Disney4me Posted October 6, 2025 Report Posted October 6, 2025 Believe it or not, 2026 is almost here! We’ve seen a lot this year, from ride closures to reopenings to hotel refurbishments, plenty of new snacks and merchandise, and just about everything in between. 2025 2as great, but we’re getting ready to plan our 2026 trips soon! Magic Kingdom For next year’s trip, there are some key dates you’ll want to know before booking your vacation. EPCOT Festivals We don’t know the exact dates of the festivals coming up next year, but we have an idea of when they’re scheduled based on the 2025 dates. While you’ll want to make sure you attend the festival, be cautious about opening dates when EPCOT can get busy, and on the other hand, times between festivals are usually pretty empty. 2025 EPCOT Festival of the Arts The 2025 dates were: EPCOT Festival of the Arts — January 17th to February 24th EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival — March 5th to June 2nd EPCOT Food & Wine Festival — August 28th to November 22nd EPCOT Festival of the Holidays — November 28th to December 30th Welcome to Food & Wine! runDisney If you’re not familiar with runDisney, these are large races where thousands of people come to run across Disney World property. While the races usually finish before the parks open, traffic patterns can change due to road closures, and there will be significantly more people than usual. You might find it harder to find hotel bookings since the race dates are posted about nine months in advance of the races. If you’re planning to visit around this time, make sure to book early. runDisney Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend — January 7th to 11th Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend — February 26th to March 2nd runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend — April 16th to 20th Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend (2025 dates for reference) — October 23rd to 26th ©runDisney Holidays Big holidays can bring big crowds! If you have the time off from work and school, it’s likely that everyone else does, too. There are always a few random holidays you might forget about when planning your trip, so here’s a look at some holidays you’ll want to keep in mind. Christmas in Magic Kingdom New Year’s Day — January 1st Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January 19th President’s Day — February 16th Spring Break Crowds — Late March to Mid April Easter — April 5th Memorial Day — May 25th Summer Crowds — Lake May to Early September Juneteenth National Independence Day — June 19th Independence Day — July 4th Labor Day — September 7th Columbus Day — October 12th Halloween — October 31st Veterans Day — November 11th Thanksgiving Day — November 26th Christmas Day — December 25th New Year’s Eve — December 31st New Year’s Eve at EPCOT Closures Disney World closures are never fun, but knowing when they’re coming can give you a heads-up to ride your favorites one more time. For some, we don’t know the exact dates, but we do know they’re coming in 2026, and we expect more dates to be announced. DinoLand, U.S.A. The rest of DinoLand U.S.A. — February 2nd Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith — sometime in 2026 Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Openings We might hate closures, but we sure do love openings! A lot is coming to Disney World in 2026, and although we don’t have exact dates, we know they’re scheduled for next year. They’re worth keeping on your radar, so be sure to follow Disney Food Blog to stay informed about all the dates when they’re announced. New missions will be added to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu. New The Mandalorian updates to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run — May 22nd The Magic of Disney Animation — sometime in 2026 Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets — sometime in 2026 Big Thunder Mountain Railroad updates– sometime in 2026 Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin updates — sometime in 2026 ©Disney That’s a lot! We’ll keep updating you with new dates and information so you can have the best Disney World vacation ever. If you’re looking for help planning your trip, you can reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation. Keep following Disney Food Blog for more. FULL LIST OF WHAT’S OPENING IN DISNEY WORLD IN 2026 DON'T DO IT ALONE! Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise. Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!) So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you GET MORE INFO Are you planning a 2026 trip? Tell us in the comments what you’re looking forward to.The post 19 Critical Dates for Disney World Fans in 2026 first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote
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