There have been a lot of changes to Disney World over the past five years, and even more are coming soon!

With hotel transformations, new rides, and all the logistics that go into planning a trip to Walt Disney World, it can be confusing to navigate it all. So, we’re laying out everything you need to know about the biggest changes coming to Disney World in 2025 and beyond!

Magic Kingdom

New Nighttime Parade “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” — NOW OPEN!!

Magic Kingdom welcomed a brand new nighttime parade called “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” on July 20th, 2025! It features new technology and A TON of Disney characters. You can expect to see the Blue Fairy from Cinderella and others from Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen, and more make their way down Main Street, U.S.A. on all-new sparkling floats.

Beginning July 20th, Disney World now requires Annual Passholders to make a Park Pass Reservation for Magic Kingdom (until Disney changes the policy again). This even applies if you’re planning to get to the park after 2PM. So be sure you have a reservation if you’re hoping to catch the new parade!

Pirates of the Caribbean-Themed Lounge — NOW OPEN!!

Magic Kingdom invites pirates of all ages to step inside its new lively pirate pub, The Beak and Barrel! This immersive (and rowdy) lounge opened in Disney World’s flagship park in August 2025 and has quickly become a fan-favorite. There is a menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages available here, along with a small food menu. And, whether you’re dining in the “Mess Hall” or “Captains’ Quarters,” you’re in for a treat, including special show elements that happen throughout the lounge every 5-10 minutes.

And, don’t forget to look for the tavern’s quartermaster! Long-time Disney fans can see a small piece of Disney history here, with Rummy (a bird who “bears a striking resemblance to the original Barker Bird that previously sat at the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean,” according to Disney) keeping a watchful eye on the place high above the bar.

Tron: Ares Ride Overlay Coming for a Limited Time to TRON Lightcycle / Run — NOW OPEN!!

Fans of the new Tron: Ares movie will be able to enter the digital world in Magic Kingdom with a brand new limited-time change at TRON Lightcycle / Run. Beginning September 15th, 2025, the blue and orange lights on the thrilling roller coaster will be replaced with red and orange hues and you’ll speed through the grid to a soundtrack from Nine Inch Nails (who did the music for the movie).

The Tron: Ares ride overlay will only be available for a limited time, so be sure to check it out sooner than later! Disney has not yet announced how long it will run.

Major Updates To Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

The beloved Toy Story attraction at Magic Kingdom, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, is getting some major updates in 2026! According to Disney, the ride vehicles are getting a facelift as part of a major renovation. Once open, they will feature a brand new design and digital video monitors to keep you better updated on your score in real time. Plus, the new handheld blasters include extra features that will help you rack up more points and climb the galactic ranks.

The updates also include new interactive targets in the ride scenes and a brand new scene! Disney plans to open all of this in 2026, with the ride closing temporarily for renovations starting August 24, 2025.

Pixar Cars Land Expansion

Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America are permanently closing to make way for one of the largest expansions in Magic Kingdom park history! Disney has officially named the new area dedicated to all things Disney and Pixar’s Cars, Piston Peak National Park. And there’s a lot in store for fans of the movies!

According to Disney, the new land will take inspiration from the Rocky Mountains, featuring rugged peaks rising along a tranquil waterway across from Grizzly Hall, while geysers from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will burst into the trails of the off-road rally.

Plus, Piston Peak National Park will have two new major attractions. One ride will send guests on a thrilling “rally race through the mountains,” while the other will cater to families with young children.

Currently, there is no opening timeline for Piston Peak National Park. However, construction will begin in July 2025.

Disney Villains Land

As part of Magic Kingdom’s big expansion, Disney is adding an entire land dedicated to Disney Villains. This big change to Disney World’s most iconic park will be added beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland. It will include two new attractions, dining, and shopping.

Disney revealed that they have already begun work on this area, though they have not yet announced an opening timeline.

Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics Figure Coming to the Carousel of Progress

The Carousel of Progress is one of the most historic attractions in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and it is now set to get some updates! What makes this slow-moving ride/show so special is that Walt Disney actually worked on it himself. And, now you’ll be able to see him when you hop on for a spin!

