With four theme parks and over 20 hotels, there is something new going up at Walt Disney World Resort pretty much constantly. In this post, we’re going to do our best to create a list of major ongoing construction projects.
The first part of this post is a month-by-month timeline providing a list of major construction at Disney World, including new rides being built, and refurbishments that have been announced for the month.
Keep in mind that refurbishments may not be announced until a few weeks before they start. To see currently scheduled refurbishments for a given day, see the official Disney World calendar.
For hotels, the primary list includes only new hotel constructions. After the timeline part of this post, there’s a section called “Other Notable Construction” which will be an incomplete list of notable ongoing work at hotels, new restaurants, or other construction projects.
We are including events and major entertainment changes to this. Events are not new construction, but they often impact trip planning just as much.
This list is obviously not “official”. We do our best to link to the source of the date when there’s any ambiguity or we’re relying on rumors. The date of this post is the last date the post was updated.
While this is the list we are using for scheduling our multitude of trips, you should definitely do independent research if you want to find out how “strong” a projected date is. That said, even dates confirmed by Disney (for new constructions) are constantly changing.
This list does not include closure related specifically to the pandemic.
Quick Notes About This Timeline
The timeline is arranged chronologically from this month. Each year begins with a list of projects that aren’t specified precisely, but are expected in the year. Each month also contains certain things that aren’t specified by Disney yet.
Ride refurbishments are noted by beginning date, end date, and full months of closures in between. So a ride is closed in a month if we either indicate it is closed all month or that a refurbishment begins or ends that month. And again, restaurants and hotel projects are discussed separately at the end of the post.
Expected 2024
Unknown - “It’s tough to be a bug” at Animal Kingdom Closes
Unknown - New Zootopia show at Animal Kingdom debuts
Unknown - Dinoland USA, Triceratop Spin, DINOSAUR at Animal Kingdom close
Summer 2024 - Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (former Splash Mountain) opens
April 18 Update on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Via BlogMickey, it’s looking as if Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will have media previews around June 9-11, potentially setting the ride up for a late June or July opening after media / Cast Member / annual passholder previews.
Disney will hopefully wind up confirming specific dates as the the rumor mill is now churning. We’ll update this post with official dates once they’re announced.
April 2024
Expected All Month - Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios), Country Bear Jamboree (Magic Kingdom) closed for refurbishment
April 18 to 21 - RunDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend
April 29 - Mickey Shorts Theater (Hollywood Studios) closes for refurbishment
May 2024
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (former Splash Mountain) opens
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios), Country Bear Jamboree (Magic Kingdom) reopen from refurbishment
May 24 - Disney Dreams That Soar (nightly drone show) debuts at Disney Springs
May 25 - Mickey Shorts Theater (Hollywood Studios) reopens
May 27 - End of Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
June 2024
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (former Splash Mountain) opens
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios), Country Bear Jamboree (Magic Kingdom) reopen from refurbishment
June 10 - CommuniCore Hall and Plaza debut at Epcot (end of major construction); Encanto Sing-Along debuts at CommuniCore Plaza.
June 17 - Test Track closes for reimagining / refurbishment (reopening date unknown)
July 2024
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (former Splash Mountain) opens
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios), Country Bear Jamboree (Magic Kingdom) reopen from refurbishment
August 2024
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (former Splash Mountain) opens
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios), Country Bear Jamboree (Magic Kingdom) reopen from refurbishment
(2023 Date) August 11 - First Date of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
August 29, 2024 - Epcot International Food and Wine Festival begins
September 2024
September 2 - Last night of Disney Dreams That Soar (nightly drone show) at Disney Springs
Unspecified “Summer 2024” - Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (former Splash Mountain) opens
October 2024
(Expected) October 31 - Last date of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
October 31 to November 3 - RunDisney Wine & Dine Weekend
November 2024
October 31 to November 3 - RunDisney Wine & Dine Weekend
(2023 Date) November 6 - Blizzard Beach water park reopens (Typhoon Lagoon water park closes)
(2023 Date) November 9 - First date for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
(2023 Date) November 11 - First date for Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios
(2023 Date) November 11 - Holiday festivities at Animal Kingdom begin
(2023 Date)November 11 - Holiday festivities at Disney’s Hollywood Studios begin
November 23, 2024 - Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Ends
(2023 Date) November 24 - Epcot International Festival of the Holidays Begins
December 2024
(2023 Date) December 30 - Epcot International Festival of the Holidays Ends
January 2025
January (unspecified date) - Stormalong Bay pool at Yacht and Beach Club closes for months-long refurbishment
January 8 (2024 date) - Kali River Rapids closes for refurbishment
January 8 to 12, 2025 - RunDisney Marathon Weekend
January 12 (2024 date) - Start of Epcot International Festival of the Arts
January 16 - 27 (2024 dates) - Portions of Disney World Skyliner closed for refurbishment
February 2025
Expected All Month - Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom) closed for refurbishment
February 19 (2024 date) - End of Epcot International Festival of the Arts
February 20 to 24, 2025 - RunDisney Princess Weekend
February 28 (2024 date) - Start of Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival
March 2025
(2024 Date) March 15 - Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom) reopens
(2024 Date) March 17 - Blizzard Beach closes / Typhoon Lagoon reopens
Expected Beyond
January 2025 through May 2025 - Stormalong Bay (pool at Yacht and Beach Club) closed for refurbishment
Dinoland USA replacement land, “tropical Americas” themed, opens
New land at Magic Kingdom opens
Other Notable Construction
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
Don't be overwhelmed by Disney World planning! Take a second to check out our most important content and you'll not only be an expert, but you'll save big $$$ along the way.
Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
Finally, before you head out, be sure to check out our to-the-point packing list, 10 essentials you forget to pack for every Disney trip. And if you're interested in saving, there's no better list than our 53 Ways to Save on your Disney trip from start to finish.