Walt Disney World has just shared news on some of its new projects and ride updates in development! We're at Walt Disney World today for a press event to learn more about what's happening in the upcoming year.
We now have new details on enhancements coming to an iconic Magic Kingdom roller coaster, the opening date of a new Animal Kingdom show, a look at updated vehicles for a major ride overhaul, and more. Keep reading for all of the updates on these new projects.
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Disney World Announcements for New Additions
There are some big expansions currently underway for the Disney World parks, introducing several brand-new Disney World rides in the coming years.
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While these projects are under construction, Disney is also making some bigger changes and updates to existing rides right now. We just got some new details about these projects that are going to be debuting throughout the next year into 2026 including updates to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom, a look at the updated Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin vehicles, and more. Check it all out below.
Let's dive into the announcements that Disney World made today…
Concept Art Revealed for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Changes
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad closed earlier this year in January for a year-long refurbishment, and it will be reopening in 2026 with some “new magic.”
Disney shared that they're taking this time to do an extensive refurbishment of the ride from top to bottom, and they're also making some changes to the lift hill scene. During this moment of the ride, the rainbow caverns will transform to red caverns with a loud crack of thunder. We have a first look at what that transition will look like—see the red caverns below! Disney also shared that there are more updates coming to the ride that will be revealed soon.
You can see more of the concept art revealed and some of the fun backstory of this version of the ride in our separate article.
Opening Date and Storyline Details Revealed for New Zootopia Show
Another big announcement Disney made was the opening date of the new Zootopia attraction, “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” coming to Animal Kingdom this winter! This new addition at the Tree of Life Theater, which replaced the former “It's Tough to be a Bug!” show that closed permanently earlier this year, will open on November 7, 2025.
We also now have some more details about the attraction's storyline. The show is set during the “Zoogether Day” celebration, which features special performances you'll see from the live-streamed watch party, like ice-skating spectaculars from Tundratown, synchronized swimming from Marsh Market, and tiny mouse drone shows from Little Rodentia. The show culminates in a musical finale by Gazelle!
In addition to favorites from the film, the show will also feature new characters, like the wolf Heidi Howler, who hosts the Zoogether Day LIVE! broadcast. The show will also have some new effects, including a new scent and “CarrotVision 3D glasses.”
New Zootopia Meet and Greet
There will also be a meet-and-greet at Animal Kingdom with Judy and Nick in their new looks from Zootopia 2. They will be greeting guests at Discovery Island near the Tree of Life at the Zoogether Day Gathering Spot.
New Concept Art for Muppets Takeover of Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster
We also got a very fun new look at Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, which is coming to Hollywood Studios in 2026! This is a retheming of the current Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. The Muppet*Vision 3D attraction closed a few months ago to make way for the new Monsters Inc. land coming to the park.
We now have concept art for the “vibrant and psychedelic new design” on the bottom of the giant guitar outside of the ride entrance, as well as the pre-show, featuring the Electric Mayhem in the recording studio, featuring the penguins as audio engineers. Disney describes how on the ride, “the iconic scenery and landmarks of Tinseltown will feature a Muppet twist,” and the Electric Mayhem will play iconic hits.
You can see all of the details and new Muppets concept art just released for the ride in our separate article here!
New Look at Updated Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin Vehicles
We also got a new look at the reimagined Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin vehicles, featuring handheld blasters and a screen with real-time scoring.
As Disney previously shared, there will be two different colored lights on each vehicle, as well as lighting, sound, and vibration effects for the blasters. The static Z targets will be upgraded with new technology that will cause them to light up when they are hit. See us testing out these new targets below!
There will also be a new character and scene added in the ride, featuring Buddy the support robot, who will welcome guests and give them mission tips, while guests get an opportunity to practice aiming with their blasters. You can see all details about the new updates coming to the ride in our separate article here.
New Beak and Barrel Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge Opening Soon
The new Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired lounge called “The Beak and Barrel” at Magic Kingdom will be opening soon! The Beak and Barrel opens August 29, and the demand for this new lounge crashed the Disney World website a few times when reservations were first released. This is an all-ages lounge, unlike the new adults-only lounge that recently opened in EPCOT, with a two-per-adult drink limit and a time limit of 45 minutes per party.
The story of the lounge is that it used to be a mess hall for Spanish soldiers and is now known as “The Mess.” The bar is filled with immersive details, like an anchor covered in candles dripping wax hanging overhead, and a bar put together “from salvaged portions of a cursed shipwreck.” The lounge was established by legendary pirate rumrunner, Captain Meridian “Merry” Goldwyn, and her parrot companion, Rummy, who acts as the tavern’s quartermaster, keeping an eye on everything from his roost.
You can see all details about the new bar and the menu that was recently released in our separate article.
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New Mission Coming to Millennium Falcon Ride
Today, Disney also mentioned the new storyline featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu that is coming to the Millennium Falcon next year! These new additions debut on May 22, 2026, in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at both Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park.
In this new version of the ride, guests will get to fly to iconic destinations from across the Star Wars universe. After visiting Tatooine, they can choose between Bespin, Coruscant, or the wreckage of the second Death Star around Endor for their next destination. The engineer role, which has always been the least exciting position on the ride, will also be getting some new upgrades, including the ability to communicate with Grogu during the mission!
You can see the new concept art and details of the new ride in our separate article here!
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