Last chance: These Disney attractions will (or might) close in 2024
The arrival of the new theme park attractions means the closure of old favorites, so we’re taking a look at which Disney attractions are closing (or might close) in 2024.
Note: This list does not include routine refurbishments. Some attractions may close temporarily for maintenance throughout 2024, with little or no differences in story or theming upon reopening. This list pertains to attractions closing forever, or otherwise being completely repurposed from their current form.
Confirmed to Permanently Close in 2024
“Tale of the Lion King” at Disneyland — This live musical show premiered at Disney California Adventure in 2019 before debuting with an extended format in its current home in the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland in 2022.
Rather than utilizing traditional walk-around characters, “Tale of the Lion King” displays “a unique, theatrical style — with live music and dance inspired by the cultural roots of this timeless story,” as written on Disneyland’s website.
“Tale of the Lion King” will perform for the final time on Jan. 7, 2024. Showtimes for every remaining operating date are: 11 a.m. and 1, 3, and 4:15 p.m.
Disney has not announced a long-term replacement. In the immediate future, Fantasyland Theatre will host performances for the Celebrate Gospel event on Feb. 17 and 24, 2024. The sheltered, open-air venue’s former productions include “Mickey and the Magical Map” and “Snow White: An Enchanting Musical.”
Confirmed to Close for “Re-Imagining” in 2024
Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom — This Audio-Animatronics revue will take a final bow (in its current form, at least) sometime in 2024. Country Bear Jamboree was part of Walt Disney World’s opening-day lineup in 1971.
In its place, the slightly-renamed Country Bear Musical Jamboree will open. The update will star the same classic bears, but now they’ll sing country arrangements of familiar Disney songs instead of ’70s-era tunes.
Disney has not announced a timeline for the transition, except for that the new version will open this year. If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom soon, enjoy Big Al crooning “Blood on the Saddle” one last time.
Update, 1/7/24: The final operating day for Country Bear Jamboree will be Jan. 26, 2024. The new version will open summer 2024 at a date to be announced later.
Disney Studio 1 at Walt Disney Studios Park — The indoor “Main Street,” of sorts, at Disneyland Paris’ second gate will close in late April 2024 and reopen in spring 2025. This will include Disney Studio 1’s Restaurant en Coulisse, Hep Cat Corner, and shops.
Disney has not announced exactly what will change within Disney Studio 1, whose renovation is part of a larger overhaul of Walt Disney Studios Park. The project’s FAQ page states, “These works are part of the Walt Disney Studios Park transformation and will result in an improved entry sequence for all our guests to enjoy.”
The project calls to mind when Disney rerouted guests through a temporary entrance at Disney California Adventure during that park’s renovation in the early 2010s.
Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland — An opening-day attraction since Tokyo Disneyland’s debut in 1983, Space Mountain will close for three years. Its final operating day in its current form will be July 31, 2024. It will reopen sometime in 2027. During Space Mountain’s closure, Imagineers will rebuild the roller coaster, add new effects, and revise the ride’s storytelling. The makeover will extend outside, with a new look for the show building and the surrounding plaza in Tomorrowland.
“It’s not only a whole new ride experience, but the story also has so much emotion,” Kathleen Davis, producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, said on the Disney Parks Blog in 2022. “Through the queue and then on the ride, we see our connection to our planet and gain a new perspective for how special it is in all the universe. It’s a roller coaster with both thrill and heart.”
Last month, Disney announced a limited-time event to say goodbye to this version of Space Mountain. “Celebrating Space Mountain: The Final Ignition!” will take place Apr. 9 – July 31, 2024. It’s one of many events on Tokyo Disney’s 2024 calendar.
Confirmed to Permanently Close, Timeframe TBA
It’s Tough to be a Bug! at Disney’s Animal Kingdom — The 3D show inside the Tree of Life starring Flik and Hopper from “A Bug’s Life” will close to make way for a still-in-development “Zootopia” attraction.
Disney has not yet announced a timeframe for this turnover. As such, It’s Tough to be a Bug! may or may not stick around for all of 2024. In any case, fans of the show should prioritize it when visiting Animal Kingdom this year, just in case, because it’s eventually leaving at some point.
The closure of It’s Tough to be a Bug! at Animal Kingdom will mark the official ending of the show’s reign at Disney theme parks. A duplicate of the attraction, located at Disney California Adventure, closed in 2018 to make way for Avengers Campus.
