Disney World & Disney Cruise Line D23 2026 Announcements: What We Learned and What We’re Still Waiting For
- Bren, Lyn, and Kim
- 4 hours ago
- 13 min read
Last night Disney held their D23 Parks Panel, the highlight of the D23: The Disney Ultimate Fan Event for Disney Park fans, giving us a glimpse behind the curtain at all the exciting things planned for Disney Parks around the world. In years past, fans have shaken the rafters as large projects like New Fantasyland, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Pandora, and a huge overhaul of EPCOT were announced. Cue excitement and plans for future Disney World Trips.
The panel two years ago kicked it up a notch by announcing a record-breaking investment in the parks as a crazy number of expansions and new attractions were announced. Fans went nuts, thrilled by the new things to come and heartbroken by the things we had to say goodbye to to see these new things come to fruition. If you came into the Disney Experiences Showcase this year expecting another night of jaw-dropping new lands and surprise attractions, this probably wasn't your night. Much of the evening was Disney staying the course and showing they will be delivering on their promises, saying, “Remember that enormous list of things we promised two years ago? They're really happening.”
There were attraction names. There was concept art. There were construction updates. And there were several very loud reminders that Disney has been listening to its fans. Some announcements gave us a genuinely exciting new look at what's coming. Others left us cheering first and asking, “Okay...but when?” about thirty seconds later.
The Announcements That Actually Gave Us Something to Sink Our Teeth Into
Hollywood Studios: Monstropolis begins opening in 2027
This was the part of the presentation where we kept thinking, “Yes! This is what we wanted tonight.” Not because Monstropolis was a surprise, but because Disney finally started telling us how this place will actually feel when we walk into it.
And they were feeding us. Disney expanded on the feel and theming of the land, confirming what had been previously released by Disney Parks blog. Then they delved into the meat of it. A new show is coming to the Glob theatre, hosted by Sully and Mike. (Concept art makes it clear this is a redo of the theatre from our beloved and departed Muppets Vision 3D.) Disney Legend Randy Newman has written a new song specifically for the land, “Welcome to Monstropolis,” his first composition created for a Disney theme park. Disney also revealed several locations: Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, the Monsters University Alumni Club, a merchandise shop called the Scareporium, and, finally, Harryhausen’s restaurant. Harryhausen's will feature an Audio-Animatronic version of its many-tentacled sushi chef and a menu Disney says will be unlike anything else currently offered at Walt Disney World.
Finally, a little taste of the new Doors Coaster, the main star of Monstropolis: a suspended design featuring vehicles that hang below the track with riders being lifted 40 feet into the air in 4 seconds.
These announcements came with an interesting and exciting wrinkle: parts of Monstropolis will open in 2027 while work continues on the Monsters, Inc. door coaster. Disney did not say during the event when the coaster itself will open.
We love the idea of an earlier opening for most of this brand new area, and are excited to get to walk through it next year. We worry a little bit about bottlenecking in this zone, as so many people pass this way already on their way to Galaxy’s Edge.
We’ve been following the transformation of this corner of Hollywood Studios closely in our Monstropolis and H.U.M.A.N. Day guide, including what’s replacing the former Muppets Courtyard and how the new land is expected to fit into the park.
Magic Kingdom: Carousel of Progress
The Carousel of Progress was integral to the theming of the panel, with Neil Patrick Harris taking on the role of John, the patriarch of the storyline, narrating each new announcement as if it was a turn of the Carousel, so it makes sense we were given a more in depth look into the details for the reimagining of the attraction.
We already knew Walt will be joining the Carousel. We did not know Disney was essentially rebuilding the family's entire timeline, and this was one of the few announcements of the night where every new detail made the project feel more real.
The new version begins in the 1960s, with the family watching the 1969 moon landing. Act Two jumps to Halloween 1985, with Sarah taking center stage. Act Three is New Year's Eve 1999, as the family experiences the growing Internet. The finale jumps to a possible distant future with robots and space travel, inspired partly by John Hench's original concept work. “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” stays.
And we got new voices: Jamie Lee Curtis will voice Sarah and Bryan Cranston will voice John. The refreshed Carousel of Progress is now confirmed to debut in late spring 2027.
