food IS a theme park
There’s FREE transportation in Disney World, but it can be complicated to navigate!
Old Key West Boat Dock
With everything from the Monorail and Skyliner to boats and buses, there’s a veritable web of transportation options criss-crossing Disney World. If you’re staying on Disney property, you’ll likely have one or two at your disposal at your resort. But right now, there’s a big transportation change at Old Key West.
If you’re planning a trip to Disney World soon, you need to stay in the loop about upcoming closures!
Mickey waffle with chicken? Yes, please!
It’s not uncommon for rides, hotel pools, attractions, or other offerings to close temporarily for refurbishment. Thankfully, Disney World typically announces those closures in advance on its website so you can prepare for your trip. And today, we’re here to remind you that a popular restaurant is about to close for several months.
A lot is happening behind the scenes at Walt Disney World right now, and your resort stay could look a little different depending on when you visit.
Beach Club
From pool closures to full-scale refurbishments, Disney has quietly confirmed a wave of updates affecting nearly a dozen properties across the resort. If you’ve got a trip on the books, this is exactly the kind of information you want in your back pocket before you arrive. Here’s a full breakdown of what’s new, what’s ongoing, and what to expect at each location.
There is so much change going on in Disney World right now! Magic Kingdom has two major expansions in the works, Cool Kid Summer is starting very soon, and a new hotel is underway.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Over at one of Disney’s most popular hotels, a major resort perk is now closed! Don’t be caught unaware during your next stay.
Well, for the second time in less than a year, an attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is closing…again.
Vacation Fun
Now, closures for ride and attraction refurbishments happen all the time, and they’re generally short when it’s just for basic ride maintenance, which is necessary to keep rides and attractions running on a regular basis. Now, Vacation Fun — An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie just reopened in December 2025 after a two-month closure, but now, it’s set to close again for another refurbishment.
This might surprise you, but there is about to be MORE construction in Disney World.
Aloha, Polynesian Village Resort!
2026 is the year of growth around the Disney Resort! In the theme parks, they’re busy working away at new lands like the Walt Disney Studios, Pueblo Esperanza, Piston Peak, and more. Over at the hotels, there’s quite a bit of refurbishment going on, and Disney’s Polynesian Village is now putting on its hard hat to get in on the fun.
We’ve got some pretty rough news coming out of Disney’s Animal Kingdom right now, unfortunately, and a lot of people are NOT going to be happy about it.
Rafiki’s Planet Watch
Disney just closed the remainder of DinoLand U.S.A. on February 2nd to make way for the new Tropical Americas land, and while we’re looking forward to it, it means there’s a WHOLE park of the park that won’t be available for the foreseeable future. However, now things are about to get WORSE, because Disney has just announced two MORE temporary closures for the park that close ANOTHER section.
We have sad poutine news from EPCOT. While we were expecting the closure, the Refreshment Port in EPCOT is officially temporarily closed. This snack stand, located near the Port of Entry and near the Canada pavilion, is closed for refurbishment. Refreshment Port is known for its poutine (and usually offers a special poutine during the festivals).
The Refreshment Port
Disney hasn’t announced when the Refreshment Port will reopen yet, and the Disney World website still shows no hours for the snack stand through March 13th (which is how far the calendar is currently available). That doesn’t necessarily mean it couldn’t open before March 13th, but as of right now, we don’t know when it will reopen.
For Star Wars fans, Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a destination in and of itself. Where else can you take a shot at flying the Millennium Falcon or going head-to-head with The First Order for the Rebellion? Where else can you see the Mandalorian and Grogu wandering about, along with Chewbacca?
Fuzzy Tuantuan drink at Oga’s Cantina
Where else can you grab a Star Wars-themed drink in a hive of scum and villainy? That’s what Oga’s Cantina is all about, but we’ve got some bad news about this popular bar: it’s set to close soon in Disneyland.
It’s not always fun to get to Disneyland only to discover your favorite ride is closed for refurbishment. However, the good news is that we usually have a little advance notice when that happens. It isn’t often enough of a notice to reschedule our trips, but at least it prepares us for the disappointment, right?
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disneyland
The early months of the year are usually PRIME time for ride refurbishments in Disneyland. So if you’re visiting then, you’ll want to be aware of which rides are closed. If you’re planning on visiting the park during that time, particularly Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll want to know about this ride closure: Rise of the Resistance will be closed as of January 20th.
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