D23 Highlights: Disney Reveals Big Theme Park and Cruise Line Plans

by Brooke McDonald
Last updated: 11:50 PM ET, Sun August 16, 2026

Disney packed its latest D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, held in Anaheim Aug. 14-16, with updates from across its global theme parks and Disney Cruise Line, offering new details on previously announced projects and delivering a few genuine surprises along the way.

From a first look inside Magic Kingdom’s Villains Land and Piston Peak National Park and new tidbits about Tropical Americas to the reunion of Figment and Dreamfinder, major changes to classic attractions, and new rides under construction around the world, here’s a look at the biggest Disney Experiences news from the weekend.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

Piston Peak National Park

A huge model of Piston Peak National Park in the Imagineering pavilion gave D23 attendees a detailed look at how the new Cars-themed area will transform this section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. Throughout the weekend, Imagineers added further details and context about the land’s design, its place within Frontierland and the two attractions now under construction.

The marquee attraction, Cars Ridge Run Rally, will race through Piston Peak, climbing to a snow-covered summit, speeding over camelback bumps and through a geyser field that extends from Big Thunder Mountain. A new type of ride vehicle will physically react to the terrain, allowing riders to “feel every bump, drop, and rock,” while Lightning McQueen and Mater provide race-day commentary.

Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along will feature the “Diva of Demolition” from Cars 3 as a huge, school-bus-sized Audio-Animatronics figure, with guests spinning around her demolition derby in Cars-style vehicles.

Discussing the land’s design, Imagineers said one question helped guide the project: “If you removed all of the cars, does it still feel like it’s in Frontierland?” Designs draw from plein-air paintings of the American West and Disney influences including Mary Blair, Johnny Appleseed, Grizzly Peak, Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge. Pixar also helped Imagineers “carify” the architecture, advising them to “be wide, be low” to convey a world built for cars.

Piston Peak will also be filled with “car-ritters,” including tiny vehicle-inspired frogs and mischievous “Goat Carts” that Imagineers said have the “spirit of puppy dogs” and will get into trouble around the park.

Villains Land Details Revealed

A Disney Villains-themed expansion to Magic Kingdom has been generating buzz and speculation since it was first announced at D23 in 2024. Imagineers have now confirmed that Villains Land is officially the name of the new area and they’ve revealed the land’s original storyline and two major attractions.

Comparable in size and scale to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Villains Land is set within a dark forest where an evil wish has corrupted and broken open a Wishing Well, releasing its magic into the surrounding land. Villains including Cruella, the Evil Queen and Dr. Facilier have since been drawn to the dark magic and have conjured their own lairs there.

One of the two major attractions is a Maleficent coaster that winds through the enchanted briars surrounding her mountaintop fortress. Imagineers said the ride will include elements they have “never attempted before” on a Disney coaster. The second is a dark ride in the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace. The Magic Mirror will conjure “countless villains,” and the Mirror Realm will feature a combination of special effects and physical set pieces.

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress Jumps Ahead

Following the May announcement of a major reimagining of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress in Tomorrowland that will shift the attraction’s timeline forward to begin in the 1960s, Disney revealed new details about the changes ahead. Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston will voice Sarah and John, and Imagineers shared a closer look at concept art from the ’80s scene.

In addition to the showcase reveal, fans visiting the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion got a closer look at costumes, concept art, and a new poster from the Tomorrowland attraction’s new Act I (1960s) and Act IV (Future). The attraction will reopen in late spring 2027.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Tropical Americas

Disney shared a much closer look at Tropical Americas, the 11-acre land now under construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, revealing names and new details for all three attractions, along with models and figures on display in the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion.

Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent is an original adventure that sends guests with Indy into a Maya temple that local folklore says holds a passage to the Underworld guarded by a massive serpent, the Tsukán, that riders will encounter throughout the attraction, along with bats, scorpions, and snakes.

In a video message to fans, Harrison Ford announced he is the model for the attraction’s Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronics figures, the first time his likeness has been used for Indy in a Disney attraction anywhere in the world. Imagineers have been working with archaeologists, anthropologists, and Maya experts to ensure cultural and architectural accuracy.