For more on the attraction’s history, Walt’s connection to it, and everything already announced for the reimagining, pop over to our Carousel of Progress history and updates guide.
Animal Kingdom: Tropical Americas
The big overhaul of where Dinoland USA is finally starting to feel real as the Imagineers discussed more specific details for the three attractions coming to this area.
Indiana Jones - Snakes, Why Did it Have to be Snakes?
This highly anticipated attraction (at least by us) is now officially Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. And Harrison Ford, through a video announcement, said he is being used as the model for the attraction's Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic. Both Ford and Disney said this will be the first Disney attraction anywhere to feature Ford's likeness as Indy.
The completely original story takes guests beneath a Maya temple near a sinkhole believed to lead to the Underworld. Riders are pulled through a portal and encounter bats, huge scorpions, fire and the enormous serpent guardian Tsukán and have to escape before time runs out. (They’re not going to make it, they’re not going to make it…) Disney showed the massive Tsukán Audio-Animatronic being built, and it apparently towers over the Imagineers working on it. We were also given a more detailed look into the temple currently being incorporated into the ride’s entrance.
All of this is important because it reinforces that this isn't simply Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure dropped into the DINOSAUR ride building. The ride system may have familiar DNA, but the story, setting and major show elements are being created specifically for Animal Kingdom.
Tropical Americas: Encanto attractions
The Encanto ride is officially Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto. The story takes place on Antonio's gift day, when guests enter Casita to celebrate his ability to communicate with animals. The vehicles are pieces of furniture magically assembled by Casita, and the house itself reacts to the action around you.
There will be no height requirement, and Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow and Diane Guerrero are returning as Mirabel, Luisa and Isabela. The ride culminates in Antonio's rainforest-filled room and contains more than 50 animals, with Imagineering consulting Disney's Animals, Science and Environment team to accurately represent Colombian wildlife.
The Tropical Americas carousel also got its official name: El Carrusel de los Animalitos, with 22 hand-carved Disney and Pixar animal figures including Pua, Simba, Eeyore, Pascal, Squirt and others. Disney also mentioned the land's large hacienda will house one of Walt Disney World's largest quick-service restaurants, previously confirmed through concept art and the Disney Parks Blog.
Rides here for families with littles are few and far between, and a new “classic Disney” dark ride will be a great addition, bringing more depth to the offering at the park and along with Bluey’s Wild World and Zootopia: Better Zoogether should bring Animal Kingdom into a place more guests can enjoy.
What’s missing though? We’ve heard nothing about actual animal trails or experiences in the Tropical Americas zone. Something along the lines of the Jungle Trek in Asia or the Gorilla Trails in Africa would give the park even more diversity. We also received no updated timeline for a land that seems to be coming along nicely.
That balance between attractions and animal experiences is a huge part of what makes this park different, something we dig into more in our Animal Kingdom Map & Park Layout Guide.
Magic Kingdom: Both Piston Peak attractions now have names
The big Cars attraction is officially named Cars Ridge Run Rally. Riders compete for the “fastest lap in the west,” climbing a bumpy Piston Peak to a snowy mountain top, plunging down a camelback descent and racing through a geyser field ending with a splash through the biggest geyser in the wilderness, Old Tank Full, before Lightning McQueen and Mater call the finish for Racing Sports Network. More interestingly, Disney says the vehicles are genuinely designed to react to the terrain: the tires and suspension physically respond to the rocks, bumps and drops beneath them rather than simply simulating an off-road ride. It’s giving a Test Track-esque vibe.
The second attraction is now Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along, a family ride built around a demolition derby hosted by a school-bus-sized Miss Fritter Audio-Animatronic.
While lacking an opening timeline, this is a fun update, especially paired with the full scale model on the Imagineering pavilion floor. Combined, the panel update and model gave up the biggest look of the night at what is to come, and how it will fit into existing park structure and flow. Seeing it laid out both visually and with new details should allay some people's fears about Frontierland integrity, and maybe even dampen some of the sorrow people felt about saying goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.
