Construction

A 120-foot Pride Rock, a new flume system and a 52-foot drop: Disney Adventure World is building the first immersive land dedicated to The Lion King.

Construction is under way at Disney Adventure World on a new The Lion King land and its water attraction, described as the first immersive world at a Disney park devoted to the 1994 animated film. The ride retells Simba's journey from cub to king, drawing on scenes and songs from the movie including his final confrontation with Scar. It uses a new flume system with three slopes and a 52-foot drop, supported by Audio-Animatronics and special effects. The attraction sits beneath a 120-foot-tall Pride Rock and anchors the surrounding land, which will also offer dining, shopping and character experiences.

The demolition derby champion from Cars 3 gets her own ride: Miss Fritter hosts her wildest competition yet as a school-bus-sized Audio-Animatronic at Piston Peak.

The second attraction at Magic Kingdom's Piston Peak National Park is Miss Fritter's Daredevil Spin-Along, inspired by the demolition derby champion from Cars 3. Miss Fritter takes centre stage as a school-bus-sized Audio-Animatronic, hosting what Disney bills as her wildest competition to date while guests spin through the action around her. D23 2026 brought both the attraction's official name and its first concept art. Together with Cars Ridge Run Rally, the ride forms the attraction line-up of the new area, which continues Frontierland's western storytelling with a lodge, a Ranger HQ, trails and a National Park Service-inspired architectural style Imagineers call "Parkitecture."

Cars Ridge Run Rally

A purpose-built ride vehicle, a snow-capped summit and a field of geysers: D23 2026 revealed how Cars Ridge Run Rally will race through Magic Kingdom's new Piston Peak.

Piston Peak National Park, part of the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, brings a fictional national park inspired by the Rocky Mountains into Frontierland, complete with rugged peaks, waterfalls, rivers and geysers. Its centrepiece is Cars Ridge Run Rally, an off-road racing attraction using a newly designed vehicle whose tyres and suspension physically respond to the terrain beneath them. The course climbs a snow-covered mountaintop, drops over a camelback, runs through a geyser field and finishes with a sprint past Lightning McQueen and Mater, who call the action from the sidelines. Disney has not yet announced when the area or the attraction will open to guests.

For the first time, Harrison Ford's likeness comes to a Disney attraction: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent takes guests into a Maya temple and the underworld below.

D23 2026 brought the full title and fresh details for Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Part of the new Tropical Americas land, the ride tells an original story set inside an ancient Maya temple, with guests joining Indy on an expedition into the Maya Underworld. Harrison Ford is serving as the model for the attraction's Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic, the first time his likeness will feature in a Disney attraction. Along the way riders meet the legendary Tsukán serpent as well as oversized bats, scorpions, fire and other hazards. Disney says its Imagineers are working with archaeologists, anthropologists and Maya experts to represent the region's culture and history authentically. Construction is already under way on the temple facade and the ride itself, which anchors the 11-acre Tropical Americas expansion alongside the new Encanto attraction.

One of the most talked-about figures in the Disney parks is coming back: the Yeti inside Expedition Everest is set to be restored to its original form.

Disney used D23 2026 to announce that the legendary Yeti Audio-Animatronic inside Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom will be brought back to life. Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum revealed the long-awaited return of the figure to its original form on stage during the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress showcase. What the work will involve and when the Yeti will be back in full operation remain open questions — Disney has not yet shared a timeline or technical details. The announcement was one of several during the evening aimed squarely at long-running park classics rather than new construction.

Saved for last: Disney is bringing Dreamfinder back alongside Figment for a new Journey Into Imagination at EPCOT.

The Horizons: A Carousel of Progress showcase closed with the one announcement host Neil Patrick Harris said he had personally asked for. "We are taking a new journey into imagination at EPCOT with Dreamfinder and Figment," Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum told a cheering audience, adding that Disney knows how much the pairing means to fans and has been listening. The two characters first appeared together when Journey Into Imagination opened in 1983; Figment stayed on as part of EPCOT while Dreamfinder disappeared from the attraction years ago. Disney has not yet released a timeline or concept art for the new version.

The first Coco ride anywhere: Disney California Adventure will send guests by boat through Miguel's memories of the Land of the Dead, with no height requirement.

D23 2026 delivered new details on the Coco attraction under construction at Disney California Adventure, the first ride based on the Pixar film at any Disney park. The story picks up a year after the events of the original movie. Guests first enter a "casa museo" devoted to the music of Héctor Rivera before boarding a boat and joining Miguel on a journey through his memories of the Land of the Dead. Miguel, Dante, Héctor and other familiar faces appear along the way, with the film's music, Mexican culture and family themes carrying the story. There is no height requirement. Work is under way near Paradise Gardens Park and Pixar Pier, with Imagineers drawing on attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion and using Audio-Animatronics to bring the characters to life. The ride will also nod to the upcoming sequel, Coco 2.

A big announcement without a timeline: Disneyland's Tomorrowland is set for a full reimagining, with new attractions and more open space.

One of the loudest reactions of the evening greeted the news that Tomorrowland at Disneyland park is being reimagined. The transformation is designed to preserve the land's original legacy while introducing new experiences for future generations. Once complete, the area is to include new attractions, more open spaces and new places for guests to explore. Disney frames the project as restoring the themes of optimism, innovation and possibility that have defined Tomorrowland since Disneyland opened in 1955. Specific projects and a timeline have not been announced.

A milestone in Shanghai: track installation is complete on the coaster at the world's first land dedicated entirely to Spider-Man.

Shanghai Disney Resort is building the first Disney park land devoted exclusively to Spider-Man. It centres on the Worldwide Engineering Brigade — W.E.B. to the students — and a new roller coaster whose track is now fully installed, according to Disney. Spider-Bots and the latest W.E.B. projects fill out the land with experiments and plenty of web-slinging energy. Disney shared the construction update during the Disney Experiences showcase at D23 2026.

The Stark Expo skyline is growing: Hong Kong Disneyland is building a new Avengers experience with its own Quinjet landing platform.

Hong Kong Disneyland is adding a new Avengers Pavilion that will reshape the Stark Expo skyline. At its heart sits Avengers Research Testing Labs, an experience that takes guests through realms including Wakanda and Asgard alongside Spider-Man and other Marvel heroes. Disney says the attraction will feature more than 120 feet of storytelling technology. A new Quinjet landing platform rounds out the expansion, creating fresh opportunities to meet Avengers characters. Construction is already under way.