Credit: Erica Lauren, Inside the MagicPlanning a Walt Disney World vacation requires more preparation than most destination trips, simply because of the scale of the resort. Four theme parks, two water parks, Disney Springs, and a collection of resort hotels spread across 40 square miles of Central Florida real estate create a logistical planning challenge that experienced guests approach with spreadsheets, crowd calendars, and dining reservation strategies, while first-time visitors learn the hard way that arriving without a plan is a different kind of vacation than arriving with one. The rides, restaurants, shows, and experiences that define any given Walt Disney World trip require advance planning to maximize, and that planning needs to include not just what is available but also what is not.
June 2026 arrives at an interesting moment in Walt Disney World’s ongoing transformation. The resort just completed one of its most significant single-day openings in recent memory on May 26, with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets debuting to the general public at Hollywood Studios, Soarin’ Across America officially launching at EPCOT, Bluey’s Wild World opening at Animal Kingdom, and the new Walt Disney Studios area coming together at Hollywood Studios with Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! adding family-friendly entertainment for younger guests. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad returned to Magic Kingdom in May after an extended closure, marking the first time in well over a year that the park has been operating without at least one major ride offline.
The good news is that June looks relatively clean compared to some of the heavier refurbishment periods the resort has experienced in recent years. The less good news is that there are still specific closures guests need to know about before they arrive, and a few of them will affect planning in ways that require adjustments to typical park day strategies.
Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is back and operating, which means Magic Kingdom enters June in a stronger position than it has been in for some time. The return of the mine train roller coaster removes what had been one of the more notable absences from Frontierland and gives guests their full complement of major Magic Kingdom attractions for the first time in a while.
The closure to note at Magic Kingdom in June is Big Top Souvenirs, the circus-themed retail location in Fantasyland’s Storybook Circus area. The store has been closed since February and is scheduled to remain closed through June, according to the Walt Disney World calendar. It is scheduled to reopen at some point this year, but a specific date has not been announced. For guests who specifically planned to shop at Big Top Souvenirs during a Fantasyland visit, the closure is worth knowing about before arriving. For most guests, the impact on the overall park experience is minimal.
EPCOT
The closure to note at EPCOT in June is Refreshment Port, the food outpost near the Canada Pavilion, which is undergoing a transformation into a new concept called La Poutinerie. The new location will be sponsored by Air Canada and will bring, as Disney has described it, a Canadian classic with a twist. Given both the name and the longtime popularity of the poutine that Refreshment Port has served for years, the iconic dish is expected to be central to the new offering. A Notice of Commencement permit was recently filed to install set elements, with contractor Icarus Exhibits named on the permit, the same firm that worked on the new version of Test Track. No menu or opening date has been announced, and the work is scheduled to continue through June. Guests who typically make Refreshment Port a stop during their EPCOT visits should note the location will not be available this month.
Animal Kingdom
The significant closure at Animal Kingdom in June involves the broader Conservation Station area beyond Bluey’s Wild World. While the Bluey experience is operating with its virtual queue system and drawing enormous demand, the rest of the Conservation Station attractions, including the former Affection Section area, are now being transitioned and remain closed through at least June 14. Beginning June 15, the closure designation is not marked on the five-day Walt Disney World calendar, though operating hours for that section had not yet been listed as of the most recent calendar update. Guests planning visits specifically around the Conservation Station offerings beyond Bluey should monitor the My Disney Experience app for the current status as their visit approaches.
Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios enters June in an unusually strong position for a park that has historically operated with fewer total attractions than its Walt Disney World counterparts. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is now open after its reimagining, bringing a fully rethemed version of one of the park’s cornerstone attractions to guests who have been anticipating it for months. The new Walt Disney Studios area is open, providing a refreshed section of the park that includes The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure, Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!, and a dedicated soundstage, with the broader courtyard environment eventually including The Magic of Disney Animation, opening later this summer. The new Smugglers Run Mandalorian and Grogu mission has been operating since May 22. Hollywood Studios does not have major closures scheduled for June and enters the month with more to offer than it has in years.
What to Keep in Mind at Disney World
The scheduled closures listed on the Walt Disney World calendar represent planned events, but any attraction at the resort can experience unscheduled downtime on any given day due to technical issues, weather, or other factors. Keeping the My Disney Experience app accessible throughout each park day and checking attraction status in real time remains the most reliable way to adapt to closures that were not on the schedule when the trip was planned.
June overall represents a relatively manageable closure picture across Walt Disney World. The park system is in an active state of transformation, with major new openings recently completed and more coming later this summer, and the closures in place reflect ongoing work building toward what the resort will look like by the end of 2026. Guests arriving in June with knowledge of these specific situations are well-positioned to plan around them and make the most of what is open and operating.
