Cha-ching, AI is coming for animatronics (maybe), and all the other Disney parks news to know this week (10/10/25)
Here’s the Disney parks news you should actually care about this week.
Somewhere there’s a churro stand that’s being repainted — and hey, that’s cool and all, but here’s the Disney parks news you should actually care about this week.
Welp. Prices. Again.
It’s that magical time of year when Mickey and Jiminy get together, sit around a table with a bunch of business people, look at some charts, and then slam their hands on the table and shout “HIKE ‘EM AGAIN BOYS!” At least, that’s how I assume Disney raising the prices of its theme park tickets works.
While there was little change for most ticket prices, the attention will go straight to peak days, which will now run you well over $200 for both Disney World and Disneyland for a single day ticket. Better sell another kidney!
🤖 Disney files patent for AI‑enhanced animatronics
Imagine an audio-animatronic that can react to guests. Disney has submitted a patent for projection tech to dynamically update animatronic faces in real time using AI. Translation: future Walt figures might smile, blink, or shift expressions based on what you say. Creepy, glorious, or both? You decide.
🦖 DINOSAUR ride’s last call: closing Feb 2, 2026
In case you missed every single Disney influencer shedding emoji tears over this one, the long-rumored end is now official: On Feb 2, 2026, Disney will retire the DINOSAUR attraction at Animal Kingdom, along with the rest of DinoLand U.S.A., to make way for the upcoming Tropical Americas / Pueblo Esperanza land. I understand that for some this ride is full of nostalgia, and hey, dinosaurs are always cool. But as a West Coaster Disney-type person, can’t say I’m sweating the asteroid too uch on this one.
The Disneyland drawbridge apparently still works
Roughly 70 years ago the world watched (or at least most of the USA) as a horde of overexcited children awaited the opening of Disneyland — the official opening of which was marked by the drawbridge for Sleeping Beauty’s castle slowly descending into place and allowing those rabid kids to come sprinting into the park.
And, it turns out, it apparently still works, even though it’s only been used twice in history. According to employees who participated in a recent panel, imagineers took a look and said they can actually pull that bad boy up anytime they want. Makes Disneyland an even more attractive place to hunker down during a zombie apocalypse...
Quick Hits
Star Wars Launch Bay at Hollywood Studios officially and permanently closed Sept. 25 as part of the wider re-theme for the Studios Lot.
Someone sadly died after suffering a heart attack while riding Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. There’s a horribly insensitive joke somewhere in there — we’ll leave up to your imagination.
Welcome to Hell…’s Kitchen. Gordon Ramsay will be opening a new spot, that’s not named after the underworld, at Disneyland Resort.
As someone who doesn’t have a real baseball team to root for here in Denver, I’m excited to hear that the Savannah Bananas have added Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex as a tour stop in 2026.
🧠 Roundtable Topics
Will AI-powered animatronics kill or elevate the emotional punch of classic attractions?
Does putting Walt in Carousel of Progress risk turning an immersive icon into a museum display?
How radical is the Animation Courtyard transformation? Is this the death or rebirth of park storytelling?
Are you already mourning DINOSAUR — or pumped for what’s replacing it?
*****
What’d we miss? Grill us for it. We can take it.
There’s something oddly comforting about knowing that the drawbridge still works. It’s one of those quiet Disney details that doesn’t need fanfare — just a little reminder that the park still holds a bit of its original wonder, tucked right between the magic and the mechanics.