Fare before it, that really only leaves Bon Voyage Breakfast and other ‘missing meals’ (brunch and California Grill and breakfast at Be Our Guest!) as the biggest question marks.
The Grand Floridian transformation has been a long time coming, but the results so far indicate it’s been worth the wait. The resort finally feels worthy of being Walt Disney World’s flagship hotel again. Garden View Tea Room nailing the landing and Grand Floridian Cafe being redone next would cement that conclusion.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Closes
March 1, 2026 is your last day to experience Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith before it closes permanently on March 2nd for its transformation into Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets.
The Aerosmith version will be gone forever after that. When the ride reopens in Summer 2026, it’ll feature Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, at least a Scooter Audio Animatronics (plus penguins!), and a completely different soundtrack and theming. The track layout isn’t changing–obviously, since that couldn’t be accomplished during a few-month closure–but everything else is getting the Muppets makeover.
Expect elevated wait times during the final weekend of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, with the attraction likely to have triple-digit waits throughout the last few days. However, we don’t expect a DINOSAUR-level farewell tour for Aerosmith, in large part because the pre-show quietly closed last Christmas to get a jumpstart on the reimagining.
All that’s really left of Aerosmith is the on-board audio, and you could just as easily enjoy that aspect after the reimagining with a DIY solution (meaning headphones). Still, that won’t stop diehards from saying their final farewells over the weekend.
The bigger impact will occur after Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith closes, when Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be down one headliner for the duration of spring break season. That’ll be rough for the park that already has the highest average wait times at Walt Disney World, especially when other attractions have the inevitable unexpected downtime.
EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival Kicks Off
The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival kicks off on March 4, 2026 and runs through June 1, 2026. This is arguably EPCOT’s best festival for food and atmosphere (easily better than Food & Wine, which is worst), with March and April being the perfect months to visit the park.
The festival features more than 60 Disney character topiaries throughout EPCOT, 30+ themed gardens and exhibits, over 20 Outdoor Kitchen food booths, and the Garden Rocks Concert Series with live music at America Gardens Theatre. Returning favorites include Butterfly Landing, Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration scavenger hunt, and the Garden Graze food stroll.
This year’s main entrance topiary display will feature characters from Toy Story 5, and other new, returning, and refreshed topiaries will sprout up around the park. Plus, three new garden displays: Pluto’s Pet‑Friendly Garden, the Wildlife Crossing Garden, and the Trendy Tropicals Garden.
Walt Disney World also (sorta?) announced a Spike the Bee Garden coming to CommuniCore Hall. The food looks strong this year–see the Full Outdoor Kitchen Food Booth Menus for 2026 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival.
Schedules Shift…Again
On Sunday, March 8, 2026, Daylight Saving Time begins. This isn’t unique to Walt Disney World, obviously, but this isn’t just a general-purpose reminder about DST. The “spring forward” does have both direct and indirect consequences at Walt Disney World.
The big change is that Happily Ever After will shift later 30 minutes later on that Sunday to 9:30 pm, which is a result of the later sunset time. This also means that Starlight will necessarily have to shift from its current cadence of 7:45 pm and 10 pm showtimes.
As a result, Starlight moves to 8:15 pm and 10:30 pm. Note that this is a bit different than its 8:30 pm and 10:30 pm pre-DST showtimes, which is a positive change. Even though it’s only 15 minutes, Walt Disney World is trying to retain the bigger buffer between the first parade and fireworks.
The indirect change is that park closing will feel later. Sunset shifts about an hour later, meaning evening park hours get more daylight. As a certified DST hater, I view this as a negative change. But the downside of more daylight will be felt more from May through September than in March when the weather is still (hopefully) tolerable.
Spring Break Season Starts
March marks the beginning of spring break season at Walt Disney World, with crowds building throughout the month and peaking around Easter (which falls on April 5, 2026 this year).
The first wave of spring breakers typically arrives in mid-March with Central Florida school districts plus an influx of north states (plus our neighbors to the north in Canada), with most schools having spring break sometime between mid-March and mid-April. This means March is transitioning from low to moderate crowds in the first week to significantly higher crowds by mid-month.
If you’re visiting in March and have flexibility on dates, earlier is better. The first week of March (especially before Flower & Garden or outside EPCOT) will be noticeably less crowded than the back half of the month. By late March, you’re solidly in spring break territory with elevated wait times, increased Lightning Lane competition and worse ‘feels like’ crowds.
This year’s spring break crowds could be exacerbated by ride closures, especially at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and (maybe) Magic Kingdom. If you’re visiting during spring break, adjust expectations and plan accordingly. Leverage Early Entry, utilize Extended Evening Hours if eligible, consider buying Lightning Lane Multi-Pass for 3 parks, choose your day of the week for each park wisely, and strategize savvily.
Magic Kingdom Rides Potentially Reopening
Speaking of Magic Kingdom ride refurbishments, there’s a decent chance that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (or both!) reopen in March. Neither has a confirmed date beyond “Spring 2026” at this point, but we expect the target reopening for one (or either!) to be by mid-March ideally, or the week before Easter at the latest.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been closed for over a full year for a massive refurbishment involving significant track replacement and some “new magic” (only confirmed to be new lighting in the Rainbow Caverns…plus bonus bats). Walt Disney World officially announced it’d return in Spring 2026, but it’s unclear whether it’s on track to hit that timeline.
