If you visited Disney World this week, there’s a good chance you walked into one of the busiest periods the resort has experienced in a very long time.
Disney packed an unbelievable amount of openings into a single stretch. Guests saw the launch of Cool KID SUMMER, the debut of new Hollywood Studios entertainment, the return of Soarin’ Across America, and the official opening of Bluey’s Wild World.
For once, Disney fans actually had trouble keeping up with everything new happening around the parks.
But while Disney has focused heavily on promoting all these new additions, there’s still another side to the story guests need to know about before arriving.
A huge amount of Disney World is still closed.
Some closures are temporary refurbishments that will reopen later this year. Others are permanent losses that completely changed sections of the parks forever.
Magic Kingdom continues to see some of the biggest disruptions.
The entire Rivers of America area is now gone as Disney prepares for the future Piston Peak expansion. Tom Sawyer Island permanently closed, the Liberty Square Riverboat no longer operates, and construction crews continue reshaping that entire section of Frontierland.
The transformation is massive.
Guests can now clearly see how much land Disney is preparing to redevelop, and it has completely changed the atmosphere around Frontierland and Liberty Square.
Storybook Circus also still feels incomplete. Pete’s Silly Sideshow remains closed, and Big Top Souvenirs continues undergoing repairs. Disney has not provided firm reopening dates for either location.
Hollywood Studios is in an even stranger position because so much of the park currently feels split between old and new.
Animation Courtyard is partially open, but Disney is still actively transforming the space into the new Walt Disney Studios area. Some offerings have already debuted, including character appearances and the Disney Jr. show, but the larger project is far from complete.
Star Wars Launch Bay remains unavailable, and guests are still waiting on additional experiences Disney has promised for the land.
Then there’s the former Muppets Courtyard.
That entire section of the park now sits behind construction walls following the permanent closure of Muppet*Vision 3D, PizzeRizzo, and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.
The area is becoming Monstropolis, but for now, it mostly looks like an active construction site.
EPCOT currently has fewer closures than the other parks, though guests still continue dealing with ongoing work throughout World Showcase and other areas.
Refreshment Port remains closed during its transformation into La Poutinerie, and construction continues near Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Even after EPCOT’s years-long overhaul supposedly ended, the park still feels like it constantly has some kind of project happening.
Animal Kingdom also remains in transition mode.
DinoLand U.S.A. has now fully closed as Disney pushes ahead with Tropical Americas. Construction walls, demolition work, and permit activity continue taking over the area while Disney prepares for future Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions.
For many guests, it’s exciting to finally see Animal Kingdom getting a major expansion after years of relatively few additions.
At the same time, though, the park definitely feels smaller right now without DinoLand operating.
The hotel side of Disney World is also still dealing with a long list of refurbishments.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort continues boat dock work, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa still has heavy construction around its main entrance, and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort remains covered in exterior repair projects.
At Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts, some pools are still closed for refurbishment, while Yachtsman Steakhouse remains unavailable during renovations.
Disney’s BoardWalk is also going through noticeable changes following the closure of Jellyrolls and the shutdown of the Promenade Fine Art Gallery.
What makes this current period so interesting is how Disney is handling both expansion and disruption at the exact same time.
The company is opening huge new experiences while simultaneously tearing apart older sections of the resort to prepare for the future.
For guests, that creates a very mixed experience.
There’s more new entertainment and excitement than Disney World has had in years, but there are also still walls, closures, refurbishments, and missing attractions nearly everywhere you look.
Depending on when you visit, your trip could feel like you’re watching Disney World evolve in real time.
