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Disney Unveils Sweeping Walt Disney World Expansion at D23

The company laid out multiple new lands, major overhauls and near‑term 2027 openings that shift Walt Disney World toward film-driven experiences and new ride technology.

Overview

  • Disney presented the consolidated slate of announcements at D23 on Saturday night, confirming official names, storylines, concept art and celebrity casting for projects across all four Florida parks.
  • Magic Kingdom will gain Villains Land with a Maleficent coaster and a Mirror Realm dark ride plus Piston Peak National Park, a Cars‑themed Frontierland expansion that includes the Cars Ridge Run Rally off‑road coaster and Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin‑Along with a giant animatronic.
  • EPCOT will get a major refurbishment of Spaceship Earth that reframes the story from communication to human connection and a full reimagining of Journey Into Imagination that reunites Figment with Dreamfinder.
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios will open parts of Monstropolis in phases beginning in 2027 while the door‑vault roller coaster will arrive in a later phase, and Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas will replace DinoLand U.S.A. with Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent plus an Encanto attraction called Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto.
  • Several projects have concrete short‑term targets — the Carousel of Progress is set to reopen in late spring 2027 and Monstropolis begins phased openings in 2027 — while flagship lands and large overhauls will roll out across multiple years and include investments in new ride systems, large animatronics and a repaired Expedition Everest Yeti.