UPDATED October 14, 2024

Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” And since Walt Disney World first opened on October 1, 1971, new rides, attractions, and lands have certainly added LOTS of “new things” for guests to enjoy over the years!

Here, we’ve gathered all of the new rides and attractions coming to Disney World in 2024 (and possibly even a bit beyond) so you can plan your trips accordingly!

New and Updated Rides, Attractions, and Character Greetings Coming to Disney World in 2024

Magic Kingdom

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — NOW OPEN!

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is NOW OPEN in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland as of  June 28th, 2024!

HOW TO RIDE: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is accessible via Virtual Queue and as a Lightning Lane Multi-Pass Tier 1 option. Click either link to find out more!

Country Bear Musical Jamboree — NOW OPEN!

Those beloved Country Bears have put together an ALL-NEW ACT in Magic Kingdom! The Country Bear Musical Jamboree opened on July 17th, 2024 with a show featuring classic songs AND Disney songs in NEW styles like country, rockabilly, and bluegrass voiced by artists including Emily Ann Roberts and Grammy winners Allison Russell and Chris Thile.

So be sure to step inside Grizzly Hall next time you mosey on into Frontierland so you can catch the new show, you hear?

Check out pics and VIDEOS of the NEW Country Bear Musical Jamboree HERE!

EPCOT

Communicore Hall and Communicore Plaza in EPCOT — NOW OPEN!

EPCOT hosts four seasonal Festivals throughout the year: the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, Spring’s EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival, the original EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, and the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. A dedicated Festival area is NOW OPEN to serve as the new “home base” for EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals and live events! 

CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza is housed in EPCOT’s World Celebration, bringing EPCOT International Festivals “to the center of Walt Disney World,” as Disney shares. CommuniCore Plaza provides an outdoor space where guests can come to relax and experience all that the Festivals have to offer.

CommuniCore Hall — the first fully-purpose built structure in Festival programing — is housed within the plaza! This hall will host a wide variety of experiences with food, art, live music, and more with a demonstration kitchen, a mixology bar, and exhibition and gallery space, giving presenting chefs new ways to connect and experiment. The new CommuniCore Hall and Plaza opened on June 10th, 2024.

Find out more about Communicore Hall and Plaza HERE!

Mickey & Friends Meet-and-Greet in EPCOT — NOW OPEN

Along providing dedicated spaces for EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals, CommuniCore Hall is also the location of a new year-round Mickey & Friends Meet-and-Greet!

We have seen Minnie and Goofy greeting with Mickey, but be aware that the “& Friends” in the space may vary, so be ready for a surprise!

And rest assured that Mickey himself will always be present to SEE YA, PAL!!!

Check out Mickey’s NEW Meet-and-Greet Spot HERE!

NEW Encanto Show Debuting in EPCOT — NOW SHOWING!

As part of the CommuniCore opening celebration, a BRAND NEW Encanto stage show has made its debut! ¡Celebración Encanto! is a sing-along that includes popular songs — and characters! — from the film.

The show is running several times a day and takes place on the CommuniCore Plaza stage.

Get ready to party with Bruno and Mirabel!

See why we LOVE EPCOT’s new Encanto show HERE!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Star Tours — New Adventures NOW SHOWING

On April 5th, NEW adventures made their debut at Star Tours in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios (along with Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris) featuring NEW-to-the-ride characters!

The new adventures feature characters and locations from Ashoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian. Parkgoers can now experience over 250 different adventures with a plethora of different characters, locations, and experiences! Please be aware that, as of June 2024, the ride sequences have been randomized once again, so while you may experience the new adventures, you may also continue to see some classics!

Click HERE to check out the CHANGES at Star Tours (though beware of spoilers)!

Disney Springs

“Disney Dreams That Soar” Drone Show Debuts in Disney Springs

UPDATE: Dreams That Soar ended its summer run on September 2nd, 2024, but we are keeping this information here in hopes that it returns to Disney Springs in the future!

The West Side of Disney Springs hosted a BRAND NEW Drone show above Lake Buena Vista this summer: “Disney Dreams That Soar” is inspired by Disney stories that showcase flight! It made its debut on May 24th, 2024.

These drones are programmed to create designs in the sky and are accompanied by a beautiful musical score that includes memorable movie quotes. The show ran through September 2nd, and was a great late-night perk for those still hanging out at Disney Springs!

Click here for PICS and VIDEOS of Disney Dreams That Soar!

New and Updated Rides, Attractions, and Character Greetings Coming to Disney World in 2025

Magic Kingdom

Disney Starlight

A brand new nighttime parade is coming to Magic Kingdom in the summer of 2025. Get ready for Disney Starlight!

In August 2024 at the D23 Ultimate Fan Event in Anaheim, California, Disney shared the big news about this new nighttime spectacular, revealing that Disney Starlight will be “using the latest technology to tell new stories about the characters you love.”

Check out Disney Starlight HERE!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

“Zootopia: Better Zoogether!”

A transformation is coming to the It’s Tough to be a Bug! attraction in the Tree of Life Theater in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Get ready for a NEW show to debut in winter of 2025: Zootopia: Better Zoogether!

Guests will see Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and their pals from Zootopia in the transformed attraction. Disney shares that it “will take guests on an adventure through different biomes seen in the film.” 

