Y’ALL. WE DID IT. 2025 is nearly here!

It’s been quite the year for Disney, but they aren’t slowing down any time soon. Whether you’re a long-time fan or planning your first trip, there’s something new to look forward to across the parks. From ride closures to EPCOT festivals (hooray!) and beyond, here’s a look at what will be different at Disney World in the first month of 2025!

If you’re heading to Disney World soon, be sure to check out our planning worksheets. You can click the image below to get our list and make sure you don’t forget a thing!

Check out what you can look forward to in January at Disney World!

Say Goodbye to 5 Disney World Rides (For Now)

January is FULL of closures, both temporary and permanent. The following are the temporary closures so if your eyes skipped ahead to read “Big Thunder…” and you freaked out, don’t worry! We’re starting with the refurbishments.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Starting in Magic Kingdom, we’ll have to say farewell to “The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” for at least one year. The ride is scheduled to close on January 6th, 2025, and won’t reopen until 2026. Sigh…

About this closure, Disney says that the ride will reopen “with a little bit of new magic in 2026.” It’s unclear exactly what that means at this time — will there be new special effects like the Disneyland version? Something totally different? We’ll have to wait and see.

The PROBLEM with the Year-Long Closure of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom

Astro Orbiter

On the same day, another ride will shut down temporarily. That’s Astro Orbiter over in Tomorrowland!

The closure is not quite as long as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, however, it will still last several months. Disney says they expect it to be back up in summer of 2025. Yes, the park will be down at least two rides!

Lengthy Magic Kingdom Ride Closure Just Announced

Kali River Rapids

As expected, Kali River Rapids in Disney’s Animal Kingdom will temporarily close for routine maintenance on January 6th, 2025.

Each year around this time, the water rides close for some TLC. There aren’t many people trying to ride them while it’s cold!

A Disney World Ride Is Temporarily CLOSING in January

Gran Fiesta Tour

The Three Caballeros will be taking a 2-month siesta starting on January 6th as well! The iconic Mexico pavilion boat ride is also receiving some refurbishment work.

Luckily Disney has already given us a reopening date of March 15th, 2025. These are subject to change but it shows us the light at the end of the tunnel!

Iconic EPCOT Ride Announces 2-Month Closure

Hall of Presidents

And finally, the Hall of Presidents will be closing on January 20th. This closure happens each time a new President of the United States is elected.

There is no reopening date on the Disney World calendar just yet.

Closure Announced For Yet Another Magic Kingdom Attraction

Say Goodbye to DinoLand (Forever)

We’re sorry…but it’s time to move onto the permanent closures. January marks the end of an era because part of DinoLand will be closing forever.

This closure includes TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures. You have through January 12th to say your final goodbyes to this area of the park. 😭

Disney confirmed that the land’s main attraction, DINOSAUR, will remain open through 2025 so you’ve got a bit more time to process its inevitable closure.

In case you missed it, DinoLand is being replaced with a Tropical Americas-themed land called Pueblo Esperanza. The land will feature attractions around Indiana Jones and Encanto! It’s expected to open in 2027 so expect a LOT of construction walls in this area of the park until then.

Close-Up Look At NEW Encanto Ride Announced for Disney World!

Festival of the Arts

EPCOT’s first festival of 2025 is, of course, the iconic Festival of the Arts! This festival is a fan-favorite and although it is short, so much is packed into it. It’s a must-do!

This event will run from January 17th to February 14th, 2025 and you can expect everything you know and love about EPCOT festivals. Food booths (including this new booth that was recently announced), a food crawl with a free prize, the Figment scavenger hunt, photo ops, interactive art experiences, entertainment, and so much more.

Everything You Need to Know for the 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Arts

After Hours Events Are Back!

Have you ever wanted to stay inside a Disney World park AFTER is closes? Soon you can! In January, Disney World is bringing back the popular After Hours events to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios!

Magic Kingdom’s events begin on January 6th and are available on select nights through May 19th. More interested in Hollywood Studios? You can buy tickets for events happening from January 22nd to September 3rd.

Tickets are on sale now and there are many perks to going. Some people even purchase After Hours tickets in lieu of a regular park ticket! That’s because lines are super short at popular rides due to the limited capacity. You can also meet rare characters and get complimentary snacks! Prices vary but if you haven’t tried these before, 2025 might be the year to try it out.

The 2 BEST Dates to Buy After Hours Tickets in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

Disney World’s biggest runDisney event of the year is happening from January 8th-12th! Each day, there will be a new race from a 5K all the way to the main event — the marathon!

Thousands of people come to Disney World to do this event, but it can be fun even if you decide to watch. It’s also important to note that these events can impact the park hours. For example, on January 11th and 12th, EPCOT will open at 10AM instead of the typical 9AM.

This race has been sold out since tickets went on sale. However, if you’ve ever wanted to see Disney World in a totally different way, we recommend doing a runDisney race in the future!

FIRST LOOK at the Walt Disney World 2025 Marathon Weekend Merchandise

Want to book a trip to Disney World? We’ve got a hack for you! Check out our friends over at Small World Vacations to help you plan the perfect trip — you won’t regret it!