The circus has left town, at least temporarily. Pete’s Silly Sideshow, the popular character meet-and-greet location tucked inside Storybook Circus at Magic Kingdom, closed its doors on January 4, 2026 for what appears to be a much-needed refurbishment of the venue’s aging tent structure. Anyone who’s visited the attraction recently knows the tent has seen better days, with visible wear and tear that’s been getting progressively worse over the past year. Now Disney is finally addressing the issues, though the timing and scope of the work remain somewhat unclear as construction walls prepare to surround the building.
Credit: Disney
For families planning Magic Kingdom visits, Pete’s Silly Sideshow has long been a reliable option for meeting Disney characters without the chaos of some of the park’s more popular greeting locations. The air-conditioned tent structure offers a comfortable environment to meet classic characters like Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy, all dressed in their circus-themed costumes. The venue splits into two separate queues, with different character pairings on each side, making it possible to efficiently meet multiple favorites in one stop. That efficiency and climate control make it especially valuable during Florida’s brutally hot summer months when outdoor meet-and-greets become tests of endurance.
The closure comes at an interesting time for Magic Kingdom, which is already juggling multiple attraction refurbishments and long-term construction projects across the park. Between the ongoing work on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the extended closure of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and the massive Frontierland transformation that has shut down beloved classics like Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat, Magic Kingdom is feeling the squeeze of maintenance season combined with ambitious expansion plans. Adding Pete’s Silly Sideshow to the closure list means one more thing for guests to plan around, though character meet-and-greets being relocated elsewhere softens the blow compared to losing an actual attraction.
What’s Happening at Pete’s Silly Sideshow
Credit: Disney
The refurbishment appears focused primarily on the tent structure itself, which has deteriorated significantly over recent months. Guests who visited in late 2024 and early 2025 reported noticeable damage to the fabric and framing, with some sections looking particularly rough. The tent material showed signs of weathering, tears, and general wear that suggested the structure was overdue for attention. Given that the venue operates year-round in Florida’s challenging climate with intense sun, heavy rain, and high humidity, it’s not surprising that the tent needs work after years of continuous use.
As of now, Pete’s Silly Sideshow is scheduled to remain closed through early March 2026, though that timeline could extend depending on what crews discover once they begin work. Construction walls are expected to arrive at the site within the next week, fully enclosing the structure and preventing guests from viewing the refurbishment progress. Once those walls go up, the area will transform into the familiar Disney construction zone that parkgoers have become accustomed to seeing around various projects.
The character meet-and-greets typically housed inside Pete’s Silly Sideshow are being relocated to other areas within Storybook Circus, though Disney hasn’t specified exactly where those new greeting locations will be or what the schedule will look like. Given the limited space in that section of Fantasyland, it’s likely the characters will appear in outdoor locations or perhaps rotate through other existing meet-and-greet spots elsewhere in the park. Families hoping to meet these specific characters should check the My Disney Experience app for updated character greeting locations and times.
More Tent Refurbishments Coming Soon
Credit: Disney
Pete’s Silly Sideshow won’t be the only tent structure getting attention in Storybook Circus. Permits filed in October 2025 reveal that Walt Disney World has plans for extensive refurbishment work on Big Top Souvenirs, the nearby gift shop that shares similar tent-style architecture. While Disney hasn’t announced an official closing date for Big Top Souvenirs yet, industry observers expect it will close shortly after work on Pete’s Silly Sideshow wraps up. This staggered approach makes sense from an operational standpoint, allowing Disney to keep at least one venue open in the area while addressing the structural issues affecting both buildings.
There’s also been some visible damage spotted at Dumbo the Flying Elephant, though that attraction appears to use different construction materials than the tent structures. Whether Dumbo will require similar refurbishment work remains to be seen, but it’s clear that this section of Magic Kingdom is getting a thorough once-over as Disney addresses aging infrastructure.
Magic Kingdom’s Growing Closure List
The Pete’s Silly Sideshow refurbishment joins an already substantial list of closures and construction projects affecting Magic Kingdom in early 2026. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been closed since late 2025 for significant track work and various enhancements, with a reopening targeted for Spring 2026. The popular Frontierland coaster is one of Magic Kingdom’s most beloved attractions, and its absence creates noticeable gaps in the park’s attraction lineup.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin has been closed since mid-2025 for upgrades and is also expected to return in Spring 2026. The interactive dark ride has been a Tomorrowland staple for years, and its extended closure suggests Disney is implementing substantial improvements beyond routine maintenance.
The biggest impact on the park’s overall experience comes from the long-term closures related to future expansion projects. Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island remain shuttered as Disney prepares the area for major changes, including the upcoming Cars Land development. The Frontierland Train Station closed in mid-2025 for the same project, leaving the Walt Disney World Railroad operating in shuttle mode between Main Street U.S.A. and Fantasyland. Losing these classic attractions and transportation options changes the fundamental character of that section of the park, even if exciting new experiences are on the horizon.
Beyond attractions, the TRON Lightcycle Run overlay featuring TRON: Ares theming is expected to conclude in Winter 2026, returning the coaster to its original aesthetic. Over at the resorts, Wilderness Lodge is undergoing exterior refurbishment that’s creating noise and visual impacts through late 2026, affecting both guest rooms and boat transportation views.
Planning Your Magic Kingdom Visit
With so many closures and construction projects happening simultaneously, planning a Magic Kingdom visit in early 2026 requires more strategic thinking than usual. The key is knowing what’s actually operating when you visit and building your day around available attractions rather than hoping your favorites will be open.
For Pete’s Silly Sideshow specifically, the character relocations mean you can still meet your favorite circus-themed characters, you’ll just need to hunt them down in different locations. Keep the My Disney Experience app handy and check character greeting schedules regularly, as times and locations can shift with little notice.
The broader closure situation does have a silver lining. Fewer operating attractions often translates to shorter wait times for everything that remains open, especially during traditionally slower periods. If you’re flexible about which attractions you prioritize, you might actually benefit from the reduced capacity despite the closures.
So here’s the thing about visiting during major refurbishment seasons like this: it’s not ideal, but it’s also not the disaster some people make it out to be. Magic Kingdom still has plenty to offer even with multiple attractions down. If you’re planning a trip in the coming months and you’re worried about how all these closures might affect your experience, drop us a comment below. Let us know which closed attraction bothers you most, or if you think the refurbishments are actually a good sign that Disney is investing in the park’s future. We want to hear how you’re planning around all this construction.