UPDATED April 29, 2025

If you’ve been a Disney World fan for all of about five minutes, you probably know that the parks are constantly changing.

Not only that, but change can happen a lot more quickly than you might think. In the past five years, we’ve seen new attractions, restaurants, skip-the-line services, price increases, and more. With so much change happening in such a short period, it’s only a matter of time before we might look at Disney World and hardly even recognize it. We might not be able to see the future, but we can take a look at what the next five years look like for Disney World!

Magic Kingdom

A MAJOR expansion is in the works for Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World’s original theme park!

At the 2022 D23 Expo, Disney announced a “blue sky” project — “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” — that would potentially bring a NEW land (or possibly lands) to Magic Kingdom. Then, in April of 2024, Disney confirmed that the first steps had been taken to make this massive expansion a reality. And, in August 2024, Disney shared exactly what the expansion will entail!

So… what IS coming “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain”? Well, you may want to BEWARE… there is something wicked on the way to the park. In August 2024, Disney officially announced that Magic Kingdom is expanding the theme park with a brand new Villains Land! TWO major attractions, along with new dining and shopping experiences will be presented “on an incredibly twisted grand scale.”

Disney has not shared a timeline for the opening of Villains Land; however, the company has confirmed that preparation is already underway at Magic Kingdom. In April 2024, Disney had confirmed that permits were going to be filed for storm drainage and other foundational work. This means that work is officially happening NOW on this new land!

EXPLORE everything coming to Magic Kingdom’s Villains Land HERE!

Along with Villains Land, Disney announced another addition to Magic Kingdom: a Cars expansion coming to the park’s Frontierland. Guests can look forward to two NEW Cars attractions coming to the area!

The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be transformed into this brand-new land coming to the park. Though this area does not technically lie “beyond Big Thunder Mountain,” the massive new Villains-themed land, together with the Cars expansion will make up the largest expansion in the history of Disney World’s original theme park. 

Disney has shared, however, that construction on the new Cars area in Frontierland will begin early in 2025. That is also when the existing Liberty Square Riverboat (which sails down the Rivers of America) and Tom Sawyer Island will close to accommodate construction.

EXPLORE everything coming to Cars-themed expansion HERE!

Disney has also revealed that a new PIRATE tavern is in the works for Adventureland in Magic Kingdom.

That tavern will be themed to Pirates of the Caribbean, and it will open in late 2025! So there is something to look forward to visiting VERY soon in addition to the longer-term projects.

Check out EVERYTHING we know about the new Pirates of the Caribbean Tavern HERE!

And finally, a brand new nighttime parade is coming to Magic Kingdom in the summer of 2025. Get ready for Disney Starlight!

In August 2024 at the D23 Ultimate Fan Event in Anaheim, California, Disney shared the big news about this new nighttime spectacular, revealing that Disney Starlight will be “using the latest technology to tell new stories about the characters you love.”

Check out Disney Starlight HERE!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

A NEW LAND is coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom park in 2027.  At the 2023 D23 Expo, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro shared that Disney would be “building on what makes Animal Kingdom so, so special” with a new area focused on the Tropical Americas! Then, in August 2024, Disney shared more details on what we can expect from from this new land, now officially named Pueblo Esperanza. 

Pueblo Esperanza will become home to two signature attractions — an Encanto ride featuring the Madrigal family and a new Indiana Jones adventure ride!

With this announcement, Disney also confirmed that what is now DinoLand, U.S.A. will become Pueblo Esperanza. 

While Pueblo Esperanza is expected to open in 2027, the transition of DinoLand is taking place in phases. To begin, the last day for TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures at Animal Kingdom was January 12th, 2025, and they are all permanently closed as of January 13th.

Disney has also shared the following about the DINOSAUR attraction specifically: Disney has officially announced that “2025 is your year to visit before it goes extinct!” So, if you want to ride Dinosaur at least one more time before it’s gone for good, make sure you plan a trip to Animal Kingdom in the coming year, 2025.

EXPLORE everything coming to Pueblo Esperanza HERE!

Additionally, It’s Tough To Be a Bug — an attraction uniquely housed in Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life — will receive a Zootopia-themed makeover. The Tree of Life Theater will soon present an all-new show: Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Guests will see Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and more characters from Disney Animation’s Zootopia in a production that Disney shares “will take guests on an adventure through different biomes seen in the film.” 

