Disney fans, take a deep breath.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event has wrapped up its big 2026 Disney Experiences presentation, and Disney shared enough theme-park news to keep us talking and rearranging future vacation plans for quite a while.
Some announcements gave us opening years. Others gave us beautiful concept art and the ever-mysterious phrase “coming in the future,” which is Disney’s way of saying, “Please remain excited, but do not book your airfare just yet.”
Here is everything we learned about Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California, plus a quick look at what is happening in the other Disney parks around the world.
Please note: This information is current as of August 16, 2026. Disney can, and frequently does, change project details and timelines.
Walt Disney World Is Getting Some Very Big Changes
Villains Land Is Getting Two Major Attractions
Let’s begin with the announcement that had Disney adults everywhere reaching for their black Mickey ears.
Villains Land is still coming to Magic Kingdom, and Disney finally revealed more about what we will find inside.
The land’s story begins with a cursed forest and a broken Wishing Well containing dark magic. Naturally, the Disney Villains have gathered to claim that magic for themselves. Because apparently none of them learned that mysterious magical wells should be left alone.
The first major attraction will be a coaster featuring Maleficent. Guests will race through the enchanted briars surrounding her mountaintop fortress and come face-to-face with the Mistress of All Evil herself.
Disney says the coaster will include elements Imagineers have never attempted on similar attractions. That is both exciting and just vague enough to fuel approximately 7,000 internet theories before lunch.
The second headlining attraction will be a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror. Guests will enter the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace before being transported into the Mirror Realm, where multiple Disney Villains will appear through a combination of physical sets and special effects.
Disney has compared the size and scale of Villains Land to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The land will also include dining and shopping, although specific locations and menus have not yet been announced.
Unfortunately, neither has an opening date.
For now, Villains Land remains firmly in the category of “absolutely coming, but please stop asking exactly when.”
The Cars Area Has a Name and Two Attractions
The Cars-themed expansion coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom is officially called Piston Peak National Park.
Its main attraction, Cars Ridge Run Rally, will send guests racing through mountain trails, snowy peaks and erupting geysers. Lightning McQueen and Mater will provide commentary from the sidelines, presumably while Mater says something ridiculous and Lightning tries to keep everyone focused.
Disney also announced the area’s second attraction: Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
The ride will feature the school-bus-sized demolition derby champion from Cars 3 as an enormous Audio-Animatronics figure. It sounds like a family-friendly spinning ride, although Disney has not yet released a height requirement or complete ride description.
The area is designed around the landscapes of America’s national parks while extending the story of Frontierland. It replaces the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island, so this announcement may be exciting, heartbreaking or a complicated combination of both, depending on how emotionally attached you are to sitting quietly on the Liberty Square Riverboat.
Disney has not announced an opening date for Piston Peak. Disney Parks Blog’s Piston Peak announcement
Monstropolis Will Begin Welcoming Humans in 2027
The Monsters, Inc. land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios officially has a name: Monstropolis.
Parts of the land are expected to open in 2027, although Disney has not confirmed whether the entire land and its highly anticipated door coaster will open at the same time.
The story takes place after Monstropolis discovers that laughter produces more power than screams. The city is hosting H.U.M.A.N. Day, which stands for “Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice.”
I appreciate that even monsters apparently need a tourism board and a catchy promotional slogan.
The land’s headlining attraction will be Disney’s first suspended coaster. Guests will travel through the Monsters, Inc. door vault, complete with vertical lift technology designed to recreate the film’s famous door-storage system.
Other additions include:
- The Glob Theater, featuring a new show hosted by Mike and Sulley
- Harryhausen’s, a full-service restaurant inspired by Mike and Celia’s disastrous date
- Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, serving pizza in an area connected to Monsters University
- The Monsters University Alumni Club
- The Scareporium, because no new theme-park land is complete until we have somewhere to buy a shirt
Disney Legend Randy Newman has also written an original song called “Welcome to Monstropolis” for the land.
