The next few years at Disney’s theme parks will be filled with new attractions and experiences as the company invests billions into the business.
On Saturday, at its D23 fan convention in Anaheim, California, Disney revealed its big plans for Disney World, Disneyland, its cruise line and more.
At Disney World, Magic Kingdom will get its largest expansion ever, with the addition of a land themed to Disney’s villains and a land centered on Pixar’s “Cars” franchise.
The villains land will be on a “grand scale” and feature two new attractions, dining and shopping. A construction timeline was not given.
“The land will be home to the villains that you know and those that you loath, which means happily ever after might feel like a distant dream,” Disney Experiences chairman Josh D’Amaro said to a sold-out crowd at the Honda Center.
The “Cars” project will include two new attractions in a reimagined area of Frontierland. One of the rides will be a “thrilling rally race” through the mountains, while the other will be geared towards young children.
Another project in the works for Magic Kingdom is a new nighttime parade called Disney Starlight. Set to debut next summer, it will feature the Blue Fairy from “Pinocchio” and character from films such as “Frozen,” “Encanto” and “Peter Pan.”
Disney’s Hollywood Studios will get a “Monsters, Inc.”-inspired land that will include Disney’s first suspended roller coaster that will take riders through the laugh factory. Construction is set to begin next year.
D’Amaro also shared updates on a project for Disney’s Animal Kingdom that had previously been teased as a “blue-sky” idea. Dinoland, U.S.A will become Tropical Americas and feature an Indiana Jones ride—which will replace Dinosaur—and a ride based on “Encanto” that will take riders through the house of the magical Madrigal family.
The new Indiana Jones attraction be unlike any other one currently at Disney’s parks. The story will follow Indy after he discovers a Mayan temple that home to a mythical creature.
Construction on the project is set to begin later this year, with both attractions expected to debut in 2027.
Other updates for Disney World include the “Zootopia: Better Zoogether” show in the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2025 and a revamped Test Track at EPCOT, also opening in 2025.
For its other parks, Disney announced plans for a new show at Disneyland featuring an animatronic of Walt Disney, two new attractions (Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab) for Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, a “Lion King” ride for Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris and a thrill coaster centered on Spider-Man for Shanghai Disneyland.
Disney also revealed a few details about the Avatar land coming to Disney California Adventure. Set in the world of Pandora, the land will be inspired by “Avatar: The Way of Water” and future films from the Avatar franchise.
The company also announced that Disney Cruise Line will add four more ships to its fleet between 2027 and 2031—bringing the total number of ships to 13.
“We’re dreaming big,” D’Amaro said. “We’re investing in every part of our portfolio and pushing boundaries as we turn what-ifs into reality.”
Disney previously pledged to spend $60 billion over the next 10 years to expand it parks and cruise business. The strategy comes as Epic Universe, Universal Orlando’s big expansion project, is set to open next year.
