Ride refurbishments happen year-round at Walt Disney World, as do unplanned downtime and delays. However, there are times of year when they’re more common–and one of those arrived this week, as WDW just started 10 projects and a few more will begin before January 2026 ends. This covers everything you need to know about the latest closure calendar updates.
The good news is that, as reflected in recent updates to the 2026 Walt Disney World Refurbishment Calendar, there really aren’t that many ride refurbishments happening right now. Winter is historically ‘refurbishment season’ in the parks, something that’s been true for decades based on longstanding attendance dynamics, and that normally results in multiple major closures in each of the 4 parks.
Winter being refurbishment season at Walt Disney World is not a new development. (Hence “historically.”) If anything, this has become less pronounced over the years; I can remember a decade ago when there were roughly a dozen attraction closures during the first few months of the year. For the most part, this shift is likely due to changing attendance patterns, as Winter Is No Longer Off-Season at Walt Disney World.
The 2026 Walt Disney World refurbishment calendar is deceptive. There’s a lot of ongoing construction throughout Walt Disney World, beyond the scope of attraction closures. Entire lands and areas of the parks, from Dino-Rama to the Rivers of America to Muppets Courtyard, are completely closed.
While the guest impact isn’t as bad as the last development cycle, there are visible construction walls, closures, and more. See Walt Disney World’s 5-Year Plan: Construction, Closing & Opening Dates for New Lands & Rides for everything you need to know.
Beyond the permanent closures, there are also ongoing lengthy refurbishment projects. These two factors in tandem probably explain why Walt Disney World hasn’t added a bunch of additional brief maintenance projects to the calendar for January through mid-March 2026. There’s already “too much” happening.
Nevertheless, several projects just got started and more are on the horizon within the next month. Here’s the latest…
Magic Kingdom
One of the big reasons why there aren’t more new refurbishments during winter around Walt Disney World is because so much capacity is offline at Magic Kingdom, specifically, as a result of ongoing projects.
When it comes to refurbishments, the two biggest are Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. The former is now over a year into its closure, while the latter has been offline since last August; both reopen in Spring 2026.
Construction walls went up around Buzz earlier this week, which likely relates to the signage and facade construction permit we reported on over the weekend. Prior to that, there had only been easy-to-miss signage about the attraction being closed, and the front doors were shut.
Between Buzz and Big Thunder, that’s almost 3,000 guests per hour in lost operational capacity. Not to mention Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, which is likely in the ballpark of another 500 guests (maybe more once you factor in shuttle mode on the WDW Railroad, but I’m not sure how that shakes out).
Speaking of walls up, they’ve also appeared around Pete’s Silly Sideshow, which is the meet & greet location tucked deep into Storybook Circus that closed last week. Fortunately, the characters here are still meeting–and in their circus-centric attire.
You can find Goofy and Minnie Mouse gether at outside the entrance to Storybook Circus, which is now a popular meet & greet thanks to its prominent location. Daisy and Donald Duck are in the back of Storybook Circus by the restrooms and train station. Disney hasn’t announced a reopening date for Pete’s Silly Sideshow, but this one might take a few months.
Cinderella Castle Repainting
The Cinderella Castle makeover starts this month. This project will involve repainting the Magic Kingdom icon in a more classic color scheme, restoring its pre-50th Anniversary appearance. The updated Cinderella Castle will feature grays, creams, blues, and touches of gold.
Walt Disney World has announced that guests will notice work around Cinderella Castle beginning in early January 2026. If going by the MDX app, work has already started–but not of the visible variety. The project will begin with the draining of the moat prepare for painting. Once work begins in earnest, cranes and lifts will be elevated during the morning hours. We expect the draining to start literally any day now.
Beginning January 28, 2026, there will also be temporary adjustments to entertainment. This includes a modified “Let the Magic Begin” welcome show. The other daytime show, “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire,” will continue to be available with minor adjustments. Likewise, the Happily Ever After fireworks will also continue to be shown with minor adjustments.
Walt Disney World shared that the new color scheme will debut “later in 2026.” An exact end date has not yet been announced, nor has even a season. The project is expected to last several months, although the “later in 2026” timeline suggests it could be longer.