Construction is underway in the former Muppets Courtyard area of Hollywood Studios. I am excited about Monstropolis, but I would still like a moment of silence for Muppet*Vision 3D. Some of us are capable of holding two emotions at once. Disney Parks Blog’s Monstropolis announcement
Tropical Americas Is Bringing Indiana Jones and Encanto to Animal Kingdom
The new Tropical Americas land replacing DinoLand U.S.A. is moving forward at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Disney revealed the official names and additional details for both of its major attractions.
Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent
The new Indiana Jones attraction will have an original story created specifically for Animal Kingdom. This is not expected to be a copy of the Indiana Jones attraction at Disneyland, even though it will use the former DINOSAUR ride system.
Guests will join Indiana Jones as he explores an ancient Maya temple near a cenote. According to local legend, a passage beneath the temple leads to the Maya Underworld, which is protected by a giant serpent known as the Tsukán.
The adventure will include a portal to the Underworld, enormous bats, scorpions, fire and, because Indiana Jones can never catch a break, quite a few snakes.
A giant Tsukán Audio-Animatronics figure will appear during the attraction, and Harrison Ford will serve as the visual model for the Indiana Jones figure. This will be the first Disney attraction to use Ford’s likeness for an Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronics character.
Disney says Imagineers are working with archaeologists, anthropologists and Maya experts to create a story that respects the culture and natural environment that inspired it. Disney Parks Blog’s Indiana Jones announcement
Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto
The Encanto attraction now has an official name: Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto.
The attraction will take place on the day Antonio receives his magical gift of communicating with animals. Guests will enter Casita and ride on furniture brought to life by the house itself.
We will travel through rooms created especially for the attraction before reaching Antonio’s rainforest-filled bedroom. More than 50 animals will appear throughout the ride, including a capybara receiving a haircut, which is apparently something I did not know I needed until Disney showed it to me.
Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow and Diane Guerrero will return as Mirabel, Luisa and Isabela.
Most importantly for families with younger children, Disney has confirmed that the attraction will have no height requirement.
Tropical Americas will also include:
- El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a carousel with 22 hand-carved animals inspired by Disney and Pixar characters
- A Maya-inspired children’s play area
- Shopping
- A large hacienda-style quick-service restaurant
Disney has not announced an opening date for Tropical Americas. Disney Parks Blog’s Encanto announcement
The Yeti Is Finally Going to Move Again
Yes, you read that correctly.
Disney announced that the giant Yeti inside Expedition Everest will finally return to full operation.
The Audio-Animatronics figure has remained largely motionless for years, with flashing lights creating the illusion of movement. Disney fans lovingly nicknamed this version “Disco Yeti,” because Disney fans will cope with nearly anything by giving it a funny name and putting it on a T-shirt.
Disney has not announced exactly when the restored Yeti will make its triumphant return, but the fact that Disney publicly confirmed the project is a very big deal.
Somewhere in Animal Kingdom, a giant furry creature is stretching and preparing to terrify an entirely new generation.
Figment and Dreamfinder Are Reuniting at EPCOT
Disney saved one of its biggest nostalgia-powered announcements for the end of the presentation.
Journey Into Imagination at EPCOT will receive a complete reimagining, and Figment will once again be joined by Dreamfinder.
Dreamfinder was a central character in the original Journey Into Imagination attraction, which opened in 1983. He disappeared when the attraction was reworked in 1998, but Disney fans have spent the years since politely, loudly and repeatedly requesting his return.
Apparently, persistence works. It only takes a little spark and several decades of complaining.
Disney has not yet shared the new attraction’s storyline, opening timeline or closure date for the current version. What we do know is that Figment is staying, Dreamfinder is returning and a new “journey into imagination” is officially in development. Disney Parks Blog’s Figment and Dreamfinder announcement
Spaceship Earth Will Explore Human Connection
Spaceship Earth will also receive a substantial update.
The attraction’s story will expand beyond the history of human communication to explore the broader idea of human connection. Disney says it will retain the optimism and sense of wonder that have always defined the attraction.
