Why You Need To Be PREPARED In Disney World Next Week

It’s been a BIG week in Disney World, and yes, we know we’ve said that pretty often recently, but this week? We really mean it.

In fact, not only was this past week big when it came to not one, but TWO attractions opening early, but this upcoming weeks in the park may be one of the biggest we’ve seen in a LONG time. Why? Because Cool KIDS’ SUMMER stars on May 26th, and that means SO MUCH is changing in the parks.

This past week, FØØD by Swedish Chef and The Walt Disney Studios in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well as Soarin’ Across America in EPCOT, all opened their doors to the public once again.

While that’s far from nothing, it doesn’t even compare to this upcoming week, when there’s an offering in EACH Disney World park that’s opening to the public — sometimes more than one!

If you’re visiting Disney World this upcoming week, though, there are lots of closures to watch out for throughout the resort from May 21st through 20th!

Magic Kingdom

The Diamond Horseshoe

The Diamond Horseshoe is a table service restaurant you’ll find in Liberty Square, but beginning on May 26th, it’ll become Jessie’s Roundup for Cool KIDS’ SUMMER!

This is a fun craft and dance party that kiddos will love (and it’ll give parents time to hang out in the AC), featuring some of your favorite characters from the Toy Story franchise. It’s expected that this offering will only be around through the end of Cool KIDS’ SUMMER on September 8th, and then the restaurant will return to its normal dining offering.

Pete’s Silly Sideshow

Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus has been temporarily unavailable since January 4th, 2026. This is the area where you can meet Daisy Duck, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy in their circus attire.

While the meet-and-greet area is temporarily closed, you can still meet these characters! Goofy and Minnie can be found at the entrance to Storybook Circus, and Donald and Daisy are in the back of Storybook Circus by the restrooms. Disney hasn’t announced a reopening date, but we will keep an eye out!

Big Top Souvenirs

Disney also temporarily closed Big Top Souvenirs, the merchandise location inside this area of the park. There’s no reopening date in sight, only that it’ll “reopen for guests later this year.”

They’ve completely taken apart the tent for structural repairs on the building. During the closure, you can find similar souvenirs at The Emporium and snacks at The Confectionery on Main Street.

Liberty Square Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Rivers of America

The Rivers of America, including the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island, have permanently closed as of July 7th, 2025. There are lots of construction walls up around the area, the river has been drained, and structures on Tom Sawyer Island have been demolished.

This area is closing to make way for the new Cars area, called Piston Peak. This will replace the Rivers of America and will feature two brand-new attractions. Disney has not yet released an opening date for this new area.

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Animation Courtyard

Animation Courtyard closed on September 25th, 2025. This includes Star Wars Launch Bay, the Disney Jr. Play and Dance! show and the character meet-and-greets. The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure and Walt Disney Presents are still open.

Animation Courtyard closed to make way for The Walt Disney Studios. This area will feature The Magic of Disney Animation, where animated characters will “come to life.” You will be able to watch portraits interact, see a short film, and even learn to draw Disney character sketches. The current Disney Jr. Play and Dance! will be getting a “fresh” take. As well, there will also be a new Drawn to Wonderland playground area, and you can even spot the iconic Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat on top of the building right now. The new area began a phased opening earlier this week, starting with the courtyard and the Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! show. 

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

The retheme for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith to become Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets is well underway! This ride will open on May 26th, 2026, and we already know the new soundtrack we’ll hear. The front entrance of the ride has also been painted a silver color, and there’s a new G-Force Records sign!

We got a chance to ride the new ride recently and gave you ALL the details!

Muppets Courtyard

As of June 8th, the Muppets Courtyard is blocked by construction walls, and both Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo are closed forever. Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano closed for good on May 11th, 2025. Most recently, Disney filed FOUR new permits to begin installing signage and continue work on four of the buildings in the new land.

We also got some updated aerial shots of the new coaster coming to the area, and let’s just say, it’s looking big and beautiful!

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EPCOT

Refreshment Port

Refreshment Port is closed for refurbishment as of January 12th, and now we know that it’ll reopen as La Poutinerie, and will be sponsored by Air Canada. Yes, the airline!

