Disney has unveiled a huge slate of updates, new attractions and expansion projects for its theme parks around the world during “Horizons: A Carousel of Progress,” the Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Held at the Honda Center in Anaheim on August 15, 2026, the showcase provided fans with new details on projects already under construction, as well as several major new announcements across Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort and Disney’s international destinations.
An iconic fan-favorite attraction and an ever-evolving, ever-revolving story of innovation, Carousel of Progress is undergoing a refurbishment to introduce four new decades and a new scene with the first-ever Florida-based Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure in late spring 2027.
During the showcase, it was revealed that the beloved matriarch and patriarch of the Carousel of Progress family, Sarah and John, will be voiced by Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis and Emmy Award-winning Bryan Cranston.
Start your engines for wild Frontierland fun! Piston Peak, the all-new area inspired by the Disney and Pixar “Cars” franchise, will take inspiration from the spirit of America’s National Parks and the rich storytelling of “Cars” to create a place that will rev up the whole family.
For young and young-at-engine roadsters, Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along features the demolition derby legend from “Cars 3” and giant school bus Audio-Animatronics figure, Miss Fritter, hosting her wildest derby yet.
For truly bold racers, compete for the fastest lap in the west with Cars Ridge Run Rally, a race that takes place up and down snow-capped Piston Peak and through a geyser field – the very same geyser field from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that will extend into the new area. The attraction will be a new type of racing experience unlike anything in a Disney theme park, with a newly developed ride vehicle that rocks, bumps, and drops like an off-road car taking on adventurous terrain.
Magic Mirror on the wall, which land is the most menacing and magnificent of them all? One of the most anticipated projects in Magic Kingdom history, Villains Land reveals itself with details about the story guests will encounter when they step across the boundary into villainous territory.
Fairytale mischief begins off the safe path and deep inside a foreboding dark forest, where guests stumble upon a broken, twisted Wishing Well – corrupted due to a mysterious figure’s evil wish that infused all the land with poisoned magic. With dark magic up for grabs, several Disney Villains, including Cruella, the Evil Queen, and Dr. Facilier, move in and conjure perfect new lairs for their nefarious and tempting deeds.
On a scale similar to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Villains Land will include dining, shopping, and two attractions: a thrilling Maleficent-inspired coaster experience through the staggering heights of a mountaintop fortress and a thicket of enchanted briars, and a dynamic dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror and featuring a whole array of your favorite Disney Villains.
For the first time in nearly 20 years, Spaceship Earth is getting an update. A reimagining is coming to the EPCOT park icon, bringing the attraction storyline into the internet age and beyond. Disney Imagineers are adding new magic, broadening the iconic attraction’s focus to a theme that is still classically EPCOT – human connection.
Proving that a dream can be a dream come true, it was revealed that EPCOT will take a new journey into imagination with everyone’s favorite purple dragon, Figment, and his longtime friend and companion, Dreamfinder. The whimsical dream-chaser who originally brought imagination to life in the Imagination pavilion’s original attraction will return in a new adventure with Figment – all it takes is one little spark.
An exciting collaboration between the physical world of a Disney experience and the digital world of Fortnite with Epic Games, guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can link their Disney and Epic Games accounts to access a new, custom adventure aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and a new Star Wars creative island, Smugglers Gambit, in Fortnite. The experiences in Fortnite and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland will go live Aug. 16, 2026.
Residents of the all-new land, Monstropolis, are excitedly preparing for H.U.M.A.N. Day (short for Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice) to welcome humans to the city starting in 2027!
To introduce the world of monsters, the Glob Theater will present “Welcome to Monstropolis” – a show hosted by Mike and Sulley and featuring lots of familiar faces – to showcase the city.
Quick-service restaurant Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza invites diners to college life, where the Alumni Club celebrates top scarers, student clubs, and familiar sororities and fraternities from the film “Monsters University.”
Bringing to life the iconic table service restaurant featured in “Monsters, Inc.”, Harryhausen’s will offer a menu unlike anything else at Walt Disney World, as well as an impressive new sushi chef Audio-Animatronics figure hard at work.
Ready for a souvenir from the monster world? Scareporium will open for human tourists to purchase monstrous merchandise to commemorate their visit.
While work continues on the coaster experience announced in 2024, the theater show, two dining experiences, and the merchandise shop will all open in 2027.
Take care, explorers, and pay close attention to the legends of what lurks in the Himalayas! Deep within Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, the attraction’s iconic Yeti Audio-Animatronics figure will come back to life.
Inspired by the myths and magic of the rainforests, rich cultures, and thrilling stories of South America, Central America, and Mexico, Tropical Americas will invite guests to explore a community shaped by nature.
The new land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be home to the vibrant and welcoming Pueblo Esperanza, where a local woodcarver has created a beautiful new family attraction, El Carrusel de los Animalitos – featuring 22 hand-carved animals from Disney and Pixar stories.
