D23: Everything Coming to Your Favorite Disney Destinations

Yesterday, the much-loved D23 Event kicked off in Anaheim, California! Taking place every other year, D23 welcomes Disney fans from all over to join together and celebrate everything the Disney company is, was, and will become. Each day of the convention is dedicated to certain portions of the Walt Disney Company. From merch, programming, and new experiences coming to Disney Destinations, it's a weekend full of MAGIC!

Today (Saturday, August 10th) is considered by some the most anticipated day of the event ... as we will get to hear details about future plans for Disney Destinations across the globe. We can't wait to share all the magical news with you! So, to make things easy, we will be compiling everything you need to know here on this blog! It's going to be an action-packed evening for sure. Follow along!

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Walt Disney World

All-New Nighttime Parade Coming to Magic Kingdom in Summer 2025

Picture this: you’re nestled on Main Street, U.S.A. with your loved ones getting ready to watch a nighttime parade come to life right before your eyes. Maybe you’ve got a churro or a Mickey Ice Cream bar in hand, or are eyeing a nearby popcorn cart, who knows! But the lights dim, the music swells, and now you’re watching a brand-new nighttime spectacular at the Magic Kingdom Park.

You don’t have to imagine this for much longer, because in summer 2025, a brand-new parade will make its way to the Most Magical Place On Earth.

Broadway darlings — and former Disney Live Entertainment Cast Members! — Rachel Potter and Eden Espinosa graced the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event stage during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase panel with this monumental announcement. The all-new parade “Disney Starlight” is coming next summer!

“Disney Starlight” will continue the nighttime spectacular legacy started by the “Main Street Electrical Parade” using the latest technology to tell new stories about the characters you love. All of this is brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy, in addition to beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films “Peter Pan,” “Encanto,” “Frozen,” and more.

And, if you’re hoping for more new spectaculars around the world, you’re in luck! The new nighttime spectacular “Reach for the Stars” debuts at Tokyo Disneyland on September 20.

Coming in January 2025, Disneyland Paris will also unveil its own new nighttime spectacular with timeless songs from Disney and Pixar. This moving journey will be told through projections on Sleeping Beauty Castle and – for the first time – down Main Street.

Indiana Jones and ‘Encanto’ Confirmed for Animal Kingdom

A new adventure awaits at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park with the addition of a new space themed around Tropical Americas. Welcome to Pueblo Esperanza.

As Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro explained during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, work on this new 11-acre section of the park is set to begin later this year. Just like Harambe, the land feels lived in, with a long, rich history — plus there’s a large hacienda which will be one of the largest quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort.

The space will be lush and sprawling, featuring a large fountain in the center where the villagers like to gather and tell stories. Additionally, a woodcarver has created a giant working carousel featuring his favorite animals from Disney stories. It’s a new take on a classic attraction that young families are going to love.

That’s not all that will be located here – the new land will include not one but two signature attractions!

Indiana Jones

A new Indy experience is set to arrive in Disney’s Animal Kingdom and will be different from any other Indiana Jones experience around the world.

In this new venture, the man with the hat has recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Encanto

If you’re a fan of drawers, floors, and doors, let’s go! The first-ever “Encanto”-themed ride-through attraction is coming to Animal Kingdom, featuring the beloved Madrigal family from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film. Inside the Casita, Antonio has just received his special gift — the ability to communicate with animals — and his room has transformed into a rainforest. It’s time to go explore alongside him, and you never know what member of the family you might bump into…

Construction on the land is set to begin this fall and will open in 2027 — but don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of time to experience Dinosaur again (and get that dino).

Two New Lounge Spaces Announced for Disney World

Drink up me hearties — and thank the Phoenicians!

During Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro realized there were just too many announcements to get through and too short a time on stage.

Needing a little assistance, Josh called in friends Darren Criss and Skylar Astin to rapid-fire through some exciting updates before continuing on with the show. Set to some catchy and thematically appropriate tunes, the duo announced a brand new lounge and shared details on a previously announced tavern, both coming soon to Walt Disney World Resort!

So next time you’re looking to take a load off (and relive any miraculous journeys you’ve just taken or plunder you’ve come across), there will soon be two new locations to check out. Here’s what else you need to know:

New Lounge Inspired by Spaceship Earth

For over 40 years, Spaceship Earth has welcomed visitors to EPCOT as a shining beacon of optimism and hope. This just-announced lounge is inspired by the stories, shapes, and enduring legacy of this timeless icon. Taking inspiration from the geometric sphere, the zen space for families to gather and enjoy refreshments will be draped with rich textures and warm metallic tones, giving it a mysterious and elegant intimacy.

