Planning a 2025 Walt Disney World vacation? You’ve come to the right place! This is your one-stop-shop destination for all things Disney World in 2025, including what’s new and upcoming. The year is shaping up to be a busy one for the Most Magical Place on Earth, as multiple construction projects are set to begin around the theme parks.

Before we can even get to what’s new in 2025, we have to cover the basics of planning a Walt Disney World vacation. Let’s dive in and take a look at the calendar of events (both perpetual events as well as what’s unique for this year) along with things to consider when selecting your hotel, restaurants, and more.

When to Visit: 2025 Walt Disney World Event Calendar

There is always something going on at Walt Disney World, which makes any time of year a great time to visit. That said, if you are looking for something extra to add to your trip – like an EPCOT food festival or a holiday celebration – then you will want to take an extra look at the calendar to see what your options are.

January, February, March

If you are most worried about hot weather, the first quarter of 2025 may be your best time to visit. Since many families will have just visited during the holiday season, crowds should be more manageable as well, with things starting to pick back up as we head into the month of March and spring break. While not foolproof, visiting earlier in the year can increase your chances of paying off-peak hotel rates while enjoying a quieter and cooler Disney World.

Winter is a great time to visit EPCOT, which kicks off its annual lineup of festivals with its International Festival of the Arts. This colorful festival that celebrates all things visual and performing arts will take place in 2025 from January 17th through February 24.

Grape Smoothie from the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts

This festival typically starts in mid-January and runs through late February. EPCOT’s springtime festival, the International Flower and Garden Festival, begins around March 1st. Other seasonal treats and festivities around Walt Disney World include chocolate-inspired snacks for Valentine’s Day, plus special items around St. Patrick’s Day or Easter if the holiday falls on a Sunday in March.

Lineup of Q1 Events and Holidays at Walt Disney World (selected):

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad begins multi-year closure: January 6 (reopening date TBD in 2026)
Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom: January 6 – March 31 (select evenings)
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend: January 8 – 12
DinoLand U.S.A. construction begins to transform into Tropical Americas land: January 13
EPCOT International Festival of the Arts: January 17 – February 24
Disney After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: January 22 – March 26 (select evenings)
Valentine’s Day: February 14 (specialty food and drink items available around this time)
Princess Half Marathon Weekend: February 20 – 24
Disney After Hours at EPCOT: February 27 (select evenings)
EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival: February 27 – May 26 (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
St. Patrick’s Day: March 17 (specialty food and drink items available around this time)

April, May, June

If the kids have spring break in April and you’re considering a trip to Disney World, you may be in for busier crowds but still pleasant weather overall. Temperatures will be warmer than in the winter months but should be cooler and less humid than the peak summer months. While spring break is a busy time of year (especially in and around the Easter holiday), you can still find pockets of time when the parks are quieter. May is a good month to look into a Disney World vacation. It’s nestled in between spring break and summer vacations, so there may be fewer families planning a trip around that time.

Seasonal topiary at the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival

EPCOT will still be in the swing of things with its International Flower & Garden Festival, with new menu items debuting throughout the season. Seasonal treats will also appear around this time of year for Easter, Earth Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.

Lineup of Q2 Events and Holidays at Walt Disney World (selected):

EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival (con’t): February 27 – May 26 (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
Disney After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (con’t): April 1 – June 25 (select evenings)
runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend: April 3 – 6
Easter: April 20 (specialty food and drink items available around this time)
Disney After Hours at Magic Kingdom (con’t): April 7 – May 19 (select evenings)
Disney After Hours at EPCOT (con’t): May 8 – June 26 (select evenings)
Mother’s Day: May 11 (specialty food and drink items available around this time)
Memorial Day: May 26
Father’s Day: June 15 (specialty food and drink items available around this time)

July, August, September

Many families will choose summer as the season to visit Disney World, and for good reason! Summer is a popular time for those following an academic calendar, but that usually winds up in heavy crowds throughout the season. On top of that, Florida’s heat and humidity are at their worst this time of year. Daily thunderstorms and downpours are expected, so pack ponchos and other rain gear in your suitcase. Hurricane season also begins to ramp up in the summer months, so you want to follow the weather closely if a storm impacts your travel plans.

