2025 is only a few months away, but we already know there’s a lot of change coming to Disney World this next year.
Animal Kingdom Entrance
There are construction projects beginning in every single Disney World park (unless some get pushed to 2026, which is always a possibility), Test Track will be reopening with its new reimagined theme sometime in 2025, and of course, that’s not counting the changes that haven’t been announced yet (and these days it feels like Disney almost always has an announcement up their sleeve). But all of these changes don’t necessarily mean we’ll see MORE crowds in the Disney World parks — here’s why we think we could see FEWER crowds in Disney World in 2025.
Epic Universe
Yep, you knew it would be on here. Universal Orlando is unveiling their MASSIVE new theme park, consisting of 5 different lands and numerous new attractions. The new park will open on May 22nd, 2025 and many fans have already got their tickets, and others are planning trips in the new year already. With so much excitement happening across the pond, it’s very likely a lot of typical Disney World visitors may choose to skip out on the Most Magical Place on Earth for 2025 and visit Universal Orlando instead. Or they may choose to have fewer days at Disney World so they can explore Epic Universe.
©Universal
This is especially true since, at the time of writing, single day tickets to Epic Universe are not yet available to the general public (although they will be available before the park opens, according to Universal), so families are needing to book multi-day tickets or ticket + hotel packages to confirm they’ll be able to visit for their preferred dates in 2025.
Construction
While we’re very excited for all the new additions Disney World is adding to their parks, the reality is that a TON of it is scheduled to begin in 2025. Again, there are projects beginning in EACH park, some massive (like entire new lands and overhauls of existing areas) and some are smaller (like new lounges in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT), but regardless, those are a LOT of construction walls we’ll be seeing for a large part of the new year.
The new Tropical Americas land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom lets guests explore a preserved Maya temple – and the ensuing adventure – alongside Indiana Jones.
It’ll be like Wallcot all over again, but this time across all the parks, and that’s not ideal for a lot of families. They may find themselves getting confused on how to get around with all the walls, or be frustrated that there are fewer attractions available (more on that idea in a second). We also don’t exactly know when some of these projects are set to begin, but we DO know that many of them are set to begin in 2025 but not OPEN until 2026 or 2027 at the earliest, and going to the parks in the year BEFORE a lot of new attractions open up isn’t a lot of people’s cup of tea.
Why Not Wait?
Speaking of the above, if we know that a ton of new attractions and offerings are opening in Disney World in 2026 and 2027, many guests may choose to just hold off on their trip another year or two and wait to go when all of these new offerings are available to experience.
A new show inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Zootopia” will debut next winter in Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
However, it’s likely that you’ll be dealing with many more crowds if you wait until these new areas of the parks are open, as many people may choose to take this route. But let’s say a new park offering opens in March 2026 and you decide to go in September, some of the hype may have calmed by then. With so many new additions coming though, it will be hard to plan around these openings until they’re all announced and all our ducks are in a row!
Let’s Talk About Those Prices
Now, this one’s a little spicy, we’re not gonna lie, but we have to bring it up because it’s true. As the past few years have gone on, Disney has made some choices that have made many guests choose to vacation elsewhere. For many, it’s because the price to go to Disney World is now too expensive, and many families aren’t able to save up in a reasonable amount of time to take their kids at the ages they’re looking to.
Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
For others, they feel that what Disney has shown to create in the past few years (we’re looking at you Communicore Hall & Plaza) is not worth the constant upcharges that continue year after year. Price increases are now not only yearly, they often happen MULTIPLE times throughout the year on some items or experiences, and many guests are just simply not willing to pay an arm and a leg when they don’t feel there’s anything substantially new to constitute those prices.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
One thing’s for sure though — we know we’ll be going to Disney World EVERY day in 2025 to make sure we’re bringing you all the latest news, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB!
Why is Disney World Opening Two Lounges…and No Restaurants…in 2025?
Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know
Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip
Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click Here to Subscribe
Are you planning to go to Disney World in 2025? Tell us in the comments!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
We gave up our annual passes after Disney changed DAS. They have made it impossible for my disabled daughter, her children and our family to be able to enjoy Disney. We are at the mercy of the cast members at each ride, on every trip, to decide if they are going to provide any sort of accommodation whatsoever. We pay enough as APs to not have to pay extra for Genie or Lightning Lane. Bye bye WDW. We’re going to Universal.
