Disney’s biennial fan convention D23 is in full swing, and the entertainment giant has finally revealed details on all the new lands, rides, theming, shows, restaurants and attraction names that it has planned for Disney parks in the next few years.
During the Disney Experiences Showcase at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Saturday night, we heard all about Villains Land, Piston Peak, Tropical Americas Land, Avengers Campus, Monstropolis, the Coco ride, new Disney Cruise line ships and a much-needed Tomorrowland overhaul.
Here’s the biggest news announced.
Villains Land at Disney World
Corinne Reichert/CNETThe villains-themed expansion of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is “the most anticipated project we’ve ever worked on,” said President and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering Bruce Vaughn.
It will officially be called Villains Land to fit in with the rest of the theme park, with the entrance to feature a “broken, twisted wishing well.” The architecture, foods, landscape, shops and attractions will all have an elegant but villainous overtone, and it’ll be a huge area “on the scale of Galaxy’s Edge.”
The first of the two attractions revealed will be a roller coaster that takes guests through Maleficent’s fortress, while the other will be a dark boat ride through the other side of the glass of the magic mirror.
Glenn Close appeared as Cruella de Vil to say that she should get her own ride, too, but Disney did not confirm whether this is a possibility.
Construction is already underway for Villains Land, which will celebrate all the classic baddies from Disney films.
Villains Land, first teased during D23 2022, will be positioned on the other side of Big Thunder Mountain at the top left edge of the current Magic Kingdom map and will stretch around to where the Haunted Mansion is.
Cars-themed land at Disney World names its two attractions
Corinne Reichert/CNETAlso at the Magic Kingdom, the Frontierland expansion will create an area themed around Pixar’s Cars movies and shorts. On Saturday night, Disney revealed the names and details of its two attractions.
Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along will feature a huge, school bus-sized animatronic of the character from Cars 3, who is hosting a demolition derby for guests to ride.
Cars Ridge Run Rally is the previously teased rally car race ride, where you’ll be competing for the fastest ride in the wilderness. The cars will travel along a track that’s a little bouncy on the way up to the snow-covered peak, and very bouncy on the way down, and it’ll then race through the geysers and into a sprint to finish.
During the event, Disney also announced a new series on Disney Plus called Cars Lightning Racers, to tie in with the 20th anniversary of the Cars movie next year.
Piston Peak is being built where the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island were previously.
On the D23 show floor this weekend, the Imagineering booth showed off a full-scale miniature of Piston Peak, showing exactly how the land and rides will look.
Indiana Jones and Encanto ride details
For Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, details for three new rides in Tropical Americas land were announced.
Harrison Ford appeared via video to say that for the first time ever, he’ll be the actual model for an Indiana Jones animatronic. The attraction is called Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, with guests exploring an ancient Maya temple. The storyline for the ride takes place in the 1950s, and the temple is protected by a giant mythical creature. You’ll be sucked through a portal into the underworld.
Corinne Reichert/CNETThe other major attraction is called Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, and all the original voices will be back to take part. A sneak peek clip showed the actors for the three Madrigal sisters — Mirabel, Luisa and Isabella — performing their lines. Ride vehicles will be made of a mishmash of furniture from Casita, and they’ll take you upstairs into Antonio’s room, which has been transformed into a rainforest after he receives his magical gift. There will be more than 50 animals throughout the attraction, and no height requirement.
There will also be a brand new carousel in Tropical Americas Land, with 22 unique hand-carved animals from across the Disney universe. Some of the animals from El Carousel de los Animalitos appeared on the D23 show floor, including Pua the pig from Moana, Nigel the pelican from Finding Nemo, the capybara from Encanto and Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh.
Construction began in the fall of 2024, with DinoLand USA shutting down to make way for Tropical Americas Land. Pueblo Esperanza will be themed like a South American village, with a huge quick-service dining location and a fountain as well as the three attractions.
Avengers Campus rides
Over at California Adventure on the West Coast, we got some news on the progress of Avengers Campus, which is doubling in size. The route between Cars Land and Avengers Campus will be reopening very soon, as Disney continues building our the compound beneath the Quinjet with the new rides.
In building the first new ride, Infinity Defense, “We got to use every single trick in the Imagineering book and we got to invent some new ones,” said Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Brent Strong. “It’s going to feel like you’re hurtling through worlds.”
The pre-mission briefing will come from Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani), with Jeremy Renner also returning as Hawkeye, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. You’ll be a new recruit tasked with assembling the Avengers and stopping King Thanos.
Corinne Reichert/CNETFor Stark Flight Lab, Mackie and Downey Jr. are back again, as is Brie Larson as Captain Marvel. You’ll be going through flight instruction as you train like an Avenger.
