UPDATED January 20, 2026

2026 is upon us! We saw a lot in 2025, from ride closures to reopenings to hotel refurbishments, plenty of new snacks and merchandise, and just about everything in between. 2025 was great, but we’re now in a new Disney era!

For your 2026 trip, there are some key dates you’ll want to know before booking your vacation.

EPCOT Festivals

We don’t know the exact dates of all the festivals coming up next year, but we have an idea of when they’re scheduled based on previous years. While you’ll want to make sure you attend the festival, be cautious about opening dates when EPCOT can get busy, and on the other hand, times between festivals are usually pretty empty.

The Festival dates that have been confirmed for 2026 are:

• EPCOT Festival of the Arts — January 16th – February 23rd, 2026 (Running now!)
• EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival — March 4th – June 1st, 2026

The 2025 dates for EPCOT’S other 2 Festivals were:

• EPCOT Food & Wine Festival — August 28th to November 22nd
• EPCOT Festival of the Holidays — November 28th to December 30th

runDisney

If you’re not familiar with runDisney, these are large races where thousands of people come to run across Disney World property. While the races usually finish before the parks open, traffic patterns can change due to road closures, and there will be significantly more people than usual. You might find it harder to find hotel bookings since the race dates are posted about nine months in advance of the races. If you’re planning to visit around this time, make sure to book early.

Here are the remaining race dates for this calendar year:

• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend — February 26th to March 2nd
• runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend — April 16th to 20th
• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend (2025 dates for reference) — October 23rd to 26th

Holidays

Big holidays can bring big crowds! If you have the time off from work and school, it’s likely that everyone else does, too. There are always a few holidays you might forget about when planning your trip, so here’s a look at some you’ll want to keep in mind.

• Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January 19th
• President’s Day — February 16th
• Spring Break Crowds — Late March to Mid April
• Easter — April 5th
• Memorial Day — May 25th
• Summer Crowds — Lake May to Early September
• Juneteenth National Independence Day — June 19th
• Independence Day — July 4th* (*Magic Kingdom will celebrate with the special fireworks show “Disney’s Celebrate America! — A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” for THREE nights: July 3rd, 4th, and 5th!)
• Labor Day — September 7th
• Columbus Day — October 12th
• Halloween — October 31st
• Veterans Day — November 11th
• Thanksgiving Day — November 26th
• Christmas Day — December 25th
• New Year’s Eve — December 31st

Cool KIDS’ SUMMER

For the second year in a row, Cool KIDS’ SUMMER will bring some really cool offerings to Disney World during the hottest months of the year!

From May 26th through September 8th, 2026, guests can enjoy these additional experiences AND MORE:

• BOTH Disney World Water Parks — Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon — will be OPEN!
• Disney World Resort hotel guests can visit either of the Water Parks FOR FREE on their arrival day!
• Disney Character experiences will EXPAND the Resort, including special appearances at select Resort hotels, the return of GoofyCore at CommuniCore Hall in EPCOT, and Toy Story characters joining guests dining at Magic Kingdom’s Diamond Horseshoe restaurant for Jessie’s Roundup, extra Disney pals in the parks for Early Entry, and MORE!

Closures

Disney World closures are never fun, but knowing when they’re coming can give you a heads-up to ride your favorites one more time. For some, we don’t know the exact dates, but we do know they’re coming in 2026, and we expect more dates to be announced.

• The rest of DinoLand U.S.A. — February 2nd (The last day to experience the land, including the DINOSAUR attraction and Restaurantosaurus, is February 1st.)
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith — March 2nd (The last day to ride the attraction is March 1st.)
• Frozen Ever After — Temporarily closed beginning January 26th

Openings

We might hate closures, but we sure do love openings! A lot is coming to Disney World in 2026, and although we don’t have exact dates, we know they’re scheduled for next year. They’re worth keeping on your radar, so be sure to follow Disney Food Blog to stay informed about all the dates when they’re announced.

• New The Mandalorian updates to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run — May 22nd
• Frozen Ever After updates — February 2026
• Soarin’ Across America — By Memorial Day 2026
• Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! — Summer 2026
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets — Summer 2026
• The Magic of Disney Animation — “Later” in Summer 2026
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad updates– Spring 2026

• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin updates — Spring 2026
• The reopening of the Garden View Tea Room in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa — Early 2026
• Level99 in Disney Springs — sometime in 2026

Disney Water Parks

For much of the year, the two Disney World Water Parks — Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach — operate on a rotating basis. Currently, Typhoon Lagoon is open and will remain open until February 14th, 2026.

After that, Blizzard Beach will reopen the following day on February 15, 2026.

The great news is that BOTH Blizzard Beach AND Typhoon Lagoon will be open from May 26th through September 8th, 2026. Even better? These are the same dates that Disney World Resort hotel guests can visit either of the Water Parks FOR FREE on their arrival day!

That’s a lot! We’ll keep updating you with new dates and information so you can have the best Disney World vacation ever. If you’re looking for help planning your trip, you can reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation.

Keep following Disney Food Blog for more.

FULL LIST OF WHAT’S OPENING IN DISNEY WORLD IN 2026