Disney announces closing dates for Big Thunder Mountain, DinoLand and more
There are big changes coming for Disney World, with several attractions closing! Here’s a quick guide!
Disney World fans are used to how attractions can regularly shut down for refurbishment. Sometimes, it’s just for a few weeks, while others can be much longer. That’s more common for older rides as well as for attractions that may be affected by larger construction. With Disney World planning some big changes, some attractions are in for huge closures and here’s a quick guide!
Big Thunder Mountain is closing for a year
If you want to get on “The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness,” you only have a few months to get there. Disney announced that Big Thunder Mountain will close for a lengthy refurbishment on January 6, 2025 and won’t reopen until 2026.
Being shut down for a year is a big move for this ride, but it does seem needed. Frontierland is expected to undergo a huge transformation, getting rid of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island for two Cars rides. There’s also a planned Villains Land just outside of Fronteirland. That requires some changes that would make it harder to get to Big Thunder.
There’s also how the attraction has been needing an update for a while. The Disneyland version was updated in 2013 with a new track, special effects, and an enhanced final scene. It’s likely the WDW version is finally following suit to spice things up with faster cars and cooler effects. One hopes that the new magic doesn’t include some sort of new IP to link to the Cars stuff, but the longer shutdown indicates Disney wants to make this classic ride even better.
The DinoLand transformation begins
Fans of DinoLand USA in the Animal Kingdom have known the area is coming to an end. Disney plans to remake the area to integrate both Encanto and an Indiana Jones attraction. It’s a big change occurring with the Dinosaur ride’s closing date still unknown, although reports some of the animatronic dinosaurs are already being removed.
Disney has now confirmed the closure will happen in phases, with the first being on January 12, 2025. That’s the final day for the TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures.
So, fans have just a couple of months to enjoy the original DinoLand USA before it goes extinct and ends this classic area for DAK.
The Little Mermaid's Journey is delayed
Amid these closures, fans have been eager to hear more about the long-awaited opening of The Little Mermaid-A Musical Adventure. This show at the Hollywood Studios will replace the long-running Voyage of the Little Mermaid, a wonderful mix of puppetry, video and live actors adapting the 1989 Disney hit. It opened in 1991 and remained popular until it was closed down during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Disney is set to have a new version with updated puppets, special effects, song pieces and more. It was supposed to open this fall, but Disney now announces it will open in the summer of 2025. The delay is probably due to needing more time for the upgraded effects and remodeling of the theater itself.
No doubt Disney will see other announced ride closures/opening dates soon and a good guide for guests for future visits!