Disney Just Set an Opening Date for The Magic of Disney Animation—Plus a Beloved Ride Goes Dark

The week of July 9–16, 2026 was defined by opening dates and closing signs. Disney locked in September 14, 2026 as the debut of The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios—a full new attraction complex, not a refresh. At the same time, Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress went dark on July 6 for its most extensive overhaul in more than 30 years, and Soarin’ Across America arrived at Disneyland Resort. Here’s what mattered across the parks this week.

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Disney Confirmed The Magic of Disney Animation Opens September 14, 2026

The single biggest story of the week: on July 15, 2026, Walt Disney World revealed the opening date for The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios—September 14, 2026. According to the official Disney World Press Room release, this is “a brand-new collection of animation-inspired experiences,” housed in a building inspired by the Roy E. Disney Animation Building in Burbank, California.

The lineup is deeper than a single walkthrough. Disney named five distinct experiences: “Drawn to Wonderland,” an immersive indoor playground inspired by Mary Blair’s original Alice in Wonderland concept art; “Off the Page!,” character meet-and-greets with the likes of Mulan, Rapunzel, and Stitch; “Olaf Draws!,” an interactive drawing class led by an all-new Audio-Animatronics Olaf; a Once Upon A Studio Theater screening the Emmy-winning short with enhanced effects; and an enchanted art gallery. The release adds “and more,” signaling additional unnamed offerings.

Olaf’s voice actor Josh Gad framed the stakes in the announcement: “I’m so thrilled that a whole new generation of kids can dream of becoming animators one day and can actually begin their journey right there on the studio lot.”

We’ve long felt the Animation Courtyard corner of Hollywood Studios was the park’s most underused real estate, and an Audio-Animatronics Olaf that teaches you to draw is exactly the kind of anchor it has lacked. Circle mid-September if a Hollywood Studios day is on your radar.

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Carousel of Progress Went Dark for Its Biggest Overhaul Since 1994

Magic Kingdom lost a legend to the scaffolding this week. The Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress closed on July 6, 2026, and it will not reopen until 2027. According to the official Disney Parks Blog history feature on the attraction, this is the most significant reimagining since 1994.

The changes are sweeping. All four acts are being reset onto a rolling 60-year timeline that mirrors Walt’s original concept: Act 1 moves to the 1960s around the 1969 moon landing, Act 2 lands on Halloween night 1985 with the mother, Sarah, taking a larger role, Act 3 jumps to New Year’s Eve 1999 and the early internet, and Act 4 pushes into an out-of-this-world future home. A brand-new opening scene will feature an Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney himself, inspired by the 1964 “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair” special where he first introduced the ride. As Disney put it, “Carousel of Progress was designed to celebrate change, not to stand still.”

We rode it one last time before the closure, and the 1900s-to-early-2000s scenes had genuinely started to feel like ancient history to younger guests. Shifting the whole clock forward is the right call. Just know that a Tomorrowland staple is off the board through 2026 and likely deep into 2027.

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Soarin’ Across America Debuted at Disneyland Resort

Disney’s 250th-anniversary rollout reached the West Coast this week. Soarin’ Across America opened at Disney California Adventure on July 2, 2026, following its EPCOT debut on May 26, 2026. According to the official Disney Parks Blog announcement, the reimagined flight sweeps guests over a coast-to-coast portrait of the country.

The new film trades the global tour of the previous version for domestic wonders: Mount Rushmore, the New England coastline, New York Harbor, Grand Canyon West, the heartland in autumn, southern bayous, the great plains, the northern wilderness, and the Hawaiian islands. A fresh musical arrangement by Bruce Broughton scores the flight, and Disney kept the signature in-theater scents. The EPCOT queue also added a National Geographic-developed trivia game called the “Soarin’ Challenge Across America.” Imagineering creative director Tom Fitzgerald said, “Each scene helps to create a portrait of what we believe makes America so special.”

Here’s the practical note for cross-country planners: the two coasts now show the same all-American film, so an EPCOT flight and a DCA flight are no longer different experiences. If you were chasing both for variety, that reason is gone.

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The Bottom Line

The Magic of Disney Animation date is the story that reshapes fall trip planning: a five-part attraction complex opening September 14 gives Hollywood Studios its most substantial addition in years. If you’re mapping a Hollywood Studios day around it, start with our Disney World planning timeline and checklist so the rest of your itinerary is locked before the crowds discover the new studio.