BIG News from Walt Disney World at D23
D23, founded in 2009, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. The fan club is primarily known for its D23 Expo, an event that takes place every other year, a kind of Disney fair/conference. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company. This year’s event has just ended, and there have been many exciting announcements for Walt Disney World.
Here are the most important news from this year’s D23. We will be back with more news from D23 and not least more details about all the exciting new things coming to Walt Disney World.
Cars Land in Magic Kingdom
One of the most exciting news is that Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will get its own Cars Land. This new area will be a place where guests can experience two completely new attractions based on the Cars movie. The construction of the new “Cars” area in Magic Kingdom will start early in 2025. An exact opening date will be revealed later.
Villains Land in Magic Kingdom
Another major announcement is that Magic Kingdom will get its own Villains Land. This new area will, according to Disney, be a place where “poisonous apples are plentiful and magical potions can ruin your whole day. Preparations are already underway for this new land in Magic Kingdom, but neither the start of construction nor the opening date is yet known.
Monsters Inc Land in Hollywood Studios
Monsters, Inc. will bring laughter and terror to Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in the form of an entirely new land. Guests will be able to visit Monstropolis and ride what will be Disney’s first hanging roller coaster, which will make our dream of flying among the hanging doors in the Monster Factory a reality. There is also no specific information available about the start of construction and opening date for Monsters Inc Land in Hollywood Studios.
New movie/mission for Millennium Falcon in Hollywood Studios
A new movie/mission for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Hollywood Studios was also announced. This update will bring Din Djarin and Grogu (from The Mandalorian) to the interactive ride. The new version of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will debut around the same time as the new movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu”, which is coming on May 22, 2026.
Zootopia replaces It’s tough to be a bug in Animal Kingdom
In Animal Kingdom, “It’s tough to be a bug” will be replaced with a new 3D movie based on Zootopia. This new attraction will invite guests to experience biomes both familiar and entirely new, and will feature characters from the movie like Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and many more. The new movie in the theater inside the Tree of Life will debut sometime during the winter of 2025.
Tropical Americas and Indiana Jones in Animal Kingdom
Finally, in Animal Kingdom, the new area Tropical Americas will replace Dinoland USA, and include attractions based on both Indiana Jones and Encanto. This new area will open up with Pueblo Esperanza, and will include a large hacienda that will be one of the largest fast food restaurants in Walt Disney World Resort. The construction of this 11-hectare area in the park is scheduled to start in the fall of 2024, and is planned to open in 2027.
We will be back with more details about the different lands and attractions over time.
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