Planning a Walt Disney World vacation comes with some tried-and-true tips. Things like booking your Advance Dining Reservations ahead of time, packing rain gear, and making sure your park bag has all of the essentials are just a few of these tips. Each year, however, a new slate of offerings and openings changes the way we look at how we plan our Disney World vacations.
2025 is no exception, with brand-new tips now part of the vacation planning conversation! If you’re planning a 2025 Walt Disney World vacation, keep reading to catch up on the newest planning tips you didn’t have to think about in years past.
Visit Disney World’s water parks on your arrival day.
If your Disney World vacation plans include a day at the water parks, you’ll want to front-load those plans for your arrival day. Why? Guests who stay at a Walt Disney World resort hotel receive complimentary admission to the water parks on their check-in day. This new offer for 2025 is valid for any guest whose name appears on the hotel reservation.
Keep those swimsuits and a change of clothes in your carry-on bag when you arrive at Walt Disney World in 2025. This offer is a great way to save on water park admission while getting your vacation off to a running start.
READ MORE: HOW TO PLAN YOUR FIRST DAY AT WALT DISNEY WORLD IN 2025
Entertainment gets a front row seat in your park day itinerary.
There’s nothing like the sights and sounds of a parade, fireworks spectacular, or live stage show at Walt Disney World. Some of my favorites include long-running spectacles like Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I also love the newer offerings, like Luminous The Symphony of Us at EPCOT.
An entire lineup of NEW entertainment offerings is in the pipeline for 2025, so if you’re planning a vacation, make sure to include these in your itinerary. This summer, three new pieces of entertainment arrive. This consists of a brand-new stage show called Disney Villains Unfairly Ever After. This live-action show stars beloved villains, including Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, and more.
A second new stage show, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure, will debut at Hollywood Studios this summer. This show will be in the former location of Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
Also premiering this summer at Magic Kingdom is Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away. This will be Magic Kingdom’s first brand-new nighttime parade in several years. The parade will feature floats inspired by Disney films such as Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen, and more.
Later in 2025, the theater inside the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will welcome a brand-new show called Zootopia: Better Together.
This year more than any other year in recent memory, entertainment needs to be at the top of your “to do” list if you want to catch the newest offerings at Walt Disney World.
READ MORE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT 2025 WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATIONS
Be on the lookout for new attractions and dining experiences.
Disney World always has a new trick up its sleeve when it comes to new rides, attractions, and dining. 2025 is no different, with the most highly-anticipated ride opening of the year being a reimagining of Test Track at EPCOT.
Colloquially referred to as “Test Track 3.0,” this third iteration of the E-ticket ride brings the latest developments of auto transportation front and center. The ride will feature new scenes and will focus on the joy of transportation (who doesn’t love a good joy ride?).
That isn’t the only change coming to EPCOT in 2025. In late spring, Spaceship Earth Lounge will open, bringing a new dining and lounge space to the park. As of this writing, Disney hasn’t revealed much about what the new lounge’s menus will feature. Based on the concept art, however, it looks like it’ll be a new go-to hang-out spot for fans.
In late 2025, another new lounge space will open in Magic Kingdom. This unnamed lounge (or tavern, if you will) is inspired by the classic Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
The lounge will also feature the return of the Barker Bird, a famed audio-animatronic figure who once greeted guests as they entered the Pirates of the Caribbean queue.
READ MORE: DECIDE WHEN TO VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD IN 2025
Prepare for new construction sites.
Disney World always has something new and exciting in the works, but that means construction walls are a common sighting as these offerings are in progress. There were several thrilling announcements at last year’s D23 Disney Fan Event, including a re-imagining of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom as well as an update on the new Tropical Americas land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
These new lands and attractions means that construction walls will be popping up around the parks in 2025. You’ll already see some of these walls at Animal Kingdom as DinoLand U.S.A. begins its phased closure to make way for the new Tropical Americas land. DinoLand’s flagship attraction, DINOSAUR, will remain open throughout 2025 so fans can get one last ride in before it closes sometime in 2026. The Tropical Americas land is scheduled to open in 2027.
Magic Kingdom will change quite a bit in the years leading up to the re-imagined Frontierland. The Cars franchise will take over what is currently the Rivers of America with new attractions. Expect construction to begin sometime in 2025 as the rivers are filled.
This summer, Muppets Courtyard will close permanently to make way for a new land inspired by the Monsters Inc. franchise.
If you want to get one final visit in, make sure you do so before late spring. Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano will have its final day of operation on May 10, followed by the closure of Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo, which will have their final day of operation on June 7. Starting June 8, construction walls will be erected around Muppets Courtyard.
READ MORE: THE TIMELINE OF CHANGES COMING TO WALT DISNEY WORLD IN 2025 AND BEYOND
Stay up-to-date on the latest discounts and promotions.
Okay, I’ll admit that researching the latest discounts and promotions is an evergreen planning tip, but there are a number of NEW offers for 2025 you need to know about as you plan your Walt Disney World vacation!
For example, in late spring, guests can save up to 30% on rooms at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels when you stay five (5) nights or longer. You can learn more about this offer here!
Disney World is also bringing back its Free Dining Plan offer for 2025. Guests can enjoy the Disney Dining Plan at no extra cost when they purchase a non-discounted 3-night, 3-day Walt Disney World Travel Company package that includes hotel and Park Hopper theme park tickets. You can learn more about this offer here!
There is always savings to be had at Walt Disney World depending on the season, length of your trip, where you want to stay, etc. With each new year, however, brings new ways to save, which is why you should always read up on the current discounts and promotions so you know when to book that dream vacation.
READ MORE: WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR 2025 WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATION
