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Credit: Rough Tough, Real Stuff, FlickrPaddlefish, a restaurant inside the Disney Springs shopping and dining complex at Walt Disney World Resort, failed to open its doors as scheduled on Monday, December 22, 2025. As thousands of Central Florida Disney Park guests flood the outdoor mall for last-minute holiday purchases and family vacation excursions, it’s unclear when the Table Service dining location will reopen.
Paddlefish Suddenly Closes
On December 22, BlogMickey reported that the Table Service restaurant Paddlefish had failed to open as scheduled, resulting in canceled reservations for countless Walt Disney World Resort guests. The Disney Springs dining location was open on Sunday, December 21, but guests who approached the entrance on Monday found a sign indicating that it was “closed for a private event.
However, according to the news reporting, the closure is actually a result of a sewage leak somewhere inside Paddlefish. The accident reportedly occurred sometime after the restaurant closed on Sunday evening.
When Will the Disney World Restaurant Reopen?
Walt Disney World Resort did not issue any statements about the closure, but cast members indicated that they hoped to reopen the Paddlefish restaurant by Tuesday, December 23. The Disney Springs Table Service dining location remained closed at the time of this article’s publication.
Reservations for Paddlefish remain available on the My Disney Experience app for December 23, 2025, indicating that Walt Disney World Resort is also optimistic that the restaurant could reopen as soon as Tuesday.
Other Paddlefish News
Readers may recognize the name Paddlefish from an unbelievable news story earlier this year. Just after midnight on September 15, 2025, a man in a scuba suit swam up to the boat-shaped restaurant, tied up several Disney cast members, and stole roughly $20,000 from inside. He escaped via Lake Buena Vista, and has reportedly not been identified by authorities.
Have you ever dined at Paddlefish? Share your experience with Inside the Magic in the comments!