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Credit: DisneyIt’s the most magical time of the year—but if you’re heading to Disney World right now, your trip might look a little different than expected. With over a dozen closures happening simultaneously across all four parks and even at the resort hotels, some guests are walking away feeling like their vacations weren’t as smooth or as balanced as they hoped.
nd while construction and refurbishments are a normal part of park operations, the sheer number of unavailable experiences this season is reshaping crowd flow and creating some unexpected frustrations for parkgoers.
Let’s break down what’s closed, what’s coming, and how all these changes are creating ripple effects across the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Closures at Magic Kingdom Leave Gaps in the Park
Magic Kingdom may be the most visited theme park in the world, but it’s feeling a little emptier than usual—at least in terms of available attractions. The long-term closure of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been tough on thrill-seekers, especially since it’s expected to be closed for more than a year. Even though Disney has promised new effects and a little “added magic,” the Frontierland favorite won’t be returning until spring 2026.
On top of that, the permanent closure of Tom Sawyer Island, The Rivers of America, and the Liberty Square Riverboat as part of the upcoming Piston Peak National Park reimagining has transformed a once-relaxing area into a construction zone. These slow-paced attractions may not have been major headliners, but they absorbed a lot of foot traffic—and without them, that part of the park feels congested in all the wrong ways.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is also undergoing a lengthy refurbishment with a planned reopening in spring 2026. That means another high-capacity ride is temporarily out of the mix in Tomorrowland, putting added pressure on nearby options like Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor and Carousel of Progress to carry the load.
Animal Kingdom’s Makeover Is Just Getting Started
Over in Animal Kingdom, things are shifting in a big way. Disney is deep into the transformation of DinoLand U.S.A.into the upcoming Tropical Americas land called Pueblo Esperanza. That sounds exciting, but in the meantime, a huge chunk of the park has gone offline.
Gone are TriceraTop Spin, The Boneyard, Chester & Hester’s, and the Fossil Fun Games, along with multiple snack stands like Dino Bite Snacks and Trilo-Bites. The last remaining bits of DinoLand will be shutting down completely by early 2026, but the impact is already being felt.
Kali River Rapids is also closed for its regular winter maintenance, which is typical for this time of year, and Harambe Market is temporarily closed for refurbishment too. That takes out yet another food option in an already food-limited park, sending more guests to Flame Tree Barbecue and Satu’li Canteen.
In the middle of all these changes, the park also debuted its newest attraction, themed to Zootopia, replacing the former It’s Tough to Be a Bug show. While the new show is drawing attention, it doesn’t replace the capacity of everything that’s currently closed around it.
Hollywood Studios Is in the Middle of a Full Reshuffle
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is no stranger to change, and right now, it’s experiencing one of the biggest shifts since Galaxy’s Edge opened.
The entire Animation Courtyard is closed to make way for a new studio-themed area, which will feature updated experiences like Drawn to Wonderland, a playground, and a reimagined Disney Jr. show. Until then, the closures of Star Wars Launch Bay, character meet-and-greets, and the theater hosting Vacation Fun mean fewer indoor breaks and fewer places for kids to enjoy calmer moments in the park.
Meanwhile, the Muppets Courtyard is officially gone, with MuppetVision 3D*, Mama Melrose’s, and PizzeRizzo now closed permanently. In their place, a Monsters, Inc.-themed land is being developed. While that sounds great for the future, right now it’s more construction walls and fewer attractions in an already tightly packed park.
Even the Resorts and Water Parks Are Affected
The closures don’t stop in the parks. Over at the resorts, Jellyrolls—the beloved piano bar on Disney’s BoardWalk—has shut its doors, though it says it’s “making a move” elsewhere. The Paddock Pool and Paddock Grill at Saratoga Springs are down for maintenance until early December, and the Promenade Fine Art Gallery is being relocated.
Blizzard Beach is also closed for refurbishment, leaving only Typhoon Lagoon available for water park fun. That may not sound like a big deal, but with warm weather days still happening, some guests may find themselves facing higher-than-usual crowds if they want a break from the theme parks.
The Real Impact: Crowds Are Clustering—and It Shows
What happens when you take away more than a dozen attractions, shows, or experiences across the resort? You get overcrowding—and it’s not just in the obvious places.
Guests who might’ve spent time on the Liberty Square Riverboat or wandering Tom Sawyer Island now find themselves bottlenecked in other areas.
Attractions that usually don’t draw massive wait times—like Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, or Journey Into Imagination with Figment—are absorbing more guests than they’re designed for. And with closures in place across three parks, park hopping doesn’t always feel like a solution.
Smaller attractions are picking up the slack, but they weren’t built to be the main event. And when you have more people flooding into fewer attractions, the guest experience starts to suffer.
A Logistical Challenge for Families
The closures are also making trip planning harder. Families used to mapping out the day around must-dos now find themselves reshuffling plans on the fly. With fewer attractions to spread crowds, Lightning Lane availability disappears more quickly, and standby waits stretch longer—especially for mid-tier rides that suddenly become top-billed alternatives.
Dining is another challenge. With food stalls like Harambe Market and eateries like Mama Melrose’s off the table, the remaining restaurants are taking on more guests, leading to longer lines and earlier sell-outs for mobile orders.
Looking Ahead to 2026
While these closures are inconvenient now, most of them are setting the stage for something new. Between Pueblo Esperanza at Animal Kingdom, Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom, and the Monsters, Inc. and Disney Studios-themed expansions at Hollywood Studios, Disney is clearly building toward a packed 2026.
But that doesn’t make the current guest experience any easier.
For guests visiting during the holiday season or into early 2026, it’s worth double-checking what’s closed before you go. And more importantly, be prepared for the parks to feel a little different. With fewer attractions available and more guests rerouted into the same spaces, a little flexibility will go a long way in making the most of your visit.