2026 is a year of transition for Walt Disney World, including construction, openings, refurbishments, permanent closures, and — our focus today — DINING changes!

From refurbishments and new menus to character integration and LONG-awaited reopening, these updates are changing the landscape of Disney dining.

Jessie’s Roundup

The Diamond Horseshoe — one of the Magic Kingdom’s oldest and longest neglected eateries — is getting new life with the Toy Story-themed Jessie’s Roundup show during the Cool Kids Summer promotion. The show will allow guests to join Jessie, Woody, and friends to craft, dance, and “yodel their hearts out.”

Level99 coming to Disney Springs

This new establishment — built partially in the former site of DisneyQuest and later the NBA Experience — will be an interactive, social entertainment experience featuring “real-world, challenge-based, social entertainment” for adults, featuring physical and mental challenges set in artistic environments.

The Disney Springs location, the largest Level99 to date, is set to feature over 60 “themed challenge rooms, duels and art hunts that will test your mental and physical prowess.”

According to Level99, the full breakdown includes:

• Rooms are cooperative games for teams of 2-6 players. Each room features a unique experience in either the PHYSICAL, SKILL, or MENTAL categories. Physical rooms test “strength, balance, and flexibility.” Skill rooms test “accuracy, timing, and reflexes.” Mental rooms test “memory, problem-solving, spatial thinking… and more!”
• Duels are head-to-head challenges found throughout LEVEL99.
• Art Hunts are “a low-key scavenger hunt involving the playful art found all throughout the space. Each piece of art contains a hidden Glyph. Completing Art Hunts is the surest way of seeing and exploring every inch of our bright and whimsical wonderland, so make sure to complete them while you’re ‘rehydrating’ in your downtime between games.”

If all that gaming sounds like it may make you hungry, fear not, as Level99 will also offer food and drink options at a 2-story bar, including “handcrafted cocktails, local beers and made-from-scratch bites—including LEVEL99’s signature Detroit-style pizza.”

Gideons expanding with Six Ravens

On January 16th — the anniversary of Gideon’s Bakehouse’s opening — owner Steve Lewis took to social media to announce a new location: Six Ravens. Lewis stressed that the new location would be focused on savory offerings, specializing in “Coffyns.” 

Described as an “old school hand pie”, the fluffy yeast bread pastry will be “filled with flavors created not only by the talented minds in Gideon’s kitchen but also by some of your favorite Orlando culinary superstars,” according to Lewis. The location will also serve savory potatoes, local draft beer, and, obviously, “some tasty desserts.” According to Lewis and Gideons and Lewis, Six Ravens is scheduled to open at Disney Springs later this year.

Wailulu Bar & Grill Now Takes Reservations

While this began late in 2025, it’ll still be news to 2026 guests that the Wailulu Bar & Grille — located in the Polynesian’s Island Tower is now accepting reservations. The restaurant offers stunning views of Seven Seas Lagoon and Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom, plus it features some incredible infinity pool elements as well.

Tea Room Reopening

The Grand Floridan’s Garden View Lounge – Tea Experience is reopening this spring after several years closed. Reservations for the traditional afternoon tea service open on February 19th, with service beginning March 19th.

Harambe Market Reopening

Animal Kingdom’s Harambe Market quick service location reopened after a long refurbishment, this time with a new menu featuring dishes including chicken tenders and salads to make up for the permanent closure of Dinoland’s Restaurantasuarus.

Sprinkles Closed

The Sprinkles Cupcake location — along with its iconic cupcake vending machine —  shuttered its doors on January 1st. This closure wasn’t exclusive to Disney World, however, as every Sprinkles location unexpectedly closed at the beginning of the year.

At the time of the closure, Sprinkles creator  Candace Nelson made a TikTok video talking about the closure. She created the company in 2005, but then sold it to private equity in 2012, so she hasn’t had any involvement in over a decade. She mentions in the video that she thought Sprinkles would continue to grow and be around “forever.”

Renovations

Several major Disney World dining locations, including ‘Ohana (beginning January 15th, views of the Seven Seas Lagoon have been obstructed), and both the Crew’s Club Lounge (February 23rd through May) and The Yachtsman’s Steakhouse (May through August) are all undergoing refurbishments.

Trader Sam’s Hours Extended

The mega-popular Trader Sam’s has bumped its opening down from  3:00 PM to 11:00 AM, greatly extending the location’s operating hours.

Reservation Changes

In early 2026, Disney’s dining reservation system changed. Formerly, guests were able to input allergy information directly when making a reservation.

Now, that’s been replaced by a message which reads, “Guests must notify their server about any allergen-friendly requests. While we take steps to help mitigate cross-contact, we cannot guarantee that any item is completely free of allergens. Our allergy-friendly recipes may use refined oils, such as soybean oil, and/or ingredients that are processed in facilities that also process allergens. It is ultimately our Guests’ discretion to make an informed choice based upon their individual dietary needs. For more information about allergy-friendly requests at Disney-owned and operated locations, please ask to speak with our special diets-trained personnel upon arrival at the location.”

Kids Eat Free

Guests booking a room at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel and dining plan for each guest ages 10 and up on their reservation can receive FREE dining plans for kids ages 3 to 9. This offer extends through 2026 bookings and is dependent on purchasing the vacation package (which includes a hotel stay and park tickets) as well as dining plans for every other guest.

If you’re heading to Disney World this summer, you NEED to keep these dining updates in mind! Stay tuned to DFB for more on the ever-changing Disney World landscape.

This Is One of the Fastest Growing Food Trends in the U.S.; But It Comes With a Major Risk

Which of these dining changes is most impactful to your Disney World trip? Let us know in the comments below.