While summer can be hot, it’s still a fun time of year to visit Walt Disney World. The Fourth of July is a fun holiday at Disney World, with special fireworks displays happening at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. EPCOT’s flagship festival, the International Food and Wine Festival, begins in late August and continues through the fall.

Belgian Waffle at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival © Disney

Summer 2025 will be one to remember if you love Disney World entertainment. Two premieres are set for the summer season, including a new nighttime parade and new stage show. We’ll get into more details below, but just know that Magic Kingdom could have some pretty busy evenings in the summer of 2025!

Encanto float concept art for Disney Starlight parade © Disney

Another reason many families choose to visit in late summer and early fall is that it kicks off the start of Disney World’s Halloween season. Yes, fall starts extra early at Disney World, with the first sightings of pumpkin decor taking place around the 1st of August each year. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party begins around the second week of August and runs through the end of October.

Lineup of Q3 Events and Holidays at Walt Disney World (selected):

Disney Starlight nighttime parade debuts at Magic Kingdom: Summer 2025 (exact date TBD)
Disney Villains stage show debuts at Hollywood Studios: Summer 2025 (exact date TBD)
The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure debuts at Hollywood Studios: Summer 2025 (exact date TBD)
Disney After Hours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (con’t): July 2 – September 3 (select evenings)
Independence Day: July 4 (specialty food and drink items available around this time)
Disney After Hours at EPCOT (con’t): July 10 – September 25 (select evenings)
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: August 8 – October 31 (select evenings) (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival: August 28 – November 21 (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)

October, November, December

The final quarter of the year — October, November, and December — is considered by many to be the best time of the year to visit Disney World. October is all things fall as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party continues, along with EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival continuing through mid-November. Once Halloween is over, the pumpkins are gone in a blink of an eye, and it’s full steam ahead into the holiday season.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Credit: Disney (Courtney Kiefer, Photographer)

Holiday decorations appear in early November, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will begin at Magic Kingdom shortly after that. With holiday decorations come holiday crowds: November and December are notoriously busy months, but you may be surprised to find that some periods aren’t that bad (one of my personal favorites is the week before Thanksgiving).

Speaking of the holidays, Thanksgiving is filled with limited-time menus around the resort hotels. EPCOT hosts the International Festival of the Holidays from late November through late December, and then, of course, there are all of the major holidays — Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve — that are fun (yet crowded) days to spend in the parks.

Another reason families choose to visit this time of year is the weather. Temperatures are more comfortable than in the summer, and you may even experience a cold snap as you move closer to the holidays. If you’re visiting at any point between November and February, you want to pack an extra layer of clothes!

Lineup of Q4 Events and Holidays at Walt Disney World (selected):

EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival: August 28 – November 21 (con’t) (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend: October 30 – November 2 (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
Halloween: October 31
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: November 7 – December 19 (select evenings) (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
Disney Jollywood Nights: November 8 – December 20 (select evenings) (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
Thanksgiving: November 27
EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays: November 28 – December 30 (*estimated; confirmed dates will be added once announced by Disney)
Hanukkah: December 14 – December 22
Christmas Day: December 25

Where To Stay: Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

One of the first decisions you’ll make when planning your 2025 Walt Disney World vacation is where to stay. The hotel can make or break your vacation, so it’s important to understand what your options are and what works best for your budget and vacation style.

There are two major categories of hotels: those that are located on Disney World property, and those that are off-property.

In a general nutshell, this is what you can expect when staying on Disney World property:

Highly themed resort properties with Disney characters found throughout the hotel’s design, guest rooms, and amenities (you’re staying the “Disney bubble,” so to speak).
Premium rack rates, especially when you go up in tier to Moderate or Deluxe Resorts.
Closer proximity to the theme parks (many of which are within walking distance of the park gates)
Access to various perks of staying on-property, including extended park hours in the morning and evening (evening extended hours are exclusive to guests staying at Deluxe resorts).
Easier access to Disney World’s complimentary resort transportation options, including buses, Monorail, Skyliner, and boats (these are not exclusive to on-property guests, but they are designed to give on-property guests multiple ways of reaching the parks without needing a car and having to pay for parking).

