Overview

• Construction walls are going up and the Animation Courtyard and Star Wars Launch Bay areas will shut down starting September 25–26 to make way for a new Walt Disney Studios-themed zone anchored by The Magic of Disney Animation.
• New aerial photos show active Monsters, Inc. land construction, including foundation work for the door coaster on a former cast parking lot and major demolition where Muppets Courtyard once stood.
• Disney says most of Animation Courtyard will close for the 2026 refresh while The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure remains open during the rework.
• Resort operations continue to be constrained by long refurbishments, with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin closed until 2026 and DinoLand U.S.A. set to shutter February 2, 2026 for Tropical Americas.
• Disney’s film tie-ins are already in the parks, with a TRON: Ares overlay live at Magic Kingdom as of September 15 and a Mandalorian and Grogu update confirmed for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run on May 22, 2026.