A Walt Disney World vacation is no small undertaking. It requires a lot of time and a lot of money and it's the sort of vacation that people can spend months to plan to make sure everything goes just right. Everybody wants to be sure not to miss what's new at Disney World, but you'll also want to make sure that anything on your to-do list is actually open.
Sometimes Disney World rides close without warning due to unforeseen circumstances. More often, however, ride closures are planned well in advance to help prevent those unscheduled shutdowns. The good news there is that you can plan around, or at least be aware of anything that will be closed on your next trip. Here's a look at everything that's currently scheduled to be shutting down in both the near, and far, future.
Upcoming Magic Kingdom Closures
Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant - Closed August 5, 2021 - TBA
When Walt Disney World reopened following the pandemic, due to limited guest capacity, not everything reopened with the parks. One popular eatery that did not reopen was Liberty Square's Columbia House. The building was used for extended queue space for attractions due to social distancing. When Columbia House did reopen in August 2021, the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant, which had been offering the Columbia House menu, closed. The location has reopened for special dessert party events but has remained closed to normal operations during the day. It's officially still a temporary closure, so we expect it to reopen at some point.
Jungle Cruise (August 26, 2024 - October 17, 2024)
Magic Kingdom is set to be a bit less funny starting in late August 2024. Jungle Cruise is scheduled to go down for a refurbishment. Disney World had said the ride would be back up before the winter holiday season begins, and according to the current calendar, the attraction will be returning well before the holiday changeover, on October 18.
Liberty Square Riverboat (TBA)
The Liberty Square Riverboat has been a part of Magic Kingdom for almost as long as the park has been open. However, that era will be coming to an end. At D23 2024 it was announced that new Cars attractions were coming to Frontierland and shortly after it was revealed that they would be part of a massive overhaul of the land. The Rivers of America will be entirely removed, which will mean the end of the Roverboat. Exactly when this will happen has to been confirmed. It could still be years away.
Upcoming Epcot Closures
Test Track (June 17, 2024 - TBD)
Epcot's Test track has already undergone one major overhaul in its life, but another is on the way. At the Destination D23 event in 2023, it was revealed that Test Track is set to be completely reimagined. What this new version of the ride will look like, we don't know. All we know is that the transformation is set to begin in mid-June 2024.
Upcoming Disney’s Hollywood Studios Closures
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (March 2020 - Fall 2024)
One of the attractions that closed when Disney World did for the global pandemic and never reopened, was the Voyage of The Little Mermaid stage show. For a long time, we assumed the show was permanently closed, despite no official announcement from Disney World. Now we know the show will reopen, as The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure, an updated version of the original show, though it won't open until the fall of 2024.
Upcoming Disney's Animal Kingdom Closures
Tree Of Life Theater/It's Tough To Be A Bug (TBA)
Rumors of a possible Zootopia land at Disney's Animal Kingdom persisted for years, but in the end, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps won't be getting their own land, but they are getting their own show. A Zootopia show is set to replace It's Tough to a Bug inside the Tree of Life theater. The timeline on this has not been announced, so it could still be months, if not years away, but it will be happening.
Dinoland U.S.A. (TBA)
It's been clear ever since Disney's Animal Kingdom shut down and removed Primeval Whirl inside Dinoland U.S.A., without replacing it with anything, that the land was probably on the way out. At the D23 Expo in 2022, it was finally confirmed that Dinoland would be replaced by a Tropical Ameicas land. The new land will include Indiana Jones and Encanto attractions. The work will be done in phases, so all of Dinoland won't be closed at once. The exact timetable is unknown, but rumors indicate work could begin in late 2024. The popular Dinosaur attraction will likely be the last to go.
Upcoming Disney World Water Parks Closures
Blizzard Beach - Closed March 17 - TBA
With the news that Typhoon Lagoon will reopen in March 2024, comes the inevitable second piece of news, that Blizzard Beach will be closing. Since March 17 will be Typhoon Lagoon's first day of operation, it will also mark the first day of closure for Blizzard Beach.
Other Upcoming Walt Disney World Closures
Garden View Tea Room - Closed March 2020 - TBA
And finally a third location at the Grand Floridian that has remained closed. The Garden View Tea Room has never reopened since the rest of the resort began to do so. However, it is still listed as temporarily close, so one assumes that plans are to reopen it eventually.
Doubloon Lagoon Pool - Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter - January 2024- April 2024
Guests who are planning Disney World trips far in advance may want to take note of work that's already planned at the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. Disney World has already announced a multi-month refurbishment of the Stormalong Bay and Shipwreck Pool areas that will begin in early 2025 and last for most of the first half of the year.
Always keep your eyes open as attractions can still go down without notice, even for an extended period, though that's rare at Walt Disney World. It's also possible that a scheduled reopening may be delayed if planned work takes longer than expected. We’ll be keeping this space updated as attractions reopen and new refurbishments are announced.
