Walt Disney World reveals opening & closing date timeframes for 8 major attractions
Walt Disney World revealed major announcements about in-progress new attractions and refurbishments of classics.
Disney revealed the below updates on Dec. 3, 2025.
New animatronics in Frozen Ever After: Debuting February 2026
Frozen Ever After will update its Audio-Animatronics figures of Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff in February 2026 (exact date TBA).
To prepare for the changes, Frozen Ever After will close for refurbishment on Jan. 26, 2026; its final operating date with the current animatronics will be Jan. 25.
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 coming to 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.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: Closing spring 2026
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will remain operating “until spring 2026,” when the current version of the attraction will close to make way for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. As previously revealed, the new Muppets version of the ride will open sometime in summer 2026 (exact date TBA).
See our separate coverage for even more details about Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring the Muppets.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Reopening spring 2026
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom will reopen sometime in spring 2026 (exact date TBA). 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.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: Reopening spring 2026
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom will reopen sometime in spring 2026 (exact date TBA). The dark has been closed for since August 2025.
When it reopens, Buzz will sport new blasters on its ride vehicles and introduce a scene with a new character named Buddy (all previously revealed prior to today).
Photo by Matt Roseboom
See our separate coverage for more of what’s coming to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Soarin’ Across America: Opening by Memorial Day
Soarin’ Across America will open at Epcot “by Memorial Day” (exact date TBA; Memorial Day is May 25). 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.
‘Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live’: Opening summer 2026
Revealed today for the first time, a show called “Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live” is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It will open in summer 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: Returning late summer 2026
The Magic of Disney Animation will return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios after an 11-year absence in late summer 2026 (exact date TBA). The pavilion-style attraction replaces Star Wars Launch Bay, which itself replaced the former version of The Magic of Disney Animation in 2015.
Revealed today, 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: TBA character
- Computer Animation: TBA character
- Lighting: TBA character
- Effects: TBA character
See our separate coverage for more details on The Magic of Disney Animation and Off the Page.
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.
Not announced today, but still worth mentioning
In addition to the above date-related news revealed today (Dec. 3), a few previously announced timeframes are also important for Disney World fans:
- Feb. 1, 2026: The final day for DinoLand, U.S.A., at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including Dinosaur and Restaurantosaurus; starting Feb. 2, the land will be closed
- Summer 2026: Opening of new “play & dance” experience with Bluey and Bingo at Conservation Station in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
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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