Hello, blue sky.
Disney has just revealed concrete plans for all-new lands and park experiences during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California.
“We will bring new stories to life for our fans in innovative ways around the world,” Josh D’Amaro, president of Disney Experiences, told USA TODAY.
During previous D23 events, Disney had only floated the idea of a land dedicated to villains or what else might exist after Big Thunder Mountain.
Now we know what’s really coming. Here are some of the biggest reveals from Saturday’s Disney Experiences Showcase.
What’s coming to Disney World?
▶ Magical Kingdom
A new Villains land is coming with two major attractions, plus shopping and dining options.
A portion of Frontierland is being reimagined with Cars. Unlike Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, this will remain part of Frontierland. The new space will feature two attractions, one of which is specifically designed with younger guests in mind. Construction is set to begin in 2025.
Magic Kingdom’s new pirate-themed tavern will open in 2025
A new parade in the spirit of the beloved Main Street Electrical Parade is coming. It will be called Disney Starlight.
▶ Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The first Monsters Inc. land in a Disney park is coming to Hollywood Studios.
“Monsters remains one of the most beloved stories Pixar has ever told. Our fans love it, and we knew we had an opportunity to bring this franchise to life in a way it’s never been brought to life before, taking the story from the screen to real life,” D’Amaro said. There are Monsters, Inc. attractions at other Disney parks, but not entire lands. Construction on those begins next year.
“We’re going to build a land and an attraction that the Imagineers have wanted to build forever, and our fans, I think, have wanted to see built forever, and that’s the Door coaster,” he added.
It is the first suspended roller coaster in a Disney park and is set in the Laugh Factory from Monsters, Inc.
“And of course we’re using the latest technology, the latest tricks and the most immersive environment you can imagine to create an experience that I think our fans are going to love,” he said.
▶ Disney’s Animal Kingdom
A new Zootopia Better Together show is coming to Discover Island in the winter of 2025.
Disney’s previously announced tropical America themed land will open in 2027, replacing DinoLand USA
A new Indiana Jones attraction is coming, which D’Amaro says will be unlike anything guests have experienced at other Disney parks.
It will also feature Disney’s first Encanto-themed attraction and a new carousel.
When asked how Disney decides when to expand and when to innovate, D’Amaro told USA TODAY: “We have more space and more stories to tell than anyone else, and we’re always looking across our portfolio at where we want to build completely incremental capacity or where we think we have an opportunity to reinvent existing spaces so they can offer even more.”
“In the case of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we saw an opportunity to take an existing piece of land and update it with stronger intellectual property and stronger experiences that would add more value to an Animal Kingdom experience,” he added. “It depends on the park we’re looking at, the spaces that are there, and then we ultimately make the best decisions for our fans.”
▶ EPCOT
The newly designed test track will open in 2025
What’s coming to Disneyland?
▶ Disneyland Park
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens November 15 at Disneyland.
With the park celebrating its 70th anniversary next year, a new audio-animatronic from Walt Disney, a pioneer in the field of audio-animatronics, will make its debut in a new show.
“This one is very important to me as a cast member,” D’Amaro said. “I’ve been with the company for 26 years. I started at Disneyland. This was the park that Walt created and walked through and is still a part of today.”
“We are at a moment in time, 70 years after the opening of Disneyland, where we feel that technology has caught up with our ambition to tell Walt’s story and give the newest generation of Disney fans the experience of being in a room with Walt,” he added.
“I think this is going to be incredibly special. It’s going to be special for me, and I know it’s going to be special for the Disney fans who just want more, who just want that emotional connection to the brand.”
After the initial broadcast, the show will alternate with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
▶ Disney California Adventure
Avengers Campus will get two new attractions, doubling the current surface area. Construction will start in 2025. The previously announced multiverse attraction will be called Avengers Infinity Defense. A fourth attraction will be called Stark Flight Lab.
The next Avatar destination is coming to Disney California Adventure. The setting will be a different location on Pandora, not the same as Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It will be inspired by the second film, the upcoming film, and future “Avatar” films.
The first Coco ride in a Disney park is coming to Disney California Adventure. The groundbreaking is set for 2026. Music will play a big part in the attraction, just like in the movie.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Disney D23 Reveals: Big Changes Coming to Disney World, Beyond That
