Disney Farewell Tour: 6 Attractions We Enjoyed One Last Time

Walt Disney World is never complete, and 2025 is the year that will bring big changes.

Major expansions are underway, including a new “Cars”-themed attraction and villains-themed land at the Magic Kingdom, a new “Monsters, Inc.” area at Hollywood Studios, and a Tropical Americas reimagining of DinoLand at Animal Kingdom. Several long-standing attractions are closing to make room.

On our May visit to Disney World, we took a farewell tour with memorable visits to park favorites we’ve enjoyed over the years. From the peaceful escape of Tom Sawyer Island and the nostalgic ride on the Liberty Belle to the zany fun of Muppet*Vision 3D and a last slice at PizzeRizzo, we made it a priority to revisit the attractions that might not be there the next time we return.

Here’s what we did — and why these closing experiences are still worth visiting while you can.

What’s Closing at Disney World in 2025

While refurbishments are a regular occurrence as Disney World performs maintenance and updates on rides, some attractions face permanent closure. Several attractions are expected to close in 2025 or soon after, with big changes coming to the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom.

Disney World attractions that have permanently shut down or will do so soon include:

• TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures in Animal Kingdom: Closed January 12, 2025
• “It’s Tough to Be a Bug!” in Animal Kingdom: Closed March 16, 2025
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano in Hollywood Studios: Closed May 10, 2025
• Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzaRizzo in Hollywood Studios: Closed June 7, 2025
• Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Square Riverboat in Magic Kingdom: Closing July 7, 2025
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios: Closure TBD
• DINOSAUR, Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Bites Snacks, and The Boneyard in Animal Kingdom: Closure expected in 2026

At the Magic Kingdom, Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America (including the Liberty Belle steam-powered riverboat) are closing to make room for a Cars rally race attraction in Frontierland. An expansion beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (closed for refurbishment) will reveal a new Disney Villains land with 2 major attractions, dining, and shopping.

A new “Monsters, Inc.” land will replace attractions, shopping, and dining in the current Hollywood Studios Muppets Courtyard. It will feature a ride through the Laugh Factory and allow guests to walk the streets alongside monsters. But the Muppets aren’t leaving Hollywood Studios entirely, as the characters will replace Aerosmith in a retheming of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand will close to make room for the new Tropical Americas land (also known as Pueblo Esperanza), featuring Indiana Jones and “Encanto.” Parts of DinoLand closed in January, including TriceraTop Spin, but Restaurantosaurus, Dino-Bites Snacks, the Boneyard, and DINOSAUR are still open with assurances that they’ll remain accessible through 2025.

Disney World Attractions We Visited for the Last Time

With so many attractions closing soon, we made it our mission on our latest Disney World trip to carve out time to visit favorites that may be gone when my family visits again.

1. Tom Sawyer Island

Of all the planned closures at Disney World, Tom Sawyer Island hits the hardest. My family loves this attraction, and we consider it a can’t-miss spot in the Magic Kingdom. It’s different from any other experience in the park, where you walk trails, explore sites, and immerse yourself in the world of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

While the rest of the Magic Kingdom may be packed with people and almost entirely paved over, Tom Sawyer Island feels like an escape to nature where you can follow your imagination.

Taking a quick raft ride over to the island sets the tone for a departure from the norm of the Magic Kingdom. It’s a little loud and bumpy, and there’s zero shade, but it takes less than a minute to journey from dock to dock. The rafts are the only way to reach Tom Sawyer Island.

I love seeing my kids curiously navigate the caves, run across the rope bridge, and play pretend in the fort. It’s a great place for kids to engage in the wonder of discovery.

Although we’ve never seen Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn on Tom Sawyer Island open, it’s still a great place to sit with a snack and take in the sights of the park. You can see Haunted Mansion, the Liberty Belle riverboat, and most of Liberty Square and Frontierland from the overwater porch. You might not get the best view of the Festival of Fantasy parade from this spot, but I can’t think of anywhere else you can watch the parade with a seat, shade, and a cool breeze.

We never miss a visit to Fort Langhorn on Tom Sawyer Island, where you can climb the towers to peek out before squeezing through the escape tunnel. My kids would spend hours playing here if we’d let them.

Hot Tip:

Tom Sawyer Island features restrooms and water fountains. We recommend packing a snack if you’ll be there a while.

2. Rivers of America

The Rivers of America attraction surrounds Tom Sawyer Island and features the Liberty Belle, a steam-powered riverboat that’s sailed the river since 1973. We took another ride on this boat to show the kids how a steam engine works and take a peek at areas of Tom Sawyer Island they’d never seen before.

The 17-minute ride is narrated by a Mark Twain impersonator and shares memories of Twain’s time on the Mississippi as the Liberty Belle runs on a track around the island.

