Disney’s first theme park ride based on the Pixar hit Coco is under construction for Disneyland! We got a sneak peek during a press preview of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney’s official convention.
Disney is setting guest expectations high for the future Coco ride with newly released concept art and story details. We have first-look photos from this highly anticipated ride and the reveal of its timeline within the Coco universe. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including Disney’s new Avatar land and a massive new ride coming to Magic Kingdom.
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Coco Boat Ride Coming to Disneyland
A new Coco ride is coming to Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort. Guests will join Miguel and journey to the Land of the Dead, just like in the movie.
Disney first announced the Coco ride during 2024’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event with the concept art pictured above. 2026’s D23 is just about to get underway, and Mickey Visit toured a preview of the Show Floor on August 13, the day before its grand opening to D23 attendees. The Show Floor spotlights several exciting future additions to the Disney theme parks, including the Coco ride.
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In the movie, you might remember how the singer Ernesto de la Cruz was famous for his incredible songwriting, only for the truth to be uncovered that he stole all of his songs from Héctor Rivera, Miguel’s great-great-grandfather.
The Coco ride seems to pick up after the events in the movie, and the town’s Ernesto de la Cruz statue has been rightfully replaced with a tribute to Héctor Rivera, which will greet guests outside of the attraction. This new piece of concept art was revealed on the D23 Show Floor.
Here’s a look at a maquette of the Héctor statue that’s also on display on the Show Floor. An inscription reads, “¡Su familia era su mundo!” This translates to “His family was his world!”
This is the first time Disney has acknowledged the story timeline of the Coco ride, implying it will take place after the movie. This means Miguel’s visit to the Land of the Dead will be a return voyage, and that the ride will tell a new story rather than repeat the events of the film.
Nearby, D23 attendees can share their Disneyland memories. At a station resembling an ofrenda, a Día de Muertos tradition, guests can write a special memory from the parks and submit it into a box. The cards will then be transformed into soil and embedded into the floral planters at the Coco attraction’s entrance.
D23 attendees can see these and other theme park exhibits on the Show Floor all weekend, from August 14 to 16, at the Anaheim Convention Center.
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Imagineers have teased state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics characters for the Coco ride, sharing that it will take inspiration from classics like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. Those are bold comparisons, setting the bar extremely high for this new experience.
The Coco ride will be located in a new building currently being constructed in what was formerly a backstage area, between Incredicoaster and Paradise Garden Grill. Above is what this area looked like in April 2026.
Disney has not announced an opening date or year for the Coco ride.
The Coco ride news is just one of many Disney theme park announcements just made. Click here to see all the news revealed at D23 with our ongoing coverage!
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