Details about the ride scenes, narration and project timeline remain limited.
This means Disney fans have entered the traditional Spaceship Earth update cycle:
- Become excited.
- Worry about every favorite scene.
- Demand that Rome continue burning.
- Wait for Disney to tell us more.
Carousel of Progress Is Moving Into New Decades
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is receiving one of the most extensive updates in its history.
The refreshed attraction will begin with a new introductory scene featuring an Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney. Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston will voice the mother and father in the Carousel family.
The four rotating acts will move into new time periods:
- The 1960s, including the 1969 moon landing
- Halloween night in 1985
- New Year’s Eve in 1999
- A possible future featuring robots and space travel
“There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” will remain part of the attraction.
The current show is temporarily unavailable, with the reimagined version scheduled to debut in late spring 2027.
I am relieved that Uncle Orville will apparently survive the renovation. There is still no privacy around here, and that is exactly as it should be. Disney Parks Blog’s Carousel of Progress update
Disneyland Resort Has Several Major Projects Ahead
Disneyland’s Tomorrowland Will Be Reimagined
Disney announced plans for a major transformation of Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park.
The project will honor the land’s history while adding new attractions, more open spaces and new places for guests to imagine the future.
That is essentially everything Disney has told us.
We do not have attraction names, concept details, a construction timeline or an opening date. We have an idea, some lovely language about optimism and a promise that more information will come “in the years ahead.”
In other words, Tomorrowland’s future is still somewhere in the future. Disney Parks Blog’s Tomorrowland announcement
The First Coco Ride Is Coming to Disney California Adventure
Disney shared new details about the first Coco attraction ever created for a Disney park.
The family-friendly boat ride will begin in a museum-like home dedicated to the music of Héctor Rivera. Guests will then join Miguel on a journey through his memories of the Land of the Dead.
The story takes place one year after the original film and will include Miguel, Héctor, Dante and other familiar characters. Imagineers are working with Pixar so the attraction can include connections to both Coco and the upcoming Coco 2.
Disney is taking inspiration from classic attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion while using new Audio-Animatronics technology to bring the skeletal characters to life.
The attraction will have no height requirement, making it something the entire family can experience together.
Construction is underway near Paradise Gardens Park and Pixar Pier, but Disney has not announced an opening date. Disney Parks Blog’s Coco attraction announcement
Avengers Campus Will Double in Size in 2028
Two new attractions will open at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure in 2028.
Avengers Infinity Defense
Guests will become new Avengers recruits and receive their mission from Ms. Marvel, played by Iman Vellani. The goal is to reassemble the Avengers and stop King Thanos from causing trouble across multiple worlds.
The attraction will travel through destinations including Asgard, Wakanda and New York City. Disney says it will combine enormous physical sets with large media scenes.
Actors returning to their Marvel roles include Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr.
Stark Flight Lab
Stark Flight Lab will place guests in two-person gyro-kinetic pods. The vehicles will travel along a track before being lifted and moved by giant robotic arms.
The ride is designed to simulate the high-speed maneuvers of a flying Avenger, so perhaps do not schedule a large lunch immediately beforehand.
Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie and Brie Larson will reprise their roles as Iron Man, Captain America and Captain Marvel.
The expansion will double the size of Avengers Campus and reconnect it with Cars Land. Disney Parks Blog’s Avengers Campus announcement
Familiar Disneyland Entertainment Returns in 2027
Several fan-favorite productions are returning to Disneyland Resort:
- A refreshed “Remember… Dreams Come True” nighttime spectacular returns to Disneyland Park in February 2027.
- An updated version of the original “World of Color” debuts at Disney California Adventure in February 2027.
- The “Magic Happens” parade returns to Disneyland Park in summer 2027.
This is wonderful news for anyone who believes a Disney day should end with music, fireworks and at least one child asleep in a stroller while the adults insist they are still having fun.
