food IS a theme park
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!
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.
Happy New Year!
New Year’s Eve Fireworks
The Holiday season is one of the busiest at Walt Disney World, with events including Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights, and EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays (including performances of the Candlelight Processional) drawing in huge crowds. Of course, the Holiday season culminates on New Year’s Day! We headed into Magic Kingdom on the first day of 2025 to see what the crowds were looking like.
Magic Kingdom is about to go through some serious changes.
Magic Kingdom
To start off, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be closed for at least a year for an update. Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America are also about to be completely reimagined into a new Cars expansion in Frontierland. But wait…there’s more! That’s because a new Villains-themed land is coming to the area behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Magic Kingdom is even getting a new nighttime parade! In the meantime, let’s just say Magic Kingdom is going to look VERY different over the next few years.
Well, it’s official — Magic Kingdom is about to become a big ‘ole mess of construction.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
You’d think we’d be used to so much construction after the LOOONNG EPCOT transformation, but we’re really worried about what that means for Magic Kingdom. It’s going to be bad enough seeing all that construction where Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island is to make way for the Frontierland Cars expansion, and we know there are going to be a lot of construction walls to walk around. However, we’re noticing a trend in some construction happening already behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that’s setting an unsightly trend.
Have you ever been exploring Magic Kingdom and found yourself staring at a little yellow house nestled on Tom Sawyer Island?
Aunt Polly’s on Tom Sawyer Island
It’s cute, it’s cozy, and it’s definitely got a vibe, but if you’ve been wondering what it’s all about, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most low-key (and elusive) spots in all of Disney World! Let’s dive right into its story.
Hold on to your hats, because Magic Kingdom is about to go through a whirlwind transformation.
Magic Kingdom
Not only will we be getting a brand-new Pirates of the Caribbean tavern in 2025, but we’re also eagerly awaiting the construction of a new Cars-themed area — even if it means we have to say goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America forever. Disney recently hit a snag when it came to some logistics for the Cars retheme, but now it looks like things are back on (race)track. HA! See what we did there?
Magic Kingdom is about to undergo a MASSIVE transformation.
Rivers of America
First, the park is getting a Pirates of the Caribbean lounge, which is set to open in late 2025. Then there’s the new Villains land that we are ALL eagerly waiting to learn more about. An entire part of the park, Rivers of America, and Tom Sawyer Island, is set to be demolished to make way for a new Cars expansion that will expand Frontierland. Disney previously filed the first permit to begin the demolishment of that section of the park but recently had to request an extension for that permit.
Disney World may be known as the Most Magical Place on Earth, but that doesn’t mean it’s all magic, all the time.
Cinderella Castle
In fact, things go wrong at the Disney parks probably more often than you realize — they’re just really, really good at fixing any problems in a relatively quick manner. And today, folks hoping to enjoy all that Magic Kingdom has to offer are realizing just how often things can go wrong!
Sometimes, it feels like there’s no end to the changes coming to Magic Kingdom!
Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade
And we’re not even talking about things like Villains Land or the two Cars attractions coming to Frontierland. No, for this one, let’s talk about the new lounge for Disney Vacation Club members and break it all down!
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