UPDATED October 23, 2025

Believe it or not, 2026 is almost here! We’ve seen a lot in 2025, from ride closures to reopenings to hotel refurbishments, plenty of new snacks and merchandise, and just about everything in between. 2025 was great, but we’re actively planning our 2026 trips!

For next year’s trip, there are some key dates you’ll want to know before booking your vacation.

EPCOT Festivals

We don’t know the exact dates of all the festivals coming up next year, but we have an idea of when they’re scheduled based on previous years. While you’ll want to make sure you attend the festival, be cautious about opening dates when EPCOT can get busy, and on the other hand, times between festivals are usually pretty empty.

The Festival dates that have been confirmed for 2026 are:

• EPCOT Festival of the Arts — January 16th – February 23rd, 2026

The 2025 dates for EPCOT’S other 3 Festivals were:

• EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival — March 5th to June 2nd
• EPCOT Food & Wine Festival — August 28th to November 22nd
• EPCOT Festival of the Holidays — November 28th to December 30th

runDisney

If you’re not familiar with runDisney, these are large races where thousands of people come to run across Disney World property. While the races usually finish before the parks open, traffic patterns can change due to road closures, and there will be significantly more people than usual. You might find it harder to find hotel bookings since the race dates are posted about nine months in advance of the races. If you’re planning to visit around this time, make sure to book early.

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend — January 7th to 11th
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend — February 26th to March 2nd
• runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend — April 16th to 20th
• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend (2025 dates for reference) — October 23rd to 26th

Holidays

Big holidays can bring big crowds! If you have the time off from work and school, it’s likely that everyone else does, too. There are always a few random holidays you might forget about when planning your trip, so here’s a look at some holidays you’ll want to keep in mind.

• New Year’s Day — January 1st
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January 19th
• President’s Day — February 16th
• Spring Break Crowds — Late March to Mid April
• Easter — April 5th
• Memorial Day — May 25th
• Summer Crowds — Lake May to Early September
• Juneteenth National Independence Day — June 19th
• Independence Day — July 4th* (*Magic Kingdom will celebrate with the special fireworks show “Disney’s Celebrate America! — A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” for THREE nights: July 3rd, 4th, and 5th!)
• Labor Day — September 7th
• Columbus Day — October 12th
• Halloween — October 31st
• Veterans Day — November 11th
• Thanksgiving Day — November 26th
• Christmas Day — December 25th
• New Year’s Eve — December 31st

Closures

Disney World closures are never fun, but knowing when they’re coming can give you a heads-up to ride your favorites one more time. For some, we don’t know the exact dates, but we do know they’re coming in 2026, and we expect more dates to be announced.

• The rest of DinoLand U.S.A. — February 2nd
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith — sometime in 2026

Openings

We might hate closures, but we sure do love openings! A lot is coming to Disney World in 2026, and although we don’t have exact dates, we know they’re scheduled for next year. They’re worth keeping on your radar, so be sure to follow Disney Food Blog to stay informed about all the dates when they’re announced.

• New The Mandalorian updates to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run — May 22nd
• Soarin’ Across America — Summer 2026
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets — Summer 2026
• The Magic of Disney Animation — sometime in 2026
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad updates– sometime in 2026
• Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin updates — sometime in 2026

That’s a lot! We’ll keep updating you with new dates and information so you can have the best Disney World vacation ever. If you’re looking for help planning your trip, you can 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.

Keep following Disney Food Blog for more.

FULL LIST OF WHAT’S OPENING IN DISNEY WORLD IN 2026