Planning which attractions to ride while at WDW is one of the best parts of Disney World planning. If thrill rides or family friendly fun are your favourites, there is so much to choose from. However, there is A LOT of changes coming to Walt Disney World this year, and you may not be aware that your favourite ride might not be waiting for you. Here are the rides that may not be available for your next WDW holiday if you’re visiting soon.
Spaceship Earth, Epcot
One of the best rides to get out of the heat in Epcot is Spaceship Earth, and that’s without the excitement of riding inside the Epcot’s famous golf ball! Unfortunately, this Summer will see the closing of this great ride for quite a period of time. A date of August 25, 2025 has been set for this closure with no re-opening date in stone yet. This means that you have only 4 more days to experience this ride before its closure. However, Disney have hinted at an opening ‘later in the year’ which means you could get your Spaceship Earth fix before 2026.
Big Thunder Mountain, Magic Kingdom
Yes that’s right… the wildest ride in the universe is closed, and has been for a while. This ride closed for refurbishment all the way back in January 2025 which feels like a lifetimeeee ago. It is a real highlight over at Frontierland in Magic Kingdom, and the area feels much emptier without it. However, fret no more, because 2026 is not too far away. Next year will see the reopening of this ride which will please so many visitors to Magic Kingdom, including us!
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger spin (Magic Kingdom)
One of our favourite rides of all time in WDW is Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger spin. This ride allows you to shoot your way around the galaxy in pairs, (or 2 adults with a child in-between). However, if you’re visiting Magic Kingdom this year then you will have missed your chance to ride! The ride closed August 4th of this year for a massive refurb. This will mean new scenes and new handheld ride blasters among many other exciting changes. This means that when this ride reopens in 2026, that you will be in for one exciting ride.
It’s Tough to be a bug
This has to be without a doubt the best option for an out of the heat break for the whole family while in Animal Kingdom. However, it’s fair to say that this ride began to lose its popularity in recent years. Never a long wait, it seemed to lack the pull and excitement of many of Animal Kingdom’s other attractions. Because of this, the show closed way back in March 2025 for refurbishment for a brand new show. You can expect an all new Zootopia themed show to take its place by Winter 2025.
Permanent closures
Along with some routine maintenance, 2025 has seem some seriously sad changes around WDW. Firstly, and most devastatingly for sister 2, we said goodbye to Muppet Vision 3D. As women who have grown up loving this ride, the nostalgia we felt re-riding this each time was a lot. However, back in June 7th we said goodbye to this ride and to Muppet’s courtyard to make way for a brand new Monster’s Inc attraction and area to arrive. While we can’t wait for the new area, a big piece of our heart will always break at the loss of the Muppets. Top tip – If you want your fix of the muppets, Rock’n’Rollercoaster will be getting a Muppets theme, so head on over from 2026 onwards but no official closing date for refurbishment yet.
Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, Liberty Square Riverboat
While we can’t wait for the upcoming Cars land which will eventually take the place of Rivers of America, it’s so sad to see this area go. The Liberty Square Riverboat has been a staple of this area of Magic Kingdom since 1971, and has been a great choice for a break from the sun for guests during their day, or for those who wanted a more relaxing attraction at the parks. These areas have all gone as we say to make way for Piston Peak, an exciting Cars themed area. From what we know, this area will include 2 brand new attractions – a rally racing ride, and a family friendly ride, but otherwise details aren’t well known at this time. There will surely be something for everyone. However, for now the area will look a little different, so prepare yourself for a construction site around that side of the park. Although, as we all know, Disney have a magical way of hiding all this from you while you visit Magic Kingdom.
In conclusion, yes, saying goodbye to classics like Rivers of America or the Liberty Belle is tough. But it’s exciting to see new lands, fresh experiences, and beloved characters like the Muppets and Cars coming to life over at WDW. Disney is all about change and storytelling, and 2025/26 is shaping up to be years full of both. What are you most looking forward to seeing reopen? Let us know in the comments!
- The sisters behind Main Street Dreamers
Main Street Dreamers 
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