Alert: Multiple Disney World Resorts Will Have Closures in 2025 and 2026
If you’re heading to Disney World in 2025 — or even 2026, for that matter —brace yourself for some major closures.
Between ride refurbishments and pool shutdowns, this year is shaping up to be one of the busiest for maintenance across the parks and resorts. While these updates are necessary, they may impact your trip if you were planning to experience certain attractions or take a dip at your resort pool.
One of the biggest closures guests will notice is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom. The ride went down for an extensive refurbishment on January 6, 2025, and it won’t be reopening until sometime in 2026. Disney is planning to retrack the coaster and add updated features, but that means it’s going to be unavailable for quite a while.
Over at EPCOT, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros also closed earlier this year, but the downtime for this ride will be much shorter, with plans to reopen by mid-March. In addition, Test Track is closed for the entirety of the year.
Animal Kingdom’s Kali River Rapids is undergoing its usual winter maintenance, but if everything stays on schedule, it should be back up and running by early spring. Meanwhile, Tomorrowland’s Astro Orbiter is also out of commission, and this one is expected to last around eight months, which means it won’t be back until later in the year.
It’s not just the rides that are seeing closures in 2025.
Several Disney resort pools will also be undergoing major refurbishments, meaning guests at those hotels will need to find alternative swimming options.
Stormalong Bay at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts will be closed from January through June 2025. This includes the entire pool area, lazy river, and the pirate ship slide, though leisure pools will still be available for guests at both resorts.
Over at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, the Fantasia Pool is also closed for an extended refurbishment from January through April, but guests can use the Duck Pond Pool in the meantime.
The Courtyard Pool at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is also going down for maintenance from January 27 through late February, though the Beach Pool will remain open.
Altogether, three major pools will be closed at different points in 2025, and Disney has already confirmed more pool refurbishments coming in 2026, including Surfboard Bay Pool and the kiddie pool at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, along with Bay Cove Pool and the whirlpool spa at Bay Lake Tower.
If a resort’s pool experience is a key part of your Disney trip, you may want to double-check the status of your hotel’s amenities before booking. It’s also a good idea to stay updated on closures as plans can change, and new refurbishments could be added throughout the year. While these updates are important for maintaining Disney’s high standards, they could certainly throw off some vacation plans, so keeping an eye on what’s open and what’s not will help you make the most of your visit.
