Disney is constantly announcing changes and improvements for its theme parks, from full-scale expansions to new additions to favorite rides. At Destination D23, we received some big announcements and major updates for projects happening at Walt Disney World in Orlando and Disneyland in Anaheim. We also got some fun news about some of Disney's upcoming films and the theme parks around the world.
At Mickey Visit, we were there to cover it all to bring you all the latest news from the weekend. Here are the big announcements Disney made this weekend that you should know about.
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Big Disney News at Destination D23
On both coasts, work is currently underway for some major expansions introducing new rides at Disney World and new rides at Disneyland. These include the overhaul of DinoLand U.S.A. into a Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom, the expansion to introduce a new Cars area and Villains Land in Magic Kingdom, the addition of a Monsters, Inc. land in Hollywood Studios, and an expansion introducing two new rides to Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure.
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While a few of these announcements relate to those major expansions, much of the news at Destination D23 pertains to brand-new theme park projects and some exciting film announcements. You can also see our article on the seven recent announcements Disney World made about new projects and ride updates in development made during a different recent event.
Destination D23 is a Disney fan event put on by the official Disney fan club, D23, that takes place every other year in Orlando, Florida, on years when the larger-scale D23 Expo is not taking place in Anaheim, California. This year Destination D23 was bigger than ever, with over 4,000 attendees. This event is unique because all of the presentations take place in one room, and attendees don't have the pressure of trying to see everything on different stages, the way that they have to at D23 Expo. In addition to the news shared during the weekend, there were also historical presentations and amazing musical performances. You can see a lot more of all of this fun highlighted on our social media and in upcoming articles here on Mickey Visit.
Cinderella Castle Repainting
This announcement got one of the biggest reactions of the weekend! Disney announced that Cinderella Castle will be repainted with a new color palette “inspired by the classic and original look of the castle.” The updated color scheme will include “feature grays, creams, blues, and touches of gold.”
The repainting of Cinderella Castle in 2020 was a controversial move, with many guests expressing that they missed the old color scheme. This change is now seemingly being reversed by Disney. There is not yet a timeline for when these changes will be implemented, and Disney shared that they are still finalizing the paint design process.
New Popcorn Buckets Revealed
Disney revealed eight new Disney popcorn buckets and novelties debuting this year at the Disney Parks and on Disney Cruise Line. Disney's seasonal popcorn buckets and other novelties are extremely popular amongst Disney adults and often in high demand upon their release.
Some highlights include a Holiday Zombie Mug, a new Winnie the Pooh & Piglet Spring popcorn bucket, a Holiday Christmas Tree Truck Bucket, and more! You can see photos of all of these new items and the locations they are coming to in our separate article here.
New Disneyland Documentary
Disney announced that there will be a new Disneyland documentary released later this year called “Disneyland Handcrafted,” which features never-before-seen footage of the construction of Disneyland Park in the days leading up to its opening. This film is created by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, creator of “The Imagineering Story.”
You can see all of the details about this new film and the trailer in our separate article here. “Disneyland Handcrafted” will be released later this winter on Disney+ and Disney YouTube.
TRON Lightcycle / Run Overlay
TRON Lightcycle / Run will be getting a special overlay to celebrate the release of the new Tron: Ares film. The normal blue and orange hues of the ride will be replaced by vibrant red and orange light trails. The attraction overlay will also feature the music of the Nine Inch Nails, the Industrial rock band that created the soundtrack of Tron: Ares. This ride overlay will be available for a limited time starting September 15 at Magic Kingdom and September 16 at Shanghai Disneyland.
New Look at Napa Rose Enhanced Outdoor Patio
We got a new look at the enhanced outdoor patio space of Disneyland's Napa Rose, which is currently undergoing a multi-month renovation. The updated patio will fit into the vision of “rustic elegance” for the renovated restaurant, featuring lush greenery and soft lighting, with two new fireplaces. In addition to the enhanced patio, the renovation will also introduce a new look and menu for the restaurant, as well as expanded exhibition kitchen counters. You can see all details about what's changing during the renovation in our article on the Disneyland Napa Rose closure here. The restaurant will be reopening in the fall of 2025.