EPCOT Eating & Attractions
One new closure as of this week is Refreshment Port at EPCOT. For those who can’t keep all of the “Refreshment” places and ports straight, this one is the permanent food booth located at the entrance to World Showcase from the former Future World. It’s right behind the relatively new Starbucks and big bathrooms. The Refreshment Port snack spot typically serves varieties of poutine, drinks, and desserts.
Anyway, it’s now listed as closed for refurbishment on the official Walt Disney World Website. There’s no end date to the project at present, but there are no hours available through at least March 24, 2026 (as far out as the calendar goes). However, we’d note that this is not necessarily conclusive of the refurbishment duration. As the official website suggests, check back later for updates.
All of the items that would be normally offered for the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts have been moved elsewhere, suggesting Refreshment Port will be closed through at least February 23, 2026. If it’s offline a couple more weeks, it’ll also miss the start of Flower & Garden. That’s right–we’re coming dangerously close to two consecutive poutineless events. You might even say that EPCOT festivals that are poutineless are also pointless.
But wait, there’s more! Frozen Ever After is getting a major enhancement for the first time in forever, with the upgraded Audio Animatronics of Kristoff, Anna & Elsa. Disney has announced that Frozen Ever After will close on January 26, 2026 to accommodate these additions.
Walt Disney World has not yet announced the specific reopening date for Frozen Ever After, but we would expect this project to take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Attractions are built so that Audio Animatronics can be removed and swapped out pretty easily, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a simple overnight process.
Our expectation is that this is finished by Presidents’ Day and Mardi Gras at the absolute latest. I’d be less surprised if the refurbishment is over by February 1, 2026 than if it lasted until March 1, 2026. Suffice to say, it should be quick–done long before Spring Break. That opens the door for other overdue projects at EPCOT in 2026…
Countdown to Extinction
The lone project here that doesn’t have a January start date is the permanent closure for DINOSAUR on February 2, 2026. Meaning the last day to experience the attraction before extinction is February 1, 2026. The same goes for everything else that’s still open in Dinoland USA.
Several closures have already happened, as this has been a phased closure that started a year ago–back in January 2025. Since then, Dinoland USA has become a maze of construction walls.
This is close enough and big enough that it warrants mentioning. It’ll really be interesting to see how Animal Kingdom evolves, but in the near term, the extinction of dinosaurs is a big blow. The park is going to be in rough shape for the next year-plus.
Parking
The five-level Lime Garage at Disney Springs is currently undergoing structural repairs. The closure just began this week after the WDW Marathon, and the first phase of the project will continue through February 11, 2026.
Lime Garage will then briefly reopen for Presidents’ Day and Mardi Gras from February 12-16, 2026, before closing for the second phase of work from February 17 through March 13, 2026. This coincides with the start of Central Florida’s Spring Break season, which begins that weekend.
The other main Disney Springs parking structure is the Orange Garage, along with the Grapefruit Garage, Watermelon Parking Lot, and Strawberry Parking Lot. The Orange Garage was similarly refurbished around this time last year, so we’d expect a similar scale and scope of work.
Lime Garage is centrally-located at Disney Springs, making it one of the two more desirable places to park. For average visitors to Disney Springs, it’s probably the better option, with a convenient entry right by Polite Pig (we’ll always be partial to Orange Garage).
With one of the main garages offline for most of the next couple months, parking pressure is expected to increase, particularly at peak weekend evening hours. When one of the structures or surface lots hits capacity, the My Disney Experience app is updated (in the park hours area) to reflect that.
This happened a few times over the busy holiday season. Our strong recommendation to tourists staying on-site would be to use Disney transportation to get to Disney Springs on Friday and Saturday late afternoon and evenings.
Pools
Tourists, it’s cold outside. Quite literally. As I write this, the temperature has already started dropping, and is expected to hit a low of 33 degrees tomorrow. There’s a freeze watch in effect, and there will be lows in the 30s or low 40s for most of the next week. It sounds glorious. Except for swimming.
