15 MAJOR Disney World Changes Hitting in 2026 That Will Impact Trips

There are many changes coming to Walt Disney World in 2026 that guests should be aware of as they plan their vacations for the next year. Disney World is in a state of change with many new attractions being built, including brand new lands and new themes taking over existing attractions. There are also policies and pricing shifting going into the new year.

Let’s get into all the changes coming to Disney World in 2026. At Mickey VIsit, we report on all the recent Disney news, including updates to all the major construction expansion projects in Magic Kingdom and all the construction impacts for all of 2026.

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1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Finally Returns

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is set to reopen after experiencing over a year-long refurbishment as Disney World works on its new major theme park expansions.

Magic Kingdom is in a very active state of construction as Disney builds a brand new Villains land and Piston Peak National Park, the Cars-inspired area that replaced Rivers of America. There will be “new magic” coming to the classic attraction with new effects, lighting, scenery, and a smoother track. The classic Magic Kingdom thrill ride will reopen in spring 2026.

2. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin Reopens with Major Updates

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will be debuting its new ride changes, which include a major overhaul to the classic attraction, like new ride vehicles and handheld blasters. A new character will be introduced, a friendly robot named “Buddy” that will immerse guests more directly into the experience.

Another key upgrade is the incorporation of video monitors located inside each ride vehicle, allowing guests to view scoring in real-time. The new and improved attraction will reopen in spring 2026. Magic Kingdom has been operating without two of its key attractions, so once these reopen, it will improve the experience in this theme park and add more Lightning Lanes to available selections.

3. Cinderella Castle Getting New Paint Job

Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom will soon have a new paint job as it shifts back to its classic blue, gray, and white colors and moves away from the shades of pink and blue Disney World added before the 50th anniversary. We called this one of the most controversial changes Disney has made over the years and many guests have asked for the original color scheme to return.

The work to repaint the castle will begin in January 2026 which includes draining the moat around the castle and tall cranes. The cranes willbe lowered and out of sight by noon each day in order to still allow guests to get castle photos throughout the work timeline. The repainting of Cinderella Castle is expected to be completed in late 2026.

4. DINOSAUR and DinoLand U.S.A. Closing Permanently

The DINOSAUR attraction and DinoLand U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom will close permanently on February 2, 2026, to make way for the new Tropical Americas land. The new land will be home to two signature attractions: an Indiana Jones experience and the first-ever Encanto-themed ride-through attraction.

5. Bluey Experience Comes to Disney World

A new Bluey-themed experience is coming to the Conservation Station in Animal Kingdom with interactive games and meet-and-greet opportunities. Some favorite games from the show will be present with a fun animal twist, including butterfly keepy uppy.

There will also be a specific animal encounter related to Bluey, where guests will be able to “step outside to discover an experience with animals native to Bluey’s home country of Australia”! No official reopening date has been set for this experience quite yet, but it will likely come after DinoLand U.S.A. closes to add more experiences to the theme park.

6. Dining Location Shake Ups in Animal Kingdom

In response to DinoLand U.S.A.’s quick-service locations closing permanently, Disney has moved around some of its quick-service offerings. This includes Harambe Market reopening in 2026 with expanded menu options, the popular Buffalo Chicken Chips now available in Discovery Island, and hand-scooped ice cream returning in February 2026.

7. Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith Closing Permanently

Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will close permanently on March 1, 2026, in Hollywood Studios as it’s transformed into a new Muppets theme. Disney World has not announced any changes to Lightning Lane Multi Pass during this closure period quite yet.

Currently, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is one of the four selections for top priority booking for Lightning Lane, which also includes Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Slinky Dog Dash.

8. Muppets Coaster Opening in Summer

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will be rethemed to the Muppets, featuring fan-favorites including Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem band, as well as their friends Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and the gang as they travel to a concert in a super-stretched limo.

The mechanics of the ride will remain the same as the former Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aersomith, but the preshow experience as well as the artwork in and around the ride’s pavilion will undergo a significant retheming. The new experience will reopen in summer 2026.

9. The Walt Disney Studios Replacing Animation Courtyard

The former area in Hollywood Studios, known as Animation Courtyard, is being rethemed to The Walt Disney Studios. The popular Emmy Award-winning short film, “Once Upon A Studio,” is part of the inspiration for this new experience called “The Magic of Disney Animation” that is replacing Star Wars: Launch Bay.

Animation Courtyard will be renamed “The Walt Disney Studios,” which name takes inspiration from several buildings found in Burbank. This nod to the legendary Walt Disney Studios Lot includes the Disney World version of the Studio Theater, which will continue to be home to “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.” As for Disney Junior, a new and “fresh” Disney Jr. show will take place over at the “soundstage” when the area reopens in 2026.

10. New Storyline for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

More changes to Hollywood Studios, including a new storyline for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The attraction will soon have new missions and updated storylines featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu. Some of the key changes coming to the ride are a new story that follows

The Mandalorian and Grogu as they travel across the galaxy, and also includes updated gameplay to improve the immersive experience of the attraction. This new experience launches on May 22, 2026, to coincide with the movie release of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

11. Frozen Ever After Debuting New Audio-Animatronic Upgrades

Over in EPCOT, Frozen Ever After will close for refurbishment at the end of January and will reopen with upgraded Audio-Animatronics with newly sculpted heads and facial features of Elsa, Anna, and friends to improve the realistic effects of the ride.

This has been a change Disney fans have been requesting for years. There is no exact date announced for the reopening, but the upgrades to the attraction should be ready in February 2026.

12. New Soarin’ Over America Debuts

Another change coming to EPCOT is a new Soarin’ storyline for the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration. This tribute to the United States will be called Soarin’ Across America and will be the third reimagining of the popular attraction.

Soarin’ Across America will open in EPCOT in summer 2026.

13. Lightning Lane Multi Pass Changes

Lightning Lane Multi Pass will see major changes in 2026 as we see several attractions removed from available selections, like DINOSAUR and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. At Animal Kingdom, the removal of DINOSAUR from available selections will reduce the number of rides you can use this line-skipping pass for.

As for Hollywood Studios, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is one of the four selections for top priority booking for Lightning Lane, which will likely be replaced by The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror during its downtime before it reopens with the new Muppets theme. The good news for Magic Kingdom is that we will see improvements to Lightning Lane selections with Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad rejoining the list of available choices when these attractions reopen.

14. Kids Dine Free for 2026 Disney Dining Plans

The Disney Dining Plan is going to be more popular than usual in 2026 since Disney World is offering a free dining plan for kids (ages 3 to 9) with the purchase of an eligible Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at a Disney World hotel and a dining plan for each guest ages 10 and up. This offer can be combined with many other Disney World offers as well, making it a great discount for families next year.

15. Price Increases for Adults on Disney Dining Plans

There is also a small price increase for the 2026 Disney Dining Plans. For adults, the 2026 Disney Dining Plan prices only went up a little compared to 2025.

The Quick Service Dining Plan increased by $1.33 per adult from last year’s $59.14 price, while the standard Disney Dining Plan went up just $0.80 per adult from the 2025 price of $97.79. Overall, the changes for adults are pretty minor and likely won’t make a noticeable difference for most trips but do help Disney World account for the increase in free kids dining.

There are also some restaurants shifting their dining plan availability. See the four dining plan changes here.

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