ANAHEIM, Calif. – Two years ago, Walt Disney World fans were hit with a wave of blockbuster announcements.
At this year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Imagineers are trading big reveals for bigger details, offering a closer look at some of the big projects underway at Disney World as well as some surprise announcements.
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Here’s a breakdown of the big Disney World announcements in the Disney Experiences Showcase.
Magic Kingdom
Villains Land
During Destination D23 2025 at Walt Disney World, the only update fans received on the highly anticipated Villains Land was that Imagineers had traveled to Europe for architectural inspiration.
Now, the picture is getting a little more clearer.
At D23 2026, Walt Disney Imagineering officially confirmed the name: Villains Land.
The land’s storyline centers on a corrupted Wishing Well deep in a foreboding forest, where Disney’s most iconic villains have gathered to claim its dark magic and build their own sinister lairs.
Two headline attractions were detailed. The first is a roller coaster set around Maleficent’s mountaintop fortress, promising elements Imagineers say they’ve never attempted before.
The second is a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror, transporting guests into a mystical “Mirror Realm” filled with classic Disney Villains brought to life through special effects and physical set pieces.
The Villains Land presentation also included a show-stopping surprise: actress Glenn Close made an appearance as Cruella De Vil, teasing a Cruella-themed ride experience as part of the land.
Imagineers compared Villains Land’s size and scale to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Piston Peak
Walt Disney Imagineers pulled back the curtain on two new attractions coming to Piston Peak National Park in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland: Cars Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
The level of detail packed into the land is staggering — from snow-capped mountain peaks and roaring geyser fields to rugged mud flats and tree-covered trails, every inch of Piston Peak is designed to immerse guests in the world of Disney and Pixar’s “Cars”.
Imagineers are even using “Parkitecture,” an architectural style developed by the National Park Service, to ensure the land’s buildings blend seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.
Cars Ridge Run Rally will also debut a completely new ride vehicle designed to actually drive over terrain, so guests will feel every bump, drop, and rock along the course.
Carousel of Progress
Walt Disney World’s Carousel of Progress is getting its most significant update in decades, and it’s coming with some star power.
Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis and Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston will take on the iconic roles of mom and dad as the beloved Magic Kingdom attraction is updated for a new generation.
Cranston and Curtis join a refreshed version of the show that will feature all-new time periods, a new scene set in the 1980s and an Audio-Animatronic version of Walt Disney himself.
The updated attraction is set to debut in late spring 2027.
EPCOT
Spaceship Earth
EPCOT’s iconic Spaceship Earth is getting its first update in nearly 20 years.
Disney Imagineer Ali Rubinstein revealed at D23 that the reimagined attraction will shift its focus from human communication to the broader theme of human connection, bringing the geodesic sphere into the internet age and beyond.
Reimagination, Reimagination
As a surprise finale to the Disney Experiences Showcase, Disney saved one of its most anticipated announcements for last, teasing a reimagined version of Journey Into Imagination With Figment and promising the long-awaited return of Dreamfinder alongside the iconic purple dragon.
The current version of the attraction has been running for 24 years, outlasting the original Journey Into Imagination, which ran for 15 years after opening in 1983.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Monstropolis
Disney revealed that parts of Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open to guests in 2027, giving fans their first look at the highly anticipated land inspired by Disney and Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc”.
The new land will feature a show called “Welcome to Monstropolis” at the Glob Theater, hosted by Mike and Sulley, along with dining at the iconic Harryhausen’s restaurant — complete with a sushi chef Audio-Animatronics figure — and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza.
The land’s headlining door coaster will lift guests 40 feet in the air in just four seconds before launching them directly into the iconic door vault, and Disney Legend Randy Newman composed an original song for the land, marking the first time he has written a song specifically for a Disney theme park.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Yeti alert
In what might be considered a surprise announcement at D23, Disney revealed the Yeti Audio-Animatronic is coming back to life inside Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The beloved creature, which anchors the finale of the high-speed mountain ride, has long been out of commission — leaving guests with little more than a strobe light effect in place of the iconic beast.
Tropical Americas
Why did it have to be snakes? Why not?!
Disney Imagineers announced the name of the upcoming Indiana Jones attraction at Animal Kingdom: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.
Set in the new Tropical Americas land, the ride will take guests on a thrilling journey through ancient Maya ruins — complete with monstrous bats, oversized scorpions, and plenty of snakes.
Disney Legend Harrison Ford is also serving as the model for the attraction’s Audio-Animatronics figure, marking the first time his likeness will appear on a Disney attraction anywhere in the world.
For the new Pueblo Esperanza land, Disney Imagineers revealed the official name of the upcoming Encanto attraction: Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto.
The ride celebrates Antonio’s magical gift of communicating with animals — a fitting nod to Animal Kingdom’s dedication to the animal world — and invites guests into Casita as part of a joyful celebration of his gift day.