If you missed the past week, here's what mattered: Memorial Day brought several simultaneous openings across Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, Carousel of Progress got a major overhaul announcement, and two separate permit filings pointed to show work at Alien Swirling Saucers and Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. It was one of the busier news weeks of the year so far.
Bluey's Wild World drops the virtual queue after less than a week
Bluey's Wild World at Conservation Station opened May 26 with a virtual queue, but the system is already on its way out. The 10am drop stayed open for more than 30 minutes on May 27 and 90 minutes on May 28 — a clear sign the opening surge faded fast. From June 2, a standard standby queue replaces it entirely. If you visit before June 1, the virtual queue still runs with 7am and 10am daily drops via My Disney Experience. From June 2, walk up, get in line, and wait like any other attraction. For the ride over on the Wildlife Express Train, plan for folding strollers only, and expect the best waits earlier in the day.
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Carousel of Progress closes July 6 for its biggest overhaul since 1975
This is the week's most significant piece of news by some distance. Carousel of Progress shuts down July 6, 2026, with a reopening expected in 2027. All four show scenes are being replaced — the eras shift to 1969, 1985, 1999, and a far-future finale — and a new opening scene features an Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney, drawn from his 1964 television special introducing the attraction at the World's Fair. Props from that special, including a prototype Tiki bird and a Tower of the Four Winds model, are being replicated for the new scene. Sarah takes center stage for the first time in the attraction's history in the 1985 Halloween act, and Uncle Orville returns — now in the bathroom. The Sherman Brothers' "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" stays between scenes throughout. Disney says the decision to update to more recent decades was deliberate, aiming to connect with audiences through eras they actually remember. The show's practical-effects approach — real props, painted backdrops — is being preserved. A new attraction poster, designed as a tribute to the original, has also been revealed. You have until July 6 to see the current version; that's a limited window.
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Magic of Disney Animation building layout revealed in full
Disney released the first official map of The Magic of Disney Animation at Hollywood Studios, giving the clearest picture yet of what's inside. Five zones: Olaf Draws! (the Audio-Animatronics Olaf drawing class), Off the Page! character meet-and-greets, Once Upon A Studio Theater, the Drawn to Wonderland playground, and an art gallery — all accessed through a central Open House entrance, with a Studio Store on the way out. New details on Drawn to Wonderland confirm it's aimed at children 6 months to 5 years old, built around Mary Blair's original Alice in Wonderland concept art, with climbing structures, interactive elements, and themed zones covering the Mad Tea Party, the Queen of Hearts' rose garden, and the Cheshire Cat's Tulgey Wood. No opening date is confirmed yet — the building opens later this summer. In the meantime, several of the Off the Page! characters are already out free-roaming in the Walt Disney Studios courtyard.
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Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opens to two-hour waits
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets opened to the public on Memorial Day weekend and drew two-hour waits from 8:00am on day one, with the queue stretching through a backstage area behind Tower of Terror that guests would not normally see. The transformation from the Aerosmith version — which closed March 1 — took under three months. The new ride features an Audio-Animatronics Scooter in the G-Force Records preshow, five randomized Electric Mayhem soundtracks, Statler and Waldorf at the unload station, and celebrity cameos throughout. Lightning Lane Multi Pass is available for those looking to skip the extended queue.
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Walt Disney Studios courtyard is now the place for character interactions
The reimagined Walt Disney Studios courtyard in Animation Courtyard has become the top spot at Hollywood Studios for character interactions. Up to five characters roam freely throughout the day — no queues, no formal meet-and-greet lines — with Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Chip, Dale, Mulan, and Rapunzel all listed in the My Disney Experience app with scheduled appearance times. Rapunzel and Mulan have been reading to kids and playing games on the grass; the classic characters weave through the crowd. This format changes once The Magic of Disney Animation opens later this summer, at which point these characters move indoors to Off the Page! with a more traditional setup. Worth taking advantage of while the free-roaming version is still in place.
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New Mandalorian Smugglers Run mission gets a behind-the-scenes look
A new Disney Unscripted episode goes inside the making of the updated Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, now running with a Mandalorian and Grogu mission at both Disneyland and Hollywood Studios. Hondo sends your crew after Imperial officers and a pirate on Tatooine; Mando briefs from the Razor Crest; pilots and gunners get improved controls. Engineers can interact with Grogu mid-mission. The visual system was rebuilt from scratch with Industrial Light and Magic and Epic Games — Unreal Engine 5 running real-time rendering across all five cockpit projection surfaces, using the same 3D assets from The Mandalorian's production library.
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Disney Springs food trucks closing permanently in mid-June
The food trucks at Exposition Park on the West Side of Disney Springs are going for good, sources tell WDWMAGIC. Urban Eatery Cilantro, GoJuice, and 4Rivers Cantina are all expected to leave in mid-June 2026. Disney hasn't announced this. The area is expected to be reconfigured as additional seating for the West Side once the trucks are gone. The food truck concept at Disney Springs dates to 2013 and has gradually transitioned from Disney-operated park-inspired menus to the current third-party vendor lineup.
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WDI permit points to show work at Alien Swirling Saucers
Walt Disney Imagineering filed a Notice of Commencement for Alien Swirling Saucers at Hollywood Studios, listing the installation of set elements and naming Icarus Exhibits as contractor. Disney has announced nothing. When WDI owns a permit — rather than Facilities Asset Management — it typically means creative or show-related work rather than routine maintenance. With Toy Story 5 hitting theaters June 19, 2026, the timing is hard to ignore, though exactly what's changing at the spinning ride is still unknown.
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New permit filed for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure set installations
A second WDI permit — also with Icarus Exhibits — was filed this week for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT. The scope is set element installation, picking up on Disney's November 2025 statement that new props and lighting enhancements would be added to the queue and attraction in the months following the ride's 3D-to-2D projection conversion. No start date or completion timeline is listed in the filing, but this appears to be the work Disney already said was coming.
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Hollywood Studios park map updated for the Memorial Day openings
Hollywood Studios released an updated park map on May 26 reflecting the day's two new additions — Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets on Sunset Boulevard and the Walt Disney Studios courtyard in Animation Courtyard. Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! is listed as a new attraction. The Magic of Disney Animation building appears on the map marked as "Future Home of The Magic of Disney Animation."
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The next few weeks bring a couple of things to watch: the July 6 Carousel of Progress closure is your deadline to see the current show, Toy Story 5 opens June 19 and may clarify what's happening at Alien Swirling Saucers, and The Magic of Disney Animation still needs a confirmed opening date for later this summer.
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