D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event took place in Anaheim on August 14-16, 2026, and Saturday night’s Disney Experiences Showcase brought a ton of news for both coasts. We learned new details and got a few surprises too.

We’ve put together every Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme park announcement in one place, so you don’t have to scroll for hours. You’ll find all the official details and dates that have been released, and we’re calling out which parts are new versus which projects you’ve already heard about.

Walt Disney World

All four Walt Disney World parks got news at D23 this year. Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios each had at least one update, ranging from brand new project reveals to fresh details on lands that have been under construction for a while.

Magic Kingdom

• Villains Land has been in the works since 2024, but D23 is where it actually became real. Disney confirmed the official name, ah-hem… Villains Land and gave us our first look at the two headline attractions. First is a roller coaster starring Maleficent, and the second is a dark ride hosted by the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror. The Evil Queen, Cruella de Vil, and Dr. Facilier each get their own space inside the land. Disney has not announced an opening date. Based on the permits filed so far, most fan trackers are guessing somewhere between late 2027 and 2030.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

• Piston Peak National Park, the Cars-themed land replacing Rivers of America, is also a known project. What’s new: both rides finally have names. Cars Ridge Run Rally is the thrill ride, sending guests up a mountain and through a geyser field. Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along is the family-friendly one, a demolition derby starring a school-bus-sized Miss Fritter animatronic. Disney has not set an opening date.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

• Carousel of Progress was already closed for its overhaul before D23, and we already knew it was getting a new 1980s scene with a target reopening of late spring 2027. What we DIDN’T know: Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston are voicing Mother and Father. Can you imagine a more iconic duo? We can’t.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

EPCOT

• Spaceship Earth is all new news. Disney announced its first major story change in nearly 20 years, shifting the ride’s focus from communication to human connection while keeping the same trip through history. Disney has not shared closure or reopening dates yet.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

• Journey Into Imagination with Figment is also a fresh announcement. Disney confirmed the ride is being reimagined and that Dreamfinder is officially coming back. That’s all Disney shared. There is no concept art, no timeline, and no word yet on what happens to the current ride in the meantime.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Tropical Americas, the land replacing the old DinoLand, U.S.A., has been in the pipeline since 2024. D23 filled in the blanks: all three attractions now have official names and story details. Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent will feature an Audio-Animatronics figure modeled after Harrison Ford himself. Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, a ride through dark attraction, and El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a family-friendly carousel, round out the land. It’s still on track for 2027.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

• Expedition Everest’s Yeti is a surprise addition to the list. The massive animatronic has run in “B-mode,” using a strobe effect instead of full motion, for close to 20 years. Disney confirmed at D23 that it’s finally being repaired, though no timeline was given.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Monstropolis, the Monsters, Inc. land taking over the old Muppets Courtyard, is another project we already knew about. New at D23: parts of the land will start opening in 2027, ahead of its headliner. The suspended door-chase coaster will not be ready when the rest of the land opens, and Disney hasn’t set a date for it. What is coming in 2027: Harryhausen’s restaurant, the Glob Theater (with a brand new Disney Legend Randy Newman song called “Welcome to Monstropolis”), and the Scareporium gift shop.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort’s D23 news leaned more on updates than reveals. Most of what came out was new detail layered onto projects Disney had already confirmed, plus the one surprise fans had been hoping for: official word that Tomorrowland is finally getting reimagined.

Disneyland Park

• Tomorrowland is getting a full reimagining. This one’s new. Disney promised more attractions and more open space, but this was more of an “it’s happening” reveal than a details reveal. Disney has not announced a timeline, but we’re hoping Tomorrowland is more like tomorrow and less like years away…

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

• Remember… Dreams Come True, the nighttime fireworks spectacular, is coming back with refreshed projections starting in February 2027. That date is new.
• Magic Happens, the daytime parade, is returning to Disneyland Park as part of a new “Calling All Dreamers” celebration. Disney has not attached a specific return date. We’re thrilled to see this fan favorite parade return.

Disney California Adventure Park

• Coco, the boat ride, has been a known project since it was first announced. What’s new is the story detail: it’s set a year after the movie, the entrance features Miguel’s great-great-grandfather Hector Rivera, and boats carry guests through the Land of the Dead. There’s no height requirement. Disney has not announced an opening date for this ride either.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

• The Avatar experience is still on the books. Disney has not canceled it, despite rumors going into D23, and showed a new model of the boat ride on the show floor, confirming the project for Hollywood Land is still moving forward. What’s new is the timeline. Disney is shifting the project’s priority to focus resources on the new Tomorrowland project at Disneyland Park first, which pushes Avatar’s own opening further out. That delay has an upside for guests: Disney has pushed back the closure of Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, the ride Avatar will eventually replace, again. Disney has not announced a new closure date.
• Avengers Campus doubling in size isn’t new, but the timeline is. Two new attractions, Avengers: Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab, are now confirmed for 2028. Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, and Brie Larson are all reprising their roles.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

• World of Color isn’t getting a new name. Disney is retiring the current “World of Color – One” and bringing back the original “World of Color” title with an updated take, featuring new segments from films like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Toy Story. It returns in February 2027.

That’s every theme park update Disney confirmed at D23 2026 for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. A lot of these are still years out, so treat the “no date yet” items as things to keep an eye on rather than trip-planning details for now. Once dining reservations open for new spots like Harryhausen’s, set a free dining alert at MouseDining.com so you don’t miss your shot at a table.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did D23 2026 take place?
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event ran August 14-16, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

What is opening first at Walt Disney World?
Carousel of Progress has the earliest confirmed date, reopening in late spring 2027. Disney is also targeting parts of Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom and parts of Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios for 2027.

Did Disney give an opening date for Villains Land?
No. Disney confirmed the name and the two headline attractions but did not announce an opening date.

Is a Cars ride coming to Magic Kingdom?
Yes. Piston Peak National Park is the Cars-themed land replacing Rivers of America in Frontierland. Its two attractions, Cars Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along, both got official names at D23 2026, though Disney has not announced an opening date.

Is Dreamfinder coming back to EPCOT?
Yes. Disney confirmed it is reimagining Journey Into Imagination with Figment and bringing Dreamfinder officially back. Disney has not shared a timeline, concept art, or any word on what happens to the current ride in the meantime.

What’s new at EPCOT?
Spaceship Earth is getting its first major story change in nearly 20 years, shifting the ride’s focus to human connection. Disney is also reimagining Journey Into Imagination with Figment and bringing back Dreamfinder. Disney has not announced dates for either project.

What’s new at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?
Tropical Americas now has official names and story details for all three of its attractions, and it’s still on track for a 2027 opening. Disney also confirmed that it’s finally repairing the long-broken Yeti animatronic in Expedition Everest, though it did not give a repair timeline.

What’s new at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
Monstropolis, the Monsters, Inc. land, will begin opening in phases in 2027, though its headliner suspended coaster will not be ready yet. Disney also shared new details on Harryhausen’s restaurant and a new theme song from Randy Newman.

What’s new at Disneyland Park?
Disney confirmed it is reimagining Tomorrowland, though it did not announce a timeline. The Remember… Dreams Come True fireworks show returns in February 2027, and the Magic Happens parade is coming back as part of a new “Calling All Dreamers” celebration.

What’s new at Disney California Adventure Park?
New story details on the Coco boat ride, a 2028 opening date for the expanded Avengers Campus, confirmation that Disney has not canceled the Avatar experience (it’s just coming later than planned), and an updated take on the original World of Color returning in February 2027.