Credit: Rick Wagner, FlickrEntering Disney World’s second-oldest theme park looks a little different.
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During their trip to Walt Disney World, guests can expect to see one thing for sure: change. Whether it be simple ride closures and refurbishments or large-scale construction work, there’s always something happening at “The Most Magical Place on Earth,” especially so in 2025.
At the start of the year, guests said their temporary goodbyes to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom. A little later, they said their final goodbyes to attractions like Muppet*Vision 3D, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat, all of which will be replaced with newer rides and experiences.
Guests can also expect to see the Christmas festivities start soon, with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party kicking off in November. However, the latest change is confusing, and it affects the way guests enter the park itself.
Metal Gates Return to EPCOT Entrance
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Walt Disney World has once again added gates to the entrance of EPCOT. Like all of Disney’s other Florida theme parks, guests are required to pass through a checkpoint and scan their tickets. However, things started to look a little different for EPCOT earlier this year.
Gates materialized in front of the park’s entry points back in August, though they disappeared less than two weeks later, prompting some confusion within the Disney World community.
The gates have since returned, according to WDWNT, with pairs lining each entryway to the park in front of the tapstiles. Ropes are still used to actually block the entrances not in use.
It’s unclear why Disney decided to add gates to the park’s entrance or why they were removed and then brought back. It’s possible Disney is attempting to crack down on visitors sneaking into the park, as the metal gates are a far more solid blockade than ropes.
These metal gates have only been spotted at EPCOT, but could possibly come to Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios in the future.
EPCOT definitely has the least going on in Walt Disney World, though this doesn’t mean the park isn’t still exciting. Last year, EPCOT wrapped up its years-long transformation with the grand opening of CommuniCore Hall.
Test Track, the park’s premier thrill ride reopened earlier this year, boasting a brand-new design, one that harkens back to EPCOT’s past.
What do you think about this EPCOT update? Are you visiting Walt Disney World this holiday season?