These 9 Updates Will Change Your Disney World Game in 2026

2026 is shaping up to be a big year at Walt Disney World, with rides closing and reopening, new character experiences, and changing perks all set to change the landscape of the resort… and how to plan a trip there!

In my 30+ years visiting Walt Disney World, I can’t quite remember a time when there has been so much construction across the resort. While the biggest projects — Magic Kingdom’s Piston Peak and Villains Land, Hollywood Studios’ Monsters, Inc. land, and Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas — won’t be completed in 2026 — there will still be plenty of new things to do this year.

Water Park Perk Changes

In 2025, Disney introduced a new perk for Walt Disney World hotel guests, where each member of their party would receive a complimentary water park ticket usable on their check-in date. The policy went into effect on January 1st and was available all year (weather permitting).

While the park is returning in 2026, it’s been tweaked to be available during the summer season only.

The Countdown to Extinction Ends

On February 2nd, Animal Kingdom’s opening day attraction, Dinosaur, will close permanently to be reworked into a new Indiana Jones attraction. The closure will mark the final end to DinoLand U.S.A.

The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness Returns

The iconic E-Ticket Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been closed since January 2025 for a massive refurbishment project. According to Disney, the attraction is scheduled to reopen in spring 2026 with “new magic,” including a fully refurbished track and a new sequence inspired by the Rainbow Caverns of Disneyland’s Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland.

Buzz Lightyear Flies Again

The Magic Kingdom will also see the return of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in the Spring of 2026 after a months-long refurbishment. The attraction will feature new ride vehicles, new blasters, and a new scene featuring the park’s original robot character named Budd,y 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.”

Mando and Grogu are Coming

On May 22nd, 2026, the same day The Mandalorian and Grogu feature film is scheduled to open in theaters, the mega-popular Star Wars characters are going to be added to Smugglers Run in Galaxy’s Edge, adding new missions and a new sense of excitement to the attraction.

Along with the characters, these new missions will also feature popular Star Wars locations, including Bespin’s Cloud City.

It’s Time to ROCK the Muppets

In 2025, Muppet*Vision 3D — and the rest of the former Muppet Courtyard — closed to make way for construction of a massive new project that we’ll get to in a little bit. The Muppets won’t be gone for long, however, as the characters will be taking over the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster from Aerosmith. We’re sorry, “Bad Boys of Boston” fans, but this change will feel like a breath of fresh air for a ride that has seemed very 90s dated for a while now.

The current version of the coaster – which has already seen its Aerosmith pre-show removed as part of the transformation — will close on March 1st, 2026, and reopen with its new Muppet theme — which revolves around the Muppets taking over G-Force records and culminates in a concert by The Electric Mayhem — later in the summer.

The NEW Magic of Disney Animation

A new version of the Magic of Disney Animation attraction — a Disney/MGM Studios opening day attraction — is coming to Hollywood Studios in the late summer of 2026.

This new version will feature theming based on the Emmy-winning Once Upon a Studio short that celebrated Disney’s 100th Anniversary. This will include “moving” portraits, as well as character meet & greets. Sketch classes, where guests will be able to draw their own favorite Disney characters, similar to the original Animation Academy.

The Drawn to Wonderland playground, which will feature an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, and a Tulgey Wood exploration area, all designed in the style of Disney Legend Mary Blair.

There will also be an Off the Page! Section, “a stunning area born of collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering. Here, you can meet some of your favorite friends from beloved Disney stories across six unique departments from the animation studio Story, Layout, Hand-Drawn Animation, Computer Animation, Lighting, and Effects.” Each of those spaces will include themed photo opportunities, including Mulan in the Story department, posing in front of an oversized storyboard panel, or Rapunzel in a setting inspired by the classic multiplane camera.

A Major Booking Change at Fort Wilderness

Previously, Fort Wilderness campsites could be booked for 10 people per site. Beginning on January 1st, 2026, the number of changes to 8 people per site. So, those looking to book for large groups need to keep that new cap in mind!

Tea Time!

After a 5-YEAR CLOSURE, the Grand Floridian’s Garden View Lounge tea room will reopen with a refreshed look that complements the hotel’s new lobby design, which will offer a “new tea experience with whimsical Disney touches for guests of all ages.”

If you’re heading to Disney World in 2026, there’s a lot to prepare for: From refurbished classics at the Magic Kingdom and a new take on the original Hollywood studios, all the way to some ROCKIN’ Muppets! Stay tuned to AllEars for more on the massive changes coming to the resort.

Does This Mean Disney World Is Bringing Hollywood Studios Back From The Dead?

Which of these changes are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments below.

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