Both rides are opening in 2028, joining the two attractions already in Avengers Campus: Spider-Man Web Slingers and Guardians of the Galaxy.
Monstropolis walkthrough
Another brand new land coming to Disney World, this time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is Monstropolis. There will be a brand new song recorded for the area, and a new signature show in the Glob Theater. Mike and Sully will host the show, with concept art showing some of the characters of Monsters University starring in it.
Imagineers took us on a video walkthrough of the land under construction, and along with the theater there will also be an Elite Scarers Club, a Scareporium store and the Harry Hausens restaurant, complete with a sushi chef octopus animatronic.
Lastly, we caught a video concept of the suspended door coaster, which will lift you 40 feet in the air in 4 seconds when you board, before it shoots you through the doors.
Monstropolis will be opening earlier than expected — next year. It’s replacing the old Muppets area of Hollywood Studios.
The Coco ride at California Adventure
Imagineers are working with Pixar to make sure the new Coco ride at California Adventure fits in with both the original film and the newly announced Coco 2, said Emily “Emo” O’Brien of Walt Disney Imagineering. It will be “filled with color and texture,” she said.
It takes place a year after the first movie as Miguel looks back on his journey, and goes through a new museum dedicated to Hector Rivera. You’ll travel by boat through the story, visiting the land of the dead through Miguel’s memory.
The Coco ride will have no height requirement, and will be located in the area near Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens, in what is primarily backstage areas for cast members currently.
Carousel of Progress modernization
Corinne Reichert/CNETThe Walt Disney-original attraction will be fully updated and modernized, with a new storyline that begins in the 1960s and goes all the way up to the current day. Concept art showed one scene depicting Halloween in the 1980s.
Jamie Lee Curtis was revealed to be the new voice of the mother, and Bryan Cranston as the father. The ride will release in late spring 2027.
Disney Cruise Line launching a new line of ships
Corinne Reichert/CNETDisney is continuing to expand it’s line of cruise ships, with a new class — sized in the middle between the classic and Wish ship sizes — coming in 2029.
The Disney Believe, which is the fourth ship in the Wish class, will set sail next year and feature Tinkerbell on the bow, Woody and Buzz Lightyear on the stern and Moana as the Grand Hall icon.
Disney has been all in on launching cruise ships over the last few years, including the Disney Wish in 2022, the Disney Treasure in 2024 and the Disney Destiny in 2025. The Disney Adventure sailed on its maiden voyage from Singapore on March 10, with the Believe unveiled by new CEO Josh D’Amaro on March 18.
Tomorrowland overhaul at Disneyland
The very last announcement of the night was unexpected, but much desired by fans of the park: Tomorrowland will be getting a full overhaul at Disneyland.
“We will begin reimagining Tomorrowland with the optimism you all have been longing for,” said Disney Experiences Chair Thomas Mazloum. “New attractions, more open spaces.”
International parks news and more
Corinne Reichert/CNETDisney also made various announcements about all six of its resorts, including:
- Dreams Come True is returning to Disneyland in February, along with the original World of Color and the Magic Happens parade.
- Space Mountain at Disneyland Paris will return to its original state once Hyperspace Mountain closes in 2027. It’ll be renamed De La Terre A La Lune (From the Earth to the Moon).
- Tokyo Disneyland is getting a new version of Space Mountain, called Earthrise. It’s “a bold new take on Space Mountain,” said Disney Imagineer Ali Rubenstein. “You’ll board a rocket that literally blasts into space … Earthrise is a celebration of what makes our planet so beautiful.”
- Spaceship Earth at Epcot will be brought “into the present day and beyond … A journey through time celebrating the progress made possible through human connection.”
- Imagineers are finally fixing Disco Yeti on Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, replacing him with a new animatronic. (Disney brought Gloria Gaynor, the queen of disco, out on stage to sing I Will Survive as a farewell to Disco Yeti.)
- At Disneyland Paris, the first-ever Lion King ride is being built. It’ll be a retelling of the original movie, and you’ll travel through Simba’s journey by boat.
- Tokyo Disneyland is getting a Wreck-It Ralph attraction called Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue. Jack McBrayer, the voice of Fix-It Felix, was on stage to talk about the ride, which will see guests help Ralph and Vanellope restore the sugar bugs to their original forms, as they also ward off King Candy. The ride will open next spring.
- At Hong Kong Disneyland, there’s a massive Avengers expansion happening with the Quinjet landing platform and Avengers research testing labs, which will include Spider-Man.
- At Shanghai Disneyland, the first land dedicated to Spider-Man is being built, with the final piece of roller coaster track just installed.
- Epcot’s beloved Figment and Dreamfinder animatronics are being remade with a new Journey Into Imagination.