Seeing the full-scale Piston Peak model in person at the Imagineering pavilion helped bring the project into focus even more. If you want a closer look at the models, concept art, ride technology, and other behind-the-scenes details Disney showcased there, we’ve pulled it all together in our Imagineering Pavilion at D23 2026 post.
Magic Kingdom: Villains Land finally has real attraction details
The announcements for this land were much more substantive than just another piece of concept art. Villains Land is now the official name, and Disney gave both headliners identities and stories. The land itself is built around an original story in which an evil wish shatters a wishing well and releases corrupted magic, drawing villains who build their lairs around it. Disney says the scale of the land will be comparable to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
The first major attraction will be a Maleficent roller coaster, racing through the enchanted briars around her mountaintop fortress. Disney says it will use coaster elements
Imagineering has “never attempted before.” The second will be a Magic Mirror dark ride. Guests descend beneath the Evil Queen’s palace, where the Magic Mirror transports them into his Mirror Realm and conjures multiple Disney Villains using physical sets and special effects. Disney did not announce an opening date during the showcase.
This is a legitimate big update. Villains Land itself and the fact that it would have two major attractions were already known; Maleficent coaster + Magic Mirror dark ride + the actual land storyline are the panel’s big news.
Then there was Glenn Close appearing on the stage for the first time in 30 years as Cruella de Vil for an extended bit centering around the need for Cruella to have her own attraction. Was this a hint at things to come? We certainly hope so.
Of all the projects Disney had already announced, Villains Land was probably the one we were most anxious to learn more about, and Disney did finally give us something substantial here. We know what the two major attractions actually are. We know the story behind the land. We even know Disney is aiming for Galaxy's Edge scale. What we still don't know, of course, is when any of us will actually get to walk through it, or how exactly it will be slotted into the existing areas of the park.
Piston Peak is just one piece of the enormous slate of construction underway right now. We’re tracking the projects, closures and new lands in our What’s Changing at Walt Disney World guide.
Future Planning: YAY!...Wait, That's All You're Telling Us?
We also got a firm sense that Disney is listening to the fans, fixing or updating things fans have wanted for quite a while. These announcements created a feeling of excitement and of being heard. It is comforting to know that Disney is not only holding a steady path as they make huge changes to the parks, but they are listening to and responsive to the fan wants and needs.
EPCOT: Dreamfinder is coming back
This may be the fan headline of the night. It was certainly ours. I’ll admit to screaming a little bit at the livestream when Neil Patrick Harris turned around as Dreamfinder.
Disney announced that Dreamfinder and Figment will be reunited at EPCOT in a “new journey into imagination.” Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum specifically said Disney had heard fans (including NPH) asking for this.
And then, once we stopped screaming, we realized Disney had told us almost nothing. There is no opening date, attraction name or explanation yet of exactly what happens to the current Journey Into Imagination With Figment.
Huge news, but deliberately vague news. We would have liked at least a rough timeline. Upon reflection, we can't quite shake the worry that this was fan service first and a fully formed project second. We sincerely hope we're wrong. We love the idea, but without any look into their thinking or timeline, this one feels very far away.
Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest
They are fixing the Yeti!
Yes. That Yeti.
Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum announced onstage:
“We’re bringing the Yeti back to life inside Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!”
Disney hasn't yet said exactly what the repair entails, when Everest will close, how long any work will take or when the restored Yeti will debut.
But this isn't speculation about B-mode or another lighting effect. Disney's official announcement specifically calls it the Yeti Audio-Animatronic coming back to life.
Disney fans have been waiting two decades for this.
For those who are not aware, Yeti has been broken almost since opening. For years, conventional Disney-fan wisdom held that repairing the Yeti required the attraction to be essentially taken apart from the top, which would be huge in scale and didn’t seem to be viable. Consequently ,the strobe lighting effect was used to simulate movement as the cars rushed through the darkened cavern.
However, people in the Disney space have been theorizing for a while this might be possible. With the opening of Tropical Americas Disney may feel like there will be enough Animal Kingdom attractions for the park not to suffer loss of attendance due to an e-ticket attraction being down for an extended period of time.
