Indefinite Early Closure Issued for EPCOT Location With Immediate Effect

Walt Disney World Resort guests have a new closure notice to deal with as the transformation of the Central Florida destination continues to take effect.

It’s only the third week of January, and the Walt Disney World Resort has bid farewell to multiple attractions and experiences across the property. Even without closures that carried over from 2024, such as Test Track at EPCOT, the current shutdowns are plentiful.

Across January 6 and January 13, Disney World closed the likes of Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for season maintenance and Magic Kingdom’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad for over a year. The latter is already being deconstructed, and parts of the iconic track have been seen soaring over Frontierland.

On January 13, three attractions at Animal Kingdom shuttered permanently, with guests bidding farewell to TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures. This marks the first significant push in reimagining DinoLand U.S.A. to the Pueblo Esperanza–a Tropical Americas-themed area devoted to franchises like Encanto and Indiana Jones.

This year is a turning point for Disney World as many large-scale projects–some the biggest in history–get underway. The largest transformation will be the Frontierland overhaul in Magic Kingdom, which will eventually welcome Pixar’s Cars franchise.

While the inclusion of sentient automobiles in the Western era has raised concerns and continues to be contentious ever since its announcement at last year’s D23, it is exciting to see the parks evolve. The Disney Villains will also get a dedicated area and is, arguably, the more anticipated Magic Kingdom development.

And if you’re only just on top of the operational changes Disney World has actioned in 2025, a new development has quietly come to light. Over at EPCOT, one location will be closed early for the foreseeable future.

“At EPCOT, guests have noticed a large sandwich board announcing that The Seas with Nemo & Friends will close at 7:00 p.m. this evening,” Kenny the Pirate reported. “Disney has not announced a reason for this early closure.”

Upon checking the official Walt Disney World Resort website, The Seas with Nemo & Friends will close tonight (Friday, January 17, 2025) at 7 p.m., while the rest of the EPCOT theme park remains open until 9 p.m. There is no current reason for the earlier closure of this location, but according to the calendar—which runs through March 18—the 7 p.m. closing time is an indefinite change.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends is in keeping with EPCOT’s educational flair. It allows guests to see marine life, such as sharks, fish, and manatees, at the SeaBase Aquarium while on vacation. However, the manatees have been moved to a new location—the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park—and the exhibit is now roped and curtained off to all guests.

Another signifier that the early closure is linked to the wider refurbishment of The Seas with Nemo & Friends is the current construction work that has been reported. The changes reportedly include the expansion of walkways, escalator maintenance, and additional health and safety training for divers dealing with potential emergencies involving disabled guests.

From The Seas in World Nature to Frozen Ever After in World Showcase and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in World Discovery, EPCOT has a lot to offer guests—just not everything is open until the park closes, so plan accordingly.

Will this disrupt your EPCOT plans? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!