A Historic Loss: 3 Classic Disney World Attractions Being Replaced in Radical Overhaul

Disney World fans had plenty of reasons to pay attention during D23. New projects dominated much of the conversation, but Disney also delivered news that could have a much more immediate impact on familiar park experiences.

Three longtime attractions are now entering important new chapters.

Disney isn’t simply giving each one a fresh coat of paint or routine maintenance. Current scenes, stories, and concepts are being reconsidered as Imagineers prepare new versions of experiences that generations of guests recognize.

One of those attractions is already unavailable. The other two remain open for now, but Disney has confirmed changes are ahead.

Here’s what D23 revealed and what could happen next.

One Disney World Classic Is Already Gone for Now

Of the three projects, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress has the clearest timeline.

The Magic Kingdom attraction closed in July 2026 and won’t return until 2027. When guests finally step inside again, they’ll find substantial differences.

Disney isn’t eliminating the basic Carousel of Progress concept. The attraction will continue following an American family as technology changes their everyday lives. However, Disney is moving the family into different decades and updating the technology represented along the way.

There’s also a major addition coming before guests travel through those new eras.

A Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic figure will appear during the attraction’s introduction. The addition connects Walt directly to an experience closely associated with his ideas about innovation and progress.

Carousel of Progress isn’t disappearing. But the version guests experienced before its July closure isn’t coming back unchanged.

And Disney just confirmed another familiar attraction will revisit its own past.

Figment’s Next Chapter Brings Back a Familiar Face

Journey Into Imagination With Figment has undergone major changes before, and Disney has now confirmed another chapter.

Dreamfinder is returning.

Disney revealed at D23 that Dreamfinder will reunite with Figment, restoring a character who played an important role in the pavilion’s original history but doesn’t appear in the current attraction.

Disney hasn’t explained exactly how extensive the transformation will become. However, bringing Dreamfinder into the experience means the current concept will need to change in some capacity.

A larger refurbishment could potentially allow Disney to introduce new Audio-Animatronics, refresh aging effects, or make technical improvements to the ride experience. Disney hasn’t confirmed any of those specific upgrades.

The timeline remains unknown. Disney could potentially close the attraction in late 2026 or early 2027 if work begins quickly, but no closure date has been announced.

Meanwhile, another EPCOT icon has an even bigger conceptual change ahead.

EPCOT’s Icon Is Getting a Different Story

Spaceship Earth is also getting reimagined following Disney’s D23 announcements.

The attraction has long centered its story around the development of human communication. Disney now wants to expand that concept to focus more broadly on the evolution of human connection.

That opens the door for changes throughout the attraction.

Disney indicated that portions of Spaceship Earth will receive some new magic, potentially allowing Imagineers to update scenes, effects,s or representations of how people connect. Disney hasn’t revealed exactly which scenes will change.

Artificial intelligence was briefly referenced during the D23 presentation. While Disney did not directly announce any AI-based features for Spaceship Earth, it remains an interesting possibility for the attraction’s interactive finale.

Currently, guests answer questions and receive a personalized vision of their future. AI could make that experience more personalized, though Disney has not confirmed any such feature.

Spaceship Earth could also potentially close in late 2026 or early 2027, but that remains speculation.

The Biggest Question Disney Hasn’t Answered

Disney hasn’t announced closure or reopening dates for Journey Into Imagination With Figment or Spaceship Earth.

Carousel of Progress shows how long a substantial transformation can take. Its closure stretches from summer 2026 into late spring 2027.

If EPCOT’s upcoming projects require comparable work, either attraction could remain unavailable for an extended period. Disney could also stagger the projects rather than removing both from EPCOT’s lineup simultaneously.

Until Disney releases those schedules, there is no confirmed answer.

That uncertainty could become particularly important for guests planning EPCOT trips over the next couple of years.

These Classics Aren’t Disappearing, but Their Current Versions Are

There’s an important distinction with all three projects.

Disney isn’t demolishing these attractions and replacing them with unrelated rides. Instead, the versions and concepts guests previously knew are being reworked.

Carousel of Progress is getting new decades and scenes. Figment’s current story will change to make room for Dreamfinder. Spaceship Earth is expanding its focus from communication to the broader concept of human connection.

The names and familiar pieces can survive while the experiences around them change.

For three Walt Disney World classics, D23 made it clear that the next versions will look different from the ones guests have known.