Walt Disney World: July 2025
- Bobby Spina
- Jul 1
- 8 min read
We're in the midst of the sweltering Summer season here in the Sunshine State as we enter the month of July. And although there may be more rainy weather as opposed to blue skies and sunshine (no surprise for a Florida native such as myself), we have a packed month at Walt Disney World. From big closures to even bigger openings, I'm here to give you the rundown of everything happening during the seventh month of the year.
With all of that out of the way, let's go!
July 2025
Before I begin today's article, I just want to preface one thing: I know the 4th of July is almost here, and I know that Walt Disney World always commemorates the holiday. However, the festivities are usually almost always the same year after year. And while not a bad thing, I'm going to avoid going into much detail, let alone any, about what Disney's plans are for Independence Day. All you need to know is that both the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT will have their usual special fireworks presentations (weather permitting, of course), while the other two parks have DJ dance parties instead.
If you happen to be visiting Walt Disney World on July 4th this year, get ready to embrace some hefty crowds. Most importantly, stay hydrated!
Monday, July 7th
In speaking of hefty crowds, let's start off at the Magic Kingdom for a major closing date. In case you weren't already aware, both the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom will permanently close on this date, with their final day of operation being on Sunday, July 6th.
These closures mark a pivotal milestone in what the future of the Magic Kingdom holds, as Disney begins multi-year construction work on what they are calling "the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom's history."
What does this massive expansion entail, you ask? Phase 1 will be the addition of two new attractions themed to Disney and Pixar's Cars. Phase 2 will be the opening of the highly anticipated Villains Land. Take a gander at the concept art for both below.
To give you a sense of scope and scale at just how transformative both of these projects will be, the two Cars attractions will be taking up what is currently the first and southernmost half of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. Meanwhile, Villains Land will be situated further north "beyond" Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. AKA, the second, more northern-half of the river.
While no opening timeframe has been announced for either project, there's no denying that they will be taking quite a while. If I had to venture a guess, I'd give the Cars project about a three or maybe even four year construction timeframe, with a 2028 or 2029 opening being a likely possibility. As for Villains, we're probably talking sometime in 2030 or maybe even 2031, right before the Magic Kingdom's 60th Anniversary. Not only is Villains Land an even more ambitious project, but in order for construction to even begin on it, the work being done for Cars needs to have made some significant strides. At the very least, Disney will need to fully drain the Rivers of America and completely demolish Tom Sawyer Island before they can even start the process of clearing more land and prepping the site for actual construction. It's a lengthy process for sure, and more complicated than any project Walt Disney World management has decided to undertake since the turn of the millennium.
It's also worth mentioning that the Cars project I keep referring to has a legit name. The Cars expansion to Frontierland will be dubbed as "Piston Peak National Park." While fictional, the area will take lots of inspiration from the Rocky Mountain region in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Think of the landscaping and rustic architecture you'd find in Yellowstone or Zion National Park, just with Cars flair. See the "fun map" down below for a more artistic interpretation of what the River and the Island will soon be transformed into...
And before you even think it (or say it), no - this is not a new land. While the expansion is big, the two attractions found inside Piston Peak National Park will still be part of the existing Frontierland. Frontierland may be changing, but it's not going away.
Oh, and one other thing. The Walt Disney World Railroad will also be ceasing its usual operations starting on July 7th as well. But don't worry - it's not closing forever. Unlike last time when Tron: Lightcycle Run was being constructed in Tomorrowland, the Railroad will not be 100% closed this time. Instead, the train will operate in what Disney is calling "shuttle mode" between both the Main Street U.S.A and Fantasyland stations. Essentially, the Railroad will be moving both forwards and backwards in between the two until construction wraps up on the two projects.
Now, I'll be honest, I feared for the Railroad, but this is a much better outcome as compared to last time. Unfortunately, I still can't shake the feeling that it feels like we just got the Railroad back not so long ago. After being closed for over four years with the construction of Tron, we've only had the Railroad back in its full glory for two and half years since it reopened in December of 2022. Now, we'll have to wait another four years or longer to make another full lap around the Magic Kingdom. Oh well.
July 7th is shaping up to be a big day of not just closures, but also operational shifts as well. If you haven't taken your final ride aboard the Liberty Belle yet or explored the natural and nostalgic charm of Tom Sawyer Island, you only have a couple of days remaining. The entire landscape of not just Frontierland, but the Magic Kingdom as we know it, is about to drastically change forever.
