For decades, the halls of Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney’s in-house department responsible for designing theme parks and cruise ships, were kept in utmost secrecy. Whenever coffee table books and the occasional Travel Channel television special share a peek behind the curtain, fans and casual audiences alike are captivated.
This is something Walt Disney understood deeply, as several of his vintage weekly television programs introduced audiences of millions to the unsung artists of what was, at the time, WED Enterprises, busy at work on soon-to-be classics like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. A successful series that debuted at the dawn of Disney’s streaming business shared more insight into those hallowed halls of Imagineering than ever before, and it’s about to do it again. Disney announced a new season of an acclaimed streaming series about theme parks. We have details about its release date and how it will differ from its first season. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including 7 ride reveals for Disneyland and 11 ride announcements for Disney World.
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New Season of Imagineering Series
One of the programs waiting to entertain viewers on the very first day of Disney+ in 2019 was The Imagineering Story, a sophisticated docuseries tracing the nearly 70-year history of Walt Disney Imagineering. The series covered the creation of every Disney theme park, from Walt’s original Disneyland and the innovations of 1959’s Matterhorn Bobsleds to the most recent gate, the high-tech Shanghai Disneyland, with its multifaceted new take on Pirates of the Caribbean.
The Imagineering Story was directed by acclaimed documentarian Leslie Iwerks, who had previously directed The Pixar Story. The show was narrated by Angela Bassett, known to Disney fans as Queen Ramonda in Black Panther and the host of the Disney Enchantment fireworks show at Magic Kingdom.
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Iwerks is no stranger to the Disney legacy. Her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, co-created Mickey Mouse with Walt Disney and animated many of the earliest Mickey cartoons himself. Her father, Don Iwerks, was an Imagineer who pioneered filmmaking techniques for the parks’ media-based productions, like Captain EO, Star Tours, and Impressions de France.
Disney announced The Imagineering Story will return for season 2, with Leslie Iwerks back as director.
Disney announced the news at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the company’s official convention.
Whereas season 1 reflected on the linear history of Imagineering across the decades after the fact, season 2 will focus on in-development projects as they’re being designed and built, and the inner workings of Imagineers’ discussions as they map out the future. Iwerks captured the stories of recently opened attractions as they were being created, including:
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT
- Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea
- Disney Destiny cruise ship
Iwerks is also actively documenting the creation of future attractions, including:
- Avengers Campus expansion at Disney California Adventure
- Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom
- Villains Land at Magic Kingdom
- Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- The Lion King log flume ride at Disney Adventure World
The Imagineering Story season 2 will be released on Disney+ in 2028. An exact release date has not been announced. It’s also unknown if Angela Bassett will return as the narrator.
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If you can’t wait until 2028, I recommend reading the book version of The Imagineering Story, written by Iwerks and published in 2022. It’s 752 pages and contains extended versions of many of the anecdotes from season 1 of the series, plus a lot more stories that Iwerks couldn’t fit into the show.
Fans interested in the unique angle of season 2 of The Imagineering Story may also enjoy Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2, a 6-episode Disney+ docuseries that was filmed during the production of that movie. It’s a surprisingly candid, on-the-ground look at the filmmakers’ journeys.
In the time since the first season of The Imagineering Story streamed on Disney+, Leslie Iwerks has directed docuseries about the histories of Warner Bros. and DC Comics, both of which are streaming on Max.
Earlier this year, Iwerks helmed Disneyland Handcrafted, a feature-length documentary about the physical construction of Disneyland. Read our interview with Iwerks about how she dug through the Disney archives for this historic film.
On August 20, 2026, Disney+ will debut another Iwerks-directed documentary, Disney Worldbuilders, about the immersive creative lands at Disney theme parks worldwide, like World of Frozen at Disney Adventure World, for example, and the creatives who inspired those lands, like Jennifer Lee, director of Frozen and Frozen 2. Read our newest interview with Iwerks about Disney Worldbuilders.
The Imagineering Story Season 2 news is one of many Disney theme park announcements just revealed. Other big news includes Villains Land rides for Disney World and a Tomorrowland overhaul for Disneyland. Click here to see all the news revealed at D23 with our ongoing coverage!
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