There are a few Walt Disney World ride closures in December you need to know if you’re visiting the resort during the holiday season. Disney World is currently undergoing major construction in three of its theme parks, with some projects having no current completion dates.
Disney World closes rides for routine maintenance and updates throughout the year. We will break down all of the December 2025 Disney World closures you need to know. At Mickey Visit, we report on Disney news, including new popcorn buckets and the menu for the holiday EPCOT festival. See the December Disneyland ride closures.
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Disney World December Ride Closures
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Magic Kingdom is in the middle of extensive, long-term construction. Guests will see construction walls surrounding the Rivers of America area, which has now closed permanently, along with the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island. Disney is completely transforming this section into a new Cars-themed land based on Disney Pixar, officially named Piston Peak National Park.
This project also lays the groundwork for the park’s first Villains-themed land, which is part of the reason Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is closed through 2026 with no confirmed reopening date yet. Because of the ongoing work, the Walt Disney World Railroad is temporarily running only as a shuttle on one side of the park and will continue this limited service for the next few years.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is also closed until 2026 while it undergoes significant updates and improvements.
As Disney continues construction on the upcoming Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom, several locations around the DINOSAUR attraction are closing as DinoLand, U.S.A. permanently winds down. Trilo-Bites and Dino-Bite Snacks have officially closed for good, prompting a reshuffling of quick-service options in the park. This includes the temporary shutdown of Harambe Market until early next year so the location can expand and take on some of DinoLand’s former menu offerings. You can read more about these food updates in our detailed article.
Kali River Rapids is also unavailable during its annual winter refurbishment, which will last through December 2025. Disney has not released a confirmed reopening date, but the ride will likely return before DINOSAUR closes permanently on February 2, 2026.
Animation Courtyard
Hollywood Studios is undergoing its own set of construction projects, with Star Wars: Launch Bay being replaced by a new Disney animation-focused experience and Disney Jr. Play and Dance! temporarily closing. All of this is part of a major transformation of the entire Animation Courtyard area.
The refurbished area is set to debut in 2026 and will feature a new offering called The Magic of Disney Animation, alongside the return of Disney Jr. Play and Dance! Guests will see construction walls throughout this section of the park, as well as the removal of the former Animation Courtyard arch.
For shorter-term closures, Vacation Fun: A Mickey & Minnie Mouse Short is currently unavailable and is anticipated to reopen later this year, according to Disney’s website. No exact reopening date has been announced, and the attraction still does not appear with scheduled hours on the calendar.
Spaceship Earth
Among the other three Disney World parks, EPCOT is the only one without any significant construction happening right now, a major change compared to the past several years!
Disney World typically shutters one of its water parks for the winter season, which means Blizzard Beach is now closed and won’t reopen until 2026.
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