Overview
- Multiple outlets reported on June 8–9, 2026 that Disney has confirmed a wave of permanent closures and rethemes across Walt Disney World, with roughly ten long‑running attractions already closed or officially set to be replaced.
- Magic Kingdom’s Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Belle have been permanently closed to make room for the Cars‑inspired Piston Peak National Park expansion.
- Disney confirmed that Animal Kingdom’s DINOSAUR will be converted into an Indiana Jones attraction for the Tropical Americas project, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster was rethemed in 2026 to feature The Muppets.
- Carousel of Progress is scheduled to close in July 2026 for a major overhaul that will update its timeline, scenes, and a new Walt Disney Audio‑Animatronic while the 2025 closure of Muppet*Vision removed another historically significant show.
- Reporters link the changes to a broader, long‑running strategy of favoring recognizable IP because it lowers marketing risk, lets Imagineering reuse ride systems, and can increase attendance, a pattern seen before with Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Tiana rethemes.