A Quick Trip Around the Other Disney Parks
Disney also shared updates for parks outside the United States. These projects deserve attention, although I am resisting the urge to turn this into a small novel.
Disneyland Paris
Construction is underway on the first Lion King-themed land and attraction at Disney Adventure World.
The attraction will be a water ride following Simba’s journey through the Pride Lands. It will include songs from the 1994 animated film, Audio-Animatronics figures, special effects and three slopes.
Three slopes. Disney carefully avoided the word “drops,” but I see what they did there.
Disneyland Paris also announced that Hyperspace Mountain will eventually make way for a reimagined version of Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune, inspired by Jules Verne and the attraction’s original 1995 storyline. The original musical score will return as part of the update. Disney Parks Blog’s Lion King attraction details
Tokyo Disneyland
Tokyo Disneyland’s completely rebuilt Space Mountain will be called Space Mountain Earthrise.
The attraction will be part of a larger reimagining of Tomorrowland and will focus on seeing Earth from a new perspective while celebrating hope for the future.
Tokyo Disneyland is also getting Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue, a Wreck-It Ralph attraction featuring Ralph, Vanellope, King Candy and a Sugar Rush game overrun by rogue sugar bugs.
Hong Kong Disneyland
Hong Kong Disneyland is building a new Avengers Pavilion featuring Avengers Research Testing Labs.
The experience will include more than 120 feet of storytelling technology and adventures through locations such as Wakanda and Asgard. A new Quinjet landing platform will also provide a place for guests to encounter Marvel heroes.
Shanghai Disney Resort
Shanghai Disneyland is developing the first Disney Parks land devoted entirely to Spider-Man.
The land will feature a new coaster, Spider-Bots and the Shanghai branch of the Worldwide Engineering Brigade, better known as W.E.B. Imagineers are also working with local artists to create more than 20 murals for the area.
Disney Cruise Line Is Growing Again
Because Disney apparently looked at its rapidly expanding fleet and thought, “Needs more ships,” a new class of Disney Cruise Line vessels will begin arriving in 2029.
The ships will be smaller than Disney’s newest Wish-class ships but larger than the four original vessels. Disney says the new size will make it possible to visit additional destinations around the world.
Disney also revealed more about the Disney Believe, which will begin sailing in late 2027. Moana will welcome guests in the Grand Hall, Tinker Bell will appear on the bow, and Buzz Lightyear and Woody will decorate the stern.
Specific itineraries for the new class of ships have not yet been announced.
What Does All of This Mean for Your Disney Vacation?
The biggest takeaway from D23 2026 is that Disney’s domestic parks are entering several years of major change.
Some additions, such as parts of Monstropolis and the updated Carousel of Progress, are expected in 2027. The Avengers Campus expansion has a confirmed 2028 opening year. Many of the biggest projects, including Villains Land, Piston Peak, Tropical Americas, the new Journey Into Imagination and Disneyland’s Tomorrowland transformation, do not yet have announced opening dates.
That means you should not automatically postpone a trip because something exciting is coming. At Disney, something exciting is almost always coming.
Waiting for every construction wall to disappear is a little like waiting until every room in your house is perfectly clean before inviting anyone over. It sounds reasonable, but you may never see your friends again.
The better question is whether the experiences available during your travel dates are right for your family. Construction, attraction closures, new ride openings, crowd patterns and ticket strategies all need to be considered together.
That is also where working with a travel advisor becomes especially helpful. A Disney vacation is no longer just a matter of choosing a hotel and buying park tickets. The timing of your trip can affect which attractions are open, which parks need more time, how ticket options should be structured and whether waiting a few months would actually make a meaningful difference.
There is a great deal of magic ahead. There are also going to be a great deal of construction walls ahead.
Fortunately, I know how to plan around both.
If you are thinking about visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort or sailing with Disney Cruise Line, Magical Castle Vacations can help you sort through the announcements, timelines and changing strategies to create the vacation that makes the most sense for your family.
Your Vacation. Our Planning. Pure Magic.