Click HERE to check out Zootopia: Better Zoogether!

EPCOT

Test Track Reimagined — TEMPORARILY CLOSED to be Reimagined; REOPENING in 2025

Test Track is being reimagined in EPCOT! The updated version of the ride will take inspiration from EPCOT’s old World of Motion attraction! In fact, Disney explained, “Imagineers along with teams from Chevrolet are reaching back into history for inspiration – from the original World of Motion – and bringing that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of the Test Track attraction!”

The attraction closed on June 17th, 2024 to begin the transformation. Imagineers are adding new show scenes that will showcase technological advances and show “how our lifestyles and relationships to mobility connect everyone.” You will take a joy ride through scenes focusing on onboard technology, customization, and personalization, ending with a trip through a scenic outdoor route.

At this time, a reopening date has not been announced, but Disney has shared that the attraction will reopen in 2025.

Find out more about the NEW Test Track HERE!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

NEW Disney Villains Show

Disney is bringing even more live entertainment to the stage down Sunset Boulevard, where it aims to transform the current Sunset Showcase into the “mysterious, reflective realm of the Magic Mirror.” A brand new Disney Villains show will feature appearances from the likes of Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, and Maleficent each “breaking through the glass” where they will take the stage to perform live!

Please be aware that Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy took its final lap on October 7th, 2024 to make way for this new show.

Check out more about the NEW Villains show coming to Hollywood Studios HERE!

New “The Little Mermaid” Show in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney announced in December 2023 that a NEW show — “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” — is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios! It will make its debut in the summer of 2025. 

The new show will be a reimagined show inspired by the original animated classic from Walt Disney Animation Studios. “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” will premiere at the Animation Courtyard theater. The new version of the show will feature a combination of live actors, puppets, digital animation, and even some live motion capture seamlessly integrated together to fully replicate the underwater setting. When it opens, we can expect to hear musical numbers like “ “Daughters of Triton,” “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and “Kiss the Girl!”

(Please be aware that with this announcement, it’s also been confirmed that Voyage of the Little Mermaid is permanently closed in Disney World.)

New and Updated Rides and Attractions Coming to Disney World — Beyond 2025 (or Timeline Not Yet Known)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

TWO Attractions Coming to The Tropical Americas Pueblo Esperanza

A NEW LAND themed to the Tropical Americas is coming to Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park in 2027. Get ready to step into Pueblo Esperanza! With this announcement, What is now DinoLand, U.S.A. will become Pueblo Esperanza, and the new land will become home to two signature attractions — an Encanto ride featuring the Madrigal family and a new Indiana Jones adventure ride!

Pueblo Esperanza will feature an all-new Encanto-themed ride with the family Madrigal inside the enchanted Casita.

The boat ride will begin just as Antonio has received his special gift and his room becomes a beautiful rainforest. You go explore with him, and according to Disney, “You never know what member of the family you might bump into…”

While some may be familiar with the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction in Disneyland, the Indiana Jones ride in Animal Kingdom will feature a brand-new story.

As described by Disney, the attraction will follow “the man with the hat” during a time when he has “recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Click HERE to explore everything coming to Pueblo Esperanza!

Please be aware that DinoLand, U.S.A. will begin a phased closing starting on January 13th, 2025 to accommodate construction for Pueblo Esperanza.

Magic Kingdom

TWO New Cars-themed Attractions Coming to Frontierland

Disney has announced that a new area inspired by the movie Cars is coming to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland! The cars are leaving Radiator Springs to explore the West and into new frontiers. There will be two NEW Cars attractions!

One will take you on a race through the mountains and wild terrain along mountain trails, dodging geysers and splashing through mud holes.

The second ride will geared toward smaller racers and will be fun for the whole family.

Construction on this new area in Frontierland will begin early in 2025, and we will keep you posted on the projected opening timeline when we learn more.

Find out more about the NEW Cars rides coming to Magic Kingdom HERE!

TWO New Attractions Coming to Villains Land

In August 2024, Disney officially announced that Magic Kingdom is expanding the theme park with a brand new Villains Land!

TWO major attractions, along with new dining and shopping experiences will be presented “on an incredibly twisted grand scale.” Though an opening timeline has not yet been shared, Disney has stated that preparations are now underway!

Click HERE to explore Magic Kingdom’s upcoming Villains Land!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

NEW Roller Coaster Coming to Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World is preparing to open a BRAND NEW THEMED LAND featuring those lovable monsters from MONSTERS, INC.! That’s right… the monsters are inviting YOU to Monstropolis, where they need human laughter to power the city and keep it running.

Monsters, Inc. Land will feature Disney’s VERY FIRST suspended coaster, which “will put you right in the middle of the monster action. Just be sure to fill out your paperwork! Roz is always watching…”

Construction on the new land will begin in 2026. 

Click HERE to check out the upcoming Monsters, Inc. Land!

NEW Adventures Coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

Disney has announced Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will soon feature one of the most popular Star Wars characters, the Mandalorian! 

New missions with the Mandalorian and Grogu are going to be added to the attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. This new Mandalorian and Grogu storyline will coincide with the release of upcoming films in 2026. 

We will continue to keep you posted on all the latest new for these and other new additions coming to Disney World!