Disney World Targets 4 “Classic” Attractions for Updates in 2026, and Fans Are Nervous
Disney World has officially confirmed something huge, and it honestly feels like one of those moments where longtime fans need to pause for a second.
Four classic attractions are getting significant changes, and these aren’t the kind of updates you forget about a week later. These are permanent shifts that will reshape what these rides are, not just how they look.
If you grew up riding these attractions, or if they’re the reason you still feel nostalgic every time you walk through the parks, this is going to be a little more complicated than most Disney announcements.
Because once 2026 is over, Disney World’s definition of “classic” is going to look very different. Some of these attractions will still exist, but the versions fans know today are clearly nearing the end of the line.
Disney Keeps Turning Classics Into “Former Attractions”
Disney has shown over and over that it’s willing to retire rides that guests once believed were untouchable.
Splash Mountain was removed and replaced with Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The company also tore out The Great Movie Ride, once the centerpiece of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and replaced it with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
Disney is also moving forward with replacing Muppet Vision 3D with a Monsters Inc. land expansion.
These weren’t unpopular attractions. They were part of what made Disney World feel like Disney World. But the company has clearly leaned into recognizable IP more than ever, even when it means closing the book on fan favorites.
Now, Disney is doing it again, and four major attractions are caught in the middle of the shift.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Is Coming Back With Major Changes
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been closed since January 6, 2025, and Disney says it won’t reopen until Spring 2026.
That is not a regular refurbishment timeline. That is Disney taking the ride down to rebuild it into something new.
Disney has confirmed Big Thunder will return with a refreshed storyline, updated lighting, and upgraded special effects. Some scenes will also change completely, which means guests should expect a noticeably different experience even if the ride track stays familiar.
The most significant addition is Rainbow Caverns, which longtime Disney fans will recognize as a deep-cut reference that fits perfectly with Frontierland’s classic theme.
Big Thunder won’t disappear, but the version guests ride in 2026 will feel like a different chapter of the attraction.
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Is Losing Its Aerosmith Era Forever
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster first opened on July 29, 1999, making it almost 30 years old at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Now Disney has confirmed that the original version of the ride officially ends on March 2, 2026.
That means the Aerosmith era is coming to a close, and the attraction will permanently shut down in its current form.
Disney plans to retheme the ride to The Muppets, which is honestly a massive tonal change. It’s a wild idea, but it also feels like Disney is trying to keep the coaster relevant for a new generation of guests.
Aerosmith will no longer be part of the attraction, although Disney will likely sneak in a few nods or easter eggs for longtime fans who remember what the ride used to be.
DINOSAUR Is Gone as Disney Replaces DinoLand Completely
DINOSAUR is now permanently closed, and DinoLand U.S.A. is also gone as Disney prepares for one of its most significant land transformations in years.
This isn’t just Disney shutting down a ride. It’s Disney removing an entire identity from Animal Kingdom.
The area is being rethemed into a Tropical Americas-inspired land featuring Encanto (2021) and Indiana Jones.
The biggest change is that Indiana Jones will take over the former DINOSAUR ride system. That means the bones of the attraction will still exist, but the entire story will be rewritten into something completely different.
It’s part of Disney World’s larger push to expand its parks and replace older sections with recognizable franchises that can carry a land for decades.
Carousel of Progress Is Getting Its Biggest Update in Years
Disney already confirmed in 2025 that Carousel of Progress would change, but now there’s new momentum behind that promise.
A new permit filed on February 5, 2026, focuses on new fire alarm and protection systems. While that sounds like a basic technical upgrade, such installations often occur when Disney is preparing for a major overhaul.
And in this case, the planned update is massive.
Disney will add Walt Disney to the very beginning of Carousel of Progress, introducing the experience before the family storyline begins.
That addition connects directly back to the original concept of Carousel of Progress and Walt’s vision for progress, innovation, and the future.
Disney World’s “Classic Ride Era” Is Officially Ending
When you put all four of these changes together, it’s hard not to feel like Disney World is closing the door on one era and stepping into another.
Big Thunder will return with a refreshed story and new effects.
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster will permanently drop the Aerosmith theme.
A new Tropical Americas land will replace DINOSAUR and the rest of DinoLand.
Carousel of Progress will open with a brand-new scene featuring Walt Disney himself.
Disney World has always evolved, but 2026 feels like a real turning point. These parks aren’t just getting updates anymore.
They’re getting rewritten.
