As you may know, I’m a big fan of the Walt Disney Company.  I worked there for over fifteen years.  My wife worked there.  My brother and his wife worked there.  My youngest daughter currently works there.  Needless to say – we’re fans, so all of us were patiently waiting for the big announcements coming out of D23, Disney’s showcase of company announcements and plans for the future of their parks and experiences.

Seeing as how Universal is opening up a brand new theme park in Orlando in 2025 (Universal’s Epic Universe), it is unsurprising that Disney came into this year’s expo with lots of exciting projects to announce, and boy – they did not disappoint.  Here’s a listing of all of the new projects on tap for the Disney parks, and all of these are set to happen in the next one to five years.

Disneyland, California

• A Walt Disney audio-animatronic character will be unveiled and be part of a new show on Disneyland’s Main Street, USA.  This new show will run in tandem with their current “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” show.
• “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” (attraction overlay of the old “Splash Mountain” ride)

Disney’s California Adventure

• The Avenger’s Campus will double in size and introduce two new “E-ticket”  attractions:
  • Avenger’s Infinity Defense (a flight simulator traveling through time)
  • Tony Stark’s Flight Lab (a flying simulator using the Kuka ride arm system)
• “Coco” themed boat ride
• “Avatar” themed land, based upon the “Way of Water” and new Fire and Ash” films
  • Themed boat ride, plus shopping and dining experiences

Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

• An all new “Villains” land will be created, showcasing the “darker side” of Disney.  It wil feature shops, dining experiences, and two brand new attractions.
• A new nighttime parade called “Disney Starlight”
• Two new “Cars” inspired attractions (including an “E-ticket” attraction), to be placed in a re-imagined Frontierland
• Pirates themed lounge in Adventureland

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• An all new “Monsters, Inc” land, which will allow visitors to visit and tour the city of “Monstropolis”.  It will also feature a new, suspended roller coaster themed to the door factory from the hit Pixar movie.
• “Mandalorian and Grogu” mission for “Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run” attraction

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• A new “Tropical Americas” land (replacing the current “Dinoland”) featuring dining, shopping, and two new attractions:
  • Indiana Jones themed ride (replacing “Dinosaur”)
  • “Encanto” attraction
• “Zooptopia” show (replacing “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” at the Tree of Life)

Epcot Center

• New “Spaceship Earth” guest lounge
• “Test Track” attraction reinvention/re-imagining

Disneyland Paris

• A new “Lion King” themed land at the Disney Adventure World Park (formerly the Disney Studios – Paris), featuring a log flume ride themed to the Pridelands and Pride Rock.
• “Frozen” land at Disney Adventure World, featuring rides, shops, and themed dining
• A new castle show for Disneyland Paris

Shanghai Disneyland

• “Spiderman” themed roller coaster

Hong Kong Disneyland

• “Spiderman” themed attraction

Disney Cruise Line

• Four new ships were announced, bringing the cruise line fleet to a staggering thirteen ships in total

As you can see, there’s a lot to look forward to over the next few years for the Walt Disney Company.  Save your pennies (who am I kidding, save your five dollar bills) and get ready for the newest thrills and attractions that the Disney parks will soon be offering!