Updates to Tavern Themed to Pirates of the Caribbean

Set course for the Magic Kingdom! First announced at Destination D23 last year, this rambunctious watering hole will offer a welcoming haven for all pirate-kind, big and small, and everyone in between. Here, bandits and buccaneers-to-be from every corner of the seven seas are welcome to join together and raise a toast to the pirate life! In the newly released artwork, X marks the spot for a sea-worthy selection of grogs and grub inside this tavern location coming to Magic Kingdom Park.

Both spaces will welcome their first guests in 2025.

Reimagined Test Track Opens in 2025

Buckle up for a brand-new experience when a reimagined Test Track presented by Chevrolet races into EPCOT in 2025.

Announced during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Walt Disney Imagineering is collaborating with Chevrolet to push innovation forward and celebrate humanity’s enduring drive (pun intended) on the thrilling road to a brighter tomorrow. But, before we get too far down this winding road, Test Track will celebrate today’s innovation while highlighting the past, present, and future. The queue will feature six distinct exhibits, and within each room celebrate the vehicles – and people behind the vehicles – that push the envelope and help get people to our next chapter in our motion journey. 

New show scenes will be added showcasing technological advances and how our lifestyles and relationships to mobility connect everyone. Enjoy a joy ride through scenes focusing on onboard technology, customization and personalization. Followed by a trip through a scenic outdoor route reminding us all of the joys of driving, taking in the world around us and spending quality time with friends and family. 

Construction on this reimagined experience has already begun, and eagle-eyed visitors might already have picked up on the fact that the new exterior harkens back to the original pavilion design.

Monsters, Inc. Land Announced for Hollywood Studios

It’s laughter they’re after when a brand-new land themed around Disney and Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” comes to life at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort. 

The news was shared during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, with a little help from Disney Legend Billy Crystal, took to the stage to reveal plans to build a living, breathing, and not-at-all-scary Monsters-inspired area where you’ll be able to stroll the streets alongside some of your favorite monsters. 

Picking up after the events of Pixar Animation Studios’ beloved film, humans have now been invited to visit the world of Monsters, Inc. — and the monsters need laughter to power the city and keep it running smoothly. But it’s not a true visit without the factory itself. You’ll be able to see the sights, hear the laughs and zoom through the building just like James P. Sullivan (a.k.a. Sulley) and Mike Wazowski — via a door!

Yes, a door. If you’ve been dreaming of riding through the door vault since the movie was released in 2001, you’re not alone — Josh has been thinking about this, too.  “The first time I saw Monsters, Inc., all I wanted to do was ride on one of those doors like Mike and Sulley,” he told the crowd. “You’ll go into the factory and experience the first suspended coaster ever in a Disney park. Remember in the movie how those claws grab the doors and hoist them up into the air to take them away? We’re doing that, too. And you’re going along for the ride.”

The coaster will put you right in the middle of the monster action. Just be sure to fill out your paperwork! Roz is always watching…

Work on the project is slated to begin next year, so get ready to ROAR with laughter!

Ka-Chow! New Cars Attractions Race Into Magic Kingdom

One is a quicker-than-quick racecar who eats losers for breakfast, and one is a tow truck with a heart of gold. Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater are racing into Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort!

At Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, with the help of Tow Mater via video call, announced that a new area inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios film “Cars” will be coming to a reimagined section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. “The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the big city,” Josh told the crowd.

Don’t get too comfortable in Radiator Springs because it’s time to leave the pit stop and head west into exciting new frontiers. On this adventure, guests will be able to experience not one but two exciting new “Cars”-themed attractions.

One attraction will invite you on a thrilling rally race through the mountains. Take on wild terrain as you race across the landscape climbing mountain trails, dodging geysers and — Mater’s favorite — splashing through mudholes. 

But what about smaller racers? The second attraction will be geared towards them and will be fun for the whole family.

Get ready to start your engines! Work on this new space in Frontierland will begin in early 2025.

New Mission Featuring Mando and Grogu Coming to Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run

When the upcoming “The Mandalorian and Grogu” movie blasts off in theaters in 2026, it will also touch down at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. A brand-new story featuring Mando and his youngling is coming to Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

During Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Star Wars creative executive Dave Filoni joined Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro onstage to discuss the upcoming addition to the attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. As Dave explained, the Lucasfilm team uses Epic’s Unreal Engine to create some of the virtual sets for “The Mandalorian.” Now, with the expanded partnership between Disney and Epic Games, Epic’s Unreal Engine will help bring to life the latest adventure in a galaxy far, far away.

“The intersection of storytelling and innovation has always been central to Lucasfilm and we’re excited to see where this collaboration will take us next,” Dave told the crowd. “Just imagine it: you’ll be able to fly alongside Mando and Grogu on thrilling, and dangerous, missions.”

