Engine No. 71 is carrying guests again after years on the sidelines. Plus, Tower of Terror gets its purple lightning back, Spaceship Earth moves its entrance and more Disney World news.
Magic Kingdom’s little red fire engine is picking up passengers again.
The turn-of-the-century style fire engine on Main Street, U.S.A. is back to giving rides after a multi-year break, WDW News Today reported Friday, Oct. 23. It hadn’t been on display in the firehouse for at least three years, and it hadn’t carried guests for even longer.
Here’s how to catch it, plus five more updates from around Disney World.
Where do you catch the fire engine at Magic Kingdom?
Outside the Main Street Firehouse, on the west side of Town Square. The engine drops guests off in front of Cinderella Castle, according to WDWNT.
The Main Street vehicles usually run in the mornings, so that’s your best shot. The fire engine is open-air with bench seating, and it’s red with gold trim.
It’s also Engine No. 71, a nod to 1971, the year Magic Kingdom opened. When it’s not running, it should go back on display inside the firehouse.
The other Main Street vehicles kept running while the fire engine was out. Here’s what a trip up Main Street on the fire engine looked like back in 2018, from Behind The Thrills on YouTube:
What’s changing at Tower of Terror?
It’s getting its scar back. Crews have painted bright purple streaks across the upper floors of the Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, BlogMickey reported Oct. 19.
The purple is part of the hotel’s 1939 lightning scar, and it’s an opening day detail. Over the years it had faded into what BlogMickey called a soft gray lavender.
In the ride’s story, lightning hit the hotel on Halloween night in 1939, and every clock inside stopped at 8:05 p.m. Tower of Terror opened July 22, 1994.
The exterior refresh started in July, and the ride has stayed open the whole time. Disney hasn’t said when the scaffolding comes down.
And no, Rod Serling’s voice isn’t changing. Voice actor Mark Silverman said his recent Imagineering visit was a T-shirt run, as PNP reported Oct. 20.
Why is Spaceship Earth’s main entrance closed?
Dripping water. Cast members told BlogMickey that water drips off the bottom of the sphere, mostly when it rains, and makes the walkway under it very slippery.
So the usual entrance has been closed for days. Guests now use a makeshift entrance along the side of the attraction, farther back from the sphere. Spaceship Earth is still open.
There’s no timeline for the main entrance to reopen. Disney announced a Spaceship Earth reimagining at D23 in August, but it’s not clear whether that project fixes the drip.
Did the Toy Story characters change costumes?
They’re back to the classics. Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear have dropped the Toy Story 5 touches they’ve worn at Hollywood Studios since July, BlogMickey reported Friday.
That means no more poncho for Woody, no sheriff badge on Jessie’s vest and no star sticker on Buzz. They’re meeting guests in the same spots in Toy Story Land.
Holiday outfits could be next. They first showed up in 2018, Toy Story Land’s first holiday season. Toy Story Land also got new themed solar trash cans this month, with crayon style lettering to match the land.
Is Olaf Draws open at Hollywood Studios?
It’s been hit or miss. Olaf Draws didn’t open Friday morning inside The Magic of Disney Animation, and a sign at the entrance read “No classes at this time,” BlogMickey reported.
Cast members told guests to check back later. The class opened in September and spent time in B-mode earlier this month, with a curtain over the Audio-Animatronic Olaf.
The My Disney Experience app doesn’t show whether it’s running. PNP reported Sept. 22 that Olaf had broken down and the class had to close.
Where is Ariel meeting guests at Hollywood Studios?
She’s heading outside. Starting Oct. 28, the live-action Ariel meet and greet moves out of Walt Disney Presents to Echo Lake, near 50’s Prime Time Cafe, BlogMickey reported.
Disney did the same thing last year. Santa took over Ariel’s castle set from Nov. 8 to Dec. 24, 2025, and Ariel didn’t move back inside until Jan. 12.
Disney hasn’t named a holiday character for the space yet. Echo Lake itself was drained in August for a refurbishment, and the water hadn’t come back as of mid-October.
So if you’re at Magic Kingdom early, swing by the firehouse first. That fire engine has a history of disappearing.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDW News Today, Shannen Ace (Oct. 23, 2026), the fire engine’s return
BlogMickey (Oct. 15 to 23, 2026), Tower of Terror, Spaceship Earth, the Toy Story costumes and trash cans, Olaf Draws and Ariel’s move
Pirates & Princesses (Sept. 22 and Oct. 20, 2026), Olaf Draws and Mark Silverman
Behind The Thrills on YouTube (2018), the fire engine ride video
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