There are nearly two dozen on-property resort hotels that are owned and operated by Walt Disney World. If you need help figuring out which one is right for you and your travel party, I have several articles that can help narrow your search:

Walt Disney World: What To Do

I can write an entire novel about the Walt Disney World theme parks, but I’m going to give you the EXTREMELY basic 101-level information so you know where to start in case this is your first time visiting.

Walt Disney World has four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. If this is your first trip and you have the time to do so, I highly suggest planning one full day at each of the theme parks. If you’re traveling with little ones, you may need a second day at Magic Kingdom. If you’re a major theme park foodie like me, you may want a second day at EPCOT.

To navigate the lines at Disney World’s rides and attractions, you have the option to buy into Disney’s Lightning Lane Pass Service. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass allows the user to book return times to select rides in order to use its expedited queue known as a Lightning Lane.

Where To Eat: Walt Disney World Restaurants

Disney World is home to hundreds (literally hundreds) of restaurants and dining locations. Trust me, you aren’t meant to see and do everything at Walt Disney World in a single vacation. That rings true when it comes to dining. That said, you’ll have plenty of great options no matter where you’re located on a given day.

You might not think of dining as a priority when planning a Walt Disney World vacation, but trust me, you’re better off staying on top of where you want to eat rather than winging it when you arrive. Dining reservations fill up for many restaurants ahead of time (though some offer walk-up…but I wouldn’t rely on that if there’s a restaurants you’re dead set on eating at). Advance Dining Reservations open sixty (60) days ahead of time. If you’re staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, you are able to book reservations for the entirety of your vacation 60 days ahead of your check-in day (or up to 14 days after your check in day, whichever is shorter).

You may also want to consider buying the Disney Dining Plan for your 2025 vacation. In short, the Disney Dining Plan is a pre-paid meal plan that allots each guest on your Disney World hotel reservation a number of meal and snack credits per day. The Dining Plan is only available to guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.

There is a lot to consider when buying the Dining Plan, and it’s not for everyone! In short, it’s a great convenience in not having to think about paying for food after you arrive (tip and gratuity are NOT included on the plan). It’s not so much a money saving mechanism as it is a means of giving your trip that “all-inclusive” feel.

What’s New at Disney World For 2025

Complimentary Water Park Admission

There’s a great way to save on water park admission as part of your 2025 Walt Disney World vacation. All guests who are staying at a Disney World resort hotel will receive complimentary admission to one of Disney World’s water parks (whichever is in operation) on their arrival and check-in day.

In order for a guest to be eligible for this benefit, their name must appear on the Disney World resort hotel reservation. This perk is valid for all 2025 reservations with arrivals starting on or after January 1, 2025.

Test Track 3.0 Opens at EPCOT

While there are no “brand new” rides slated to open in 2025 at Walt Disney World, a reimagined ride is set to open — Test Track! The popular EPCOT thrill ride closed in the summer of 2024 to make way for a refurbished, newly imaged version to open in 2025. The new version of Test Track is inspired by its predecessor, World of Motion, with new show scenes that celebrate the joys of hitting the road.

As of this writing, an opening date for Test Track 3.0 has yet to be announced. Keep an eye on this space for updated information as we learn more.

Zootopia: Better Together Opens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Lots of changes are happening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and throughout 2025, we will bid adieu to several long-running attractions. One of those attractions is “It’s Tough to Be A Bug,” which has played in the Tree of Life Theater since the park first opened. A closing date has yet to be announced, but we already know what’s taking its place — “Zootopia: Better Together!”

The show will debut in the winter of 2025. We aren’t quite sure if that means the January through March side of winter or the December side of winter, but as soon as I know more, I’ll update this space! My hunch tells me December 2025, since we do not have a closing date for “It’s Tough to Be A Bug” as of this writing (fall 2024), and I would imagine the theater would also receive some hefty refurbishments as this new show moves in.

Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Tavern Opens at Magic Kingdom

Okay, this next one is something I’m REALLY looking forward to. In 2025, a new tavern inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction will open in Magic Kingdom. The tavern will extend the story of the ride and will feature the return of Barker Bird, the famed Audio-Animatronic parrot of Pirates lore.

Updated Pirates of the Caribbean-themed tavern concept art © Disney

An opening date has yet to be announced. We also aren’t entirely sure what will be served at this Pirates of the Caribbean-themed tavern, but I’m hoping for something really special and unique.

