Disney World is in the midst of a massive period of change that’s primed to change the resort forever. While some of these changes have proven divisive, others are definitely for the best!
Mickey!
I’ve been writing about Walt Disney World for 7 years, and visiting for nearly 5x that long, and over that time I’ve seen a lot of changes I’ve loved… and a lot I haven’t. Currently, massive construction projects are going on across the resort, with iconic rides closing to make way for the attractions of the future, some for the better and some potentially for the worse in my opinion. However, while those projects are still years away, there are several positive things going on in the parks RIGHT NOW!
Ride-Based Lounges
In 2025, Disney World opened not one, but two brand-new lounges: The Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Beak and Barrel in the Magic Kingdom, and the Spaceship Earth-inspired GEO-82 at EPCOT. Each of these heavily themed eateries takes cues from the theming and decoration of the respective rides they’re based on. The Beak and Barrel is a pirate-themed paradise, featuring elaborate dining rooms filled with pirate memorabilia…
Beak and Barrel
… themed food and drinks…
Plunderer’s Punch
… and even an animatronic parrot!
Rummy!
Meanwhile, GEO-82 captures the “stories, shapes, and enduring legacy” of EPCOT’s iconic attraction in a 21+ environment.
Strawberrry-Black Pepper Sour
I love this trend towards attraction-themed lounges, and would love to see Disney add more thematically appropriate eateries for rides like The Haunted Mansion and The Tower of Terror, just to one a few.
Starlight!
The Sumer debut of Starlight at the Magic Kingdom finally brought a nighttime parade back to the Magic Kingdom after nearly a decade.
Disney Starlight
Following in the footsteps of The Main Street Electrical Parade and Spectromagic, this new presentation – which Disney describes as a “a star-kissed constellation of Disney dreams, brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy” – brings a level of kinetic energy energy to the park at night that was sorely lacking.
MGM Studios Throwback
When the new version of the Magic of Disney Animation opens at Hollywood Studios next year – complete with theming based on the Emmy-winning Once Upon a Studio short that celebrated Disney’s 100th Anniversary, a short film, “moving” portraits, character meet & greets, sketch classes, a playground featuring an oversized flower garden with musical instruments, a Mad Tea Party playset, and a Tulgey Wood exploration area, all designed in the style of Disney Legend Mary Blair, and a new version of the Sorcerer Hat that will recreate the facade of the Roy Disney building on the Disney Burbank lot – it will mark a “return to form” for this area of the park. The whole project is very reminiscent of the classic Disney-MGM Studios of the early 1990s.
©Disney
Animal Kingdom at Night
This year has seen the return of Extended Evening Hours to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, with the next installment on October 27th. On these nights, the park will be open from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, two hours beyond its general public closure for guests of certain hotels. I love to see this, for the simple fact that Animal Kingdom – especially Pandora – is beautiful at night, and it’s welcome to have the park open after sunset, even briefly.
Pandora – The World of Avatar at night
As Walt Disney World continues to evolve, I look forward to more potential improvements! Stay tuned to DFB for more on the resort’s evolution.
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