Disney is currently working on creating a brand new Walt Disney audio-animatronic for the ride that will be seen in a brand new opening scene. Disney also said that “there are still plenty of additional details to be revealed, including what John, Sarah, and the rest of the family are up to,” so stay tuned for more updates on these upcoming changes!

Cinderella Castle Makeover

Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom got a major paint update to honor the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary a few years ago, but Disney has announced that they are planning to restore the castle to it’s original blue and white colors soon.

It’s not clear when the makeover will begin just yet, but fans of the original colorway should be excited to be able to take pictures with Cinderella Castle in it’s original form in the coming years!

EPCOT

GEO-82 Lounge — NOW OPEN!!

Calling anyone 21+ — there’s a new place to grab a cocktail in EPCOT! Disney named the new adults-only lounge GEO-82 to honor Spaceship Earth’s 1982 opening. Inspired by the park icon, the lounge offers one of the most elegant places to relax in EPCOT. Inside the secluded space, you can find “sweeping views of World Celebration Gardens and a unique perspective of the nightly fireworks.”

Currently, you’ll need a dining reservation to get a seat here.

Test Track Reimagined — NOW OPEN!!

Test Track is one of the most popular rides in EPCOT, and big changes have arrived! The new Test Track 3.0 (this is the third iteration of the attraction since it first opened) draws inspiration from the original World of Motion attraction, which was one of EPCOT’s opening day attractions back in 1982.

The queue features six new exhibits highlighting vehicles “that push the envelope” and the people behind them. And, on the ride, you’ll go through “scenes focusing on onboard technology, customization, and personalization.” But, don’t worry, the classic high-speed outdoor track hasn’t gone anywhere – that still caps off every ride!

Frozen Ever After Refurbishment

Frozen Ever After is one of the most popular attractions in EPCOT, and it’s overdue for some TLC! Disney will be updating all of the Audio-Animatronic characters to have a more “true-to-film look” that mirrors the technology used at World or Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland.

Disney hasn’t announced the refurbishment dates yet, but the attraction is expected to close in early 2026.

Soarin’ Around the World Becomes Soarin’ Across America

EPCOT’s Soarin’ is getting set to fly over a brand new set of monuments in 2026 as Disney presents, Soarin’ Across America! To honor America’s 250th birthday, the scenes of Soarin’ Around the World will be replaced with scenes from some of America’s “natural beauty and iconic cityscapes.” According to Disney, there will be a total of more than a dozen new locations to soar over!

This limited-time change will be coming to both EPCOT at Walt Disney World and Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland in summer 2026.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure — NOW OPEN!!

The popular stage show inspired by Disney’s The Little Mermaid got an update! The new show debuted on May 27th, 2025, and retells the story of Ariel in a brand new way. During the live show, you’ll hear your favorite songs, including “Part of Your World” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”Plus, Disney has added two new numbers to the show including, “Daughters of Triton” and “Kiss the Girl.”

Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After — NOW OPEN!!

The Disney Villains now have a permanent spot in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! The brand new live stage show replaced Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy at Sunset Showcase and takes you on a wicked adventure to discover who is the most wicked of all. Throughout the show, you’ll see various musical numbers from Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent. Plus, you never know who else might be lurking around the stage.

“The Magic of Disney Animation” and “The Walt Disney Studios” Courtyard

In 2026, Disney will introduce a brand-new way to experience your favorite animated movies as The Magic of Disney Animation takes over Star Wars: Launch Bay and Disney reimagines the entire Animation Courtyard. Inspired by the Emmy Award–winning short film Once Upon a Studio, Disney is transforming Star Wars: Launch Bay into the iconic Disney Animation headquarters, where families can “laugh, draw, dream, and explore.” The building will house fun, interactive animation elements, an animation drawing experience, and a Alice in Wonderland-inspired indoor playground.

Just outside, Disney will reimagine Animation Courtyard as “The Walt Disney Studios,” inspired by the iconic buildings of the Walt Disney Studios Lot in Burbank, CA. The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure will remain the same, but the soundstage will feature a new Disney Jr. show and the open space will transform with more green space and trees. According to Disney, this will also be a place to spot some of your favorite Disney characters out greeting guests!

