Walt Disney World‘s 2026 slate is filled with new experiences like Bluey’s Wild World and reimaginings of thrill rides like Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Looking ahead toward 2027, the resort’s momentum continues with new rides, a theme park expansion, and even a new hotel.
In 2027, Disney World will open new and repurposed attractions featuring some of the company’s most popular characters. We break down what’s opening, plus what’s still unconfirmed but likely to happen. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including the permanent closure of a store at Disney Springs and new dates for Disney World’s Extended Evening Hours.
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What’s New at Disney World
Walt Disney World has already announced a number of projects for 2027 that we break down below. Some have been confirmed to open next year and others do not have an opening date announced, but are likely for next year based on the construction timelines.
Before we get into 2027, let’s touch on what’s new for 2026 at Walt Disney World. We’ve been covering all these projects as they develop, and you can find helpful planning info for each of them at their respective links.
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Magic Kingdom just reopened two classic attractions, both of which had been closed for lengthy refurbishments and now have major upgrades: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
On May 22, 2026, the Mandalorian and Grogu will permanently join Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
On May 26, 2026, EPCOT will introduce Soarin’ Across America, a limited-time version of the favorite simulator attraction, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will open Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station, marking the Disney World debut of the popular preschool character.
That same day, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, a reimagined version of Disney World’s only upside-down coaster, now featuring Jim Henson’s characters instead of Aerosmith.
Also on May 26, Hollywood Studios will open a new land called The Walt Disney Studios, complete with a new show called Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! Later this summer, the land will open The Magic of Disney Animation, complete with a drawing class hosted by an Olaf Audio-Animatronics figure.
Confirmed for 2027: Encanto Ride
A ride based on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 2021 megahit Encanto will open in 2027 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The ride takes place on the day in the movie when Antonio Madrigal receives his gift of talking to animals.
Guests will enter the queue for the Encanto ride by stepping into the Madrigals’ Casita, which will stand tall in a new land at Animal Kingdom called Tropical Americas. As a whole, Tropical Americas replaces DinoLand, U.S.A., which permanently closed in February 2026.
Disney hasn’t announced what type of ride system the Encanto attraction will utilize. For example, is this a trackless ride like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, a boat ride like Na’vi River Journey, or something different?
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No matter what the actual ride experience will be, the attraction is expected to be family-friendly with state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics figures. Given the quality of the new Audio-Animatronics installed earlier this year in Frozen Ever After at EPCOT, our expectations are high for Encanto’s characters.
Disney recently shared how the Encanto ride will connect with Animal Kingdom’s purpose.
In addition to the Encanto ride, the new Tropical Americas land will feature two other attractions we’ll explore later in this story.
The Encanto ride will open sometime in 2027, but Disney has not announced a specific opening date or season. We predict its opening timeframe here.
Possible for 2027: Carousel of Progress Makeover
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom will undergo significant changes in the near future.
The longstanding ride takes guests on a journey through the history of at-home technology, but given that its last major update was in 1994, it’s in desperate need of some modernization. In the finale’s current form, the characters marvel at such wonders as laser discs and car phones.
In 2025, Disney announced Carousel of Progress would be updated with an Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney, similar to the one that recently debuted at Disneyland. Along with this change, Disney says it will update other aspects of the ride, including “what John, Sarah, and the rest of the family are up to.”
Disney hasn’t revealed a timeframe for the Carousel of Progress refurbishment. However, since we’re almost midway through 2026 with no announced closure yet, it seems likely these changes will take place in 2027.
Confirmed for 2027: Disney Lakeshore Lodge
Disney Lakeshore Lodge is a new Walt Disney World hotel opening adjacent to Bay Lake near Magic Kingdom. The hotel will be part of Disney Vacation Club (DVC). As such, we expect it will be categorized into Disney World’s deluxe tier of hotels for non-DVC guests.
Longtime Disney World visitors may remember when this same parcel of land was once home to River Country, a water park that operated from 1976 to 2001.
Disney Lakeshore Lodge will open sometime in summer 2027, but Disney has not revealed an exact opening date. Read lots more details about Disney Lakeshore Lodge here.
Confirmed for 2027: Indiana Jones Ride
A new Indiana Jones ride will open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as part of the upcoming Tropical Americas land, which also includes the aforementioned Encanto ride.
The Indiana Jones attraction will repurpose the former DINOSAUR ride, which permanently closed in February 2026. Guests will board the same Jeep-like ride vehicles for a thrilling, bumpy trip through the jungle, but instead of encountering a Carnataurus, they’ll join Indiana Jones as he explores an ancient temple.
