The Waiting Is the Hardest Part for Disney Fans
Imagineers are currently working at their most relentless pace in nearly a decade.
The only recent example even close to what we’re witnessing right now occurred in 2017.
Disney
At that point, Imagineers were constructing Pandora – The World of Avatar, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and Toy Story Land.
I’m only giving you a part of the picture by saying that, too, as there was more out west.
Photo: Disney
At Disney California Adventure (DCA), Disney was reinventing the park with Pixar and Marvel themes.
Those projects were well underway about nine years ago, but even they pale in comparison to today.
Imagineers are dutifully working to make virtually all of Disney’s American theme parks better.
And the waiting is the hardest part for Disney fans. Let’s discuss all our current frustrations, hopes, and dreams.
What’s Happening?
Photo:visitorlando.com
In recent days, I’ve focused on all the changes happening at Walt Disney World’s theme parks.
Every one of them is currently adding an entirely new themed land…or more.
Photo: Disneyplanning.com
Since Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are getting two each, the overall number is five.
Folks, that’s five new themed lands at just four theme parks. Really, it’s just three since nothing’s happening at EPCOT.
Photo: orlandoattractions.com
So, we’re in the early stages of a time of unprecedented change at Disney World.
That’s just half of the picture, too, as DCA is adding an Avatar-themed land and doubling the size of Avengers Campus.
Disney
Overall, DCA will add at least four new attractions. The problem comes from the timeline.
Disney will begin work in earnest on a Coco ride at some point in 2026.
Photo: Disney
That’s when Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! will close. Coco goes into that space.
Disney has hedged a bit about a 2027 or 2028 opening for this amazing new boat ride.
Photo: Disney
And that’s the frustrating problem that all fans are facing for at least the next 15 months.
We’ll spend lots of time hearing and talking about new stuff, but it’s not coming anytime soon.
Surviving 2026
Photo: Disney
Next year, which is less than three months away, will feel like an eternity for many Disney fans.
At most, we’re only getting a few new attractions, some of which are merely re-themings.
Photo: Disney
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will die soon after DINOSAUR does.
The Indiana Jones attraction replacing DINOSAUR won’t arrive until 2027, barring something unforeseen.
Photo: Disney
We probably will witness the debut of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets next year.
Even that isn’t guaranteed, though. The only things that are may not excite you much.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will debut with an entirely new scene and better controllers.
Still, the basics of Space Ranger Spin will remain the same, which makes it a good but not great ride.
I’m personally quite excited about the debut of The Walt Disney Studios.
Particularly, I cannot wait for the triumphant comeback of The Magic of Disney Animation.
Photo: Disney
That was an experience I never wanted to go away. The new thing will probably resemble it in name only.
Even so, I consider that a terrific enhancement at Hollywood Studios. To many people, it’s a big bag of Meh, though.
Photo: Disney
The exciting stuff at Hollywood Studios, especially the Monstropolis roller coaster, should debut in 2027.
We’ll love it when that happens, but the current timeline makes 2026 feel quite empty.
Even worse, Disney has closed several attractions in anticipation of reclaiming the space.
Change for the Better
Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
So, this will be a rough year at several theme parks, most obviously Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The flags at that park should fly at half-mast throughout 2026, and Magic Kingdom will be weird, too.
Magic Kingdom entrance
With the Rivers of America just plain gone and Tom Sawyer Island along with it, this park looks different.
Like, you may not be mentally prepared to process what you’ll see when you look at Magic Kingdom.
That river should host the Liberty Square Riverboat and be visible throughout the park.
Instead, Disney is currently planning new experiences where the water once was.
Last Day Tomorrow Sawyer Island
That’s objectively a change for the better. If you don’t believe me, please tell me the last time you rode the riverboat.
Your answer to Tom Sawyer Island is likely the same unless you’re a parent with small children.
Most people weren’t using these spaces, and while a certain Disney executive is taking an online drubbing about his statements right now, he’s right.
When people aren’t visiting a part of a Disney theme park, that space is wasted and should be reinvigorated.
The problem fans face right now is that Disney’s doing that…at a lot of places!
All these construction projects will be wonderful when they’re done. For most of them, that won’t be 2026, though.
For fans, the next 15 months will consist of Disney’s greatest hits and an unusual number of construction crews.
All this work could disrupt visits, but that’s only a small part of the conversation.
What really aggravates all of us is the waiting, as we gleefully anticipate all the new experiences.
A Familiar Feeling
Photo: Disney
Those of us who were following Disney in 2016 and 2017 remember this feeling.
I can assure you from experience that it’s not all bad. Right now, you’re probably debating a 2026 trip.
Photo: Disney
In your head, you’re wondering whether the Disney experience will be the same with all this construction.
Well, I’ll remind longtime readers of something I’ve repeatedly stated over the years.
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We had the time of our lives visiting Disney in 2016 and 2017, especially at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
For the longest time, the most popular ride at the time, Toy Story Mania!, averaged a 100-minute wait.
You can think of it as the Avatar Flight of Passage of that era. During all the construction, fewer people visited.
That allowed people like us to feel like we had the entire park to ourselves, and it was unforgettable.
Photo: Disney
I reference this time often in my writing, as we rode Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania! repeatedly.
My wife and I look back on this era with such fondness, and I suspect 2026 fans will do the same.
Photo: Disney
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is already showing signs of drastically lower wait times.
We’re waiting to learn whether that’s just a school season slowdown or a sign of things to come.
Photo: Disney
However, there’s a distinct possibility that the wait times at Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey finally become manageable.
Similarly, the wait times for TRON and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure may drop significantly as well.
Photo: Disney
So, while the waiting is the hardest part for Disney fans, there’s an opportunity here.
You can possibly sidestep the crowds by visiting the parks in 2026.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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