Again, no date has been announced yet, but now that we know it’s being rethemed, we’re hoping to get more information soon!

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom

On February 23rd, Disney temporarily closed the Wildlife Express over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, effectively closing off the whole area until the new Bluey’s Wild World is ready for Cool KIDS’ SUMMER on May 26th.

While we’re looking forward to the new addition, we’re bummed that a whole section of this park is unavailable while so much other construction is going on. If you’re looking forward to visiting Bluey’s Wild World when it opens on May 26th, it was just announced that there will be a Virtual Queue in place, so keep that in mind when planning!

DinoLand U.S.A.

As of February 2nd, DinoLand U.S.A. is officially closed to make way for the new Tropical Americas land coming to the park. It’ll feature three new rides, a quick service dining location, a beautiful fountain in the center of the land, and so much more.

Recently, Disney filed two new permits for the new Indiana Jones attraction on the way, which is a great step forward! We can only imagine what’s going on inside — we can’t wait to see more!

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Disney World Hotels

Boat Dock — Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

From May 11th through June 5th, transportation from the Boat Dock at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort will be unavailable to guests as it undergoes routine refurbishment.

Guest transportation is expected to start back up around June 6th, though construction as a whole is expected to last through mid-June.

Kiddie Pool Deck at Disney’s Pop Century Resort

It was recently announced that the Kiddie Pool Deck at Disney’s Pop Century Resort would close for a refurbishment last week, beginning on April 13th.

At the time, it was expected to open towards the end of April, but now, the Disney World website states that the closure is set to start May 4th, then continue through mid-May.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Construction at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, specifically on the porte cochere, will now continue through at least early 2027.

That’s not ideal for anyone staying at any Disney World resort, but this one is especially an issue since it’s one of the resort’s most expensive hotels.

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Work is currently taking place all over Bay Lake Tower through late 2027, including exterior elevator landing repairs that will be taking place through late May 2026.

If you’re staying here soon, expect to see and hear construction throughout your stay.

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

Dining location closures will be taking place at the hotel for the majority of the rest of the year. The Turf Club Lounge will close for refurbishment in early April and will reopen in early August. While that closure is happening, the Turf Club Bar & Grill will remain open with a pop-up bar serving a modified Lounge food and beverage menu.

Following that, the Turf Club Patio will close from early to mid-August, and then from mid-August through mid-September, the Turf Club Bar & Grill will be closed for refurbishment.

Yachtsman Steakhouse – Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

On May 11th (yes, a lot happened this day), Yachtsman Steakhouse closed for refurbishment. This means that currently, the only way to get items from the menu is to head over to the newly reopened Crew’s Cup Lounge next door.

This restaurant is expected to open sometime in early August.

Leisure Pools — Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club Resort are undergoing visible exterior maintenance, which has also led to the closure of some of the resorts’ leisure pools.

At Disney’s Yacht Club, the Admiral leisure pool will be closed for maintenance through early May 2026. At Disney’s Beach Club, the Tidal leisure pool will be closed through early May for refurbishment. Guests may also hear or see work during the daytime until the refurbishment is complete.

Promenade Fine Art Gallery — Disney’s BoardWalk

The Promenade Fine Art Gallery, located on Disney’s BoardWalk, will be moving. The BoardWalk store has been closed since October 20th, 2025.

The good news is that the gallery isn’t permanently closing; it’s just moving locations. We don’t know yet where the art gallery will be moving to, but we will keep you updated as we learn more! Most recently, we found out that Disney has filed two permits for the BoardWalk titled “Project Bubbles” and “Project Amazon.” We’re very curious to see what this turns into!

Jellyrolls — Disney’s BoardWalk

The popular dueling piano bar, Jellyrolls, closed for good at Disney’s BoardWalk on April 19th, 2025.

Now we know that this wasn’t the end for Jellyrolls, as it’ll be moving to a new location about 10 minutes away, and will reopen in late summer or fall of 2026! We still don’t know what’s set to go in the former location, but there are walls all the way up around the building, and the Jellyrolls sign has been removed.

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We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest Disney World news, so stay tuned to AllEars!

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Are you visiting Disney World this week? Let us know in the comments!

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