On the one hand, testing has been ramping up in late February, with geysers and trains running. On the other, a lot of pavement is torn up around the perimeter of the Piston Peak project site. See When Will Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopen? for more of our thoughts and speculation.
Then there’s Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, which is also slated for a Spring 2026 reopening. Honestly, we have no clue what to expect here in terms of a specific date. The exterior pavement is coming together fast, but there’s zero visibility into the show scene enhancements. This could return by mid-March or not until late April. We have no clue.
If you’re visiting in mid-to-late March, keep an eye out. Either for construction walls coming down coupled with an official announcement, or the possibility of soft openings. Neither ride’s reopening is guaranteed for March 2026, but we suspect at least one will return. Magic Kingdom needs the capacity during a very busy time of year.
March could also be the month that the Cinderella Castle repainting project wraps up…or that cranes finally appear in the moat. That one is another big wildcard. Then there’s whatever is going on with Carousel of Progress, which recently had permits filed. It’s a similar story with the Haunted Mansion mystery projects, and of course, the Cars and Villains Land construction projects.
Annual Shareholders Meeting
Disney’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders will be held on March 18, 2026. That’s often a newsy day for Walt Disney World, and that should be doubly true this year as it’s also the day Josh D’Amaro officially becomes CEO of The Walt Disney Company.
D’Amaro, who has served as Chairman of Disney Experiences since 2020, was announced as Bob Iger’s successor at the beginning of this month. The 28-year Disney veteran rose through the ranks of the parks division, serving as President of Disneyland Resort, President of Walt Disney World Resort, and most recently overseeing all of Disney’s global theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, and consumer products.
The transition happens at the annual meeting, at which point Iger will shift to a senior advisor role and remain a board member through December 31, 2026. (Fingers crossed that Iger becomes head of the LA28 Olympics Organizing Committee!) Dana Walden, formerly Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment, also steps into a new role on March 18 as President and Chief Creative Officer, reporting to D’Amaro.
It’s common for Disney to make some splashy announcements at the Annual Shareholders Meeting. Whether that’ll happen in 2026 is anyone’s guess. For one thing, the 2026 D23 Expo is right around the corner. For another, the leadership “handoff” might be deemed big enough, and dropping big news in the new CEO’s first day on the job might be deemed a dubious decision. On the other hand, he’ll have actually been on the job for over a month at that point, and might want to hit the ground running.
Leadership Changes at Parks & Resorts
D’Amaro becoming CEO means a leadership shuffle is coming to the parks & resorts segment is unclear. D’Amaro will presumably name a new head of Disney Experiences around mid-March, although he could push off that decision until later in the month. (See Who Will Replace Josh D’Amaro as Head of Disney Parks & Resorts?)
Whoever takes that role will have enormous influence over the direction of Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the international parks. It will also have a cascading effect, with that leader needing to be replaced plus who knows what else. (Disney has a history of making multiple changes all at once, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see one of the “losers” leave the company completely.)
On top of that, D’Amaro has said that he won’t disappear from the parks just because he’s CEO (see My Meeting with Josh D’Amaro). He’s committed to maintaining that hands-on connection with Cast Members and guests. We wouldn’t be surprised to see him “prove” that early on in his tenure as CEO.
Back when Bob Iger returned as CEO, replacing Bob Chapek, he set the tone by making several changes one month later to improve the guest experience at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. An additional round of guest-friendly changes were announced several months later that undid more of the damage.
The circumstances are dramatically different, but we’ve nevertheless expecting a similar package of guest friendly changes as D’Amaro seeks to win over fans and set the tone for his tenure as CEO. (See 11 Great Changes Josh D’Amaro Could Make for Big Wins as New CEO, which covers Walt Disney World.)
And if March does somehow end up being the month that Josh D’Amaro cements his status as fan hero and finally delivers the long overdue Figment news, it’ll also make March 2026 the #1 month of 2026. I don’t care what gets announced at D23 Expo; not even a second gate in Shanghai is surpassing a new Journey into Imagination!
New Discounts Likely Dropping
If past precedent is any indication, and it usually is, late March should bring a big wave of new Walt Disney World discounts for summer and fall travel. These discounts will likely be released in 2-3 batches, as opposed to a single drop day.
That’s what happened last year, when Disney released several major promotions at the tail end of March and early April. This included the normal wave of new special offers for August through October travel dates, as well as ticket deals for summer visits and last-minute hotel deals. This was one of the biggest discount releases of the year, surpassing the early January drop day.
We’re expecting something similar this year, albeit with fresh wrinkles. Room-only discounts for late summer and fall are virtually guaranteed, with separate offers for the general public, Florida residents, and Annual Passholders. Some kind of ticket promotion for Florida residents and another targeted 3-park deal is also likely. As with the January drop, the biggest wildcard is what marquee offer will replace Free Dining?
We will be closely monitoring both the 2026 Walt Disney World discount and special offers situation, keeping our ears open for more news. Should something–anything–be released or rumored, we’ll send you an alert if you sign up for our FREE Walt Disney World newsletter.
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
How do you feel about Walt Disney World’s changes in March 2026? If you’re a tourist, does this make you want to visit Walt Disney World–or wait? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