The boat is a working reproduction of steamboats from the Mississippi River with a real steam engine that powers the boat’s large paddle. If you’re on the top deck, you might feel drops of condensation from the steam engine.

The ride features sights you’re not likely to see otherwise, like a Powhatan village and Beacon Joe and his dog sitting on the porch of his riverside cabin.

You also get views of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Haunted Mansion from angles you can’t see anywhere but the boat.

3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

Over at Hollywood Studios, we rode the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, a fun thriller ride we don’t often get to experience while visiting as a family. Our 2 youngest won’t ride, and we’re usually not motivated enough to tackle the mostly outdoor queue and extra time involved in rider swap to make it on the coaster. But this time, we made sure to experience it at least once more before is rethemed to the Muppets.

Aerosmith features prominently inside and out, including a peek into the recording studio before you get on this intense roller coaster that’s fast, dark, and loud.

The Aerosmith theming will soon change to the Muppets Electric Mayhem Band — and it will be the first Disney ride to feature the Muppets. I’ve long been an Aerosmith fan, but I’m excited to see the Muppets retheme. I hope Animal features prominently!

With a fast takeoff, 3 inversions, and hit Aerosmith songs, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is one of the most thrilling rides at Disney World and it has great late-90’s Disney energy. It’s always a good time riding the superstretch limo through Los Angeles!

4. Muppets Courtyard

On the other side of Hollywood Studios near Galaxy’s Edge is the Muppets Courtyard, which contains Muppet*Vision 3D, PizzeRizzo, the Stage 1 Company Store, and the now-closed Mama Melrose’s restaurant. There was a Christmas store, It’s a Wonderful Shop, near PizzeRizzo and Stage 1 Company Store years ago, but we haven’t seen it open recently except as a spot for Santa meet and greets.

Another notable fixture of the Muppets Courtyard is the Miss Piggy fountain in front of PizzeRizzo. This is our favorite spot to get a photo of the sign lit up saying “it’s rat pizza.”

The Stage 1 Company Store isn’t typically open anymore, but we’ve visited for special merchandise events, such as the May the Fourth merchandise releases. The backside of the store, near the now-closed Mama Melrose’s and exit for Muppet*Vision 3D, is a delightful visit. You can see the huge Kermit the Frog statues, murals, paint splashes, and delightful Muppets details all over the buildings and walkways.

5. Muppet*Vision 3D

Muppet*Vision 3D has long been one of my family’s favorite shows at Hollywood Studios and a perfect spot to escape the heat of the day with delightful entertainment. A unique collaboration between Jim Henson Productions and Walt Disney Imaginnering, the show was Muppets creator Jim Henson’s final project and the last to include his voice as Kermit the Frog.

The zany Muppets humor starts before you even walk in the door of the Grand Arts Theater, as you can see Sweetums playing with a paddle ball and Statler and Waldorf delivering zingers.

Hot Tip:

Check for the key under the mat as you walk through the theater entrance.

The preshow is fun to watch and a visual delight with all of the Muppets props throughout the room.

The show features so many creative special effects, from real bubbles raining down to an animatronic Swedish Chef and a missing bunny in the box seats. One of my favorite parts of the show is the time-capsule peek into the early-90’s Hollywood Studios when the brick wall is broken down and you see confused park guests alongside Kermit and the fire truck.

6. PizzeRizzo

Although Mama Melrose’s is closed, PizzeRizzo was still open for our visit. This quick-service restaurant hasn’t been a usual dining stop for us, as it often closes early at 5 p.m. But I appreciate the crowd-pleasing selection of pizzas and antipasto salad at this restaurant named after the Muppets character Rizzo the Rat.

We ate at PizzeRizzo one last time to enjoy a classic pepperoni pizza and one of the cutest desserts at Disney World: the pizza cookie.

What We’ll Say Goodbye to Next Time

Although some of our favorites at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios may be gone by the next time we visit, we have a little more time to enjoy the remaining DinoLand features at Animal Kingdom.

Parts of DinoLand USA closed earlier this year, but the remaining attractions are expected to stay open through 2025. We’ll try to squeeze in another visit to the Boneyard dig site and take a final terrifying ride on DinoSaur before it’s gone for good.

I’m looking forward to seeing DinoSaur reimagined as an Indiana Jones ride and can’t wait to see the land transform into Tropical Americas.

Final Thoughts

Disney World is constantly evolving, and that’s part of its magic. It’s tough to say goodbye to beloved attractions like Tom Sawyer Island and Muppet*Vision 3D, but we’re also excited to see what’s next.

If you’re planning a visit to Disney World in 2025, it’s worth visiting these limited-time attractions while they’re still around.