Animal Kingdom’s Indiana Jones ride will inherently share many similarities with Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure, seeing as DINOSAUR adapted that attraction’s ride system to begin with. However, the Animal Kingdom ride will tell a new story completely different from the Disneyland version.
The new Indiana Jones ride will open sometime in 2027, but Disney has not announced an opening date. We predict the ride’s opening timeframe here.
Confirmed for 2027: New Magic Kingdom Transportation
Magic Kingdom’s parking lot is notoriously over a mile away from the theme park. Guests have to travel across the Seven Seas Lagoon to get from their cars to the castle. To do so, they can either ride the monorail or one of three large ferry boats.
In 2027, Magic Kingdom will add a fourth ferry boat to its fleet. The vessel will be named the Meg Gilbert Crofton, after the Walt Disney World President from 2006 to 2013. It’s currently under construction at a Florida marina.
The fourth ferry will debut sometime in 2027, though Disney has not announced an exact date.
Confirmed for 2027: Grand Floridian Restoration Completion
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Walt Disney World’s flagship hotel, has been in an extended refurbishment since 2021 while remaining open to guests. This work will finally be complete in 2027.
So far, the updates have included a refresh of standard guest rooms and Disney Vacation Club guest rooms, renovations of on-site restaurants Narcoosee’s and 1900 Park Fare, and a lobby transformation with upgraded furniture and flooring, plus a new lobby bar called The Perch. The Garden View Lounge – Tea Experience also recently reopened.
Still to come as part of the resort’s ongoing projects are a refurbishment of Grand Floridian Café and a makeover of the resort’s main entrance.
All the work at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is expected to be complete by early 2027, the culmination of six years of refurbishment.
Possible for 2027: Soarin’ Replacement
May 13, 2026, is the final day to ride Soarin’ Around the World at EPCOT. The attraction will then be closed until May 26, when Soarin’ Across America will debut.
This new version of the ride will simulate a flight above scenic locales across the United States. Disney has said Soarin’ Across America is a limited-time offering to celebrate the United States’ 250th anniversary, but has not specified how long it will stick around.
The nation’s semiquincentennial is July 4, 2026, but I expect Soarin’ Across America to last much longer, since Disney has been promoting it since October 2025. Exactly how much longer, though, remains a mystery.
Given the limited-time status of Soarin’ Across America, I cautiously estimate it will last at least into 2027, then it will be replaced by a different version of the ride. Again, though, this begs more questions: Which version of the ride? Soarin’ Around the World? Soarin’ Over California? Something new altogether?
This remains to be seen, and again, all we know for sure is that Soarin’ Across America is a limited-time addition that will eventually be replaced.
Confirmed for 2027: Animal Carousel
In addition to the Encanto and Indiana Jones rides described above, the new Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will include a carousel ride.
The fictional narrative that Walt Disney Imagineering crafted for the backstory of Tropical Americas takes place in a village named Pueblo Esperanza. So the story goes, a woodcarver in Pueblo Esperanza fashioned a carousel for all to enjoy. Instead of traditional horses as steeds, though, the woodcarver crafted the ride’s mounts in the shapes of animal characters from his favorite stories.
Guests know the woodcarver’s favorite stories as Disney and Pixar animated films. Characters represented as ride vehicles in the concept art for the carousel include Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King, Squirt the sea turtle from Finding Nemo, and other Disney friends.
Along with all of the rides in the Tropical Americas land, the area will also be home to one of Disney World’s largest quick-service restaurants, repurposed from the former Restaurantosaurus, as well as a shop repurposed from the defunct Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures.
Confirmed for 2027: Contemporary Refurbishment Completion
Sweeping refurbishment projects have been underway across Disney’s Contemporary Resort since 2024.
Updates have included refurbishments of every room in the main tower and Garden Wing with new interior theming based on The Incredibles. The Bay Cove Pool and the Cove Bar also recently experienced makeovers.
Disney is currently refurbishing the exterior of the main tower.
The resort’s renovations were originally slated to be complete by September 2025, then by July 2026, and now by late 2027, according to Disney.
New Disney World Rides Beyond 2027
There’s a lot to look forward to at Walt Disney World in 2027, but it’s just the beginning of multiple consecutive years of major expansions opening at three of the resort’s four theme parks.
In the years following the 2027 opening of Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Monstropolis will open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and two new areas, Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land, will open at Magic Kingdom.
Disney has not revealed opening dates or even opening years for any of these projects except Tropical Americas, but we predict the opening timeframe for all of these expansions here.
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