Refurbishments are a fact of life in Walt Disney World. Rides, shows, and attractions are often closed for refreshes, repairs, and technological upgrades, some for longer times than others. In fact, it’s rare to have a day when EVERY attraction at the resort is operational, even during the busy spooky season.

If you’re heading to the “Most Magical Place on Earth” this October, you’ll find a relatively light in number list of Disney attractions closed. However, two of those closed attractions have been iconic Disney rides for over 4 decades.
Magic Kingdom
First off, there’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The iconic E-Ticket has been closed since January 2025 for a massive refurbishment project. According to Disney, the attraction is scheduled to reopen in 2026 with “new magic.”

On the other side of the park, Tomorrowland’s Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin closed on August 4th, for a refurbishment that’s also expected to last until 2026. The refurbished attraction will feature new ride vehicles, new blasters, and a new scene featuring the parks original robot character named Buddy who will ensure “departing Space Rangers are fully prepared for their mission (by) enthusiastically providing encouragement, final system checks on their Star Cruisers and a chance to hone their blaster aim.”

EPCOT
Over in EPCOT, the iconic Spaceship Earth attraction is closed on August 25th for a much-needed refurbishment. It’s scheduled to reopen on October 25th according to Disney, which would indicate that this is more of a maintenance-based closure than one that will see significant changes to the attraction.

Animal Kingdom
Beginning on October 6th, Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids will be closing for refurbishment. According to Disney, the ride is scheduled to reopen I need December 2025. Usually, the rapids ride closes for a couple of months between January and March for a seasonal refurbishment; however, this year Disney is doing maintenance earlier on the calendar, likely to ensure that the ride is operational when Dinosaur closes for good in February.

As always, bear in mind that while these are the scheduled closures currently on the Walt Disney World calendar, there’s always the chance that any given ride or attraction can go down unscheduled, so be sure to keep an eye on the Disney World app while planning your May vacation. Stay tuned to AllEars for further updates on Disney World’s calendar.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
Are you heading to Disney World this September? Let us know in the comments below.

Trending Now
This is all you need to know about Universal Kids Resort opening in Texas in...
Disney quietly announces that this Disney Springs store is permanently CLOSING next week.
Whether you're dressing for a park day, prepping the kids for a trip, or just...
We've gathered the BEST Loungefly deals on Amazon today!
ALDI just made your next road trip 10x easier!
Who's ready to check out new Disney Loungeflys? Meeeeeee!
Big things are happening at the Magic Kingdom this summer.
We're sharing all the glow-in-the-dark Loungefly bags you can find on Amazon right now!
Yet another Disney Springs location has closed.
Darth Vader has a new horror game?! This is the scariest way to celebrate May...
We've compiled a list of every Disney Loungefly on sale in May!
NEW 'Toy Story' Crocs are dropping!
These Loungeflys are giving all the fairytale vibes!
We're obsessed with this new, Target-exclusive, boho Owala collection!
A new Peter Pan Loungefly just dropped online!
We asked our team of Disney experts what they thought of the newly reimagined Big...
Some Disney World restaurants we once called iconic are in need of a change.
If you're in the market for a new park bag, there are SO many new...
We got a look at BRAND-NEW Concept Art for Disney's new Lakeshore Lodge!
It's the best time to be an Universal Orlando Annual Passholder!