Please be aware that the It’s Tough to Be a Bug! attraction, which was previously housed in the Tree of Life Theater is now officially closed at Animal Kingdom (as of March 17th, 2025) to make way for the new Zootopia show (for which an opening date is yet to be announced).

Learn more about the new Zootopia show!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is preparing to open a BRAND NEW THEMED LAND featuring those lovable monsters from MONSTERS, INC.! 

In August 2024, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro made the official announcement as he shared, “The first time I saw Monsters, Inc., all I wanted to do was ride on one of those doors like Mike and Sulley. You’ll go into the factory and experience the first suspended coaster ever in a Disney park. Remember in the movie how those claws grab the doors and hoist them up into the air to take them away? We’re doing that, too. And you’re going along for the ride.”

Monsters, Inc. Land will feature Disney’s VERY FIRST suspended coaster, which “will put you right in the middle of the monster action. Just be sure to fill out your paperwork! Roz is always watching…”

In November 2024, Disney confirmed the upcoming location of the new land. Monsters, Inc. land will be taking over what is currently the Grand Avenue south side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This area is also known as the Muppets Courtyard.

To that end, a phased closure of the Grand Avenue area will begin in May. The last day you’ll be able to dine at Mama Melrose’s will be on May 10th. Following that, Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo will close on June 8th (with the last date to experience that attraction and restaurant will be June 7th). On June 8th, the Muppets Courtyard will be completely walled off and closed.

BUT this isn’t the end of The Muppets in Hollywood Studios. In fact, The Muppets will be moving to Sunset Boulevard and taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster! The Muppets will be the star of the show on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and will be teaming up with some of “music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival.” 

Oh, and don’t you worry… if you’re feeling a teeny bit frightened about the presence of monsters in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, just remember the Monsters, Inc. motto: “We Scare Because WE CARE!”

EXPLORE the upcoming Monsters, Inc. Land HERE!

EPCOT

As of June 2024, EPCOT has recently completed a multi-year transformation; so, for now, the park gets to rest a bit from major changes and we as guests can enjoy a (MOSTLY 😉 ) construction wall-free park! However, there is still something new and exciting on the way… 

In August 2024,  Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced a NEW tribute to Spaceship Earth coming to EPCOT: a Spaceship Earth LOUNGE is opening on June 4th, 2025! Get ready to visit GEO-82!

Disney shares the meaning of the name: “The name GEO-82 is a nostalgic nod to Spaceship Earth—which opened in 1982. At GEO-82, you’ll be immersed in the storied history and enduring legacy of this timeless EPCOT icon.”

The decor draws inspiration from “the ball’s” unique geometric sphere and hopes to offer a “zen space” to guests, filled with “rich textures and warm metallic tones, giving it a mysterious and elegant intimacy.”

Disney has also promised “delicious culinary creations” specially designed for the location! While we await specific menu details, Disney further shares that “Here, you can experience global flavors blended with culinary artistry in classic cocktails and small plates.”

You can check out a TON of menu highlights for GEO-82 HERE!

Please be aware that Disney has also stated that GEO-82 will require Advance Dining Reservations, and these will open on May 6th for dates starting June 4th, 2025. Additionally, GEO-82 will be exclusively for guests 21 years or older.

P.S. Oh! And the new GEO-82 Fireworks Experience will be part of the Enchanting Extras Collection, where you can watch Luminous: The Symphony of Us from inside the lounge!

Click HERE to check out the upcoming Spaceship Earth Lounge!!

A NEW Disney World Resort Hotel

A NEW Disney Vacation Club Resort hotel will be opening in Disney World in 2027: Disney Lakeshore Lodge! Disney shares that the brand-new hotel is “inspired by the majesty of nature and its enduring influence on Disney artists.”

In 2019, Disney originally announced Reflections — A Disney Lakeside Lodge Resort. Reflections had an expected opening date of 2022; however, construction was halted following the 2020 global health crisis. It was set to occupy the former home of Disney’s River Country water park near Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. Disney Lakeshore Lodge will be constructed in that same location. 

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What do you think the next five years look like for Disney World? Let us know in the comments!