Overview
- The attraction closed for a sweeping overhaul on July 5, 2026 and Imagineering has said the ride will return sometime in 2027 without a firm date.
- At D23 on August 14, 2026 Disney displayed costumes, maquettes, concept art, and a new poster that outline four era-based acts and a new opening featuring an Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney.
- Designs shown at the event indicate the stage will be rebuilt between acts rather than simply re-skinned, a change that requires scenic installation and structural steel work.
- Permit filings and contractor hires now name Solotech for electrical and audiovisual systems and scenic firms such as Mecca Productions for set work, showing the project has moved into technical and build phases.
- Disney is preserving core legacy elements including the rotating theater, the Sherman Brothers’ song, and the central family characters, a choice intended to balance modernization with the attraction’s historic roots.