Both spaces are expected to open in 2026, with Animation Courtyard and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! closed beginning September 25th, 2025. But, don’t worry! The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure will remain open during construction.

New Missions Coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

The Mandalorian and Baby Yoda will officially appear in a major update coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in both Disney World and Disneyland.

Beginning May 22nd, 2026, the ride will feature a brand new storyline where Hondo Ohnaka sends guests on a mission to learn more about a deal “going down on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and a band of pirates.” With a generous bounty as motivation, you’ll team up with Grogu and Mando onboard the Millennium Falcon.

Your journey will start with a visit to Tatooine. Then, crews get to choose their next destination-Bespin, Endor, or Coruscant. Additionally, the updates will include a new role for the Engineers: communicating with and caring for Grogu!

New Monsters Inc. Land

You’ll soon be able to enter Monstropolis from Monsters Inc. as part of a major reimagination at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! As one of the biggest changes to Disney World coming in the next few years, Disney has announced that Monsters Inc. Land will be a themed area where you can walk the streets with the monsters, dine, shop, enjoy a brand new theater show, and visit the factory where an entirely new thrill ride will be located.

In addition, Disney will debut its first-ever suspended roller coaster. The attraction will whisk you away on an adventure inspired by the doors room from the iconic scene in the movie.

The new land will replace the area currently devoted to all things Muppets. But, don’t worry, Kermit the Frog and friends will still be in Disney’s Hollywood Studios — they’re just moving to Sunset Boulevard (more on that next!). Work on this project will begin in 2025 with Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano closing on May 11th and both Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo closing on June 8th.

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Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster to Be Re-Themed

As Mike and Sulley from Monsters Inc. take over The Muppets’ current area in the park, the gang is moving to Sunset Boulevard for something new!

Disney announced that The Muppets are taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, bidding goodbye to the current Aerosmith theming. This will be Disney’s first-ever ride to feature characters from The Muppets and you can expect brand-new music and updates to the merchandise location at the exit of the attraction. It’s scheduled to open in Summer 2026, though Disney hasn’t announced an exact date yet.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Reimagination of DinoLand U.S.A.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will see some MAJOR changes to Disney World over the next few years, with a brand new land bringing some of the most beloved franchises to the park!

According to Disney, Imagineers are planning to reimagine Dinoland U.S.A. into a new land inspired by the Central Americas. It will be called Pueblo Esperanza and will feature two brand-new attractions inspired by Encanto and Indiana Jones.

The new land will also include a new quick-service restaurant that will be one of the largest in all of Disney World. And, there will also be a new kids play area!

It will still be a little while before you can experience this. Construction is already underway and should finish sometime in 2027.

Zootopia: Better Together

Located below the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, It’s Tough To Be a Bug has closed to make way for more changes to Disney World! Zootopia characters are officially coming to Disney World with a new show that will take you to the “different biomes you only glimpse in the film, traveling along with Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde and other characters.”

Disney will debut Zootopia: Better Together on November 7, 2025. At the same time, there will also be a brand-new chance to meet Judy and Nick from the movie before or after the ride at the Zoogether Day Gathering Spot on Discovery Island.

Disney World Resort Hotels

Disney Lakeshore Lodge

The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) is expanding! Disney announced that a brand new DVC property is being built in the former home of Disney’s River Country water park (which has been permanently closed since 2001) near Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds. The new resort replaces Reflections — A Disney Lakeside Lodge Resort (which was announced back in 2019) and will be called Disney Lakeshore Lodge.

The new hotel will pull inspiration from “the majesty of nature and its enduring influence on Disney artists.” It’s scheduled to open in 2027.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Disney has been updating its flagship hotel, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, for many years now, and more changes are on their way! Soon, the lobby will be getting a major refresh with new carpeting, furniture, and paint. And, perhaps the biggest change is that a brand new bar will open on the first floor! It will replace the iconic birdcage that currently sits in the lobby area, but (don’t worry!) you’ll still find many nods to it in the bar’s design.

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Comments

So, are you ready to start planning your 2025 vacation? What changes to Disney World are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!