Big CHANGES Hit Disney World and Universal

Listen up, there are a LOT of construction projects happening in Central Florida theme parks right now.

EPCOT is getting a massive transformation, several Disney resorts are under refurbishment, and Universal Orlando is building an entirely new theme park. So what’s going on with those projects (and all the others)? We’re rounding up the big changes from the past month!

Magic Kingdom

Starting out at Magic Kingdom, we’re getting closer to the opening date of TRON Lightcycle / Run in April! This month, we noticed that what looks to be a snack stand had been installed near the ride.

The ride itself is complete, as Cast Member previews have been taking place. More previews will continue in March before the opening.

And of course, work continues on Tomorrowland Light & Power Co., the gift shop at the exit of Space Mountain. Disney has not announced an opening date for this yet, but we’ll be on the lookout.

They’re working on the exterior, near the TRON entrance

In January, Splash Mountain officially closed at Magic Kingdom to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. This month, we’ve seen a few updates with construction. Materials have arrived in the queue area, and the indoor part of the queue was being used as a workshop earlier in the month but has since been blocked off.

In the front of the mountain, we’ve seen construction workers on the scaffolding working on updating the exterior to fit with the new theme. There is a lot of equipment out and about.

We’ll continue to keep our eyes on these two new rides!

EPCOT

At EPCOT, we have quite a few updates to share! First, construction began in the parking lot near the drop-off and pick-up area. It’s possible that the space will be expanding.

We also noticed that a snack stand in World Discovery is now behind walls. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for any changes or updates. It’s the one located closest to Mission: SPACE.

World Discovery Snack Stand Construction

Work also continues near Guest Relations on the pathway that connects back to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. An excavator was onsite recently, and we’re hoping this means that progress will speed up a little bit.

Cool Wash has been under construction near Test Track for quite a while now, but the snack stand got a new sign this month…well, sort of. We’d seen the new “Refreshment Station” sign in the past, but then it was taken down shortly after going up. Now it’s back again!

Heading around to the main construction zone, we noticed some additions to CommuniCore Hall this month. More metal pieces were added to the building structure.

And at Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana, we’ve got some more foliage added around the exterior of the attraction. Also, the walkway through the second half of the attraction is more outlined now ahead of the concrete being poured.

New trees planted by the edge of the attraction!

We can’t wait to see all of this complete!

Hollywood Studios

Roundup Rodeo BBQ opens in March, and we’re just a few weeks away from the big day! In February, new additions were made to the signage in front of the restaurant, and the construction walls were replaced by rolling hedges.

If you’re interested in visiting soon, make sure to check out the menu and prices for this new Toy Story-themed spot.

Disney Resorts

Construction continues at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, where the new DVC building has its first major wall going up. How exciting!

At Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, construction on the rooms has moved to the Sugarloaf building. The rooms at this hotel are getting big makeovers, so you may hear noise during the daytime.

And at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, the exterior construction is complete at the Copper Creek Villas. All the scaffolding is gone from the outside of the building.

We’ve got a lot more changes coming soon at the other hotels as well.

Universal Studios Florida

Now, it’s time to head over to the OTHER theme park — Universal Orlando! At Universal Studios Florida, we got a chance to check out the new construction walls in the back of the park, blocking the area where Fievel’s Playland, Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster, and Curious George Goes to Town used to live.

These attractions have all been permanently closed to make way for new additions. Currently, the area is blocked by construction walls covered in Dreamworks characters.

You might spot some favorite characters!

Those are all the major updates we have for you this month, but stay tuned for more news from the theme parks and announcements about all the ongoing projects. We’re very excited to see these things completed!