Disney World is busy, busy, busy!

The parks are always changing, but right now it feels like they’re changing more than ever. Magic Kingdom is getting a Cars-inspired land, they’re building Monstropolis in Hollywood Studios, and you can head to the Tropical Americas in Animal Kingdom in 2027. That’s why we like to do a round-up of the biggest news each week, so you’re always in on the latest Walt Disney Company updates and news. Let’s five in to this week’s changes!

A majority of our changes are hitting the Magic Kingdom this week, so we’re starting with the bad news first. After being a park staple for over 50 years, Tom Sawyer Island, the Liberty Bell Riverboat, and the Rivers of America closed permanently on July 7th, 2025.

These attractions, located in the heart of Frontierland, have been closed for the new Piston Peak expansion. While we are excited to see the new Cars-inspired area come to life, we won’t lie and pretend that this closure didn’t hurt. These attractions weren’t the most popular in the park, so we understand why they had to go, but at the same time, it’s hard to see such an icon gone.

The new land will feature 2 new attractions as well as shops, water features, and more to tie it into the story of Frontierland. Walls have already appeared in Frontierland as construction begins on the new land.

We have already spotted Cast Members around the area and changes to the park maps, removing the attractions from the offerings and design.

There is no expected opening timeline for Piston Peak just yet, so we are expecting more construction walls to appear and stay put for the next few years.

See The Closed Attractions On Their Final Days Right Here

Next up in Magic Kingdom, the Walt Disney World Railroad has also gone through some big changes! The train has changed from going completely around the theme park to running on a shuttle system between the Fantasyland Station and the Main Street Station.

While it’s in the shuttle mode, the Frontierland Station will undergo some repairs. To make sure you don’t have to ride backwards every time, Disney also changed half of the seats to face the opposite direction. 

These changes are believed to be related to the construction happening around the park, so we can’t catch a sneak peek as Piston Peak comes to life and Villains Land is being built! They also added new narration to the train where the conductor discusses a new experiment and references the original Experiment 626, also known as Stitch.

There is no expected date for when the train will return to its normal route around the park.

Learn More About Villains Land Here

Finally, the biggest news of all this week was soooo many holiday updates! Disney did their big one with the holiday news this week by sharing tons of updates about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights, and Festival of the Holidays.

The holidays will officially run from November 14th, 2025, until December 31st, 2025, in Disney World! In Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is an after-hours event that takes place on select nights, which you can see below.

• Nov. 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 28, 30
• Dec. 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 19, 21

Over in Hollywood Studios, Jollywood Nights is also a special ticketed, after-hours event. It takes place on:

• November 8th, 15th, 17th, 22nd, 24th, 29th (Saturdays and Mondays)
• December 1st, 6th, 10th, 13th, 17th, 20th, 22nd

Both of these ticket events will include limited-time snacks, drinks, entertainment, special meet and greets, and more! Prices range depending on the night you attend each party. Finally, in EPCOT, you can check out Festival of the Holidays in EPCOT from November 28th through December 30th, 2025. 

This festival includes their holiday kitchens, World Showcase Holiday Storytellers, and more fun. This also means that the Candlelight Processional is returning, where celebrity guest narrators to tell the Christmas story along with a choir of Cast Members accompanying the Voice of Liberty to sing classic Christmas carols.

The delicious Cookie Stroll is returning, as well as Olaf’s Holiday Scavenger Hunt! This event is available to anyone in EPCOT and doesn’t require a separate ticket like the other events mentioned for Christmas.

Everything CONFIRMED for the 2025 Disney World Holiday Season

Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation.

We can’t wait for the holidays to kick off in just a few months! As always, be sure to keep following DFB for the latest Disney news and updates!

The ULTIMATE Guide to Planning A Walt Disney World Vacation

 

Are you going to Disney during the holidays? Tell us in the comments!