We are 1000% here for this, but again, no timeline, no concrete details, just it’s going to happen…someday…for sure! Promise.
EPCOT: Spaceship Earth is finally being reimagined
Disney also confirmed a major update to Spaceship Earth, its first substantial update in almost 20 years. The attraction's focus will broaden from the history of human communication to the idea of human connection, carrying the story “into the internet age and beyond.”
We love this announcement. We have also heard a version of this announcement before. Once again, Disney did not announce a closure date, reopening date, narrator, specific new scenes or whether any existing historic scenes will disappear. So there's plenty we don't know yet. But the refurbishment itself is now official. This was planned in the past, and canceled during the COVID-era, and at this point it feels a little like, “Sometime in the future we plan to give the fans what they want.” But without any more specifics, the future could be way, way off.
Disney Cruise Line
And then there is Disney Cruise Line. While the cruise announcements weren't enormous, we did get our first meaningful look at the Disney Believe and one genuinely intriguing but undetailed hint about the future of the fleet.
Disney Believe: Moana Grand Hall + Toy Story stern + Tinker Bell bow
The Disney Believe will begin sailing in late 2027, and tonight Disney gave us the first substantial look at its design.
The Grand Hall will be themed to Moana, built around themes of optimism, exploration and Polynesian artistry. Its centerpiece will be a bronze statue of Moana with Pua and Heihei looking toward the horizon.
The stern character sculpture will feature Woody and Buzz Lightyear, who appear to be writing the ship's name across the stern with giant yellow crayons in Toy Story-style block lettering rather than the traditional Disney Cruise Line script.
And the bow filigree will feature Tinker Bell, accompanied by silhouettes of Peter Pan, Wendy, Captain Hook and other Peter Pan characters. Disney says the ship's larger theme revolves around belief in magic, family, nature and yourself; onboard stories will include Encanto, Frozen, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Moana and The Little Mermaid.
We are ready to sail on her now, (Disney take my money) and are looking forward to knowing more details about her maiden voyage and ports of call.
The next three Disney ships will be an entirely new class
We already knew more ships were coming, but tonight Disney revealed that three of them will form an entirely new class beginning in 2029. Disney gave the first visual preview of the class, that contained very little substance, just a tiny tease of the upcoming class.
They'll fall between Disney's classic ships and the Wish-class ships in size — larger than the Disney Wonder but smaller than the Disney Wish. Disney specifically said that size is intended to give the ships more flexibility to visit new destinations and reach markets the newer large ships cannot as easily serve.
The concept art doesn’t tell us much, but the size did. A ship deliberately designed to reach places the Wish-class ships can't, opens some very interesting possibilities for future Disney itineraries. We’re imagining places like South America glaciers, slightly upriver cities like London, the French Riviera, or Bermuda. Unfortunately, Disney wasn't ready to tell us where any of them might go. No names, home ports or itineraries were revealed tonight.
Pixie Dust Take on the Reveals
So no, this wasn't a D23 Parks Panel that shook the rafters. There wasn't a New Fantasyland or Galaxy's Edge-sized reveal waiting around every turn of the Carousel. But Disney committed themselves to a massive amount of work two years ago, most of which hadn’t even broken ground. Now they needed to show us that what they had promised was happening, and happening with the care and standards we expect of Disney, while holding the carrot of some future much-longed-for updates in front of our faces, but without any timeline.
That’s the one thing we did wish there had been more of: a timeline. When can we expect all these grand things to open? How long do we have to wait? We get that it is a lot of work with plenty of obstacles and Disney didn’t want to commit and then not be able to deliver, but it did create a concern for follow through, at least until we know when we get to actually experience it. As frustrating as this was, it is likely to be nothing more than having a new head of Disney Experiences, and their communication style is different than we are accustomed to, or Disney having over-promised timelines in the past and are being more conservative now.
So while maybe some of the jokes fell a little flat, and seemed a little over the top, the panel was at its heart a testament to Disney’s dedication to the guest experience and their hardcore fans. We are excited to see how these projects evolve and can’t wait to experience them in person one day.
Pixie Dust Hugs,
Bren, Lyn, and Kim 🧚♀️
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