Expect to see this new mission jump to lightspeed when “The Mandalorian and Grogu” hits the big screen in 2026. This is the way.

Villains Cast a Spell Over Magic Kingdom with New Land

Once upon a nightmare… A place where poison apples are aplenty and magic potions can ruin your whole day. For all those things hiding in the shadows, it’s time to join them as we lift the veil on a forthcoming Villains Land at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World Resort.

As Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, this new land will be home to the Disney Villains we know and loathe from our favorite Walt Disney Animation Studios classic films — “Which means happily ever after may feel like just a distant dream.”

The evil ambition of all these Villains means that the possibilities are endless for the stories that can be told — and visitors to the dark and thorny land should be prepared for whatever chaos might come their way. 

The new land will encompass all your dreams- er, nightmares. The space will be home to two major attractions, dining, and shopping on an incredibly twisted grand scale. “Be prepared, you poor unfortunate souls,” Josh teased. “It’s going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be.”

You might have just felt a shiver run down your spine. That’s because preparation is already underway at Magic Kingdom for this new land. Maybe think twice before you indulge in that next shiny red apple…

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Disneyland

Avatar Updates Announced for Disney California Adventure

Pack your bags, we’re heading to Pandora! In the future, you’ll be greeting everyone with Oel ngati kameie — that’s “I see you” in Na’vi — when this all-new exciting destination arrives at the Disneyland Resort with awe-inspiring sights and experiences. 

As Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, we’re venturing further into Pandora with a new destination at Disney California Adventure. While Pandora—The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is based on Oscar-winner James Cameron’s “Avatar” film, this new destination draws inspiration from “Avatar: The Way of Water” and upcoming Avatar films to bring Pandora to life in a brand-new way.

I joined Josh on stage to dive deeper into the new space including how guests will go on the adventure of a lifetime in search of majestic natural wonders that can only be found on Pandora and the beauty – and danger – that come along with the journey. This new and thrilling excursion will bring all the action, excitement, and wonder of Avatar, taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora. 

This is going to be a dynamic, intense and emotional experience on a grand scale that we know our guests will love. Ready to explore this breathtaking experience worthy of these epic stories? 

Sivako!

First-Ever Coco Ride Announced

Seize your moment! The most villainous musician who ever died grabbed the spotlight at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event for a once-in-a-lifetime performance for the crowd. Welcome to the stage Ernesto de la Cruz!

So, ok, his performance at Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase might have been interrupted by a very big announcement. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro took the stage to reveal that an all-new attraction themed to Pixar Animation Studios’ “Coco” is coming to Disney California Adventure in the future.

The attraction will be filled with the characters — and music! — you know and love from the beloved movie, as you join Miguel on a trip to the land of the dead. This marks the first-ever “Coco” ride in a Disney park!

Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration for the attraction from beloved classics, like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. “We’re bringing our skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through the latest Audio-Animatronics technology,” Josh told the crowd. “These figures will appear in ways you’ll have to see to believe.”

Get ready to celebrate everything you know and love about the movie, and music, with work beginning on the attraction in 2026!

Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics Figure Coming to Disneyland

As Walt Disney once said, “When we consider a new project, we really study it—not just the surface idea, but everything about it. And when we go into that new project, we believe in it all the way. We have confidence in our ability to do it right. And we work hard to do the best possible job.”

On stage during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro gave a small glimpse of a fitting tribute coming to Disneyland. For the first time ever, when it debuts in 2025, you’ll actually be able to see Walt Disney through the magic of Audio-Animatronics technology in “Walt Disney – A Magical Life.”

Walt Disney Imagineering’s first Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney is being created for this very special experience. “I speak for our entire team when I say there is so much pride and excitement for everyone involved in this endeavor,” Josh told the crowd.

The past, present and future are coming together, giving visitors the chance to imagine what it would be like to stop by Walt’s office. Who knows what he might be dreaming up inside? Only time will tell with Walt.

“Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will debut inside the Main Street Opera House, and after its initial run, the attraction will play in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” A fitting acknowledgement of Walt’s significant advances with Audio-Animatronics about 60 years ago when he first introduced the groundbreaking technology.

“Creating our first Walt figure is a huge responsibility, and we’ve brought members of the Disney family along with us for every step of the journey,” Josh continued on stage. “His great-nephew, Roy P. Disney, visited the Imagineering campus recently to see our progress. And he’s here tonight. Thank you, Roy, for helping us fulfill this dream.”

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens This Holiday Season at Disneyland

Disneyland, it’s time to head on down to the bayou – blue skies and sunshine up ahead!

