At the Disney Experiences showcase at D23 on Saturday, Aug. 10, exciting changes coming to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, were announced.
Josh D'Amaro, the Chairperson of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, revealed that a new Indiana Jones-themed ride will arrive at Disney's Animal Kingdom, as Bruce Vaughn, the Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, later joined him to discuss an Encanto-themed ride that will join the theme park's attractions. Both will debut in 2027.
Then, Billy Crystal appeared onstage to announce that a Monsters Inc. land will be coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios. There, a ride that travels through the door factory from the film will mark the first-ever suspended coaster for a Disney park.
Meanwhile, for fans of the many villainous characters across Disney, there was an extra special announcement, the arrival of Villains Land at the Magic Kingdom.
Disney Parks TikTok also shared the news with some insight into what fans can expect from the new land, alongside a video edit of some of the most well-known animated villains, from The Little Mermaid's Ursula, Snow White's Evil Queen, Aladdin's Jafar and many more.
\"Villains Land is coming to Magic Kingdom with two major attractions, dining, and shopping at Walt Disney World,\" the caption of the video read.
Elsewhere at D23 on Aug. 10, it was also revealed that a Zootopia show will begin at the Animal Kingdom in 2025, Test Track will reopen at Epcot that same year and there will also be a new nighttime parade coming to the Magic Kingdom in 2025 as well. Plus, two new Cars-themed attractions will soon be built in Frontierland at the theme park.
Disney Imagineers previously announced plans to create an authentic Tropical Americas expansion of Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, which will replace the Dino-Land U.S.A. area.
The Tropical Americas project will focus on the most biodiverse areas on the planet in the regions just north and south of the equator in the Western Hemisphere, Disney said.
At Destination D23 in Florida last September, D’Amaro further explained the idea. “It’s a beautiful region to explore and has been the inspiration for so many magical stories over the years,” he said.
Then, earlier this year, Walt Disney Imagineering filed a 25-page package of new permits with South Florida Water Management District for Animal Kingdom, hinting at the major expansion.
Last month, Imagineering filed another construction permit to set the stage for an expansion.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District also recently agreed to allow Disney to move forward with its plans to invest up to $17 billion in its Orlando resort in July.
These plans include expanding Walt Disney World with a fifth major theme park, as well as two smaller parks and hotels.
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