Disney also revealed the name Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto for the land’s Encanto attraction, which takes guests inside Casita on Antonio’s gift day to celebrate his ability to communicate with animals.

More than 50 animals will be represented throughout the attraction, with Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment consulting on which species would naturally belong in the Colombian setting.

Ride vehicles made from pieces of Casita’s furniture will move through the house and interact with the scenes around them before eventually reaching Antonio’s room-turned-rainforest. The attraction will have no height requirement, and Encanto cast members Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow and Diane Guerrero are returning as Mirabel, Luisa and Isabela.

Encanto Attraction Rendering, Disney, Theme Park,

The land’s third attraction is El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a carousel featuring 22 hand-carved animals inspired by Disney and Pixar characters.

Expedition Everest — Bringing the Yeti Back to Life

With Disney Legend Joe Rohde onsite throughout D23 discussing his new book and his work on Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas, there were plenty of jokes about finally fixing Expedition Everest’s long-broken Yeti. Few expected Disney to actually announce it. At long last, the Yeti will be brought back to life, marking the end of the fan-dubbed “Disco Yeti” era, complete with a fittingly unexpected sendoff from disco queen Gloria Gaynor.

EPCOT

Dreamfinder Will Rejoin Figment

In a surprise announcement to close out the Disney Experiences showcase at D23, Neil Patrick Harris appeared on the stage dressed as Dreamfinder, helping to announce that the character will return to EPCOT for a new adventure with Figment.

The pair, who starred together in the original Journey Into Imagination attraction, which debuted in 1983, will reunite for a “new adventure” at the Imagination pavilion. “We know how important this is to you,” Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum told the crowd. “We’ve heard you.”

Spaceship Earth

Spaceship Earth is getting its first update in nearly 20 years, a reimagining that brings the story “into the internet age and beyond” and will shift its focus from human communication to human connection.

According to Walt Disney Imagineer Ali Rubinstein, the update will introduce “new magic to every scene” but the attraction will continue to be a “classically EPCOT” journey through time.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Monstropolis Updates and Partial Opening Date

Disney detailed more of what guests will find in Monstropolis, including the restaurants, entertainment and shops planned for the Monsters, Inc. land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The story centers on H.U.M.A.N. Day, short for “Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice,” as humans are welcomed into the city following its shift from scream power to laughter.

Harryhausen’s, the restaurant from Mike and Celia’s Monsters, Inc. date, will become a table-service restaurant featuring a many-tentacled Audio-Animatronics sushi chef. Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, named for Fear Tech’s six-legged mascot, will sit beside the Monsters University Alumni Club, with references to MU clubs, fraternities, and sororities and a Scarer’s Club honoring notable alumni. The Scareporium will be the land’s merchandise shop.

Mike and Sulley will host “Welcome to Monstropolis” at the Glob Theater, featuring a new song by Disney Legend Randy Newman, his first written specifically for a Disney theme park.

At D23, fans got a sneak peek at monster versions of the squirrels, pigeons, and hares that will be visible around the city. Disney says these aforementioned locations will open in 2027 while work continues on the land’s signature door coaster attraction.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge x Fortnite

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios now connects directly to Fortnite through a new experience called Smugglers Gambit. Guests can opt into a special mission in the Disneyland or My Disney Experience app while in the attraction queue, then collect crates during their flight aboard the Falcon to earn a reward in Fortnite. The new game extends the attraction’s story with Hondo Ohnaka into new locations and missions, using some of the same digital assets created for Smugglers Run. Guests who link eligible MyDisney and Epic Games accounts can unlock a Forsworn Trooper Outfit after riding, while those who can’t link accounts can redeem a code instead.

Disney Cruise Line’s Rapid Expansion Continues

Disney Cruise Line shared insights into the fleet’s rapid expansion, revealing new details about the Disney Believe, arriving in 2027, and a first look at an entirely new class of ships that will begin joining the fleet in 2029.

The Disney Believe will be the fourth Wish-class ship, joining sisters the Wish, Treasure, and Destiny. Revealed last night, the Grand Hall will be themed to Moana, with a bronze sculpture of Moana, Pua, and Heihei as its centerpiece and early hints of Polynesian-inspired details in the artwork. On the ship’s stern, Woody and Buzz Lightyear use giant crayons to spell out the ship’s name in Toy Story-inspired lettering. Tinker Bell will appear on the bow, with silhouettes of Peter, Wendy, Captain Hook, and others from the 1953 animated Peter Pan represented within the filigree.

