Fair warning if you’re traveling to Disney World this fall.
Magic Kingdom
On the surface, September 2024 seems like a great time to visit Walt Disney World. Crowds should be thinner than the busy summer season, and the heat will be much more manageable (though you’ll likely see some rain). Plus both the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival and Halloween season — including Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party — will be in full swing. However, there’s something you need to know: Some of the parks’ most popular rides will be CLOSED.
Some of the attractions on Disney World’s September refurbishment calendar include:
The Jungle Cruise
The Magic Kingdom’s iconic take on the Disneyland original is closing on August 26th for an indeterminate amount of time. Disney says, “The attraction is scheduled to reopen for Guests before the winter holidays begin at Walt Disney World.” That’s when we should see the ride turn into Jingle Cruise, the decked-out holiday version!
Jungle Cruise
Test Track
One of EPCOT’s most iconic rides has been closed since June 17th. The attraction is going through a massive refurbishment that will see it transformed into what many have dubbed Test Track 3.0. As that nomenclature would imply, the new version of Test Track will be the third incarnation of the ride since its late ’90s opening. According to Disney, this latest redone Test Track the new sets and effects seem to call back to the classic EPCOT attraction World of Motion. While the ride has no official reopening date, we expect the closure will stretch until 2025.
Test Track under construction
Blizzard Beach
As has become the norm at Walt Disney World in recent years, only one of the resort’s two water parks is open at a given time. This September, Typhoon Lagoon will be operating while Blizzard Beach will be shuttered. We’re curious to see if that “one open, one closed” strategy changes in 2025 when the water parks will presumably see a spike in demand when Disney’s new “free water park ticket on the day you arrive” perk for hotel guests goes into effect.
Blizzard Beach Water Park
September will see several popular attractions closed at Walt Disney World, which is sure to affect guest flow and wait times. Be sure to keep that in mind when planning your trip, and stay tuned to DFB for further Disney calendar updates.
Why We’re Anxious About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival This Year
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Hoping it opens before April when I arrive and you will still go outside in the ride
There is so much space at WDW. Why close these classics?
Jim, they are Jungle Cruise is NOT shutting down. They close rides all the time to update, clean, etc. If they close Jungle Cruise, an uprising of unseen proportions by Disney fans everywhere would happen. They are shutting down to make it Jingle Cruise for Christmas.