Gran Fiesta Tour closing for extended refurbishment in 2025
The Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros will close for a two month refurbishment in January, according to the Disney World refurbishment calendar.
The boat ride that follows Donald Duck Panchito and José Carioca on a journey through Mexico in the Mexico Pavilion at EPCOT, will close for refurbishment on Jan. 6, 2025, and is expected to reopen on March 15, 2025.
The attraction, with its vibrant scenes and catchy soundtrack, opened on April 6, 2007. The Gran Fiesta Tour replaced El Rio del Tiempo (The River of Time) boat ride that previously was at the Mexico Pavilion from 1982 to 2007.
The three Audio-Animatronic figures of the stars were part of Walt Disney World’s opening day attraction “Mickey Mouse Revue” at Magic Kingdom. This show – filled with nearly 100 Disney characters singing iconic songs – closed in 1980 and the crew went on tour to Tokyo Disneyland as part of that park’s opening day attractions in 1983.
Donald, Panchito and Jose performed abroad for 26 years until the Mickey Mouse Revue played its last show to make way for Mickey’s PhilharMagic. It was then that Disney brough the figures back home to Florida where their tour started, joining the Gran Fiesta Tour in 2015.
The Gran Fiesta Tour is inspired by the 1944 Disney film “The Three Caballeros.” In the attraction, Dondald disappears south of the border, and it’s up to Panchito, the Mexican charro rooster, and José Carioca, the Brazilian parrot—to find him.
