With all the new announcements that came out of D23 also come announcements of closures. Walt Disney World has lots of big new things coming that work is set to begin on very soon so I thought it was a good time to let you know what is set to be closed before or shortly after the end of this year. If you have a Disney World vacation on the horizon, keep and eye out because there may be more closure announcements later on. Even though I am super excited about all that is to come, some of these permanent closures hurt my heart a little. Let’s dive in!
Animal Kingdom
We know that the new Tropical America’s section is taking over where Dinoland is currently and at D23 we got the announcement of all that is to come in this area! It’s very exciting, you can read all about it on the Day 2 recap of D23 under the Parks and Experiences tab here. But that means the area will be closing soon. While Disney has not given us a definite date yet, they have said that Dinosaur will be closing Fall of 2024 so that is anywhere from, well, now to November. So if this is a favorite of yours, I suggest you get as many rides in as you can before it’s gone!
We also know a new Zootopia show will be replacing It’s Tough To Be A Bug in the Tree of Life….insert my sad face here. The new show was announced to open Winter of 2025 so I would expect It’s Tough To Be A Bug to close shortly after the first of the year. SO make sure next time you are in Animal Kingdom that you go get stung, sprayed and farted on one more time!
EPCOT
There were not a lot of announcements for this park except that Test Track will be reopening in 2025, hopefully early 2025 but either way it remains closed until then. The only other refurbishment closure in this park is Frozen Ever After from November 2nd – November 6th. This is just a brief and regular refurbishment, nothing major. The Encanto show at Communicore Hall was supposed to end on September 7th but has been extended until, we think, February! Comminucore Hall will have a brief closure from August 22-29th to get ready for Food and Wine Festival as well.
Magic Kingdom
This is the big one! There are so many things coming but that also means there are things closing so here we go. Work will begin on the new Cars themed section of Frontierland in “early 2025” so I would expect that means that Tom Sawyer Island and the Riverboat will be closing by the end of this year. I know neither of these things are a big draw and I understand why they are replacing them but man I am going to miss so much about this area! The view of the riverboat from Liberty Square is one of my favorites and although I don’t always ride it when I’m in Magic Kingdom, I do enjoy the ride and the audio so much. Tom Sawyer island really hurts me! My kids are named after Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher, that half painted fence on the island was our must do photo spot every time we came on vacation after Thatcher was born. It’s also just a great place to escape the Magic Kingdom crowds, one of my favorite places to write or work in this park. Trust that we will be spending ample time there before it closes and if you have never gone, make sure you get there!!
I guess it’s really not that much if you are not sad about those closures, these are a big deal to me but I get that they may not be to everyone. The only other closure here is a routine refurbishment of Jungle Cruise. This ride will be closed from August 26th – October 17th. Country Bears is now open and the Shooting Arcade has already closed so, for now this is it for Magic Kingdom.
Hollywood Studios
There are no scheduled closures for this park but I am sure we will get an official announcement soon on WHERE exactly this Monsters, Inc land is going to be located and at that point we will know what is closing. I am hopeful it is going in Animation Courtyard so none of the closures will really be a big deal, but we shall see!
Disney Springs
The Disney Dreams That Soar drone show will close on September 2nd so if you have not watched this yet, now is the time! It really is a great show even if it has caused some traffic jams. I am hoping that maybe this was just a test to see how nighttime entertainment would work in Disney Springs and maybe we will get something new or a revamped drone show later on. We shall see!
Conclusion
That’s it! I think we can expect to see a lot of movement and walls going up very soon and before the end of the year. This is both exciting and sad as we have to say goodbye to some old favorites. If anything that is closing is your favorite, I hope you have a trip planned soon so you can get one last ride or experience in! We are planning to go to Magic Kingdom this weekend to play on Tom Sawyer island and ride the riverboat. Sadly, Thatcher was younger the last time we played on Tom Sawyer island and says he doesn’t really remember it so we have to fix that before it’s gone! Hopefully we make some good memories for him and of course another fence picture. Thank you all for reading along and don’t forget to subscribe!! Have a magical day!