It’s always good to know what is going to be closed during your trip to Walt Disney World (so bookmark this page!). This page is a list of the 2021 Walt Disney World Closures and Refurbishments of attractions and dining venues.
There is nothing worse than arriving for your Disney vacation and finding out that your favorite attraction is temporarily closed! Before I plan any trip to the parks, I always check the attraction closures to make sure that my Disney must-dos are open. Alternatively, you could check out our list of what’s new in 2021 at Disney World.
So what is an attraction refurbishment at Disney World? Disney will periodically close down an attraction to perform routine maintenance or to add upgrades and updates. Recently we have seen a lot of queues, like Peter Pan at the Magic Kingdom get a brand new interactive queue.
It’s important to also note that not all attraction closures are planned in advanced. Sometimes things happen and Disney closes an attraction unexpectedly.
Magic Kingdom Walt Disney World
Refurbishments
- Hall of Presidents – January 20, 2021 – Summer Just as when every new inauguration of a new president the Hall of President closes and gets ready to add in a new animatronic. This current closer is expected to bring in a new animatronic of Joe Biden.
- Tomorrowland Transit Authority – March 2020 – Unknown This refurbishment has been a surprisingly long one. It was scheduled for routine maintenance and has stayed closed much longer than we all expected. It’s unclear what exactly they are changing with this ride if anything. We also have had no clear date for re-opening yet but we have seen workers out on the track so hopefully, that means we can see this attraction open again soon.
- Liberty Square Riverboat October 5, 2020 – Unknown The river has been fully drained so we are expecting a thorough refurbishment that lasts several months.
- Tom Sawyer Island October 5, 2020 – Unknown The river has been fully drained so we are expecting a thorough refurbishment that lasts several months.
Closures
- Stitch’s Great Escape January 3, 2017 – Unknown Disney recently announced that this attraction is switching to operating only on a seasonal basis. This means that Stitch will only be open during Disney World’s busiest times.
- Walt Disney World Railroad December 2018 – Unknown Good new is the train will be parked at the Main Street Station due to the Tron construction.
- Monorail – Unknown Under refurbishment until further notice and may have modified service or routes depending on park hours. You should check on the day of travel the best option to use.
- Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom Permanently Closed January of 2021 we saw this interactive game close for good. It was fun and cutting edge technology when it opened but it just didn’t hold up over the years.
- The Pirates League on Permanently Closed March 15, 2020
Temporary Closures Due to COVID
- Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
- Festival of Fantasy Parade
- Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party
- Enchanted Tales with Belle (Attraction)
- Happily Ever After Nighttime Fireworks
- Ariel at Her Grotto
- Cinderella & Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall
- Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Side Show
- Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater
Epcot Walt Disney World
Refurbishments
Closures
- Electric Umbrella CLOSED PERMANENTLY November 23, 2019
- Fountain View – Closed but good news! Starbucks will be moving to a temporary location TBD.
- The Circle of Life CLOSED PERMANENTLY February 4, 2018
- Illuminations September 30th – The show was replaced with Epcot Forever.
Temporary Closures Due to COVID
- Epcot Forever Fireworks
- Turtle Talk with Crush
Hollywood Studios Walt Disney World
Refurbishments
Closures
- PizzeRizzo – seasonal on October 20, 2018.
Temporary Closures Due to COVID
- Fantasmic!
- Jedi Training
- BB-8 Astromech on Duty
- Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage
- Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
- Mickey and Minnie Starring in Red Carpet Dreams
- Encounter Darth Vader
- Meet Chewbacca
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Animal Kingdom Walt Disney World
Refurbishments
- Kali River Rapids – January 6, 2020 – April 2, 2021, closed for refurbishment
Closures
- Primeval Whirl – Now Only Open Seasonally
- Rivers of Light
Temporary Closures Due to COVID
- Harambe Village Acrobats
- Pandora Drummers – Swotu Wayä
- Boneyard
- Festival of the Lion King (Opening Summer 2021)
- Finding Nemo – The Musical
- Meet Favorite Disney Pals at Adventurers Outpost
- UP! A Great Bird Adventure
Disney Water Parks Closures and Refurbishments
Typhoon Lagoon
- January 13, 2020, to Unknown for annual park refurbishment. Remained closed through COVID.
Blizzard Beach
- September 8, 2019 to March 7, 2021 for annual park refurbishment.
Disney Springs Refurbishments
- La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil had its final performance on December 31, 2017. The new show originally returning March 2020. A new date for reopening has not yet been set.
Disney Resort Refurbishments
Art of Animation Resort
The main pool – Big Blue Pool – is currently closed for refurbishment through early April 2021. While this work takes place, Flippin’ Fins Pool, Cozy Cone Pool, and the Schoolyard Sprayground will remain open.
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
The resort is currently undergoing some refurbishment projects. The Resort will be in full operation with all amenities available. It is possible that construction may be seen or heard, but noise should not be heard from Guest rooms between dusk and 9 AM.
Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
There are still walls up around the beach at Fort Wilderness and leading towards the former River Country water park site. This was for the next DVC project, Reflections. It is unclear with recent changes if this resort will still move forward.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
The bulk of the refurbishment work at the Great Ceremonial House, which has caused the suspension of monorail service at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and delayed the reopening of the hotel side of the property until Summer 2021.
In addition to the Great Ceremonial House, soft goods room refurbishments are also occurring. Changes to the guest rooms will include a move to a Pacific Ocean-inspired color palette as well as details, patterns and textures from Moana, the Disney animated film that takes place on the Polynesian island of Motunui. While work continues and the hotel is closed, the DVC villas at the Polynesian remain open.
Now that you have read what is going to be closed at Disney, make sure you put together a list of all your new must-dos for your next trip. You can organize it all in our FREE Disney vacation planner! Next, come back for news, trip planning, and great insights into building your perfect trip! Also, you should be sure to read our list of permanently closed attractions at Disney World.
If you want some more information on planning your 2020 trip to Disney World, we have a couple of book recommendations. Be sure to give a look at both The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World and The Easy Guide to your WDW Trip. Plus keep checking back, as we are constantly updating this list as Disney World makes announcements on new opening dates and refurbishments!
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I have been visiting the parks annually since my parents first brought me at just a year old. Recently I was able to fulfill my life long dream of being a Florida local and moved from the wintery Northeast to the sunshine and fun of central Florida. Now I am hoping to share my Disney knowledge with you so you can have the best vacation possible!
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