food IS a theme park
Test Track is coming back… but not as soon as we thought.
©Disney
EPCOT’s Test Track has been closed for a massive refurbishment since the middle of 2024, with only an ambiguous “2025” noted as its reopening date. That is, until Disney confirmed a new reopening timeline for the iconic thrill ride today, December 3rd. However, EPCOT aficionados may not be happy to read it.
Okay, we get it — it’s no fun when your favorite Disney ride closes for refurbishment, especially if that closure happens during your planned trip.
Disneyland
It happens all the time, though. Rides have to close for much-needed maintenance, although sometimes rides get big updates during their closure (or entire re-themes). One classic Disneyland ride is scheduled to close soon for what’s probably a basic refurbishment, but now we know when that ride will reopen.
We know it can be a big bummer if you’re visiting a Disney park and a ride goes down for refurbishment, but it’s always exciting when that ride reopens.
Disneyland
Sometimes those refurbishments are just an opportunity for Disney to spruce up things on the ride a bit. Sometimes, it’s just time to give the rides some extra maintenance. Other times, rides get new vehicles, tracks, themes, and more. Well, one classic Disney ride has been closed for a while now, but it’s set to reopen SOON.
Hurricane Milton has come and gone through Disney World.
Magic Kingdom entrance the day after Hurricane Milton
The powerful storm ripped through Florida, causing several businesses, hotels, and theme parks, including Disney World, to close. The four parks and Typhoon Lagoon closed on October 9th as the hurricane barreled through the area and on October 10th as crews worked to clean up the debris and damage. (Blizzard Beach remained closed due to planned refurbishment.) However, it wasn’t just the parks and water park that were closed for the hurricane, and while the four theme parks reopened on October 11th, some areas have remained closed.
Things aren’t “back to normal” in Florida quite yet.
Air travel
Two days after Florida was battered by Hurricane Milton, many of the state’s larger attractions and businesses have begun reopening. These include Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Orlando International Airport. However, while Orlando Airport is back open to commercial operation, that doesn’t mean things are going 100% smoothly.
Hurricane Milton has made its way across Florida, and as a result, Disney World and Disney Springs has been closed since yesterday, October 9th, at 2PM and will remain closed until tomorrow, October 11th, when the parks will reopen.
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport remained open, but it put a pause on any and all commercial flights, only staying open to allow emergency, medical, and relief flights into and out of the airport. However, the airport just made an important announcement on when it will reopen (which might be good news to some folks who ended up stranded in Orlando due to the hurricane).
Hurricane Milton arrived in Florida last night ahead of Hurricane Warnings for the counties that Disney World resides in.
Signage at Disney World
Ahead of the hurricane, Disney World announced that it would close its theme parks and Disney Springs early yesterday, October 9th, and remain closed today, October 10th. Disney World visitors were instructed to shelter in place at their hotels, with Disney announcing that they would keep guests informed when it was safe to leave their hotels. Well, now, Disney has revealed that the parks and Disney Springs will reopen tomorrow, October 11th.
This week, we’ve been keeping a close eye on the path of Hurricane Milton.
©NHC
The storm made landfall in Florida last night and many businesses and tourist destinations were closed in preparation for the bad weather. Among those locations that closed was Universal Orlando, but they’ve now released information about reopening.
Four years ago, Disney World closed and then later reopened due to the global pandemic. After four years, some things still have not returned to normal in Disney World.
Japan Pavilion in EPCOT
For example, much of Disney World’s streetmosphere entertainment, like the Citizens of Main Street, have never returned. Some restaurant offerings (like afternoon tea at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort) never returned. Although a lot of things are now back to normal, even some restaurant hours haven’t been the same since 2020. One EPCOT restaurant, though, has finally returned to being open seven days a week, for the first time since 2020.
Sometimes, Starbucks just hits, especially when you’re in Disney World and it’s rope drop or the middle of the day when you’ve lost your last bit of energy.
Disney Springs
Yeah, we’ll usually warn you about long lines at Starbucks, especially in the morning, but at the same time, we’ll often be standing in those lines (although we do go to Joffrey’s when they’re TOO long). Well, if you’re headed to Disney Springs, your Starbucks options just opened up again: a closed Starbucks there has just reopened! OH, HAPPY DAY!
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