Disney Just Announced New Ride Closures, Attraction Updates, and More

This week’s Disney news cycle includes an update to a popular attraction at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, coverage of new Disney drone testing in California, and live coverage of Disney’s new residential community. We will share a roundup of all of the key Disneyland and Disney World news you may have missed this week.

At Mickey Visit, we are constantly covering the latest Disney theme park news. Each week, there is always something new happening, whether that includes ride closures, openings, or other things that could impact your trip! You can also check out our roundup of the key news from last week here.

Major Disney News You Missed This Week

soarin over california disneyland

Let’s start with news impacting both Disneyland and Disney World..

Disney announced that a new version of the Soarin’ film is coming to both Disney World and Disneyland called Soarin’ Across America. Learn more about this brand new Soarin’ show and when it will debut at the theme parks.

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Disneyland and Disney World are going big with their Fourth of July celebration next year with an expanded fireworks show to celebrate our nation’s 250 anniversary. Find out all the dates and information on this new celebration in our separate article.

New footage was captured in Santa Clarita, California, of drone testing at Walt Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch. This is an active movie backlot controlled by Disney with over 890 acres of active production space. Read our separate article for speculation on what this means for a possible new Disney drone show.

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) released its report of global theme park attendance, and Disney has once again topped the list. Learn which theme parks made the top list for most attendance in 2024.

The Disneyland and Disney World apps experienced technical issues earlier this week due to the Amazon Web Services global outage. Read our initial coverage on this technical issue which also impacted the theme parks.

Disney’s first Storyliving by Disney community, located in California’s Coachella Valley, is making big strides in progress. See our coverage from our visit to this planned residential community.

During our tour of Disney’s first Storyliving by Disney community, we got to see the new Parr House, which is a recreation of the midcentury home of the Parr family seen in Incredibles 2. See all our photos in our separate article. 

Disneyland specific news this week… 

Disney teamed up with Make-A-Wish and MrBeast, along with YouTube and famous content creators, for a special event at Disneyland. See all our coverage of this event from our day in the parks!

We DEBUNKED a viral rumor across social media that the very popular Evil Queen character and other villains will no longer appear year-round at Disneyland. Read our fact checking of all these viral claims.

Carthay Circle Restaurant, one of our top Mickey Visit best Disneyland restaurants, just received some seasonal menu changes. Learn about all these changes to the menu in our coverage.

A Disneyland ride closure has been added to the refurbishment calendar in the middle of the Christmas celebration at Disneyland. See which ride is going to be closed so you can plan accordingly.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln returned to Disneyland for the first reported appearance since the Walt Disney show debuted. See all details on the return that we know now.

One of our favorite new Disneyland Halloween foods we tried is apparently sold out for the year. Read more about this viral treat in our initial coverage of this disappointing news.

jollywood nights christmas tree

And news at Walt Disney World…

Disney World released news about the entertainment offerings for Jollywood Nights, including new rare characters, changes to the party lineup, and a Star Wars Life Day character interaction. See all the changes coming to Jollywood Nights in our separate article.

Disney World also released the full Jollywood Nights food guide featuring returning favorites and new items. Learn about all the exclusive food and drink items coming to this event. 

More dates sold out for both Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and Jollywood Nights. Read more about all the sold-out dates and why you should get your tickets soon!

Disney World announced the 2026 International Festival of the Arts dates, along with returning entertainment and a new experience. Learn about the new experience and dates for this popular EPCOT festival.

And for broader Orlando theme park news…

We learned about some significant new changes that are coming to Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Orlando Executive Airport (ORL) over the next decade. See all the different changes that will impact your Orlando theme park vacations in our separate article.

Universal Orlando released their 2026 ticket details, which includes a new ticket option allowing guests to visit Epic Universe more frequently. Read all about the new ticket types in our coverage.

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About Lindsay Brookshier

Lindsay has been recognized as a Disney expert since 2017 and has been featured by outlets including CNBC, SFGate, NerdWallet, and Visit Anaheim. She visits Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Universal Orlando multiple times each year, giving her first hand insight into park operations, seasonal trends, crowd patterns, and touring strategies.

Her experience also extends to Disney Cruise Line, where she has sailed on every class of ship, visited both of Disney’s private islands, and participated in specialty sailings such as Marvel Day at Sea and Very MerryTime cruises. This depth of travel allows her to provide practical, data informed guidance across Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line, Universal theme parks, and related destinations.

As Content Director of Mickey Visit, Lindsay oversees editorial strategy and daily content, leading a team of writers who produce timely news coverage and general planning content. She leads the development and analysis of Mickey Visit’s crowd calendars, applying expert insight into crowd behavior, seasonal trends, and park operations. Lindsay writes touring plans, authors in depth reviews, and offers expert analysis on Disney experiences, while also analyzing the best and worst days to visit. She serves as an expert on Disney discounts, tracking and evaluating ticket offers, hotel promotions, and seasonal deals. She comes from a lifelong Disney family, has been visiting Disneyland since the 1990s, and is even in the middle of planning a Disney Cruise Line wedding.

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