Disney is Changing These 9 Things in the Theme Parks Based on Guest Feedback

Guests have spoken, and Disney has answered! One of the aspects Disney prides itself on with its parks around the world is the ability and willingness to make necessary changes and adapt to the desires of guests. The past year has seen Disney making these changes and improvements at a steady pace. It’s an optimistic feeling to see them delivering these changes that most view as improvements.

Disney is making a number of different changes to the theme parks after listening to guest feedback and also making changes with consideration to how guests might react. At Mickey Visit, we report on the latest Disney news, including menu changes at Disney World and changes to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

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1. Fixing Guest Complaints Surrounding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run 

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland will soon be experiencing an updated storyline and improvements to the ride experience. This attraction has received a fair bit of criticism from guests, mostly surrounding the lackluster storyline and the differing experience depending on the role you play. Guests will soon be able to experience new missions and updated storylines featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu. 

One of the primary changes coming to the attraction is the storyline’s following of Din Djarin (more commonly known as The Mandalorian) and Grogu as they challenge imperial forces across the galaxy. Another change coming to the ride, which is sure to improve gameplay and guest immersion, is guest-operator-controlled destinations.

Currently, Hondo Ohnaka leads a group of rebel guests as they embark on a journey battling the forces of the First Order. In the new adaptation of the attraction, guests will join Mando and Grogu as they journey from Tatooine to guest-operator-controlled voyages to Cloud City, Endor, or Coruscant. The soon-to-be reimagined Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will offer more autonomous gameplay to guests with these changes. Set to launch on May 22, 2026, to coincide with the movie release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will feature new story elements, updated tech, and guest immersion.

2. Changing the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Timeline to Introduce OG Characters

In an even bigger move for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney is pushing the timeline of the land back several decades in order to incorporate classic characters like Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. This addresses a compliant guests have had for years that they want to visit Star Wars land and meet the characters from the original series. 

The storyline reversal takes effect at Disneyland on April 29, 2026, with some enhancements appearing over the next couple of months before the official debut date. At Walt Disney World, the storyline and experiences within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will remain unchanged, a decision Disney says allows for two distinct versions of the land across the resorts. 

3. Fixing the Rise of the Resistance Cannons

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of riding Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can likely attest to one of the most unique features of the ride being the firing cannons of infamous AT-ATs during the ride.

There is a chance, however, that you may have experienced this thrilling ride at either park while the cannons were not functional. Due to the technical complexities of the cannon’s mechanical operations, the AT-ATs at both Disneyland and Hollywood Studios experienced challenges remaining operational in the newer years of the ride’s existence. 

The great news regarding the cannon upgrades is that the Disneyland ride had been fixed in early 2025 and remains operational, while the Hollywood Studios ride will be fixed and operational in early 2026. When fully functional, these cannons move forward and backward when fired, creating an immersive and realistic experience for guests as their transport vehicles move in and about between the firing cannons.

4. Upgrading the Frozen Ever After Animatronics 

Set to close at the end of January 26, 2026, and expected to reopen in February, Frozen Ever After in EPCOT will undergo a series of enhancements focused on improving the attraction’s realism and visual quality.

The updates include upgraded audio animatronics, fully sculpted heads and facial features for Elsa, Anna, and other characters, along with new 3D printed ride components designed to enhance overall effects throughout the attraction.

These changes directly reflect long-standing guest feedback. For years, many visitors have pointed to the use of projection faces in the Walt Disney World version as a drawback, particularly when compared to Frozen Ever After at Hong Kong Disneyland, which features fully sculpted animatronics. Guests have consistently requested an experience that more closely matches that version, making this update an important one.

5. Keeping The Muppets Presence in Hollywood Studios

A once-popular area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Muppet Courtyard, accompanied by the long-standing film attraction, MuppetVision 3D, permanently closed in June 2025. Muppet Courtyard has held its place in Hollywood Studios since 2016, and Muppet Vision 3D has been open to guests for an outstanding 34 years. When Disney made the decision to close the Muppets Courtyard, they knew guests still wanted a Muppets presence in the parks.

