Three of Walt Disney World's most storied attractions are heading into transformation, and while none of them are disappearing entirely, the versions guests have known for years are effectively done. Disney revealed the scope of these changes at D23, touching on Carousel of Progress, Journey Into Imagination With Figment, and Spaceship Earth.
Carousel of Progress is already closed — it shut down in July 2026 and won't reopen until 2027. The classic walk through American family life across the decades is keeping its core premise, but Disney is updating the eras depicted and the technology shown within them. Perhaps the most meaningful addition: an Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney himself will appear during the attraction's introduction, tying the experience more directly to his legacy.
Over at EPCOT, Journey Into Imagination With Figment is set for a meaningful change of its own. Dreamfinder — the beloved character who's been absent from the current version of the ride — is confirmed to return. Disney hasn't announced what that reunion will look like in practice, how extensively the attraction will be reworked, or when it will close for the project. A late 2026 or early 2027 timeline has been floated as a possibility, but nothing is official.
Spaceship Earth is also getting a new direction. Rather than continuing to focus on the history of human communication, the reimagined attraction will center on the broader evolution of human connection. Disney has said certain scenes will receive updates, and while artificial intelligence was briefly mentioned during the D23 presentation in the context of the attraction's interactive finale, no AI features have been confirmed. Like Figment, Spaceship Earth has no announced closure date — late 2026 or early 2027 is speculative at this point. Disney could potentially stagger the two EPCOT closures to keep one attraction running while the other is under renovation.
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The common thread across all three projects is that Disney is updating rather than replacing — each attraction will carry forward its identity while shedding the specific version guests currently know. Disney Fanatic first reported the details of these announcements.
