Imagine you’ve just arrived at Magic Kingdom. You’ve been planning this trip for ages, and now you’re HERE! You walk down Main Street, U.S.A., drinking in all the sights and sounds. Incredible smells are wafting out of the Confectionery. But there’s no time to stop — you head straight for your favorite ride. But what’s this? What’s happened? The ride is CLOSED?!

Encountering unexpected ride closures can be one of the most disappointing parts of a Disney World vacation. Sometimes those closures pop up suddenly due to bad weather in the area or technical difficulties, but others are planned ahead of time, so you can prepare for them! To help you prepare, we’ve got a full list of next week’s planned ride and restaurant closures.

Magic Kingdom

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Splash Mountain closed on January 23rd for a long refurbishment. The ride is being re-themed to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, with a Princess and the Frog theme.

The new ride will reopen sometime in late 2024. We’ll be watching for more updates on the reopening timeline. The tree at the top of this ride has been removed as Disney continues construction, and several new rock structures have been built at the bottom of the drop. There’s a new water tower as well, which says “Tiana’s Foods” on the front and “Never, ever lose sight of what’s really important” on the back. It’s topped with Tiana’s crown, which has two stars on it to represent Ray and Evangeline.

If you miss Splash Mountain or want to celebrate the new ride, you should check out our DFB t-shirts! We have a Splash Mountain Farwell Tour shirt…

…and a Tiana tee as well!

You can shop both tees (and lots of other Disney merch) at our online store.

Click here to shop our DFB merchandise store.

Barrel Bridge on Tom Sawyer Island

Over on Tom Sawyer Island, the Barrel Bridge is currently missing.

A Cast Member told us that it has been removed for maintenance, and they didn’t know when it might return. The rest of the island is still open to explore, though!

Click here to see Magic Kingdom’s NEW look!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

This Little Mermaid-themed stage show has been closed in Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a long time now.

Disney hasn’t announced when or if the Voyage of the Little Mermaid will reopen.

Check out this Disney World hack that CHANGES the way we do Hollywood Studios.

EPCOT

In the Japan Pavilion, Tokyo Dining is currently undergoing a major refurbishment, and will not reopen until summer 2023. For now, this restaurant isn’t showing opening hours at least through mid-August (as far as Disney’s calendar is showing for now).

However, a brand new restaurant is coming to EPCOT this summer: Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya will be a table-service restaurant featuring a “festive dining experience in a sharable Izakaya-style.”

The restaurant will be located in the Japan Pavilion, on the second floor (above the Mitsukoshi Department Store), and will offer “stunning views of EPCOT, the World Showcase Lagoon, and, of course, fireworks.” That location sure sounds a LOT like the current location of Tokyo Dining. Disney has not confirmed that this new restaurant will be taking over the Tokyo Dining location, but we’re certainly keeping our eyes and ears peeled for more news!

Click here to learn more about the NEW restaurant coming to EPCOT.

Disney World Hotels

Trail’s End Restaurant at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground

Trail’s End Restaurant at Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground closed in mid-April and is currently undergoing a MAJOR refurbishment.

It will reopen this summer as “a marketplace concept with expanded quick service options.” The table service option will no longer be offered.

Learn more about the change coming to Trail’s End here.

Disney World Water Parks

Blizzard Beach

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park has officially reopened, but now the other water park, Blizzard Beach, has closed for refurbishment.

Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for updates!

The BEST Rides at Blizzard Beach, Ranked

Looking for more resources to help you get ready for your upcoming trip? Check out these posts to learn all about Disney World’s rides:

• 10 Rides to AVOID in Disney World if You Struggle with Motion Sickness
• What It Takes to CHANGE a Disney World Ride
• 9 of the SCARIEST Rides in Disney World, According to YOU!
• A FULL LIST of the Thrill Rides in Disney World!
• The Ultimate Guide to the BEST and WORST Seats On EVERY Magic Kingdom Ride

We’ll keep you updated with all the latest news, so stay tuned to DFB.

Click here to check out more upcoming closures and current construction projects at Disney World.

 

Are you visiting Disney World this week? Let us know in the comments!