Disney decided to repurpose its use of the Muppets by moving the Muppets theming to the current Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster attraction, which will close on March 2nd to begin the ride’s retheming.

While guests might be sad to see the beloved Aerosmith removed from the ride after a nearly 30-year run, there is much excitement and buzz surrounding the infamous Muppets and the band, Electric Mayhem, making their way to the center stage of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster itself will remain as it is in its current state, with the infamous 2.8-second thrill of its 0-60 mph launch, but the theming inside and around the ride’s pavilion will undergo a significant transformation to welcome the Muppets as they transition from the former Muppets Courtyard to their new home at the end of Sunset Boulevard.

6. Fulfilling Guest Feedback Requesting the “Door Coaster”

The Monstropolis roller coaster, officially named Monsters, Inc. Door Coaster, is soon to be Disney’s first suspended coaster. This highly anticipated coaster will bring a new sense of excitement to the upcoming Monstropolis land of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as it will use a vertical lift and launch with various doors to replicate the infamous door warehouse scene from the beloved Monsters, Inc. film franchise.

Guests will embark on a wild ride as they follow Mike, Sulley, and Boo as they try and outrun the evil Randall in this fast-paced and high-thrill roller coaster. 

Guests have been requesting the “Door Coaster” for years, making its official confirmation a welcome surprise for many fans.

The announcement has helped ease some of the nostalgic disappointment surrounding the replacement of Muppets Courtyard, with many guests viewing the highly anticipated attraction as a worthwhile tradeoff that brings new energy and excitement to the area.

7. Disney FINALLY Giving Guests a Villains Land!

Disney Villains Land at Magic Kingdom was first announced at the D23 Expo in August 2024, with additional details and new concept art revealed at the August 2025 D23 Expo. The project has quickly become one of the most anticipated additions for Walt Disney World guests.

Rumors of a villain-themed land have circulated among Disney fans for years, and whether this concept has long been part of Imagineering plans or fueled by sustained fan enthusiasm, its official confirmation has generated significant excitement.

The new land will be built as part of one of the largest expansions in Disney Parks history, utilizing the former Rivers of America area. Plans call for two major attractions, along with villain-themed dining and shopping experiences that bring some of Disney’s most iconic antagonists into the spotlight. For many fans, this announcement delivers something they have been asking for for years: a dedicated Disney villains experience.

8. Disney Making Major Upgrades to Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is getting an upgrade in 2026. The nearly 30-year-old attraction is being enhanced with new ride vehicles, new handheld blasters, and a few additional upgrades throughout the ride sequence. New character content during interactive gameplay, including the incorporation of a friendly robot named “Buddy”, will create a more immersive experience for guests. Newly added video monitors will also be located inside each ride vehicle, allowing guests to view individual scoring in real-time.

One of the main challenges experienced by guests during this ride, since its inception in 1998, was found in the difficulty knowing whether it was one rider’s blaster or their partner’s blaster hitting targets during gameplay.

An exciting new feature with the changes coming in 2026 is that each star cruiser will be equipped with two different color lasers, making it simpler for each guest to follow their own blaster as they try and defeat the Evil Emperor Zurg in this galactic space battle. There is much buzz (pun intended) surrounding this newly updated attraction!

9. Replacing DINOSAUR with Indiana Jones Themed Ride 

While many are sad to see the beloved DINOSAUR attraction permanently closing on February 2, 2026, guests are excited for the new addition of an Indiana Jones-themed ride coming to Animal Kingdom sometime in 2027. The new Indiana Jones attraction will be found in the new “Tropical Americas” land and will feature a storyline where guests will explore a Mayan temple in an attempt to locate a mythical creature.

The ride’s mechanics will remain as they are with the existing DINOSAUR system, but the new storyline and features within the ride will be rethemed to the beloved Indiana Jones franchise.

This change reflects years of guest feedback and speculation, as many visitors have pointed to the aging DINOSAUR experience as a candidate for a major update while also frequently calling for Indiana Jones to have a stronger presence at Animal Kingdom. 

Did we miss anything? Please comment below or on social media where you found this.

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