DINOSAUR Permanent Closing Date
While this news was not shared at Destination D23, we did just learn about DINOSAUR's permanent closing date to make way for the new Tropical Americas land. You can see all of the closing details in our separate article here. DINOSAUR will be transformed into an Indiana Jones ride, featuring a new storyline that follows Indiana Jones as he explores an ancient Mayan temple after hearing rumors about a mythical creature within.
The first-ever Encanto-themed ride-through attraction is also coming to this Tropical Americas land.
Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics Figure Coming to Carousel of Progress
This summer, for its 70th anniversary, Disneyland debuted a new show featuring the first-ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure. Now, Disney has revealed that a new Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure is coming to the Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom as part of a new introductory scene.
Disney also hinted that there are additional changes coming to this classic attraction. You can see the details of the announcement in our separate article here.
World of Frozen Opening
At Disneyland Paris, the current Walt Disney Studios Park is undergoing a major reimagining and name change. Disney announced the opening period of the new World of Frozen land at the park, which will open in Spring 2026. The opening of the land will also mark the change from the current Walt Disney Studios Park to the reimagined Disney Adventure World.
We are quite excited about this new addition that will bring a land similar to the great World of Frozen area that was added two years ago to Hong Kong Disneyland. We look forward to covering this new land when it opens for guests.
Villains Land Design Inspiration
Disney shared some new details about the design inspiration for the new Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom. Using the personalities and visuals of the animated characters as source material, the Imagineering team is aiming “to reflect the look and feel of the characters’ animation in the land’s physical structures and appearance.”
Disney visited Paris, France, and Barcelona, Spain, to study the Art Nouveau architecture design that would serve as inspiration for the new land. There, they discovered some pretty interesting takeaways, which you can see detailed in our separate article here.
2026 D23 Expo Dates
Disney announced the dates of the Disney D23 Expo, which takes place every two years at the Anaheim Convention Center! D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. At Destination D23, Disney also announced that Disney Legend Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel, will be the first official D23 FAN-bassador.
You can see all details about D23 Expo dates and recent changes to the event in our full article here.
Buzz Lightyear Balloon Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Disney announced that the Buzz Lightyear balloon is returning to the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this November for the first time since 2013. This year's Buzz Lightyear balloon features a new design for 2025!
There will be three Disney balloons in the parade. Those balloons will be Buzz Lightyear, Minnie Mouse, and Spider-Man.
Disney Film Announcements
In addition to the major theme parks news, Disney also made some exciting announcements about new films at Destination D23. Here are some of the film highlights!
- Disney revealed the title and details for the new film Hexed, which opens in theaters in November 2026. Disney describes that in the film, “awkward teenage boy and his Type-A mom discover that what makes him unusual, might just be magical powers that will turn their lives and a secret world of magic, upside down.”
- Disney revealed a sneak peek of the opening three minutes of Pixar's Toy Story 5, which will be in theaters June 19, 2026. During the announcement, Disney also shared the reveal of a couple of new characters in the film, including Smarty Pants, voiced by Conan O’Brien. The storyline of the new film centers around the conflict of toys vs. tech.
- Disney announced the next Ice Age movie, Ice Age: Boiling Point, which will release in theaters on February 5, 2027. Disney describes the film as “a dinosaur-and-lava-filled madcap adventure that takes Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Scrat, and the rest of the herd to visit never-before-seen corners of the treacherous Lost World.”
- Disney also shared a sneak preview of the new film Hoppers (which is where the viral “Lizard…Lizard…Lizard… clip is from), in theaters March 6, 2026. The intro to this that referenced the lizard clip was pretty funny (see the video on our Instagram below)!
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