Disney also gave D23 attendees the first look at the next generation of Disney Cruise Line ships, a new class sized between Disney’s original ships and the newer Wish-class vessels. Three new ships are planned, part of Disney Cruise Line’s previously announced expansion to 13 vessels, with the first expected to begin sailing in 2029.

Portfolio Executive Creative Director Claire Weiss said the new mid-size shops will create “some amazing opportunities to visit new places and reach brand new audiences we haven’t before,” potentially opening up destinations and itineraries for the cruise line.

Disneyland Resort

Fan-Favorite Entertainment Returning in 2027

Three beloved shows are returning to Disneyland Resort in 2027, beginning in February with a refreshed “Remember… Dreams Come True” at Disneyland and an updated version of the original “World of Color” at Disney California Adventure. “Remember Dreams Come True,” which debuted for Disneyland’s 50th anniversary and features an introduction by Julie Andrews, will add new projections along the Rivers of America, “it’s a small world” and Main Street, U.S.A., with fireworks on select nights.

“World of Color” will return to its original concept, featuring Disney and Pixar films including The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Toy Story, along with the Sherman brothers’ theme from Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color.

Then in summer 2027, “Magic Happens” will return to Disneyland, bringing back the daytime parade led by Mickey Mouse and featuring characters and floats inspired by Pixar and Disney films including Cinderella, The Sword in the Stone, and Coco.

Reimagined Tomorrowland

Disneyland’s Tomorrowland is getting a major reimagining, with Imagineers developing plans for new attractions, more open spaces, and new future-looking areas. Disney said the project will preserve the land’s defining legacy of optimism, innovation, and possibility that inspired Walt Disney’s original vision when Disneyland opened in 1955. The project is still early in development, with ongoing details about the transformation expected in the years ahead.

Avengers Campus Expansion Updates

Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure will double in size when Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab open in 2028, and Disney shared new details about both attractions at D23.

Avengers Infinity Defense will send guests across multiple worlds to reunite the Avengers and stop King Thanos. Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel delivers the mission briefing, and recruits take Infinity Transport ride vehicles to travel to locations including Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City, combining large physical sets with expansive media scenes.

Several MCU actors are reprising their roles, including Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

The second new attraction, Stark Flight Lab, will introduce a new ride system built around two-person “gyro-kinetic pods” that travel along a track before being picked up by giant robotic arms for a multidirectional flight-training experience. Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, and Brie Larson will appear as Iron Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel.

New Details About the First-Ever Coco Ride

The first-ever Coco ride at a Disney park is now under construction near Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens Park at Disney California Adventure. Set one year after the original film, the attraction begins in a “casa museo” devoted to Héctor Rivera’s music before guests board boats and travel through Miguel’s memories of the Land of the Dead.

Coco Attraction Rendering, Disney, Theme Park,

With Coco 2 also in development, Imagineers are working with Pixar to connect the attraction to both films. Concept art for the sequel shows a noticeably older Miguel, so the ride’s journey through his memories could provide a natural way to encounter him at different ages.

Inspired by classic Disney boat rides including Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, the attraction will use new Audio-Animatronics technology to bring skeletal characters from the Land of the Dead to life. Miguel, Dante, Héctor, and other familiar characters will appear throughout, and the ride will have no height requirement so the whole family can experience it.

Disneyland Paris

Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune to Return

Disneyland Paris will bid farewell to Hyperspace Mountain in 2027, making way for a return to the attraction’s original form and soundtrack as Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune, inspired by Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon.

First-Ever Lion King Ride

Construction continues on Disney’s first Lion King-themed land, coming to Disney Adventure World and anchored by what will be one of Disneyland Paris’ largest attractions. The new water ride will travel beneath a 120-foot Pride Rock and retell Simba’s story from cub to king, including his final confrontation with Scar. Audio-Animatronics figures and special effects will be incorporated throughout, and a new flume system will include a 52-foot drop. The surrounding Pride Lands-inspired area will also include dining, shopping, and character encounters.