New details revealed for highly anticipated attractions, lands and expansions at
The Most Magical Place on Earth
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Aug. 15, 2026) – During the Disney Experiences showcase, Horizons: A Carousel of Progress, at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa, Disney executives and celebrities took to the stage to share new details about the biggest slate of expansion projects in the history of Walt Disney World. From the depths of a mysterious temple in Tropical Americas and the heights of Piston Peak, to the heart of Monstropolis and the twisted realm of Villains Land, the evening’s announcements promised immersive new ways to dive into beloved stories.
Magic Kingdom Park
Carousel of Progress
An iconic fan-favorite attraction and an ever-evolving, ever-revolving story of innovation, Carousel of Progress is undergoing a refurbishment to introduce four new decades and a new scene with the first-ever Florida-based Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure in late spring 2027.
During the showcase, it was revealed that the beloved matriarch and patriarch of the Carousel of Progress family, Sarah and John, will be voiced by Disney Legend Jamie Lee Curtis and Emmy Award-winning Bryan Cranston.
“Cars” area
Start your engines for wild Frontierland fun! Piston Peak, the all-new area inspired by the Disney and Pixar “Cars” franchise, will take inspiration from the spirit of America’s National Parks and the rich storytelling of “Cars” to create a place that will rev up the whole family.
For young and young-at-engine roadsters, Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along features the demolition derby legend from “Cars 3” and giant school bus Audio-Animatronics figure, Miss Fritter, hosting her wildest derby yet.
For truly bold racers, compete for the fastest lap in the west with Cars Ridge Run Rally, a race that takes place up and down snow-capped Piston Peak and through a geyser field – the very same geyser field from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad that will extend into the new area. The attraction will be a new type of racing experience unlike anything in a Disney theme park, with a newly developed ride vehicle that rocks, bumps, and drops like an off-road car taking on adventurous terrain.
Villains Land
Magic Mirror on the wall, which land is the most menacing and magnificent of them all? One of the most anticipated projects in Magic Kingdom history, Villains Land reveals itself with details about the story guests will encounter when they step across the boundary into villainous territory.
Fairytale mischief begins off the safe path and deep inside a foreboding dark forest, where guests stumble upon a broken, twisted Wishing Well – corrupted due to a mysterious figure’s evil wish that infused all the land with poisoned magic. With dark magic up for grabs, several Disney Villains, including Cruella, the Evil Queen, and Dr. Facilier, move in and conjure perfect new lairs for their nefarious and tempting deeds.
On a scale similar to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Villains Land will include dining, shopping, and two attractions: a thrilling Maleficent-inspired coaster experience through the staggering heights of a mountaintop fortress and a thicket of enchanted briars, and a dynamic dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror and featuring a whole array of your favorite Disney Villains.
EPCOT
Spaceship Earth
For the first time in nearly 20 years, Spaceship Earth is getting an update. A reimagining is coming to the EPCOT park icon, bringing the attraction storyline into the internet age and beyond. Disney Imagineers are adding new magic, broadening the iconic attraction’s focus to a theme that is still classically EPCOT – human connection.
Figment and Dreamfinder
Proving that a dream can be a dream come true, it was revealed that EPCOT will take a new journey into imagination with everyone’s favorite purple dragon, Figment, and his longtime friend and companion, Dreamfinder. The whimsical dream-chaser who originally brought imagination to life in the Imagination pavilion’s original attraction will return in a new adventure with Figment – all it takes is one little spark.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run | Fortnite
An exciting collaboration between the physical world of a Disney experience and the digital world of Fortnite with Epic Games, guests visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can link their Disney and Epic Games accounts to access a new, custom adventure aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and a new Star Wars creative island, Smugglers Gambit, in Fortnite. The experiences in Fortnite and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland will go live Aug. 16, 2026.
Monstropolis
Residents of the all-new land, Monstropolis, are excitedly preparing for H.U.M.A.N. Day (short for Humans Understanding Monsters Are Nice) to welcome humans to the city starting in 2027!
To introduce the world of monsters, the Glob Theater will present “Welcome to Monstropolis” – a show hosted by Mike and Sulley and featuring lots of familiar faces – to showcase the city.
Quick-service restaurant Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza invites diners to college life, where the Alumni Club celebrates top scarers, student clubs, and familiar sororities and fraternities from the film “Monsters University.”
Bringing to life the iconic table service restaurant featured in “Monsters, Inc.”, Harryhausen’s will offer a menu unlike anything else at Walt Disney World, as well as an impressive new sushi chef Audio-Animatronics figure hard at work.
Ready for a souvenir from the monster world? Scareporium will open for human tourists to purchase monstrous merchandise to commemorate their visit.
While work continues on the coaster experience announced in 2024, the theater show, two dining experiences, and the merchandise shop will all open in 2027.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Take care, explorers, and pay close attention to the legends of what lurks in the Himalayas! Deep within Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, the attraction’s iconic Yeti Audio-Animatronics figure will come back to life.
Tropical Americas
Inspired by the myths and magic of the rainforests, rich cultures, and thrilling stories of South America, Central America, and Mexico, Tropical Americas will invite guests to explore a community shaped by nature.
The new land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be home to the vibrant and welcoming Pueblo Esperanza, where a local woodcarver has created a beautiful new family attraction, El Carrusel de los Animalitos – featuring 22 hand-carved animals from Disney and Pixar stories.
Just steps away, another beloved story will come to life. Guests can join the fun with Casita and the Madrigals in Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto. The no-height requirement attraction will be perfect for familias of all ages, and guests will marvel at more than 50 animals from the world of Disney’s “Encanto” represented throughout the famous Casita. Guests will be invited to celebrate Antonio’s new gift, which is the ability to communicate with animals. Voice actors from “Encanto” return to Casita to lend their voices to the attraction, including Stephanie Beatriz, Jessica Darrow, and Diane Guerrero, playing the roles of Mirabel, Luisa, and Isabella, respectively.
Adventurous explorers can join famous archaeologist Dr. Jones in Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. The good doctor seeks archeological knowledge deep inside a dry cenote in a Maya temple, where local folklore speaks of a passageway to the underworld protected by a large mythical serpent creature, the Tsukán.
The serpentine Tsukán will be brought to life as a hand-sculpted Audio-Animatronics figure on a massive scale, ensuring all visitors to the mysterious underworld adventure understand why Indy always asks, “Snakes? Why did it have to be snakes?”
Not only will the attraction feature an original Indiana Jones story, but the Audio-Animatronics figures will be modeled from the original whip-cracking, fedora-wearing hero himself, Harrison Ford, for the first time on a Disney attraction anywhere in the world.
For over 55 years, The Walt Disney Company has delivered immersive storytelling at Walt Disney World Resort. From new experiences such as the transformation of EPCOT, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and nighttime parade “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away” at Magic Kingdom, to reimagined classics such as Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the resort invites families to create core memories and excitement for future adventures together in The Most Magical Place on Earth.