There’s also the likelihood that many international travellers will be avoiding travel to the U.S., including Walt Disney World, for the foreseeable future, as they watch the repercussions of the latest U.S. elections. Watch for decreased travel by people of color, LGBT people, and pregnant individuals.
We are from U K and hope to come to wdw in late July /August . We are D V C members so are HOPEFULLY coming to wdw this year as it’s my daughter’s 40th . We have booked wdw passes and universal with Epic as we are coming for 4 weeks ! But you have seen the word Hopefully !!! The flights for our school holidays late July all August are CRAZY $900-1200 per person !!! If they don’t drop we won’t / can’t come ! My daughter’s a teacher so we are restricted to school holidays !
We have already decided we can’t afford to eat in WDW it will be room made food from Walmart ! Long gone are the days we could enjoy character meals and even counter services !! so sad that hard working people can’t afford Disney as it used to be ! Not all about the $$$$ ! No free fastpass / no free bus from the airport / it’s all pay pay at crazy prices !! If we weren’t DVC we couldn’t even think of coming . This will be our last trip for 2-3 years due to cost and yet I can look back to when we bought into DVC in 2004 and we could happily come every year not now due to cost 😭😭😭
Another reason….many families with disabilities can’t go anymore after Disney cut DAS from many many people who truly need it and cannot function at Disney without it. So now the place that was a magical place for people who really needed that magic, is less busy.
I am going in February for a Disney cruise and a few park days. We go there once or twice every year and have DVC membership. We plan, work hard, save and we enjoy every minute of it. There are people who will find a way to complain about everything. Disney had to tighten rules on the DAS. That is because there were too many people taking advantage of it. It’s no secret that Disney is expensive. That’s because it’s world class experiences with rides, shows, dining, and lodging. People claim Disney is latched onto this woke agenda wave passing through the country right now. It’s just business. The entertainment giant simply has to make decisions to keep themselves out of hot water. That will all be a thing of yesterday in a few years. Disney is on the brink of major expansions that will be amazing once completed. People should go there and take in what it has to offer and not complain.
Well said Nick I’m so happy to know there are other that have the same mind set. Yes some will go to EU but if they think they are going to get to stay at the new park every day they are very wrong. Univ. is only selling 3 day pass of which only one can be at the new park. Disney makes sure you can go to what ever park you want. You could go to one park 4 time in a row no restriction. As for the cost of food have you seen the amount of food your given for that cost. Try getting one meal and spiting it Disney will even give you an extra plate to do that. There are rides for all even the DAS that got bumped because of the lairs that forced Disney into the change. EU is not going to be any better for DAS people less rides , less shows and not much in the way of fine dinning. Give me (a DAS person not on the list any more) the fun and beauty of Disney over EU anyday.
We’ve been going since Year One but too many changes that are getting rid of Walt’s Disney and everything that was iconic, classic Disney creations are turning Wdw into just another amusement park catering to the ultra wealthy and a very young demographic. Disneyland and Wdw were created for ALL generations to enjoy together with storytelling and creativity based on Disney tv shows and movies with rides and attractions one could see and enjoy without being scared or made sick or be in such darkness that you can’t even see the ride. And today’s new attractions like Frozen in Norway are bare and cheaply done. Add to that too much liquor in the parks and too many rude foreign guests means that Wdw, especially the parks, has lost its appeal for us. The magic, the pixie dust, is gone. We have been annual passholders for a long time – and those prices have ridiculously skyrocketed – so we will not be renewing and we see no reason to put up with Disney’s gimme gimme approach while they take away so much! Nor do we want to spend our days being pushed and shoved and stepped on with much of the parks under construction! In addition, there’s only one water park open, the horseback riding is gone, Disney Springs is changing too quickly for no good reason we can see….many of our favorite stores are closed….and even our favorite resorts are undergoing radical, intrusive ‘upgrades and refurbishments’ that seem ridiculous to us. The rooms were fine! If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! So, sadly, we will not be going to Wdw in 2025….maybe never again. We think Walt and Roy must be rolling over in their graves to see how corporate greed has usurped the loveliness and childlike escapism that once was Wdw.