While restaurants, attractions, and lands are set to close all around Disney World soon, the closures are also hitting outside of the parks.
There are so many great offerings inside Disney World that you essentially never have to leave the property during your vacation. There are plenty of restaurants, shops, entertainment, free transportation, and even gas stations and a car care center! But sometimes, it is good to venture outside of Disney World to hit up the two outlet malls that are near Disney World and take a trip to the Character Warehouse or get a bite to eat outside of Disney property. If you were looking to dine outside of Disney World, we wanted to give you a heads-up that a popular restaurant in Kissimmee has just permanently closed.
Located on 7903 IRLO Bronson Memorial Highway, Joe’s Crab Shack was a popular restaurant for those visiting the Orlando area. Unfortunately, this location has officially closed its doors. Joe’s Crab Shack has even taken down the page for the specific location. The good news is that there are still other Joe’s Crab Shack locations still open around Central Florida. The nearest location to Disney World can be found at 10 Blake Blvd in Kissimmee. Plus, there are plenty of other dining options around the now-closed Joe’s Crab Shack, like Miller’s Ale House.
We will continue to monitor any news of restaurants closing near Disney World. As we mentioned, you can expect to see many closures at Disney World in the near future, as there are new and exciting projects on the horizon.
So far, we know that Animal Kingdom will see closures and construction at both The Tree of Life as it transforms into a brand new Zootopia-themed show called Zootopia: Better Zoogether. The show is set to open in the winter of 2025 and will replace the current show, It’s Tough to be a Bug! DinoLand U.S.A. will also close to make way for Pueblo Esperanza, a Tropical Americas-themed land set to open in 2027 with three brand-new attractions.
Over in Hollywood Studios, there are only a few more days to experience Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, which will close on October 7th to make way for a brand-new Disney Villains stage show.
Magic Kingdom is also going to see many changes, as it was confirmed that the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will close to make way for two new Cars attractions. While we do not have too many details on the new Villains Land announced for “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain,” we can expect to see a lot of construction in Frontierland in the near future.
Currently ongoing in EPCOT, Test Track 2.0 closed to make way for Test Track 3.0, which will be inspired by Test Track’s predecessor, World of Motion.
While locations like restaurants are closing inside and outside of Disney World, like Joe’s Crab Shack in Kissimmee, it just means that new things are on the horizon! As always, keep following along with Disney Food Blog for more restaurant and Disney news!
Ride, Restaurant, and Resort Closures and Construction at Walt Disney World
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Do you like to leave Disney World to dine and shop, or do you prefer to stay in the “Disney Bubble?” Let us know in the comments!









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