That makes now the perfect time for pool projects at Walt Disney World, and there are three new ones that were just added to the calendar this week, starting pretty much right now (maybe?):
- Beach Club: From mid-January, 2026 through early May, the Tidal leisure pool will be closed for routine maintenance. Guests may see or hear refurbishment work in the area until the work is complete. Most dining and resort amenities will remain available.
- Old Key West: From early January through early Feb. 2026, the Turtle Pond Pool, Turtle Pond Pool Spa, the BBQ area and the playground at Disney’s Old Key West Resort will be closed for routine maintenance. During this time, Guests are encouraged to use the Sandcastle Pool or one of the resort’s other two leisure pools – the South Point Pool and Miller’s Road Pool. Guests may see or hear maintenance activity in the area during daytime hours.
- Yacht Club: Admiral leisure pool will be closed for routine maintenance through early May 2026. Guests may see or hear work in the area during daytime hours until the refurbishment is complete. Most dining and resort amenities will remain available. (Walt Disney World oddly did not provide a start date for this. It was just added–unless I missed it previously–and our assumption is January 2026, like Beach Club.)
Other pool projects that were already on the calendar (and have been for at least a few months to over a year):
- All Star Sports: From January 2026 until late April 2026, the Surfboard Bay Pool and the kiddie pool at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort will be closed for maintenance. During this time, the Grand Slam Leisure Pool at Disney’s All-Star Sports will continue to be available. Additionally, Guests are welcome to use the other pools throughout Disney’s All-Star Resorts, including the Calypso Pool, Piano Pool and kiddie pool at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort; and the Fantasia Pool, Duck Pond Pool and kiddie pool at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort.
- BoardWalk Inn: From January 11, 2027, through April 2027, the Luna Park Pool, the Luna Park Crazy Play Area and Leaping Horse Libations at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas will be closed for routine maintenance. Guests may see and hear work taking place during daytime hours. However, the Villas Pool and the Inn Pool will remain open for Guests to enjoy.
- Contemporary Resort: From January 26, 2026 through early May 2026, the Bay Cove Pool, the Cove Bar, the water play area and the whirlpool spa at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will temporarily be closed for maintenance. The Bay Lake Pool, the feature pool, the water play area and the whirlpool spa at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will remain open for Guests to enjoy.
Resort Transportation
On the transportation front, the boat dock at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge will undergo routine maintenance from January 12, 2026 through early April 2026. The dock will be closed and boat transportation temporarily suspended from January 12–30, 2026.
Just to clarify, this is a 3-month project, but the boat dock closure will only last through January 30, 2026. After that, the refurbishment will continue while the dock is in use. Boat service will be offered from Wilderness Lodge in February and March 2026.
Bus transportation to all theme parks remains available throughout the closure. During the refurbishment, you can use complimentary bus service as an alternative form of transportation to Fort Wilderness and Contemporary Resort.
Finally, there’s the Disney Skyliner Gondolas Closure in Winter 2026. This is a routine refurbishment that usually occurs annually, so it’s not particularly noteworthy or unsurprising. Here’s the announcement:
From time to time, certain maintenance is required to keep our amenities and offerings updated. As part of these efforts, from January 25, 2026 through January 31, 2026, Disney Skyliner will be closed for refurbishment.
During the Skyliner refurbishment, Walt Disney World will offer bus service between the impacted hotels and the parks. Hopefully, this means increased frequency, as our past experience using and testing bus routes between the Skyliner resorts and parks left a lot to be desired.
That’s a wrap on the refurbishment rundown for Winter 2026 at Walt Disney World. At least, for now. While Walt Disney World usually gives more notice for attraction closures, it wouldn’t surprise us if a couple brief ones were still added to the schedule for February or March. And if this cold weather keeps up, quick pool maintenance could certainly in in the cards–we’ve seen a lot of last-minute projects of that nature in the last few years. Should more refurbishments be announced, we’ll send updates if you sign up for our FREE Walt Disney World newsletter.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
How do you feel about Walt Disney World’s current slate of ride refurbishments and other projects? Think there are too many simultaneous closures, or do you wish WDW would get more aggressive about preventative and routine maintenance? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!