Confirmed to Close for “Re-Imagining,” Timeframe TBA
Test Track at Epcot — The ride experience affectionately dubbed by fans as “Test Track 2.0” will drive into the sunset as Imagineers and Chevrolet once again transform Test Track as we know it. Disney said the future re-imagining will integrate a “spirit of optimism” embodied by World of Motion, the defunct Epcot attraction that Test Track replaced.
Disney has not announced the schedule for this change. There is currently no indication of a closing date, nor how long the overhaul will take. That being said, guests visiting Epcot in 2024 would be smart to get in those last rides on Test Track 2.0 before it becomes Test Track 3.0, so to speak.
When Test Track opened in 1999, the attraction, sponsored by General Motors, focused on tests endured by car safety dummies during a vehicle’s manufacturing stage. In 2012, Disney closed that version and partnered with new sponsor Chevrolet to pivot the attraction’s focus to car design. The ride track itself — and therefore, the physical ride experience — remained the same, but the packaging was completely different. That time, Test Track was closed for roughly eight months while Imagineers spruced it up.
For a glimpse back at Disney history, check out our POV of the original 1999 version of Test Track, recorded shortly before its closure. If you won’t make it out to Epcot before the 2012 version bids farewell, enjoy our POV of Test Track 2.0:
Likely to Close but Unconfirmed: DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
For over a year, Disney has danced around the future of DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. During consecutive D23 events in 2022 and 2023, Imagineers proposed completely different concepts for the space, emphasizing the theoretical nature of their plans and not formally announcing anything.
As of September 2023 — Disney’s most recent acknowledgement of the potential project — a land inspired by the Tropical Americas with attractions based on Indiana Jones and “Encanto” was “being considered.” For a deeper breakdown of these D23 pseudo-announcements, read our previous story about Disney’s unconventional PR strategy for this and other park projects.
While the future of this area remains unclear, Disney seems set on evolving DinoLand. The writing is on the wall; in both D23 presentations, Imagineers made no mention of retaining any thematic elements from DinoLand. Furthermore, Disney closed the Primeval Whirl roller coaster in 2020 and built nothing in its place, the ride’s former location still barren today.
Photo by Blake Taylor
Notably, though, Disney has not outright said DinoLand will close, nor has anyone from the company mentioned a timeframe of its development. Imagineering “is planning to” overhaul DinoLand. That being said, guests visiting Animal Kingdom in 2024 may want to approach their time in DinoLand as their final experience there.
Should Disney go forward with the proposed plans, the following would likely either close or majorly change:
Dinosaur — The prehistoric thrill ride takes guests back to the age of the dinosaurs. “How? That’s proprietary,” Phylicia Rashad as Dr. Marsh tells guests in the pre-show. The attraction debuted with Animal Kingdom on opening day 1998 under the monicker of “Countdown to Extinction.”
TriceraTop Spin — On this hub-and-spoke ride in the style of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, guests not only control the height of the robotic arm their ride vehicle is attached to, but also control the gentle tilt of the ride vehicle itself. The attraction opened in 2001 as part of a mini-land called Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama!, shortly thereafter joined by the now-defunct Primeval Whirl roller coaster.
Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures — Though Dino-Rama! itself was a 2001 addition to the park, the mini-land’s (very involved) backstory started as this gift shop. The store has been at Animal Kingdom since opening day 1998, and reveals that Chester and Hester are not dinosaurs at all, but rather rebellious entrepreneurs.
Atmosphere of Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama! — This may be the only Disney theme park area whose background music loop includes “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons, just as Walt pictured when he sat on a bench and dreamed of Disneyland in the ’50s.
The Boneyard — Coolest playground ever? Coolest playground ever. Kids can dig for bones and pretend to be paleontologists at this play area themed to a dig site.
Restaurantosaurus — Within the lore of DinoLand, this counter-service restaurant serves as home base for the Dino Institute’s grad-student interns.
Donald’s Dino-Bash! — Adding another wrinkle to the ever-enlightening DinoLand backstory (seriously, it’s wild), Imagineers introduced Donald’s Dino-Bash! as a long-term overlay to the entire land in 2018. Having discovered that ducks descend from dinosaurs in the evolutionary chain, Donald Duck invites his pals to Diggs County to celebrate. The highlight: Chip and Dale dressed as dinosaurs. Meet them while you can!
Crocodile Habitat — The only animal viewing location within DinoLand is home to an American crocodile named Marley. Should DinoLand go the way of the dino, it’s unknown if Marley will relocate to another area of Animal Kingdom, or leave the park entirely.