Announced during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro is getting ready to let the good times roll! Realizing the show was quickly zooming by, and there were so many other announcements to get to, Josh was joined on-stage by Darren Criss and Skylar Astin. The duo quickly (and via song) splashed through some very important updates you’re going to want to know — one of them being when you can drop in on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland.

The Happiest Place on Earth will open their attraction inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film “The Princess and the Frog” on Nov. 15, 2024 (at the start of the Holiday season at Disneyland Resort)! And not only that, but Critter Country will be appropriately renamed Bayou Country when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens. Gather up your friends and family, a celebration is coming! 

Following its opening at Walt Disney World earlier this year, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open November 15, 2024 at Disneyland park in the newly renamed Bayou Country.

Bayou Country is situated on the edge of New Orleans Square with shady trees, mesmerizing music and a vast collection of enchanting surprises. Guests will discover a land filled with friendly woodland animals, from a trumpet-playing gator and an adorable bear who craves honey to a musical cast of bears, frogs, and other critters.

In addition to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Bayou Country will be the home to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and the Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, as well as the newly reimagined Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree, which has one of the most scenic dining areas in all of Disneyland park. And don’t forget to grab your favorite merchandise from Ray’s Berets, and Louis’ Critter Club, and sweet treats from Pooh Corner. While some areas may open earlier, we look forward to welcoming you officially to Bayou Country when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens on Nov. 15, which “brings folks from all walks of life together”, as Princess Tiana’s father would say.

Deadpool Crashes D23 With Major Announcements (and Questionable Ideas)

Who let Deadpool into D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event? Well, someone’s about to have their security clearance revoked, because the mostly red, box office star, the “Merc with a Mouth” himself stormed the stage during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase to pitch his own ideas for what he thinks might be good additions to Disney Parks around the world.

His bad ideas include the Chimichanga Chaser, Deadpool’s Heck House, Logan’s Run (Featuring Wolverine). The possibilities are endless.

Errr, maybe not. Leave this to the professional Imagineers, Wade.

While those might be some of Deadpool’s “brown sky” ideas, they’re not actually in development. But, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro did have a few other Super Hero related things to announce during the showcase.

Ready, recruits? The size of Avengers Campus at Disneyland will double with not one but two brand new attractions to suit up and fight alongside some of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Construction on this expansion will begin next year.

Get ready for a multi-world adventure experience with Avengers Infinity Defense. Technology that allows the Avengers to jump between worlds has gone missing, and King Thanos is using it to wreak havoc everywhere. Recruits will travel to iconic locations like Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City alongside the likes of big, and small, heroes. You also just might find yourself face-to-face with King Thanos, too.

If you’re up for another mission, Tony Stark has one for you. And you know Tony, he always wants to try something new and exciting, and it’s going to make you feel like a Super Hero yourself. With the just announced Stark Flight Lab, you’re going to sit in two-person pods and deploy to a test station. Then a robot arm grabs your pod and starts whirling you around in a simulated flight.

And, a familiar face will join you at the Stark Flight Lab — Mr. Stark himself. Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as Tony Stark for the attraction.

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Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line Announces Four New Cruise Ships

What’s better than one new Disney Cruise ships? How about four brand new Disney Cruise Line ships joining the fleet?

Four is the magic number! Announced during the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, Josh D’Amaro (with a little help from musical group All-4-One) revealed that four ships will be joining Disney Cruise Line’s ever-growing roster of award-winning ships sailing around the world. These new ships will arrive between 2027 and 2031.

Five ships are currently in the fleet, with four others already in the works. These new, four additional ships will bring the fleet to a total of 13, giving you 13 different opportunities to experience everything that Disney Cruise Line is known for. The ship names, designs, and exciting itineraries are still in development, but go ahead and start dreaming about your next sailing! 

And there’s still more that Josh discussed during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Josh revealed that the signature production aboard the Disney Destiny — which starts sailing next year — will be “Disney Hercules,” featuring the music and characters you know and love from the classic Walt Disney Animation Studios film.

Additionally, Josh revealed new details about the Disney Treasure — setting sail later this year! — where guests will get to see the brand-new stage production, “Disney The Tale of Moana.” The show will also include a giant puppet on stage.

“Te Kā will appear onstage as a 15-foot-tall puppet – the largest we’ve ever produced for a Disney Cruise Line show,” Josh told the crowd. “I’ve had a chance to see this in person, and it is stunning.”

Additionally, Josh revealed new details about the Disney Treasure — setting sail later this year!where guests will get to see the brand-new stage production, “Disney The Tale of Moana.” The show will also include a giant puppet on stage

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Is the magic of Disney calling your name? Contact your MMV agent for more info. Ready to plan your 2024 or 2025 Disney Destination getaway. Request a quote today!