Celebrating 2025! Anticipating 2026!
I have to admit that this year has flown by quickly. Full of highlights, but still Spring became summer, and summer went right into Thanksgiving, and the next thing you knew the year was closing. On many levels I have enjoyed the parks perhaps more days in the year than in previous years. Unless I’m out of town I’m there once a week at least, but lately, I’ve found myself easily there 2-3 days out of seven. And it’s been wonderful. Just during the Christmas season we have had some really wonderful visits. We’ll discuss new attractions that have emerged in 2025, as well as moments I have had cherishing the final days of attractions that have now parted. Among all this I’ll share my favorite moment of the entire year. Then we’ll look forward to the new year. I don’t believe Disney has yet to disclose all that is happening in the parks in 2026, but there’s a solid start to the first half so far. We’ll look at each incoming experience, and then focus in on what will be the most important announcement to happen in 2026. Finally we have an announcement that sets the stage for Disney Insights in the upcoming year! So join us as we celebrate 2025 and anticipate all to come in 2026!
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2025
Closures
Adieu to It’s Tough to Be a Bug, Rivers of America, The Liberty Belle, Tom Sawyer Island, a shooting gallery and Muppet Vision. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a big vacancy was left with the loss of Gino, a 400-pound western lowland gorilla who passed away at 44 in September. Also, it was a time to say goodbye to Judi Daley, who I feature in last week’s podcast. Please visit this podcast if you have not already, as it is one of the most important podcasts I’ve given this year.
GEO-82
The name GEO-82 is a nostalgic nod to Spaceship Earth—which opened in 1982. At GEO-82, you’ll be immersed in the storied history and enduring legacy of this timeless EPCOT icon. It lights up at night making the space around World Celebration feel more lived in .
Beak & Barrel
Five Best Things:
- The glow in the Mapmaker’s room, when all comes to life
- Mermaids etched in glass
- A Pirate foot hangs randomly from a hammock above. It’s random and a little bit like in Mary Poppins when they tell a joke about a man with a wooden leg named Smith. Elsewhere an entire anchor is hoisted above the crowd as a lighting fixture.
- Captains’ Booths. Along the side are intricately carved wooden panels with their end caps have a pirate theme to each:
- Adventure: Represented by Jack Sparrow’s battle with the Kraken
- Freedom: Symbolized by life aboard a ship that can sail as she pleases
- Fortune: Represented by plenty of riches
- Unity: Symbolized by the multiple pirate Lords
- Rummy–an homage to the “barker bird”
Epic Universe
Five Best Things About Epic Universe
- Celestial Park at Night
- Theming of How to Train Your Dragon
- The Untrainable Dragon Show
- Café L’air De La Sirène
- Monsters Unchained
The Announcement of a New Disney Park in Abu Dhabi
Disney is building its first Middle Eastern theme park resort, Disneyland Abu Dhabi, on Yas Island in partnership with Miral. It will feature advanced technology, unique Emirati design with a modern castle, and iconic stories, expected to open in the early 2030s (around 2030-2032) as Disney’s seventh global resort. While it won’t be owned by Disney, nobody really cares about that when they visit Tokyo Disneyland. They simply enjoy the magic. This will be an enormously important milestone a decade more.
The Little Mermaid Musical Adventure
A long lost casualty from the Covid period, this show didn’t just come back, but came back fresh with a new look, new effects, new script–almost everything new. Somethings are missed, but other things are welcomed. It’s great that this venerable show has returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Villains Unfairly Ever After
This is a favorite I try to visit whenever I’m in the park, and especially when I bring folks who haven’t been there, or been in a while. Still trying to get Hook voted in as the most unfairly ever after treated villain.
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Parade
This was in my view joyously welcomed when it made its first appearance this last summer. I think there are improvements ahead, particularly in characters and dancers along the parade float. But this parade has great bones and hopefully a long future ahead of it. I love the song track. I love the choices of floats–even Wish–and the ending is really superb.
Test Track
There are many reasons to like this new version of Test Track. There are also many who still miss the original version of the ride. For me, I miss the original World of Motion. But this much I know, there is no one I’ve heard from that misses the last 2.0 version, as I feel it is much better than the last one. I also believe it is better than the first one. It’s not perfect. But every time I go I find more reasons to really like it. Like the Mermaid or Villains show, it’s not a great queue. But they did some things that stand out.
Zootopia Better Zoogether
Like Test Track, I find something better about this show every time I visit.
Disney Destiny
Many are very enthused about this newest ship that just premiered. Many thought that the Treasure was far better than the Wish. This ship took a turn by highlighting not a “land” approach like the Fantasyland Princess Castle element in the Wish, or the Adventureland like element for the Treasure. Instead it took on Heroes and Villains, and has sought to deepen the interactions guests have with those heroes, in a similar way that Star Wars Intergalactic Space Cruiser did with folks onboard the Halcyon.
Highlight! Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary
There are so many things that make this the best part of 2025:
- First, it’s Disneyland. You can never be wrong with Disneyland.
- The addition of the third new verse to “it’s a small world”
- Pixar Pals parade
- Paint the Night
- Walt Disney: A Magical Life
A big part of Disneyland’s 70th celebration this year has been our ongoing podcasts highlighting each of the lands of the Happiest Place on Earth. I’ve truly enjoyed those, and will continue those into the next year, beginning with Toontown and then Fantasyland.
And of course the celebration in Anaheim continues on through 2026, which allows us to transition to next year. Let’s cover what we know, while acknowledging that there is still much more to know.
2026
Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary
TBD: Level 99
TBD: New Carousel of Progress
January: Cinderella Castle
February 2: Dinosaur Is On a Countdown to Extinction
February 2026 Updated Animatronic Figures in Frozen Ever After
March 2: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster with Aerosmith Closes
March 29th: Disney Adventure World
Spring: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Reopens
Spring: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
May 22nd: Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run: Mandalorian and Grogu
Memorial Day: Soarin’ Across America
July 4th Weekend: Disney Celebrates America
Summer: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets
Summer: Bluey & Bingo Come to Conservation Station & Fantasyland Theater
Summer: Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live!
Late Summer: The Magic of Disney’s Animation
August 14-16th: D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event
More Important Than Anything Else: A New Disney CEO
An Announcement from Disney Insights!
We have over the last several years instituted a Patreon style program. My sincere thanks to those who have joined and consequently sustained this podcast. I really appreciate you. That said, at the end of December, the Patreon program will be going away. While I had some unique offerings, they were not what people consider in a Patreon group, which is more podcasts or streaming events. Therefore, it has come to an end, and I very much look forward to announcing something wonderful in our upcoming podcast! So please stay tuned!
Want to Visit Disney?
Hopefully this podcast has made you realize you need help and support in planning your next trip to Disney. David and Leah with Zanolla Travel know Disney in ways few do and they can make your next trip on land or sea an exciting one–or at least less stressful! Be sure to contact them as you explore your next vacation, whether it is a Disney theme park vacation, a cruise, or an Adventure by Disney. There is no charge to utilize their services, but it will save you enormous time getting all the details right, and with their insight you can be assured you’re going to experience the best trip possible. Contact them today!
David & Leah Zanolla
ZanollaTravel.com
Owner/Agents
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