https://www.thenerdelement.com/2024/08/16/d23-announcements-for-disney-world-and-disneyland/

Hello everyone! Today I want to discuss some big announcements that came out of D23 Disney parks this year! It happens every year in August. So, let’s get right into it, shall we?! Starting with Disney World, first on the line-up was the reveal of “Disney Starlight,” a new nighttime parade for Walt Disney World will be debuting summer 2025 and featuring characters from Encanto, Frozen, Peter Pan, and more.

Over at Animal Kingdom, after a Zootopia-themed show was announced at last year’s Destination D23 for Animal Kingdom, Disney shared new details at the D23 2024 Horizons panel, including its name “Zootopia Better Zoogether” and a winter 2025 opening. “Zootopia Better Zoogether” will replace the current “It’s Tough to be a Bug” show housed inside Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life theater. Also, they will be adding the new rides of Indiana Jones and Encanto. The DinoLand U.S.A. at Walt Disney World is being overhauled to a Tropical Americas-themed land whose official name is Pueblo Esperanza. D’Amaro announced construction on the 11-acre land will begin later this year and include a wood-carved, giant carousel featuring Disney characters.

Epcot is set to gain a lounge inspired by the Spaceship Earth attraction and its geometric sphere. As announced at Destination D23 in 2023, the Magic Kingdom is gaining a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge.

Both lounges open in 2025. Josh D’Amaro provided new information about Epcot’s next iteration of Test Track which opens in 2025. According to D’Amaro, this version of Test Track will feature six distinct exhibits and new show scenes, the latter of which will show technological advances and involve customization, personalization, and a scenic outdoor route.

One of the biggest bombshells of the panel thus far, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is gaining a Monsters, Inc. land, complete with the first-ever suspended coaster in a Disney Park. Disney explained the land is set after the events of the original film where humans have been invited to the Monsters, Inc. world. Here they will journey into the factory and ride on a door, just like Mike and Sully.

Coming to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland at Walt Disney World is a new Cars-themed land featuring two new attractions. The first involves a rally race through the mountains complete with geysers, rocky terrain, and mudholes. The second? A family-friendly attraction geared towards the younger members of the family. Work on this new Frontierland expansion begins in early 2025. The Cars land will be replacing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer’s Island.

Coming to Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run at both Disneyland and Disney World’s Star Wars: Galaxy Edge is a brand-new story featuring Mando and Grogu. Dave Filoni announced the addition, saying:     “Just imagine it: you’ll be able to fly alongside Mando and Grogu on thrilling, and dangerous, missions.” Guests can expect this new addition when The Mandalorian and Grogu arrives in theaters in 2026. That means that the Mandalorian and Grogu will be appearing inside the attraction when it is officially released.

Then, one of the biggest announcements of the panel? Josh D’Amaro’s reveal that a Villains Land is coming to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Described as the home for the baddies from Walt Disney Animation Studios classic films, D’Amaro confirmed the land will offer two major attractions, dining, and shopping, saying, “It’s going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be.” While no timeline or opening date was revealed, Disney claimed preparation is already underway at the Magic Kingdom.

Wow! I really think that Disney went hard and aggressive because they know that Epic Universe is going to be drawing a lot of attention. I did tell you that Disney will have something big to announce and they did just that! Now, I want to move over to the announcements that were made at Disneyland resort.

First, in addition to unveiling new concept art (via @ScottGustin on X), Josh D’Amaro announced Disneyland’s Avatar Land is coming to Disney California Adventure. Not only is the land inspired by Avatar: The Way of Water, but also James Cameron’s upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash threequel and future Avatar films. Some expectations were suggesting that the land could go into either Grizzly Peak or Hollywood land. It can be part of the expansion that Disney has planned out in the future even though it was not mentioned at all at D23 event.

Also coming to Disney California Adventure is Disney’s first-ever Coco ride where guests will join Miguel on a trip to the land of the dead. The Disney Parks Blog noted the ride is inspired by the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean and will include a “skeletal cast” of audio-animatronic characters. Work on the attraction is expected to get underway in 2026. Some expectations were saying that it could either replace Goofy’s Sky School, the Boardwalk Pizza place, Hyperion Theater or the Little Mermaid ride which I don’t think that they won’t replace that ride, but I could be wrong.

Disneyland’s version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open on November 15, 2024. Disney also revealed that the park’s Critter Country will be renamed Bayou Country. The new ride will open up when Christmas season starts at the Disneyland resort. It will be a very busy day on that date because everyone will want to book their reservations for it. And if the new ride is going to be very busy, so would all the other attractions such as Indiana Jones, Big Thunder, Pirates, Haunted Mansion amid virtue que, Space Mountain and etc… Along with that, I think that Winnie the Pooh, Davy Crockett’s Canoes, two new stores and the Disneyland Railroad will all be open with all the stations open. The reason I think that is because Disney knows that they need to have everything open and they want to bring more people in.

The other news that really interested me is the expansion of the Avengers Campus along with two new rides. Avengers Campus at Disneyland’s Disney California Adventure is confirmed to double in size with two new attractions. The long-awaited King Thanos Multiverse Ride officially has a name: Avengers Infinity Defense. The story is King Thanos has stolen tech allowing Avengers to jump between worlds. Guests (aka recruits) will travel to MCU locales like Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City, and come face to face with the Mad Titan. The second attraction coming to the campus is Stark Flight Lab where guests ride in two-person pods controlled by a robot arm. Robert Downey Jr. is confirmed to reprise his role as Tony Stark for the attraction. Construction begins next year.

The Disneyland Park will get a new show with a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic for its 70th anniversary next year. “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will debut in the Main Street Opera House in 2025. This is the first time Walt Disney has been brought to life as an animatronic. “I speak for our entire team when I say there is so much pride and excitement for everyone involved in this endeavor,” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro said onstage at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. “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,” he continued. “His great-nephew, Roy P. Disney, visited the Imagineering campus recently to see our progress.” Roy was spotlighted in the audience at D23 as D’Amaro thanked him.

“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.”

Walt Disney

Walt will appear on a set inspired by his studio office. The concept art includes a map of Disneyland and a picture of “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln” on the wall above Walt’s desk. Speaking of, it seems “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” will temporarily replace “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” But after its initial run, the two shows will rotate with each other. Disney didn’t share an exact timeline for that initial run, but it will likely be in tandem with the 70th anniversary celebration dates, which have yet to be announced.

Disneyland is really becoming more magical and it wants to bring more people to the parks to experience new things that are coming.

So, what are your thoughts on everything announced for both Disney World and Disneyland?!

I would love to hear lots of comments and thoughts down below!

Stay tuned for Disney updates.

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