Should You Visit Disney World in 2026?

Disney World’s spring discounts for 2026 rolled out a few weeks ago, plus the calendars of events and refurbishments for 2026 continue to get filled out. With everyone starting to think about booking that surprise trip as a gift this year, now is a good time to revisit—is 2026 a good time to visit Disney World?

There’s Still Some Left In 2025

While most of the major debuts of 2025 have passed, there is still plenty of fun to be had this year.

For starters, we’ve still got the holiday season coming up:

And with all the closures and walls going up recently, it’s easy to forget the good news—there’s still one new attraction set to open this year! November 7 will bring the debut of Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, the Zootopia-themed replacement to It’s Tough To Be A Bug at Animal Kingdom.

Plus, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will get a refurbishment, switching from 3D to 2D in November.

Here’s How 2026 Is Shaping Up

With that in mind, let’s move onto what we think about 2026 at Disney World…

The (Simplified) 2026 Calendar

Let’s start with a simplified look at some of the major things set to happen in 2026:

What’s notable about this calendar is that it’s pretty packed with notable but minor updates. These are mostly cool changes to good rides, but only the last item is arguably brand new, depending on whether or not you count it as a “reopening” of the version that closed in 2015.

That’s because, as you probably know by now, 2027 will kick off a multi-year period that will see the debuts of new lands at Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom (more on these below). The key for Disney is keeping things fresh enough in 2026 to keep the crowds rolling in. Which brings us to…

the 2026 Discount Push Started Early

Disney announced back in April 2025 that 2026 would have “free dining” for kids the entire year. That’s already a nice touch, and now they’ve added in spring (and some summer) discounts, too.

It’s worth noting that prices in 2026 aren’t overall particularly low. Prices are still up around 3% to 5% versus 2025, and I’ve seen bigger increases (I’ve seen smaller, too). Our look at How Much it Costs to Go to Disney World in 2026 found increases of around 1% to 5%. It’s possible we’ll see increases deal availability to account for this, but overall I’m expecting 2026 deals to be slightly better than typical.

2026 Will Be A Good Year for Stability

With the changes in 2026 being mostly minor, the bright side is that you’ll have a really good sense of what to expect. We could see a virtual queue or two, but for the most part the touring strategies and Lightning Lane strategies outlined on the various blogs and forums are going to be enough to guide you toward a perfect trip. If you visited this year or last year, you’ll be glad to see things are mostly where you left them.

Bottom Line 1: 2026 Is Not The Year For a Once-In-A-Lifetime Trip to Disney World

I’ve got two bottom lines—let’s start with the sorts of trips 2026 is not so good for. (As a shouldn’t-need-to-be-said-but-needs-to-be-said caveat, if you have to take whatever trip in 2026, you will have a good time. 2026 will absolutely not be a disaster year at Disney World, and it will probably be a better year than 2025.)

If you can avoid it, don’t plan your once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disney World in 2026. This isn’t because 2026 will be objectively “bad”, but because so much is set to debut in coming years that it’s definitely worth waiting a few years, if you can:

There is, admittedly, a flaw in this reasoning—is it ever a good time to visit if you’re always going to wait for new things? Tiana’s Bayou Adventure debuted in 2024. TRON in 2023. Cosmic Rewind in 2022. There’s basically always something around the corner.

But what makes the 2027-2030(ish) timeframe different is the scale. We’re not talking about waiting for a single new ride—we’re talking about 3.5 lands and about 8 rides in the span of a few(ish) years. It’s probable that waiting all this out takes you into the next decade, but the flipside is that just waiting until sometime in 2027 already brings a new land and three new rides. I think that’s enough reason to really rethink whether you have to visit in 2026.

Bottom Line 2: 2026 Is a Great Year for Short, Supplemental Trips

What really sets 2026 apart, in my mind, is that those future changes to Disney World make 2026 a great year to really pull back on the scope of your trip. Since you’re probably planning to come back within the next five years or so, take this opportunity to craft a smaller trip.

