Credit: DisneyEPCOT has always been a park in motion. From its early days as Walt Disney’s bold idea of a community of tomorrow to the version we know today, EPCOT constantly reinvents itself. However, the changes happening right now are on an entirely different level.
Disney is reshaping attractions, refreshing classic rides, and reimagining entire corners of the resort. By the time the calendar flips to 2026, EPCOT will feel more polished, more modern, and in some ways, almost brand new.
Let’s take a look at everything shifting inside EPCOT before the end of 2025—and how those changes ripple across the rest of Walt Disney World.
EPCOT’s Heart: A Mix of Classic and Modern
When guests step into EPCOT, they experience a park split between two main halves. On one side sits World Celebration, World Nature, and World Discovery, where the park’s rides and attractions live. On the other side, World Showcase encircles the lagoon with pavilions that represent cultures from around the world.
Today, the lineup is impressive: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind spins riders through the cosmos, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure shrinks guests down to rat-size in France, and Frozen fans flock to Frozen Ever After in Norway.
Classic staples like Living with the Land and The Seas with Nemo & Friends continue to balance nostalgia with education. And of course, the towering Spaceship Earth serves as the park’s icon.
But as strong as EPCOT’s roster looks, Disney isn’t slowing down. Significant upgrades and transformations are currently being rolled out, and some of the park’s most iconic pieces are either newly reopened or about to return.
Spaceship Earth Refurbishment
The most recognizable symbol of EPCOT—the massive geodesic sphere known as Spaceship Earth—closed its doors in August 2025 for refurbishment. Disney promised that this was more than just a touch-up; it was about preserving the ride while bringing it up to modern standards.
Spaceship Earth is scheduled to reopen at the end of October 2025, and fans are eager to see what’s new. The ride has long taken guests on a journey through the history of communication, from cave paintings to the dawn of the internet.
Now, the hope is that the refurbishment delivers smoother track experiences, freshened-up scenes, and long-needed updates that breathe new life into the classic attraction. EPCOT without Spaceship Earth simply doesn’t feel complete, so its return marks one of the most important changes of the year.
Festival of the Holidays Returns
Just as Spaceship Earth makes its comeback, EPCOT shifts gears into one of its most beloved seasonal events: the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. This festival kicks off in late November and runs through December, offering food booths, holiday storytellers, and plenty of entertainment spread across World Showcase.
The Candlelight Processional remains the centerpiece, with celebrity narrators retelling the Christmas story backed by a massive choir and orchestra.
Holiday kitchens offer limited-time dishes inspired by seasonal traditions from around the world, providing guests with a reason to snack their way through the park. For many, it’s the perfect way to end the year at EPCOT—and this year it feels even bigger with so many changes leading into 2026.
Test Track 3.0: A New Experience
One of EPCOT’s most popular attractions, Test Track, finally reopened in 2025 after an extended closure. But this wasn’t just a refurbishment—it was the debut of Test Track 3.0.
The new version reimagines the attraction with fresh visuals, updated car designs, and a story that ties into EPCOT’s original focus on progress and innovation.
Guests still get the thrill of zipping around the outdoor loop at nearly 65 miles per hour, but the queue and design phase elements have been rebuilt to feel more immersive. Test Track now blends sleek modern aesthetics with nods to the past, giving fans a reason to ride again even if they’ve experienced earlier versions.
Its reopening has been a massive milestone for EPCOT in 2025, proving Disney is committed to giving this thrill ride a long future.
GEO-82 Lounge Debuts
June 2025 also brought a brand-new space for guests to relax: the GEO-82 Lounge. This stylish spot, located inside World Celebration, is designed as a place where guests can escape the heat and enjoy a more laid-back atmosphere.
The lounge takes its name from 1982, the year EPCOT first opened, and it celebrates the park’s history while offering modern amenities. It has quickly become a favorite among Annual Passholders and frequent visitors who want a quiet spot to recharge. Between its sleek design and nostalgic touches, GEO-82 perfectly bridges EPCOT’s past and future.
Changes Across Walt Disney World
While EPCOT is in the middle of massive updates, the rest of Walt Disney World isn’t standing still. Over at Magic Kingdom, the new Disney Starlight parade made its dazzling debut in 2025. The nighttime spectacle has already earned buzz as one of Disney’s most visually stunning parades ever, featuring cutting-edge lighting and effects.
Animal Kingdom is also bracing for a significant shift. DinoLand U.S.A. is being dismantled to make way for the new Tropical Americas land.
Part of the land has already closed, and the headliner attraction, DINOSAUR, is officially scheduled to close in February 2026. Fans are split between nostalgia and excitement, but one thing is certain—Animal Kingdom will look very different within the following year.
Hollywood Studios is changing, too. September 2025 saw the closure of Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Junior Play & Dance. These closures pave the way for a reimagined Magic of Disney Animation area, which Disney hopes will revive the park’s animation legacy.
The Bigger Picture
All of these changes across Walt Disney World tie into one larger theme: Disney is reshaping its parks for the next generation. EPCOT, in particular, is finally emerging from years of construction walls and fragmented updates into a park that feels cohesive again.
Spaceship Earth’s return, Test Track’s reinvention, the new GEO-82 Lounge, and the seasonal magic of Festival of the Holidays all work together to show that EPCOT isn’t just being refreshed—it’s being redefined.
A New EPCOT Awaits
By the end of 2025, EPCOT will feel like a reborn park. Guests will step into 2026 with a smoother Spaceship Earth, a refreshed Test Track, new spaces to relax, and beloved seasonal traditions in full swing. With changes across Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World as a whole is evolving in ways that are both thrilling and bittersweet.
EPCOT’s identity has always been about celebrating the future, innovation, and world cultures. With everything changing before 2025 closes, that vision feels alive once again. And when guests walk through its gates in 2026, they’ll be stepping into a park that looks familiar but also brand new—precisely the kind of transformation Disney loves to deliver.