Los Angeles, Ca
Disney announces ambitious plans for Disneyland Resort
Massive expansion plans will bring new experiences and attractions to Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure in the coming years.
The second night of D23, Disney’s ultimate fan convention held every two years in Anaheim, focused on Disney Experiences, which includes theme parks, hotels and cruise ships.
Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, hosted Saturday’s event at the Honda Center and revealed the entertainment giant’s plans for Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure, as well as Disney’s properties in Florida and across the globe.
In California, the biggest announcements included more concrete details about the new “Avatar”-inspired land, which was announced last year, but with little details revealed.
On Saturday, D’Amaro announced that the new land will be located at an undisclosed location at Disney California Adventure. Unlike the land already located in Orlando, which is inspired by the first film, the new California Avatar land will be inspired by the 2022 sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water,” as well as the upcoming third installment, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Photos shared during Saturday night’s event indicated the land will include a water attraction.
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Journey further in the world of Pandora at Disney California Adventure! 🌿 This destination will draw inspiration from “Avatar: The Way of Water” and future Avatar films bringing Pandora to life in a brand-new way. (Disney Parks) -
Journey further in the world of Pandora at Disney California Adventure! 🌿 This destination will draw inspiration from “Avatar: The Way of Water” and future Avatar films bringing Pandora to life in a brand-new way. (Disney Parks)
Another new addition to DCA will be the beloved Pixar film, “Coco.” It will be the first attraction inspired by the film to be added to a Disney park and Disney officials say it will utilize advanced audio-animatronics, modeling the experience after classic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion.
Walt Disney himself will also make his return to Disneyland with a new audio-animatronic experience coming to the Main Street Opera House. Walt Disney: A Magical Life will feature an animatronic Walt and musical accompaniment. It will rotate shows with the existing “Great Conversations with Mr. Lincoln.”
D’Amaro said it’s long been a dream to create a Walt Disney animatronic, but said the company wanted to be patient until technology was able to catch up to their high expectations.
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The first-ever attraction themed to Pixar’s “Coco” is coming to Disney California Adventure. (Disney Parks) -
Ernesto de la Cruz performed as park officials announced the first-ever attraction themed to Pixar’s “Coco” is coming to Disney California Adventure. (Disney Parks) -
The first-ever attraction themed to Pixar’s “Coco” is coming to Disney California Adventure. (Disney Parks) -
The first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic is coming to
@Disneyland
! “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” will debut in 2025 inside the Main Street Opera House in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” (Disney Parks) -
D23: THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT PRESENTED BY VISA – On Saturday, August 10, 2024, at the Honda Center, JOSH D’AMARO (CHAIRMAN, DISNEY EXPERIENCES, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY took the stage during the DISNEY EXPERIENCES marquee showcase. Fans of all ages and from around the world experienced the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa, with marquee showcases taking place for the first time at the Honda Center on August 9, 10, and 11, 2024, is a one-of-a-kind, multi-day fan experience showcasing the very best in creative storytelling and unrivaled innovation from across the worlds of Disney. The event has been reimagined to be more expansive and more immersive than ever before, offering fans access to more of what they love. (The Walt Disney Company)
JOSH D’AMARO (CHAIRMAN, DISNEY EXPERIENCES, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY -
D23: THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT PRESENTED BY VISA – Fans of all ages and from around the world, experienced the DISNEY EXPERIENCES marquee showcases at the Honda Center, during the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa. With showcases taking place for the first time at the Honda Center on August 9, 10, and 11, 2024, this is a one-of-a-kind, multi-day fan experience showcasing the very best in creative storytelling and unrivaled innovation from across the worlds of Disney. The event has been reimagined to be more expansive and more immersive than ever before, offering fans access to more of what they love. (The Walt Disney Company)
Many of the most anticipated announcements involved Marvel’s Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure.
In a shocking development, not one but two new attractions were announced on Saturday.
The first will be located in the large Avengers headquarters that takes up a large portion of the campus and has long been rumored as the eventual home of a big ticket attraction. The ride, Avengers: Infinity Defense, will transport riders to locations across the Marvel Universe, including New York City, the nation of Wakanda and Thor’s home planet of Asgard, as the Avengers battle King Thanos and attempt to foil his plans for universal chaos. Construction on this attraction will start next year.
The second new attraction to Avengers Campus, and the fourth overall for the land, is called Stark Flight Lab. The attraction’s plot centers around a testing lab for new Avengers equipment. Riders will be paired up with a hero of the Avengers as they fly around the shop. Each experience will be unique depending on which hero a rider ends up with.
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Avengers Campus at Disneyland will double in size with two brand new attractions. Get ready for Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab. (Disney Parks) -
Avengers Campus at Disneyland will double in size with two brand new attractions. Get ready for Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab. (Disney Parks)
Disney CEO Bob Iger tested the new attraction alongside a familiar face: Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. Disney announced that Downey will reprise his role as Tony Stark when the attraction opens to guests.
In Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, a new ride experience is currently in development for Star Wars: Millennium Falcon – Smugglers Run. Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni said a new ride alternative inspired by the upcoming film, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” is in the works, powered by the Unreal Engine, the gaming engine developed by Epic Games.
And Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studio’s film, “The Princess and the Frog,” officially has an opening date at Disneyland. The attraction, which is already taking riders on a tour through the bayou at Walt Disney World, will officially roll out the welcome mat at Disney’s first park on Nov. 15.
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“Drop on in” with Princess Tiana this summer as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens in Magic Kingdom Park on June 28. The new attraction at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., invites guests to join beloved characters and all-new friends on a thrilling adventure, all set against the music and excitement of a New Orleans celebration. (Olga Thompson, Photographer) -
“Drop on in” with Princess Tiana this summer as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens in Magic Kingdom Park on June 28. (Olga Thompson, Photographer) -
Walt Disney Imagineering shared a never-before-seen look inside Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a highly anticipated ride slated to open this summer at Walt Disney World and later in the year at Disneyland. (Disney) -
General views of Splash Mountain at Disneyland, slated for closure in 2023 and re-theming as ‘Tiana’s Bayou Adventure’ on Jan. 28, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images) -
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens June 28 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida! The ride will take guests on a musical adventure picking up after the events of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film, “The Princess and the Frog.” Guests will encounter fan-favorite characters including Prince Naveen, Mama Odie and more, plus all-new music. (Bennett Stoops, Photographer) -
With Princess Tiana, Walt Disney World president Jeff Vahle cheers employees during a “Thank You Fête” honoring cast members at a preview event for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom in Bay Lake, Fla., Monday, June 10, 2024. The ride —redeveloped from the park’s original Splash Mountain— officially opens to Disney guests on June 28. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
D23 takes place over the weekend from Aug. 9-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center and will be followed by star-studded ticketed presentations at the Honda Center.
Sunday is the convention’s final day and the evening event will be a ceremony to honor the latest crop of “Disney Legends,” including Harrison Ford, Kelly Ripa and Miley Cyrus.