Timing Out What's Coming to Walt Disney World
Previously, we've shared many of the changes that will be coming to Walt Disney World in the next five years. In the last couple of months, more details have been released about when these changes are anticipated, and some construction is already underway or will be underway shortly. In this post, we'll share more about the timing and impacts of changes at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom theme parks.
The Magic Kingdom
A new Cars Land will be built where Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island currently exist. This means that the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Belle Riverboat will all be closing. Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Belle have been open since 1973, and the Rivers of America is a major scenic water feature at the Magic Kingdom, so this change will significantly change the landscape.
While we don't know yet the exact date when this area of the park will see construction walls, we know it is imminent. Maintenance has already stopped on the Liberty Belle as of October 2024. Initial announcements were that construction would begin "early 2025" but it is early 2025, and construction has not yet begun, which has led to speculation that Disney's new nighttime parade, Disney Starlight Parade, coming in the summer of 2025, is the reason for a delay. The Rivers of America waterfront has always served as a good parade viewing spot, and with a new parade, it is likely viewing spots will be in demand (and construction walls in those viewing spots don't make for good press release worthy pictures either...). All that said, the latest speculation is that Disney will try to make it through this Summer before construction walls go up and the River is drained.
With a big change like this, there is always speculation that fan backlash will save a beloved old attraction, such as it did with Spaceship Earth in 2021. But, in our opinion, it is unlikely that Disney will backtrack on their plans to fill in this underutilized land and build an attraction that has been very popular in their other parks. This is backed up by the fact that Disney filed construction permits on December 19, 2024, making their intention clear. The only thing that may hold that up is approval from the South Florida Water Management District, since technically, the Rivers of America are a wetland. But this seems unlikely.
There is no exact date yet for when construction will begin, and even less confirmation as to when the new Cars Land will open, but the timing has become more clear, and it's looking like this year is your last year to get pictures of the Rivers of America.
Disney Hollywood Studios
At Disney Hollywood Studios, Aerosmith is out, the Muppets are both losing and winning, and the Monsters are in. The most controversial of these moves is the closing of Muppet Courtyard, including Muppetvision 3-D, the Italian restaurant Mama Melrose, and the counter service restaurant Pizze Rizzo. And perhaps unspoken among all these losses is my favorite attraction in Muppet Courtyard, the Miss Piggy fountain. These will be making way for a new Monster's Inc. Land that will include the first ever suspended coaster at a Disney theme park where guests will enter the Monsters Inc. factor to ride among the doors. There will also be dining and shopping, and an interactive stage show, according to Disney.
The timing of the closures for Muppets courtyard have been revealed. The first thing to close will be Mama Melrose on on May 10, 2025. Muppetvision itself, and Pizze Rizzo will both follow, closing on June 7, 2025. On June 8th, we can expect the Muppet Courtyard to be behind construction walls. There is no set date for when those walls come down and we see the new Monsters Inc. land.
There was some backlash about this decision too, among the die-hard Muppets fans out there, some of which was assuaged when Disney subsequently announced that the Muppets would be taking over Rock N Rollercoaster as Aerosmith vacates. Rock N Rollercoaster featuring Aerosmith debuted in 1999 and made its own coaster history at Disney as the first high speed coaster with a powered launch that takes your car from 0 to 60 mph in just three seconds. This is followed promptly by 2 inversions and a corkscrew while some random Aerosmith song plays. The ride itself will not change, but will be re-themed to the Muppets with this change, though there is no specific date when this will happen.
We have thoughts, the first of which is, Rock N Rollercoaster featuring the Muppets had better have a lot of Animal, or else we're not sure it will pack the same punch. We understand why it's time for Aerosmith to go. But we don't understand why something even older, even more timeless, has to take their place. We love the Muppets, but Rock N Rollercoaster doesn't seem like the place for them. Neither do we want Muppetvision 3-D back... It was showing its age and just didn't pack the entertainment punch it did when 3-D films and glasses were less common. In our opinion, the Muppets in their highest and finest form existed in Great Moments in History, a short live action show that run for just over three years in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom, performed as a street show using puppets in the windows of the buildings. I'm frankly surprised there is not more call to put the Muppets in the American Adventure at EPCOT. It would certainly add some levity to a very serious show.
