You’re Not Gonna Like These 4 Controversial Changes in Disney World

Buckle up because 2025 in Disney World is about to be a year like no other!

As the new year starts, a new hotel perk will debut, two new shows will take the stage, a brand new parade will hit the streets of Magic Kingdom, two new ride-themed lounges will open, we will get to ride on a third version of Test Track,  and by the end of the year, The Tree of Life will have a brand new show. Wow! That is a lot. While there is so much in store for next year, we hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are four controversial changes about to hit Disney World in 2025. 

Now, don’t get us wrong, we are super excited about all the new things coming to Disney World in 2025, but we can’t help but think about everything else that will be happening while these new experiences debut. 

Closures

2025 is about to be a year full of closures across all four parks. Disney World is changing, and in order to make way for these changes, unfortunately, we have to lose parts of Disney World to get new rides, lands, and entertainment offerings. While some of these closures are only temporary to allow for routine refurbishment, sadly, some are permanent. 

Magic Kingdom

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will close on January 6th, 2025, and will reopen in the summer of 2026
• Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Square Riverboat will permanently close in early 2025 to accommodate the construction of two new Cars-themed attractions.
• Astro Orbitor will close on January 13th, 2025, and will reopen in the summer of 2025.
• Hall of Presidents will close January 20th, 2025. No reopening date has been set at this time.

EPCOT

• Test Track has been closed since June 17th, 2024, and is set to reopen in the summer of 2025.
• The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros will close on January 6th, 2025, and is scheduled to reopen on March 15th, 2025.

Hollywood Studios

• Voyage of the Little Mermaid did not reopen after the pandemic, and it was announced that a new show, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, would take its place and open in the same theater in the summer of 2025.
• Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy closed on October 7th, 2024, to make way for a brand new show called Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, which will open in the summer of 2025.
• While no exact date has been announced, it was confirmed that construction would begin on the new Monsters, Inc. Land in 2025. The new land is set to take over the current location of Muppets Courtyard.

Animal Kingdom

• It’s Tough To Be a Bug! will close and be replaced with a new show called Zootopia: Better Zoogether! The new attraction is set to open in the winter of 2025. So far, a closing date for It’s Tough To Be a Bug! has not been announced.
• Kali River Rapids will close for its annual refurbishment on January 6th, 2025. No reopening date has been announced.
• DinoLand, U.S.A. will begin a phased closure starting January 13th, 2025. For the first phase, it was announced that the last day for TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures would be January 12th, 2025. This is being done to prepare for the new Tropical Americas-themed land, Pueblo Esperanza. 

Construction

With closures comes construction, and with the number of permanent closures and refurbishments scheduled, you can expect A LOT of it in 2025. Be prepared to see construction walls throughout the park.

Pack your patience as you may have to take detours as certain walkways may be blocked off due to construction. Remember EPCOT during the EPCOT Transformation and there were walls everywhere?

Construction Noise

With construction comes the potential for construction noise. We know it is not ideal to hear the sound of construction while you are trying to enjoy your day immersed in the park, but it is just something to be aware of. 

Multiple hotels, including Bay Lake Tower, the Grand Floridian, Pop Century, Port Orleans – Riverside, Wilderness Lodge, Yacht Club, and Beach Club, are all scheduled to have construction at some point in 2025 and do warn guests of staying at these resorts that there is a chance that they can hear construction throughout the day.

Plan for Crowded Areas

As parts of the parks close, you can plan for more congested areas. A large part of Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom will close throughout 2025 and into 2026, and it will be interesting to see how crowd control is handled. 

The same goes for Animal Kingdom, as the entirety of DinoLand U.S.A. will eventually close. 

As we said, just pack your patience. There is still so much to look forward to in the new year at Disney World, and although these four changes will take some getting used to, eventually, the construction will bring forth so many new experiences for you and your family to enjoy for the years to come.

To stay up to date on all the latest Disney news, make sure you continue to follow along with AllEars so you never miss out!

9 HUGE Things Coming to Walt Disney World in 2025

Will you be taking a trip to Disney World in 2025? Let us know in the comments!

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