food IS a theme park
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed
This popular ride in Disney World will be closed for at least a year, reopening sometime in 2026 with a “little bit of new magic.” If you wanted to ride it one last time, you were able to do so on Sunday, January 5th, but now you will have to wait at least a year before hopping on “The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” once again. With the closure, we noticed Disney made another small but impactful change at Magic Kingdom!
A new nighttime parade called Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away is coming to Magic Kingdom this year and we couldn’t be more excited!
Magic Kingdom
However, along with all the other changes that are hitting the park soon — Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat closing to make way for the new Cars-themed land, the new Villains Land being built behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (and therefore Big Thunder’s closure for at least a year), the new Pirates Tavern coming to Adventureland, and more — we’re starting to realize that there’s a lot more to this new parade that meets the eye. Honestly, we’re a little nervous — here’s why.
It’s a sad, sad day, friends. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has officially CLOSED for a lengthy refurbishment in Magic Kingdom.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
We spent the ride’s final day keeping an eye on crowds and wait times, and now that the ride has officially closed we’re back in the park to see if anything has changed at the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness. While we don’t have many details on the ride’s refurbishment so far, we can’t wait to see what Disney has planned!
What does Disney World look like on a sold-out day?!
Cinderella Castle
In early 2024, Disney World got rid of its park pass reservation system for the majority of its guests — those with date-based tickets. However, Annual Passholders and other people with specific tickets still need to make reservations. Park pass reservations can “sell out” on busier days, meaning that those folks will be blocked out from visiting the parks that are “sold out” — and that’s exactly what happened on Monday, January 6th.
Look, we get it. When you’re climbing in and out of the Space Mountain rockets, the last thing you want is some fussy dress or flappy skirt. And when you’re traversing all over EPCOT under the scorching rays of the relentless sun, as they so nicely put it on Living with the Land, you don’t want to wear a layered look with multiple parts and pieces. You probably want athletic shorts, a simple tank top or t-shirt, and a good old pair of sneakers. Sorry, Mickey! But we can’t all look that good in Disney World.
Mickey and Minnie in the Imagination Pavilion
But there are exceptions to every rule! So even though we just told you it makes the most sense to wear comfortable clothing to Disney World, there is one park where that special outfit might deserve its chance to shine.
Happy New Year! It’s 2025, and a LOT of exciting things are coming to Disney World this year.
Trader Sam’s Tahitian Torch
We’ve got new shows, a new nighttime parade, new lands beginning construction, and SO MUCH MORE to look forward to. We’ve even got a few new dining spots, including a Pirates of the Caribbean tavern and a Spaceship Earth lounge. However, now that the New Year has started, Disney World has been busy adjusting some of its existing restaurant menus, so let’s see what’s changed this week.
January 6th is shaping up to be a big day at Disney World.
Cinderella Castle
This random Monday in January is looking like it’s going to be a very busy day at the parks! We’ve just gotten out of the busy holiday season, but this upcoming weekend, January 8th through January 12th, is the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which is likely to bring in lots of people to the parks. As we start the marathon week, there may be other factors at play that are causing January 6th to be SO busy.
Planning a Disney World vacation isn’t for the faint of heart — that’s especially true if you’re planning to spend any time in Magic Kingdom.
Cinderella Castle
And, while you certainly shouldn’t expect to have anything close to what could be described as a “relaxing vacation” in Magic Kingdom, there are definitely a handful of not-so-secret tips that can help you get the most out of your day. No matter when you’re planning on visiting Disney World next, these are our top tips to MAXIMIZE your time in Magic Kingdom.
A lot of BIG things are happening in Disney World in 2025.
Frontierland sign
Dinoland, U.S.A. in Animal Kingdom will begin its phased closure to make way for a NEW land, Pueblo Esperanza. We expect to see construction start SOON at the Muppets Courtyard in Hollywood Studios, which will be converted into a Monsters, Inc. land. In Magic Kingdom, Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America will soon be under construction for a new Cars expansion in Frontierland. However, something BIG is happening TOMORROW in Magic Kingdom, too: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closing for at least a year. So we’re checking it out today to see what crowds are like.
January 6th is a BIG day for Disney World.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Unfortunately, we’re not looking forward to this day for anything opening, but the exact opposite. THREE popular Disney World rides will be closing for varying amounts of time for refurbishments. We’ll be getting a bit of new magic on one, while the other two will likely just see routine maintenance during their closures.
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