If you'd like an even more in-depth analysis regarding the construction progress on these projects, as well as my honest thoughts on Piston Peak National Park as a whole, be sure to check out my latest Magic Kingdom construction update here!
Sunday, July 20th
Staying within the park, we have another big (and historical) date to discuss. On July 20th, the Magic Kingdom will finally play host to a brand new nighttime parade called Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away.
"Disney Starlight will transport guests into the stories of our beloved Disney characters. Through the power of the Blue Fairy’s magic, you’ll watch dreams and wishes come true. As the lights dance from float to float, you’ll see favorite classic and contemporary characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Disney Pixar films, some for the very first time in a Disney nighttime parade! Brought to life by the creative hands and hearts at Disney Live Entertainment, Disney Starlight is the perfect continuation of our legacy of nighttime parades, with bits of nostalgia sprinkled throughout a dazzling procession that raises the bar for the future."
The new parade is arguably the most anticipated new addition coming to Walt Disney World not just this Summer, but for all of 2025. The Magic Kingdom has been lacking a proper nighttime parade since 2016 when the Main Street Electrical Parade bid its final farewell. And after nearly a decade of circulating among the rumor mill in the Disney community, the parade is mere weeks away from debuting.
As far as other details go, Disney has stated that the parade will have not one, but two nightly showtimes. One at 9 P.M. and another at 11 P.M. Because of this, Happily Ever After showtimes have been moved to 10:15 P.M. during the initial weeks of Disney Starlight's debut. Additionally, the parade will also begin on Main Street U.S.A. and end in Frontierland, which is interesting. Normally, Magic Kingdom parades will begin in Frontierland, traverse through Liberty Square, and then end on Main Street, but Disney Starlight will be doing the opposite. It will be interesting to see if the daytime parade, Festival of Fantasy, will be impacted by this change.
Either way, it's time to get hyped for the historic debut of Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away if you weren't excited enough already!
Tuesday, July 22nd
The next date on our list is another important opening. (Or a reopening, I should say.) Heading on over to EPCOT, and Test Track 3.0 - Presented by General Motors will officially debut in World Discovery!
This is a big deal for EPCOT. Test Track is a fan-favorite (and personal favorite) attraction at the park, especially considering EPCOT does not have nearly as many thrill rides as compared to the other parks. Additionally, the reopening of this attraction should add back some much needed capacity that has been lacking at the park for over a year now.
At the time of writing this article, Cast Member previews are currently underway, with additional previews for WDW Annual Passholders, DVC Members, D23 Gold Members, Club 33 Members, and Golden Oak Residents taking place in the weeks following July 4th. I've actually already gotten the opportunity to preview the attraction myself, and to put it simply, I love it. If you'd like to see a full POV of both the queue and revamped attraction itself, as well as my first impressions afterwards, check out the vlog on my channel by clicking here!
There's not really much else to discuss regarding Test Track other than the fact that in just three short weeks, the attraction will finally be open once again. It's also important to note that upon the attraction's reopening, a virtual queue will not be in place, which is great news. I initially suspected this would be the case ever since Disney confirmed the attraction would still utilize a Single Rider line as it always has, and the confirmation of this is music to my ears.
Get ready to hit the road once again when Test Track reopens at EPCOT on July 22nd, 2025!
Miscellaneous Updates
The remainder of this article will briefly list some smaller, but noteworthy updates happening all around Walt Disney World, including updates that have recently occurred. Besides the three big dates above, here's what else you can expect happening this month:
V.I.P. Passholder Summer Days have been underway since May and will end on Thursday, July 31st. Pick up a new Maleficent Passholder magnet at the Creations Shop at EPCOT and stop by the Passholder Lounge in the Morocco Pavilion to relax and recharge!
In Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid will be closing very briefly for a refurbishment, lasting from Monday, July 21st, to Saturday, July 26th.
Astro Orbiter has reopened in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, following a lengthy five month refurbishment/rebuild.
The Hall of Presidents has also finally reopened in Liberty Square at the Magic Kingdom. The update is almost identical to the changes that were made to the attraction back in 2017 during President Donald Trump's first term in office.
Finally, the long-dormant Prairie Outpost Supply has reopened in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom as a new hat shop, sponsored by Chapel Hats. You may recall that many years ago in a pre-2020 world, the store acted as a mini-confectionary of sorts. It's great to finally see this little store reopen again after all these years!
That’s everything happening this month for July 2025! It's going to be a transformative month, that's for sure. I hope you found this article (and continue to keep finding these articles) informative and fun. Enjoy the month everyone, and happy Independence Day!
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