But we digress. Expect the Muppets Courtyard to be closed by early Summer this year. We don't know exactly when you'll see the Muppets again, but when you do, they'll be rocking out on a rollercoaster.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
More controversy abounds as guests bemoan the loss of Dinosaur and all of Dinoland, USA. This land, which has been themed in this way since the opening at Animal Kingdom in 1998, will be replaced with a Tropical Americas land. Perhaps my deepest sentiments are around this change because of my intimate familiarity with Dinoland, and I'll share those after I share what's happening.
Dinoland USA, which included the e-ticket ride Dinosaur, as well as the Carnival-esque Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama that included small rides and games, several quick service eateries, and a large playground, is already undergoing a phased closure. TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester and Hester's Dinosaur Treasures, all part of the "carnival area" already closed permanently last month. The next to follow should be the Boneyard playground, and three quick service places (Restaurantosaurus, Trilo-Bites, and Dino-Bite Snacks). Dinosaur itself will remain open throughout 2025 before, according to Disney, it goes "extinct". Replacing these areas will be the Tropical Americas land which will include an Indiana Jones attraction in the place of Dinosaur, and an attraction based on the Casita and stories of the movie Encanto. There is no set opening date for Tropical Americas yet, but Disney has previously said "by 2027" which seems ambitious.
I have both appreciated Dinoland for what it was, while also rarely partaking in any of the attractions within the land. Dinosaur (and before that, Countdown to Extinction) was just not my thing. Unfortunately, it's not my thing for the same reason Indiana Jones is not my thing at Disneyland and that's no coincidence since they use the same ride vehicle. It makes sense that Disney would replace Dinosaur with Indiana Jones. It, unfortunately, doesn't make me more likely to ride it. What I have always appreciated about Dinoland is what I think most guests don't see. There is a level of detail there that tells a story of a sleepy college town being taken over by weird scientists and paleontologists, followed by tourists ala Route 66. It's always had that weird roadside attraction feel which is well executed but always felt weird inside a world-renowned tourist attraction that is Walt Disney World. Roadside attractions are great because they are just that.... hidden and/or chintzy treasures that make you feel like you might be the first person in the world to discover it. Disney got chintzy right. But they can't pull off hidden.
Everything down to the posters hanging on bulletin boards, to cracks in the asphalt of the carnival, and to the plants in the area which were all selected for being plants that either have survived back to the times of dinosaurs, or resembling plants that existed in pre-historic times based on fossils, is meticulous detail that Disney Imagineers are so good at. If you wanted to do a study in immersive detail, Dinoland might be the subject matter. That said, as a tourist, it wasn't for me. My favorite parts of Dinoland were the gardens outside of Dinosaur and Dino Sue, both of which are overlooked by the vast majority of tourists.
While I hate to see these well thought out details go, I also have faith that the new land will continue in the same vein. The entirety of Animal Kingdom is full of detail, and frankly, Tropical Americas would be out of place if it weren't held to that same standard. While I may not be looking forward to the Indiana Jones ride, I am looking forward to seeing lush and bright tropical plants in the landscaping. Maybe even some new animals? And Mexican and South American food would not be unwelcome either.
The Bottom Line
Overall, some beloved areas and attractions are going away to make way for new things. When the construction walls go up, they may be up for a very long time, and we aren't looking forward to this period. The first walls will be going up in June. But we expect far more disruption as walls go in the Magic Kingdom in the Fall or Winter of this year. Going into 2026, you are going to see walls in 3 out of 4 theme parks (It feels surprising not to have EPCOT on this list after such a long period of construction there!). If Disney keeps their timeline, relief will likely begin in 2027.
Also, Disney shows no signs of changing their plans. Anytime Disney announces major construction like this, fans complain. Many of us like for things to stay the same for nostalgia purposes, but when we take a critical eye to the value of certain land or attractions, we have to admit that there are likely better uses of these things. We might say Disney is wrong now. And we'll also be the first to book trips when completion dates for these projects are released so we can flood them along with the other crowds.
What do you think about the changes outlined in this article? Are you excited, angry, sad to see an old favorite go? Tell us by commenting over on our Facebook page, where you can like and follow us to see when new articles are posted. Until next time...
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