So we’ll admit it — our heads are still REELING from that WILD Disney Parks and Experiences Panel at D23: The Ultimate Fan Event.
Like, y’all — we expected Disney to make some announcements about new additions coming to Disney World, but Disney completely blew our expectations out of the water. Now, we’re just trying to sort through all the awesomeness, like a Monsters, Inc. land, a new Cars land, a new Villains Land (we still can’t believe this announcement happened), and more. So we’ve taken all of those Disney World announcements and put them into a timeline of when they’re actually coming to Disney World.
These additions are coming over the next few years, although we still don’t have opening timelines for some projects. But here’s a chronological take on what’s coming to Disney World and when.
2024
If you’ll be visiting Disney World soon, be sure to pop by DinoLand, U.S.A. to say goodbye because construction is expected to begin in fall 2024. However, Disney did reveal that the land’s retheming would be done in phases so that only part of DinoLand will be closed at any given time. That means you still have time to go on one more dinosaur-seeking mission with Dr. Grant Seeker.
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is getting a new Disney Vacation Club (DVC) villa called Island Tower that is set to open on December 17th, 2024. Bookings are available now, although construction is still in progress at the building site.
There are a few projects we don’t have specific timelines for, but Disney has said they would open in 2024. That includes The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers on Disney’s BoardWalk which is currently under construction.
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2025
The year 2025 is going to be a year of construction for Disney World, so expect to see construction walls EVERYWHERE. In early 2025, Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom will be going under construction to be converted into a new Cars Land for the park.
However, a new nighttime parade, Disney Starlight, will be arriving in Magic Kingdom during summer 2025. The new parade will feature Disney dreams brought to life by the Blue Fairy and will use the “latest technology” to tell new stories about some of your favorite Disney characters.
There are also two lounges expected to open in 2025. The Pirates of the Caribbean lounge will offer drinks and snacks for pirates-loving visitors to Magic Kingdom, while the Spaceship Earth lounge will offer the same for those who want to enjoy a drink in a Spaceship Earth-themed setting.
Construction will also begin in Disney’s Hollywood Studios on an all-new Monsters, Inc. land in 2025, which will include the door roller coaster we’ve been wanting since 2001. Meanwhile, over in EPCOT, the newly reimagined Test Track is expected to open at some point during that year.
Finally, in winter 2025, the Zootopia: Better Together show, will premiere at the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, taking over the space currently being held by the It’s Tough To Be A Bug show.
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2026
There’s only one thing on Disney’s list for 2026, and that’s a new version of Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios. The ride is going to get a new version with the Mandalorian and Grogu.
The new Mando and Grogu storyline will coincide with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu movie releasing in 2026.
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2027 and Beyond
Yes, the year 2027 seems like FOREVER away, and that’s how long we’ll have to wait for Pueblo Esperanza (previously known as DinoLand, U.S.A.) to open in Animal Kingdom. However, the new land will feature an Encanto ride that goes INSIDE the Casita, as well as a brand new Indiana Jones ride in a Mayan temple. FUN.
Even further out (as in we don’t know what the timeline is) will be the Villains land that’s coming to Magic Kingdom, but we do hope it will arrive sooner, rather than later since it’s ALL WE’VE EVER DREAMED OF. Seriously, Disney, make this a priority!
If all of that made your head hurt, we’ve also created a super handy graphic outlining when these new projects will arrive at Disney World. Note that all timelines are subject to change because, hey, this is Disney.
We’ll be keeping an out for more updates about ALL of these new projects and more, so stay tuned to DFB.
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What do you think of this timeline? Let us know in the comments!
I vote for a 5th and 6th gate. Tom Sawyer Island and the River Boat fit well in the location currently. Disney World is over 47 square miles in Florida. There is enough space to build several more theme parks and a few new water parks. Why not make almost everyone happy and create a new theme park and a new water park as well. Universal’s Volcano Bay newer than the Disney water parks so, it takes advantage of newer concepts and is better for a multigenerational family.
I miss Future World at Epcot. It was education delivered in an entertaining fashion. It showed through innovation and technology what the future might be. I wish Apple, Tesla, Google, IBM and others would sponsor pavilions and show us what they believe will be available in 20 years from now…and educate us along the way.
Goes about the little mermaid Musical show in Hollywood studios ? Any opening date yet ?
Love all the ideas, David. I would love to see them come to fruition too. But, everything is expensive. Construction, supplies and it takes time. Just try to get those tech companies to sponsor pavilions. They are all Wall Street and Wall Street is constantly bad mouthing Disney because the stock doesn’t go higher. Greedy! If only us Disney lovers could build the Parks!
Disney never ADDS anything. They just reskin the same stuff. Putting a giant concrete lump next to Frontierland and Haunted Mansion will destroy the theming. And the noise of cars will destroy the mood around haunted mansion. No water for esthetics. They have plenty of room behind thunder. But all they do is retheme, never add. That’s why Universal is killing them. Just put 375 of my 485 DVC points on the market
I don’t get why we have to lose something to get something new. Wasn’t the benefit of WDW the size gave them room to expand? Please don’t remove the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. Cars doesn’t fit there.