Entertainment conglomerate Disney held D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2024, its biannual fan convention, at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, United States. Without a doubt, the most secretive and anticipated presentation of this event, at least for Disney theme park lovers, was the Horizons: D23 Disney Experiences Showcase panel.
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, hosted this ceremony focused on news regarding Disney parks, hotels, and tourist offerings around the world. Among his statements, D’Amaro assured that every project announced this year at Horizons D23 is in active development.
The activity began with actor Patrick Warburton (Seinfeld) starring in a parody of the introductory video for EPCOT’s Soarin’ Around the World ride. Next were social media clips of fan experiences at the theme parks, followed by a silhouette video collage of representing all Disney properties around the world (including Aulani and Disney Cruise Line), to the tune of When You Wish Upon a Star sung by John Stamos.
Here are the top reveals of Horizons D23 2024.
1 Disneyland Turns 70
Stamos followed his performance by announcing of the 70th anniversary celebration of Disneyland, the chain’s inaugural park.
Horizons D23 revealed little about Disneyland 70 other than the celebration logo and a mini-Broadway show starring actors Darren Criss and Skylar Astin. Since Disneyland opened in June 1955, we can speculate that the celebration will launch as early as summer 2025.
Amaro stressed that more details will be released in the coming months.
2 New Avatar Land at Disney California Adventure
Ali Rubinstein from Walt Disney Imagineering shared details about a new themed land based on director James Cameron’s Avatar film franchise. Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, already has a popular land inspired by the forests of Pandora, the world where the Avatar films take place.
Rubinstein said the new land will highlight Pandora’s seas and coasts as seen in Avatar: The Way of Water, as well as other ecosystems on the planet that will be introduced in Avatar: Fire and Ash and other upcoming releases.
Among the surprises this new Avatar land will bring, Rubinstein teased a thrilling new boat ride that will take guests on a tour of Pandora.
3 Walt Disney, “Reanimated”
The founder of the Disney empire, deceased since 1966, shall soon “return.” After popularizing the art of animation, Walt Disney made his mark on the world of immersive experiences with the attractions he developed for the 1964 New York World’s Fair, where he debuted his audio-animatronic Abraham Lincoln.
Seems appropriate then, albeit a little creepy, that Disney himself be brought back to Anaheim Disneyland just like the late American president. Walt Disney — A Magical Life will feature an animatronic Walt sharing his experiences and philosophy with the public from his office.
This show debuts in 2025 inside Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House and will alternate with performances of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
4 New Frozen and The Lion King Lands at Disneyland Paris
Walt Disney Studios Park, part of Disneyland Paris Resort, is getting a new name and new attractions in 2026. It becomes Disney Adventure World in 2026 after the premiere of World of Frozen, a land based on Arendelle from the Frozen films.
In addition to World of Frozen, Disney Adventure World will get a future expansion based on The Lion King, as well as Dimension Bay lake, where a new nighttime show will take place.
5 Brand-New Indiana Jones Ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Cinema’s most famous archaeologist will be getting another attraction in 2027. Indiana Jones and his adventures have been a fixture at Disney parks for decades, with rides and shows based on the man with the hat featured at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Anaheim Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, and Disneyland Paris.
Ke Huy Quan (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) shared details of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s new attraction during Horizons D23, alongside Josh D’Amaro and Walt Disney Imagineering’s Bruce Vaughn. It’s set to replace DINOSAUR, which uses the same vehicle system featured on Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure. (DINOSAUR‘s exact closure date was not specified.) Regardless, the new ride will tell a new, original Indy story inside a Mayan temple.
6 New Monsters, Inc. Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Mike, Sully and the rest of the monsters from Pixar’s hit movie are coming back to Disney parks in a land inspired by Monsters, Inc.‘s Monstropolis.
Visitors to Disney’s Hollywood Studios will explore the Laugh Factory from the film. They’ll also be able to speed through the Door Vault on a new ride, the first suspended roller coaster ever inside a Disney theme park.
7 New Marvel Attractions
Several Disney parks will soon get various Marvel-inspired attractions.
Both Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland will debut different rides starring Spider-Man, the Shanghai attraction being a roller coaster with immersive elements while the Hong Kong one will tell a story that will include the Avengers.
Meanwhile, Avengers Campus at Disney’s California Adventure is prepping two new Marvel rides. Avengers Infinity Defense will transport you through the multiverse to stop Thanos and Stark Flight Lab will simulate what it would be like to fly alongside your comic book heroes.
8 New Villains Land at Magic Kingdom
Baddies always have more fun, which is why Disney Villains will have a land to call their own in Orlando as part of their Beyond Big Thunder expansion.
Villains at Magic Kingdom promises to bring together, all in one place, every Disney antagonist we love to hate like the Evil Queen, Captain Hook, Maleficent, Gaston, Cruella De Vil, Scar, Ursula, Hades, Lady Tremaine, the Queen of Hearts, and many more.
9 New Cars Attractions at Magic Kingdom
Lightning McQueen, Mater, and their friends are coming to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando as yet another part of Beyond Big Thunder.
D’Amaro confirmed that two new attractions based on the Pixar Cars series will open in Frontierland. The first will be an thrilling race through rivers and mountainous terrain, while the second will be more family-friendly and focused on younger children.
10 Pixar’s Coco Attraction at Disney California Adventure
A Disney employee dressed as Coco villain Ernesto de la Cruz led to the reveal of Disney’s first theme park attraction based on the Pixar film.
Opening at Disney California Adventure, the dark boat ride a la Pirates of the Caribbean will transport us through the Land of the Dead from Mexican culture. We expect it to feature appearances by other Coco characters like Miguel, Hector, Mama Coco, and Dante the “dog.”
11 Encanto and Zootopia Attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The closure of DINOSAUR is part of the refurbishment of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand U.S.A. into Tropical Americas. In addition to the Indiana Jones ride, this change will bring an attraction based on the Madrigal family home from Encanto that will also open in 2027.
The ride extends the plot of the film. After little Antonio receives his powers, “casita” Madrigal will come to life for guests, who will be transported to each of the rooms within. They will be joined by other characters such as Mirabel, Luisa, Isabela, Grandma Alma, and of course, Uncle Bruno (no, no!).
In addition to Encanto, Zootopia characters are also coming to Animal Kingdom in a 3D attraction, Zootopia: Better Zoogether, opening in winter 2024/2025.
12 New Parades and Shows
Horizons D23 also revealed more parades and live shows coming soon to Disney parks.
These include the Reach for the Stars Nighttime Spectacular, Tokyo Disneyland’s new show opening September 20, 2024. This fireworks display will feature flying Disney characters from Up, Big Hero 6, Dumbo, Aladdin, WALL•E, and Marvel superheroes, among others.
Disneyland Paris will feature another new closing nighttime spectacular in January 2025, similar to theit popular IllumiNations. It’ll include music, fireworks, and projections on Sleeping Beauty Castle. Likewise, Magic Kingdom in Orlando will debut Disney Starlight, a new nighttime parade in summer 2025. Pinocchio‘s Blue Fairy headline it alongside characters from Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen, and more.
Let’s Take You to Enjoy Everything New at Disney
All these announcements of upcoming attractions at Disney parks left us very excited. If you are too, why wait to plan your trip?
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Even if you weren’t able to visit the D23 expo this year or participate in their sweepstakes, we can still take you to the travel destinations they offered as prizes.
Contact us via WhatsApp, email, or our Facebook sales page. We will reply as soon as possible so you can enjoy everything old and new at Disney.
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