Disney World is no stranger to high wait times, but some attractions have long been known as easy walk-ons. Rides like Journey into Imagination with Figment and The Seas with Nemo & Friends rarely see long lines. Even The Carousel of Progress and Tom Sawyer Island remain quiet spots in the parks, with the latter now confirmed to be closing permanently in the future.
But when rumors start flying that a ride might be on the chopping block, guests react fast. We’ve seen it happen with The Great Movie Ride and Maelstrom—as soon as word gets out that a ride might be closing, demand skyrockets. Now, it looks like EPCOT’s Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros could be the next ride to experience this effect.
March 15 Reopening Brings Unusual Hype
Gran Fiesta Tour, the boat ride inside EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion, is reopening on March 15, 2025, after a short refurbishment. Normally, this ride has some of the shortest wait times in all of Disney World, but this time, it’s different. Fans have been speculating that the attraction could be on borrowed time, and that’s causing an unexpected surge in interest.
The ride, which follows Donald Duck, Panchito, and José Carioca through animated scenes of Mexico, has been a charming but often overlooked attraction. However, rumors that Disney could replace it with a Coco-themed ride have been floating around for years. With Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom both undergoing major expansions, EPCOT could be next in line for a shake-up.
Will Gran Fiesta Tour Be the Next Attraction to Go?
Although Disney has not confirmed any plans for the ride’s removal, recent closures across the parks suggest that no attraction is safe. Gran Fiesta Tour is based on The Three Caballeros, a movie that isn’t exactly a household name anymore, whereas Coco remains one of Pixar’s most beloved films. The Mexico Pavilion would be an obvious choice for a re-theme, and many believe it’s just a matter of time before the switch happens.
With that possibility looming, guests who might have once skipped Gran Fiesta Tour are now making it a priority. Many are eager to experience the ride before any major changes are announced, just in case history repeats itself. We saw the same thing happen when Splash Mountain closed to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure—wait times shot up as soon as Disney made the announcement.
A Rare Surge in Popularity for a Quiet Ride
The reopening of Gran Fiesta Tour coincides with EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival, which is already drawing massive crowds. This means the ride, which normally has little to no wait, could soon see some of its highest wait times ever.
For Disney fans, this may be the last opportunity to experience Gran Fiesta Tour in its current form. Whether the Cocorumors are true or not, history has shown that these kinds of changes don’t come out of nowhere. Fans who want one more chance to float through Mexico with The Three Caballeros may want to do so sooner rather than later.