Conclusion of Anniversary Celebrations
Dream-Go-Round at Tokyo Disney Resort — The 40th anniversary of Disney’s first international destination will continue through Mar. 31, 2024. The celebration, known as Dream-Go-Round, spans both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
Both parks debuted a five-minute fireworks presentation, “Sky Full of Colors,” when the 40th anniversary began in 2023. Tokyo DisneySea also premiered an anniversary Harbor Greeting, “Let’s Celebrate with Colors.”
Tokyo Disneyland introduced “Disney Harmony in Color Parade” with the 40th, but that production seems to be sticking around. The park’s website displays a temporary hiatus for the parade from Apr. 8 – May 10, 2024, implying it will continue to be part of the park’s entertainment for the foreseeable future.
Disney100 — Various offerings connected to The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary began rolling out in Disney theme parks worldwide throughout 2023. According to Disney’s official planDisney panel, the company has yet to set an end date for the celebration. However, some of the festivities have already gone away, including most of Disneyland Resort’s Disney100 décor.
“Wondrous Journeys,” Disneyland’s nighttime spectacular that debuted in Disney100’s honor, has been dark since the onset of Halloween Time 2023. The show will return Mar. 22 – Apr. 14, 2024 in what Disney referred to in a press release as a “special presentation.”
It’s unclear if this engagement will be the last chance to see “Wondrous Journeys” forever, or if the show will continue to be part of Disneyland’s seasonal rotation in the years to come. We may not know until early 2025, likely the soonest it would perform again (following 2024’s Pixar Fest, Halloween Time, and the holiday season).
At Epcot, guests can meet Mickey and Minnie in Disney100 platinum outfits and pose with a platinum statue of Mickey. Disney initially said Epcot’s Disney100 offerings would conclude Dec. 31, 2023. However, Mickey and Minnie still appear in their anniversary duds at the time of this writing, according to Epcot’s entertainment schedule. For the time being, fans visiting Epcot who thought they’d missed this limited-time photo-op might get their chance.
Speculation
Magic Kingdom attractions in extended refurbishment — Like the DinoLand U.S.A. overhaul, Imagineers teased plans at D23 events in 2022 and 2023 to expand Magic Kingdom “beyond Big Thunder” with a major new area northwest of Frontierland. That space is currently undeveloped land, meaning a new addition wouldn’t replace any existing Magic Kingdom attraction.
Photo by Blake Taylor
When Imagineers built Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland’s equivalent to this same parcel of land, they also reconstructed parts of that park’s Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, Rivers of America, and railroad track.
As such, if Magic Kingdom expands “beyond Big Thunder,” and if those plans require a re-working of any existing infrastructure in the general vicinity, attractions like Tom Sawyer Island, Liberty Belle Riverboat, and Walt Disney World Railroad may be out of commission for a while once construction commences. Walt Disney World Railroad only just reopened in late 2022 from a four-year closure to accommodate construction of Tron Lightcycle / Run.
Photo by Attractions Magazine
The project is still in early development with no announced timeframe (or even confirmation of what Disney will build). Additionally, the expansion could follow a different approach from Disneyland and not require anything to temporarily close. If it does, though, 2024 may golden hour for this quiet corner of Magic Kingdom looking the way it does now.
Photo by Attractions Magazine
Magic Kingdom live entertainment — Elsewhere in Magic Kingdom, a handful of live productions don’t necessarily show any sign of closing soon, but may be reaching the end of their lifespan, based on patterns of the past.
- “Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade” will celebrate its 10th anniversary in March 2024. The park’s previous daytime parade performed under various names for 12 years.
- “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire,” which opened under the name of “Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” in 2016, will celebrate its 8th anniversary in June 2024. The park’s previous daytime castle stage show performed for nearly 10 years.
- “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” will celebrate its 9th anniversary at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2024 (assuming it returns, as Disney has not indicated otherwise). The show it replaced in 2015 had performed for 10 seasons.
On the other hand, Magic Kingdom’s current Halloween and Christmas parades have stuck around for over 15 years now, so long-term entertainment may be the park’s new norm.
Photos by Blake Taylor
Vacation Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Somewhat similarly, “Vacation Fun,” the short film inside the Mickey Shorts Theater at Hollywood Studios, will celebrate its 4th anniversary in 2024. The previous film in this venue, “Star Wars: Path of the Jedi,” lasted less than three years.
Again, Disney has not announced the closure of any of these shows in the last section of our list. If history repeats itself, though, fans of those productions might not want to skip them on their 2024 Walt Disney World trip.
As we definitively say goodbye to a handful of Disney experiences this year and speculate about others, dozens of new theme park attractions will open in 2024 at parks around the world. Take a look at 80 of them in our recent story.
