If you missed the past week, here's what mattered: Space Mountain may be heading for a ground-up rebuild, Fort Wilderness opened a bigger pool and a refreshed lobby, holiday event tickets went on sale for resort guests, and two of the hardest lounges to book at the parks are close to adding walk-up list access. There's also a new resort president arriving in August and a construction update on the Glob Theater inside the growing Monstropolis footprint at Hollywood Studios.
Space Mountain rebuild in planning stages
Sources tell WDWMAGIC that Space Mountain is in the planning stages for a full interior rebuild — a full retrack comparable to what Big Thunder Mountain Railroad recently underwent, plus changes to the queue and load station. The track work would likely go to Vekoma, Disney's usual coaster fabricator. A side-by-side seating layout (in place of the current single-rider rows) and onboard audio are both on the table, though neither is confirmed.
The coaster has been running on its original structure since it opened in January 1975. A similar rebuild was planned in 2008 and cancelled; the 2009 refurbishment replaced some worn track sections but fell well short of a full retrack. With TRON Lightcycle Run next door and a freshly retracked Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the same park, the ride feel gap has become harder to ignore. An announcement could come at D23 in August 2026, with a closure potentially starting in late 2026 or early 2027 and a reopening window around 2028–2029 — lining up with Piston Peak and Villains Land on the other side of the park. Disney has not confirmed any of this.
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Fort Wilderness gets a bigger pool and refreshed check-in
Fort Wilderness Resort has opened an expanded Meadow Swimmin' Pool area, adding a zero-entry pool and extra deck space that roughly doubles the total pool footprint. The 67-foot corkscrew waterslide remains, and the area includes a tribute to Disney's River Country — the original Walt Disney World water park that once sat on the same stretch of shoreline. The resort's Reception Outpost has also been refreshed, with more room for cast members at check-in and new artwork featuring Mickey and friends in a camping setting, plus ceiling scenes of Huey, Dewey, and Louie doing archery, fishing, and other resort activities.
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Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party 2026: tickets and prices
Tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party 2026 are on sale now for resort hotel guests; general sale opens July 16. The event runs 25 nights from November 8 through December 22, with prices from $189 to $229 per person plus tax — the entry-level price is up $20 from 2025's $169 floor. The $169 and $179 price points from last year are gone entirely, and 2026 adds four new mid-range tiers ($194, $204, $214, $224) for a total of nine price steps versus seven in 2025. Annual Passholders and DVC Members save $10 on select nights; children ages 3–9 save $10 on all dates. Ticketholders can enter Magic Kingdom from 4pm on their event night; the party runs 7pm to midnight.
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Beak and Barrel adding a walk-up list
A "Join Walk-Up List" button has appeared on the Beak and Barrel page in My Disney Experience. The feature isn't live yet — tapping it returns an error — but based on past rollouts, it typically goes live within a few days of appearing in the app. Beak and Barrel, the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge in Adventureland, has been one of the hardest reservations to land since it opened in August 2025. A walk-up list won't guarantee a seat, but it gives you a same-day option beyond the current 60-days-out booking window.
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GEO-82 at EPCOT also getting a walk-up list
The same walk-up list button has appeared in My Disney Experience for GEO-82, the adults-only lounge inside Spaceship Earth. Same situation as Beak and Barrel: not active yet, expected to go live within days. GEO-82 opened June 4, 2025, and requires guests to be 21 or older. Once live, you'll be able to join a same-day queue from the app rather than relying entirely on advance reservations.
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Jollywood Nights 2026: tickets and prices
Disney Jollywood Nights 2026 runs November 7 through January 5, 2027 — the first time the Hollywood Studios holiday event extends into January. Tickets range from $169 to $199, with the floor up $10 from 2025's $159 cheapest night. Resort guests can buy now; general sale opens July 16. The best-value dates are in early November, particularly November 16 at $169. Annual Passholders and DVC Members save $10 on all event nights.
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Extended Evening Hours: Hollywood Studios added in September
Hollywood Studios picks up an Extended Evening Hours date on Wednesday, September 16 — taking the Wednesday slot that normally belongs to Magic Kingdom. Animal Kingdom already holds two similar Wednesday dates in late August and early September for the same reason: Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party nights push the benefit to other parks as the fall event calendar fills in. The September 16 Hollywood Studios session includes Slinky Dog Dash, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and more. Extended Evening Hours is available to guests at Deluxe Resorts, Deluxe Villa Resorts, Swan, Dolphin, Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green.
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Carousel of Progress construction walls are up
Construction walls went up at Carousel of Progress on July 6, one day after the attraction closed at the end of operations on July 5. The closure marks the start of the biggest overhaul in the attraction's history: all four show scenes will be replaced and a new Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics opening scene added. A 2027 reopening is expected. Previous permit filings point to structural steel work and specialist theming vendors, suggesting the scope goes beyond show content alone.
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Glob Theater permit adds A/V contractor to Monstropolis buildout
A new Notice of Commencement for the Glob Theater — the show venue replacing MuppetVision 3D at Hollywood Studios — names Elite A/V Systems for electrical work. They join Jon Richards Company, Solotech, Adirondack Studios, Icarus Exhibits, and InterAmerica Stage on the project's contractor list. Exterior scaffolding is up on the former MuppetVision 3D building and interior work has been active since December 2025. Disney hasn't said what kind of show will run inside the Glob Theater, but with D23 weeks away, an announcement covering Monstropolis looks likely.
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Joe Schott takes over as resort president on August 6
Joe Schott's start date as President of Walt Disney World Resort is confirmed as August 6, 2026. He replaces Jeff Vahle, who is retiring after 36 years with the company. Schott brings more than 40 years of Disney leadership, including stints as president of Shanghai Disney Resort and COO of Disneyland Paris. He started his Disney career as a Jungle Cruise Skipper at Walt Disney World. He takes the role as the resort runs one of the most active construction periods in its history.
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Annual Passholder Good to Go Days: five dates in July
Three new Good to Go Days were added for July: July 12, 14, and 16 join the previously posted July 8 and 9. On Good to Go Days, Annual Passholders can visit a theme park without a reservation, subject to blockout dates and capacity. If you already had a reservation on one of the new dates, it's been automatically removed and won't count against your reservation hold.
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Universal Nights vs. Disney After Hours
Universal has announced Universal Nights at Epic Universe — a separately ticketed late-night event on October 3 and October 17, priced at $179.99 per person with 7pm early entry and the event running 9pm to midnight. That puts it in the same general price range and format as Disney After Hours, though Disney's event runs across dozens of dates at three parks versus two announced dates for Universal. Tickets for Universal Nights go on sale August 13.
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