Thousands of fans packed Anaheim’s Honda Center on Aug. 15 for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. CNN described it as the latest in Disney’s biennial expos, with 12,000 people attending the headliner Disney Experiences Showcase. That night, Disney unveiled new lands, retooled classics, and shared updated timelines for Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as for Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, with major projects slated to open across 2027 and 2028.
As the showcase wound down, host Neil Patrick Harris burst onstage in full costume as Dreamfinder, the fictional character from EPCOT’s original Journey into Imagination, USA TODAY reported. The sold-out crowd erupted, recognizing years of fan requests finally answered. CNN reported Disney had tapped into nostalgia earlier that night too, asking fans to write cherished Disneyland memories on notecards for burial beneath trees at the new “Coco” attraction.
Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum told the crowd the reimagined Tomorrowland will bring “more open spaces and new places for Disneyland guests to dream about the future,” according to CNN. Fan Frida Quiroz told CNN the update addresses a common complaint, saying “how boring and out-of-date Tomorrowland is,” a space that “feels stuck in the past.” With Spaceship Earth and the Everest yeti also promised, the news raises one real question: what is worth waiting for?
What’s Opening in 2027
Monstropolis, the new Monsters, Inc.-themed land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is set to open in early 2027 with a theater show, two restaurants and a shop; a previously announced roller coaster will follow later, according to CNN. The theater production, called “Welcome to Monstropolis,” will feature a new original song of the same name written by composer Randy Newman.
Walt Disney World’s Carousel of Progress, one of Walt Disney’s original 1964 World’s Fair presentations, will debut a reimagined version in late spring 2027. Actors Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston will voice the parents in the updated Audio-Animatronic show. Fan Shealynn Graves told CNN she’s especially excited about the redesign, calling this year’s slate of announcements a return to “old form” on projects Disney has teased for years.
Two new Disney’s Animal Kingdom attractions were detailed without opening dates. Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto will be set inside Casita, with Stephanie Beatriz, Jess Darrow and Diane Guerrero reprising their voice roles and no height requirement, so full families can ride together. Nearby, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent will mark the first time Harrison Ford has modeled a Disney Audio-Animatronic figure.
The Bigger Bets: 2028 and Beyond
Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus will double in size when its expansion opens in 2028, adding two new attractions to the current Marvel-themed area. Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab will feature returning Marvel film actors, including Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner and Brie Larson. Giving longtime fans another reason to plan a return trip once the expansion opens.
A Disney spokesperson outlined the rollout order for California Adventure and Disneyland, according to CNN: the Avengers Campus expansion will open first, followed by the new “Coco” boat ride, then the Tomorrowland redesign at Disneyland, before Imagineers return to California Adventure for the previously announced “Avatar”-themed land. The “Coco” ride’s story picks up one year after the film ends and, like Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, has no height requirement.
Not every fan left satisfied. Quiroz told CNN that Disney “just told people what they want to hear with zero commitment,” adding it could be years before real details emerge. Theme park journalist Carlye Wisel, host of the Very Amusing podcast, offered a more optimistic read, saying fixing broken elements and improving lackluster lands are “changes all guests benefit from, whether it’s your first ride or 500th.”
What’s Already Coming Back, and What to Expect
Two of the most anticipated Magic Kingdom projects have no opening date. Villains Land, sized similarly to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, will include a Maleficent-themed roller coaster and a journey below the Evil Queen’s palace where the Magic Mirror conjures other villains, according to CNN. Piston Peak, the new Cars-themed area, will feature Cars Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along, the latter boasting a bus-sized Audio-Animatronic, per USA TODAY.
Some changes need no waiting at all. Disneyland is bringing back the “Magic Happens” parade, and an updated World of Color heads to Disney California Adventure, per USA TODAY. CNN reported the “Remember…Dreams Come True” fireworks first debuted for the park’s 50th anniversary. Fan Sarah White told CNN nostalgic entertainment like this drew her back a decade ago, after Disney revived a classic parade she’d only seen on old home video.
With headline attractions spread across 2027, 2028 and undated future phases, travelers weighing a visit now versus later have real trade-offs to consider. Mazloum told CNN that whether Disney is “reimagining a beloved classic or building something brand new, the goal is the same: Get the experience right, and guests don’t just come back, they bring the next generation with them.” For now, the returning classics are already here, but the biggest new lands will take years.