Just steps away, another beloved story will come to life. Guests can join the fun with Casita and the Madrigals in Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto. The no-height requirement attraction will be perfect for familias of all ages, and guests will marvel at more than 50 animals from the world of Disney’s “Encanto” represented throughout the famous Casita. Guests will be invited to celebrate Antonio’s new gift, which is the ability to communicate with animals. Voice actors from “Encanto” return to Casita to lend their voices to the attraction, including Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow, and Diane Guerrero, playing the roles of Mirabel, Luisa, and Isabella, respectively.
Adventurous explorers can join famous archaeologist Dr. Jones in Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. The good doctor seeks archeological knowledge deep inside a dry cenote in a Maya temple, where local folklore speaks of a passageway to the underworld protected by a large mythical serpent creature, the Tsukán.
The serpentine Tsukán will be brought to life as a hand-sculpted Audio-Animatronics figure on a massive scale, ensuring all visitors to the mysterious underworld adventure understand why Indy always asks, “Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?”
Not only will the attraction feature an original Indiana Jones story, but the Audio-Animatronics figures will be modeled from the original whip-cracking, fedora-wearing hero himself, Harrison Ford, for the first time on a Disney attraction anywhere in the world.
Disneyland Resort also featured heavily during the showcase, with the official Disneyland Resort D23 press page highlighting updates for Avengers Campus, the new Coco attraction and a major reimagining of Tomorrowland.
Disneyland fans also received some major entertainment news.
“Remember… Dreams Come True” will return to Disneyland with updated projection effects, while the “Magic Happens” parade will also make its return.
Disney will additionally bring back an updated version of the original World of Color at Disney California Adventure.
In one of the biggest surprises of the evening, Disney announced that Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park will be reimagined.
No detailed timeline or specific attraction changes were revealed, but Disney confirmed that a new version of the land is now in development.
The announcement represents a significant commitment to the future of one of Disneyland's original lands.
The expansion of Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure will feature two new attractions: Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab.
Disney revealed that the attractions are expected to open in 2028.
Avengers Infinity Defense will take guests on a multiverse-spanning adventure as they join the Avengers in a battle against King Thanos, with appearances from characters including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Hawkeye.
Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark for the experience, alongside Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie and Chris Hemsworth.
Stark Flight Lab will place guests inside Tony Stark’s technology, with two-person pods lifted and manipulated by a robotic arm in a high-speed flight simulation.
The first attraction based on Pixar’s Coco coming to a Disney Park also received an update.
The attraction will take guests alongside Miguel on a journey into the Land of the Dead, using the film’s vibrant visual style and Disney’s latest Audio-Animatronics technology.
The project is currently under construction at Disney California Adventure.
Disneyland Paris also received several updates during the showcase.
In 1995, Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune, paved a new way for the guest experience at Disneyland Paris, with its unique blending of thrills, world-first innovations, retro-futuristic aesthetics, and engaging storyline based on Jules Verne’s classic “From the Earth to the Moon” novel. Over the years, this guest-favorite attraction has continued to evolve, discovering new destinations, and galaxies along the way, as well as new dreams for daring guests willing to be catapulted among the stars from the 22-meter-long Columbiad Cannon. For the past ten years, guests blasted off into a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, on a secret mission for the Rebel Alliance. And now, a whole new generation of guests will be able to discover the original theme of the attraction, as the upcoming refurbishment will “bring back the Moon” to the heart of this iconic attraction! Walt Disney Imagineering Paris is currently hard at work on designing the refreshed attraction’s aesthetics, as Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain is preparing to close at the end of 2027 for a refurbishment over several months.
Led by Mickey Mouse and his pals, this daily parade will honor the timeless Disney magic and the power of dreams with elegant, state-of-the art new floats welcoming beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films such as the Genie and Jasmine from Aladdin, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog and Rapunzel from Tangled , as well as friends like Miguel from Disney and Pixar’s Coco.
“Be prepared for sensational news!” A brand-new Audio-Animatronics® figure of Scar will debut in the upcoming attraction inspired by The Lion King, currently under construction at Disney Adventure World. In new concept art revealed during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disneyland Paris unveiled a new confrontation scene in the attraction, with the treacherous villain standing in Simba’s path to become king of the Pride Lands – a scenery directly inspired by the iconic climax of the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios classic.
This attraction will be the centerpiece of the first immersive world based on The Lion King. Construction began in Fall 2025, with foundation work completed next to the banks of Adventure Bay, near World of Frozen. Designed to transport guests into the heart of the African savanna, the area is already beginning to take shape, with its first building structures now rising from the ground. At the heart of this immersive world, a spectacular new water-based attraction will invite families on a thrilling journey through iconic scenes from The Lion King. Brought to life through state-of-the-art visual effects, Audio-Animatronics® figures – Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, Scar and more – and the film’s beloved soundtrack, this adventure will navigate an exciting path with three exhilarating drops including an impressive 16-meter-high descent from the iconic Pride Rock.
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