For example, you might just cut a day from the traditional plans. While I haven’t read this (per editorial policy), Disney Tourist Blog has a post contemplating skipping visits to Animal Kingdom, something I’d certainly consider in 2026.

If you’ve experienced most of EPCOT and Hollywood Studios before, you might split a day between them later in the year, focusing mostly on the new things: Frozen Ever After’s new animatronics, Soarin’ Across America, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster’s new theme, and The Magic of Disney Animation.

Overall, if you’re looking ahead to a bigger trip down the road, I can easily see deciding that in 2026 you’re going to just spend two days in the parks hitting some core experiences.

But this doesn’t have to be about budget or saving time, either:

The point is that if you’re the sort of person who visits every few years and you’re really itching for a 2026 trip, I think 2026 is a good year to ditch the usual playbook of Disney World trips, mix things up a bit, and return to tradition with some new lands to conquer a few years down the road.

Alternatives to Disney World 2026

So, Disney World isn’t worth the once-in-a-lifetime trip. But what if you’re just doing your annual travel planning and it’s one of the place you’re considering. Fine for this year, but fine for another year, too. What are some good alternatives? Well…

I’d Consider Universal Over Disney World In 2026

Epic Universe debuted in May 2025, and it’s a great park. While I don’t feel like Universal Orlando has come close to closing the gap with Walt Disney World, there’s no doubt left that it is a bona fide multi-day vacation destination. Three theme parks and one water park are enough to justify a trip.

I like Universal Orlando Resort. I’ve had several fantastic trips there. Our first trip to Epic Universe this year was a great success, and Zoe has been asking to get back to Universal Orlando ever since.

It is clear there are still growing pains at Epic Universe. Wait times can swing wildly from one week to the next, and there have already been some notable ride closure. But overall, I think 2026 is a great time to check out Universal Orlando if you haven’t yet.

To be clear, this isn’t a comparison made in a vacuum of 2026, it’s about the fact that delaying your Disney World trip a few years has huge implications, while delaying a Universal trip a few years has minimal implications.

If your choice is Universal in 2026 or Disney in 2027 / 2028…that’s a closer call. I’d probably still take the later Disney trip in that instance, assuming it’s after Tropical Americas opens at Animal Kingdom.

Don’t Forget About Disneyland (And Disney Cruise Line)

If you want to stick in the house of Mouse, 2026 might be a good time to depart from your regular plans (if you’re a Disney World regular) and try either Disneyland or a Disney Cruise.

Disneyland will be celebrating its 70th Anniversary into summer 2026. Depending on which coast your on, what dates you pick, and whether you can justify a short, two-day trip, you might find a Disneyland trip a great way to save money (compared to a Disney World trip), maybe gearing up for a longer Disney World stay in coming years. Read more about planning a Disneyland trip here.

Disney Cruise Line continues to debut new ships, but they come at a cost. We’ve got a guide to picking the best Disney Cruise for your family.

It’s a Big World

It might be hard to tell from the amount of time I seem to spend eating Ronto Roasters, but I actually much prefer world travel (and even much domestic travel) to Disney travel. We’ve covered plenty of destinations on our sister sites here and here. I’m on a National Parks kick right now, so I’ll just plug Zion, Yosemite, and Acadia as my favorites from recent trips.

Universal Kids Resort?

Finally, there’s a bit of a wildcard option—Universal Kids Resort. The new resort, said to be focused on kids ages 3 to 9, is set to open May 2026. I’m hoping to get there ASAP, but at least until bookings actually start (and maybe until more is revealed about the actual attractions) I’m not really considering planning my year around this one.

Where will you go in 2026?

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 Lightning Lane Guide and 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 Lightning Lane Strategy, Epcot Lightning Lane Strategy, Animal Kingdom Lightning Lane Strategy, and Hollywood Studios Lightning Lane Strategy.

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.