Spaceship Earth Lounge Opens at EPCOT

The Pirates of the Caribbean-themed tavern isn’t the only lounge space opening in 2025. Also on deck to open at EPCOT is Spaceship Earth Lounge. This was a surprise announcement at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024. As we can see in the concept art, the lounge will feature World Showcase Lagoon views, perfect for watching the fireworks.

Spaceship Earth Lounge concept art © Disney

An opening date for Spaceship Earth Lounge has yet to be announced by Disney. Once open, you can expect to find me seated here all day and all night.

Disney Starlight Nighttime Parade Debuts at Magic Kingdom

At long last, nighttime parades are going to be back at Magic Kingdom. Debuting the summer of 2025 is Disney Starlight.

Disney Starlight nighttime parade concept art © Disney

Disney Starlight will use the latest technology to bring your favorite Disney characters to life. The parade will be led by the Blue Fairy and will feature floats depicting scenes from animated films like “Peter Pan,” “Encanto,” “Frozen,” and more.

Villain Stage Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Even more entertainment is on the way next year! Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a brand-new live-action stage show featuring your favorite Disney Villains will premiere at Sunset Showcase. The new stage show will star classic villains like Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook and Maleficent.

The stage show is taking the place of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, which had its final showing on October 7, 2024. The new villains stage show will premiere in the summer of 2025.

THE LITTLE MERMAID — A MUSICAL ADVENTURE

More entertainment is on deck for Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2025. “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure,” originally scheduled to open in the fall of 2024, was delayed to summer 2025. The show takes the place of its predecessor, “Voyage of the Little Mermaid,” and uses an array of theatrical technology and puppetry to tell the story of The Little Mermaid.

“The Little Mermaid” stage show concept art © Disney

Construction and Closures at Walt Disney World in 2025

Temporary Extended Closure: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

It was announced that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom will close temporarily — though the closure will be rather lengthy. The ride’s last day of operation will be January 5, 2025, and it will remain closed for the rest of the year. Big Thunder will reopen sometime in 2026 with “new enhancements.”

Disney has teased for years what is found “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,” with it being revealed at D23: The Ultimate Fan Event that a villains-themed land is in the works for that undeveloped section of Magic Kingdom. It’s possible that the extended closure of Big Thunder involves preliminary work for that section.

Phased Closure: DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Starting in the fall 0f 2024, a phased closure of DinoLand U.S.A. is taking place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to make way for a new land inspired by the Tropical Americas (Central and Southern America). The new land is scheduled to open sometime in 2027.

Tropical Americas land model at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

Things will kick into high gear in January, with the final day to experience TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures being January 12. Construction walls will appear starting January 13, with DINOSAUR, the Boneyard, Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Bite Snacks, and Trilo-Bites remaining open for the time being. Once the entirety of DinoLand closes, expect the area to be blocked off to foot traffic while construction begins on the Tropical Americas land.

Closing: Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom

Major closures are on the way at Magic Kingdom. In 2025, Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America will permanently close to make way for a new Cars-inspired area of Frontierland. As of this writing, Disney has not released an exact date for when these closures will take place, but I would recommend you visit in early 2025 if you want to visit Tom Sawyer Island or ride the Liberty Square Riverboat one final time.

Reimagined Rivers of America concept art © Disney

Once the area closes, expect plenty of construction walls as work begins to fill the river and transform the area into the new Cars section of Frontierland. Foot traffic should not be impacted all that much, at least in the initial phases of construction. An opening timeline for the Cars area has not been announced, but guests can expect multiple new attractions when the area is complete.

Possible Construction Starting: Monsters Inc. Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, work will soon be underway for a new land inspired by the Monsters Inc. franchise. This land was announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024. The land will take guests into the world of Monstropolis, complete with a roller coaster inspired by the Door Factory at Monsters Inc.

Disney has yet to confirm an exact timeline of when work will begin on building this new land. Also unconfirmed as of this writing is exactly where this new land will go. Since there are more unknowns about this land, I would guess construction starting is a little further off than Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom or the new Cars area of Frontierland in Magic Kingdom. I’m still throwing this in here for good measure so you can be prepared in case you have a 2025 vacation coming up and we learn more about the construction timeline for this new Monsters Inc.-inspired land.

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