2026 Will Dramatically Change These Disney World Rides

For a while, 2026 didn’t look like a “big” year at Walt Disney World. No flashy new park debut. No single headline attraction set to dominate every conversation. Just a few refurbishments sprinkled across the calendar and some closures that felt routine. But the more you look at what’s actually scheduled, the more obvious it becomes that Disney is doing something larger. This year isn’t about one update. It’s about Disney reworking the backbone of its lineup, attraction by attraction, across multiple parks.

A Resort-Wide Shift Is Underway

Instead of betting everything on one massive opening, Disney is spreading the changes across EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with Magic Kingdom potentially getting a meaningful update, too. The result is a year where fan-favorite rides don’t just run a little smoother. Some of them will feel meaningfully different by the time 2026 wraps up.

Soarin’ Returns to an American Flight Plan

Soarin’ has long been an emotional anchor at EPCOT, and 2026 gives it a rare thematic shake-up. To help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States, Disney plans to replace Soarin’ Around the World with Soarin’ Across America temporarily.

Instead of circling the globe, the attraction shifts back to an all-American flight over U.S. landmarks, calling back to the concept that helped launch Soarin’ in the first place. It’s not a reinvention of the ride system, but it is a noticeable reframing that makes Soarin’ feel tied to a significant moment rather than just another day in the park.

Frozen Ever After Levels Up Its Tech

Frozen Ever After remains one of EPCOT’s biggest draws, but guests have noticed the ride’s limitations as the years have passed. Disney plans to install a new generation of animatronics in 2026, aiming for figures that feel more realistic, more expressive, and more reliable.

The upgrades include smoother movement, improved facial animation, and better audio synchronization so dialogue and music land the way they’re supposed to. The story stays the same, but the presentation should feel more convincing. Disney expects Frozen Ever After to reopen with these upgrades sometime in February 2026, which means early 2026 visitors may see the impact immediately.

Big Thunder’s Story Finally Tightens Up

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has always had a story, but it’s been more of a vibe than a straightforward narrative. In 2026, Disney plans to add scene changes and elements of a new storyline that better connect the attraction’s visuals, sound effects, and finale. The track layout stays intact, but refreshed show scenes, new lighting effects, and added details should make the ride’s world feel more intentional. Disney isn’t just fixing what’s old here. It’s using the update to give a classic coaster a stronger identity as the park evolves around it.

Buzz Lightyear Gets Smarter and Adds Buddy

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is also in line for a significant refresh. Disney plans to replace the ride’s aging blasters with more accurate, responsive versions, addressing long-standing targeting and scoring issues that frustrate guests. That tech upgrade sets the stage for the bigger change: a robot named Buddy.

Buddy will act as a guide and interactive element in the ride’s story, helping explain the mission, reacting to performance, and adding personality to scenes that have stayed essentially the same for years. It’s an apparent attempt to keep this interactive attraction competitive in a world where guests expect responsiveness and replay value.

Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Goes Full Muppets

If you want the boldest transformation of the year, it’s Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster. In 2026, the Aerosmith theme will be officially replaced by a brand-new Muppets overlay. The ride system stays, but the queue, preshow, music, story, and overall identity shift dramatically.

Instead of a backstage rock concert, guests will enter a chaotic Muppets recording session, complete with new songs, new dialogue, and familiar humor layered over the high-speed coaster. This isn’t a light update. It’s a complete creative reboot designed to modernize a major Hollywood Studios headliner and align it with an enduring brand.

Smugglers Run Expands with The Mandalorian and Grogu

Over at Galaxy’s Edge, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is expanding in a way that focuses on replayability. Disney plans to add a new mission featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu, introducing fresh dialogue, new visuals, and alternate story paths that can change how each flight plays out.

The existing missions remain, but this new content gives returning guests a stronger reason to ride again. Disney clearly wants Smugglers Run to feel like a multi-experience attraction rather than something you’ve “completed” after one trip.

DINOSAUR Heads Toward Its Final Days

Not every 2026 change is an upgrade. DINOSAUR is scheduled to permanently close in February 2026, making way for an Indiana Jones ride to take its place. After decades, this becomes one of Animal Kingdom’s retired classics, marking a bigger shift in the park’s identity.

Where Animal Kingdom once leaned heavily on original concepts, this replacement represents Disney leaning more directly into intellectual properties as long-term anchors. For longtime fans, this may be the most emotional change on the list.

Carousel of Progress Might Make a Historic Update

Carousel of Progress remains the wildcard. Disney is known to be working on a new opening scene featuring a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic figure, but Disney hasn’t officially confirmed timing. Internal planning suggests it could arrive in 2026 or early 2027. If it does happen, it would be one of the most symbolic updates in the park, modernizing the show while reinforcing why it matters in the first place.

The Year Guests Will Feel More Than They Notice

When you connect the dots, 2026 doesn’t look like a “quiet” year at all. Disney is reshaping the core of its lineup through new stories, upgraded technology, major rethemes, and at least one significant retirement. Guests may not always see one giant grand opening. But they will feel the difference in smoother rides, sharper show scenes, and a resort that’s clearly preparing for what comes next.