Walt Disney World reveals opening dates and timeframes for multiple attractions
Walt Disney World revealed major announcements about in-progress new attractions and refurbishments of classics.
April 8, 2026 update: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens on May 3, 2026!
April 16, 2026 update: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets opens on May 26, 2026!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Reopening May 3, 2026
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom will reopen May 3, 2026. The roller coaster has been closed for extensive refurbishment since January 2025.
The attraction will feature a new Rainbow Caverns show scene when it reopens, as previously revealed in the concept art below.
BREAKING NEWS! The height requirement of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is lowered to 38 inches!
Soarin’ Across America: Opening May 26, 2026
Soarin’ Across America will open at Epcot on May 26, 2026. As previously announced, the new film will repurpose the existing hang-gliding simulator attraction to showcase landscapes across the U.S.
The attraction will also open at Disney California Adventure on July 2.
See our separate coverage for more details on Soarin’ Across America.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: now closed, reopening May 26, 2026
Make way for The Muppets! Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets debuts on May 26, 2026. Expect new songs and lots of zany moments.
See our separate coverage for even more details about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets.
‘Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live’: Opening May 26, 2026
Revealed earlier this year, a show called “Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live” is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It will open in May 26, 2026 inside the same building traditionally known for hosting Disney Jr. and Playhouse Disney productions, near “The Little Mermaid: A Musical Adventure.”
This same show debuted at Disney California Adventure earlier this year.
The Magic of Disney Animation: opening this summer
The Magic of Disney Animation will return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios after an 11-year absence in summer 2026. The pavilion-style attraction replaces Star Wars Launch Bay, which itself replaced the former version of The Magic of Disney Animation in 2015.
The new iteration of The Magic of Disney Animation will include a meet & greet experience called “Off the Page” with six stations inspired by different aspects of the animation process:
- Story: Mulan (in front of a giant storyboard)
- Layout: Rapunzel (multiplane camera)
- Hand-Drawn Animation: Chip and Dale
- Computer Animation: Donald Duck and Daisy Duck
- Lighting: Goofy
- Effects: Stitch
See our separate coverage for more details on The Magic of Disney Animation and Off the Page.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: NOW OPEN
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom reopened April 8, 2026. The dark ride was closed since August 2025.
There are new blasters and new ride vehicles, and introduce a scene with a new character named Buddy.
Photo by Matt Roseboom
New animatronics in Frozen Ever After: now debuted
Frozen Ever After has new Audio-Animatronics figures of Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff as of February 2026.
The boat ride debuted in 2016 at the Walt Disney World park near Orlando, Fla., with projected faces for Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff. When a new version of the ride opened in 2023 at Hong Kong Disneyland, fully sculpted faces were utilized instead of the projected faces. These versions of the Audio-Animatronics figures are now at Epcot.
Photos courtesy of Disney; graphic by Attractions Magazine
See our separate coverage for more details about the new animatronics coming to Frozen Ever After.
Level99: Opening in 2026
Level99, an interactive, physical gaming facility, will open at Disney Springs sometime in 2026 (exact date TBA). As previously announced, Level99 takes over the former spot of the NBA Experience (and before that, DisneyQuest) in the West Side of Disney Springs.
See our separate coverage for more details about Level99.
Stay tuned to AttractionsMagazine.com for coverage of Disney World news, projects from other theme parks, trip reports from parks around the world, and exclusive interviews.
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