There are massive construction projects underway at three of Walt Disney World‘s four theme parks, and Disney is about to reveal new information about all the new rides. Imagineers and executives will share what’s in store for the future of Disney World during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney’s official convention, which happens every two years. With so much already unveiled and in progress, one might wonder how there could be anything else to announce, but there are quite a few things we expect to be addressed.
Today, we’re sharing our predictions for Walt Disney World announcements that we think will be revealed at D23 2026 during the event’s noteworthy “parks panel.” Below, we go through each prediction and explain why we expect the announcement. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including new rides coming to Disneyland in 2027 and changes to a popular Disney World roller coaster.
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Big Disney World News Incoming
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will take place in Anaheim, California, from August 14 through 16, 2026. This event, formerly known as D23 Expo, brings together every facet of The Walt Disney Company for a weekend of breaking news, historical presentations, and the induction of a new class of Disney Legends. See what’s on the itinerary for this year’s event and who’s becoming a Disney Legend.
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One of the most anticipated presentations in the packed weekend is the Disney Experiences Showcase, known among fans as “the parks panel,” at the Honda Center arena. During this presentation, Disney rolls through its full slate of ongoing projects for Walt Disney World in Florida and other theme park destinations around the globe, many of them being revealed for the first time. Think Apple Keynote or Comic-Con Hall H, but only for Disney theme park news.
Before we begin, it’s important to note a few words of caution. Firstly, history shows us that not everything Disney reveals during these D23 presentations comes to fruition. Whether for budget reasons or simply a change of direction, sometimes plans are revised or scrapped altogether. Some of those canceled projects in the past have included a Mary Poppins attraction and a new EPCOT pavilion, for example. All that to say, it’s healthy to go into D23 with cautious optimism, but the knowledge that plans are always subject to change.
Secondly, Disney is intentionally protective of the narrative of D23 announcements. Sometimes the company omits the full story to avoid real-time negative reactions from an arena full of passionate Disney fans. At the most recent D23 in 2024, for instance, Disney announced Monstropolis for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Piston Peak National Park for Magic Kingdom, but purposefully never mentioned during the D23 presentation that these projects would replace Muppet*Vision 3D and Tom Sawyer Island, respectively.
With those parameters in mind, here are our predictions for what will be announced for Walt Disney World at the D23 2026 “parks panel,” aka the Disney Experiences Showcase, happening Saturday, August 15.
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Piston Peak Family Ride
Piston Peak National Park is coming to Magic Kingdom as a tribute to the natural beauty of U.S. national parks, set within the world of Pixar’s Cars. The area will be a large subsection of Frontierland, where part of Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America previously stood. While the ride is themed to the world of Cars, this is not a copy of the existing Cars Land in Disney California Adventure.
Disney already revealed that Piston Peak National Park will contain two attractions: a thrilling “off-road” ride and a family-friendly ride. A lot of info has been shared about the thrill ride, including multiple pieces of concept art and even test footage of Imagineers piloting a prototype ride layout. In contrast, Disney has said next to nothing about the family-friendly Piston Peak ride.
Mickey Visit predicts Disney will reveal the ride system for the family-friendly Piston Peak National Park ride at D23 2026, along with concept art and new details about both the family-friendly ride and the thrill attraction.
Villains Land Name, Rides, and Backstory
A land dedicated to classic antagonists from Walt Disney Animation Studios films is coming to Magic Kingdom.
Disney initially revealed this area as “Villains Land,” then started calling it a “Villains-themed land.” Disney Imagineers are taking inspiration from architecture in Paris and Barcelona for the aesthetic of this new realm. Disney has said two major attractions will be part of Villains Land, but the specific rides have not formally been announced, and neither have any particular Disney Villains other than Maleficent. Concept art depicts a roller coaster inspired by Maleficent in dragon form from Sleeping Beauty.
Pretty much any news about Villains Land shared during the parks panel at D23 2026 will be new information and provide more clarity than the vague details we have so far. However, Disney knows this and can play the lack of information to its advantage, especially given the huge anticipation for this project among fans. The longer Disney can stretch out the Villains Land teases, the better, and frankly, there could be two more D23s in 2028 and 2030 before Villains Land opens.
At the same time, though, Disney can only be vague about Villains Land for so long. Mickey Visit predicts, at a minimum, a new piece of Villains Land concept art will likely be shared at D23, a welcome addition to the singular piece above that we’ve been sharing for two years.
As for additional details, we could see this going one of two ways. Disney could easily share an overview of the backstory for Villains Land, the fictional lore for how the land will bring together the Disney Villains, and announce some of those Villains by name.
This may be enough to satiate fan demand for now, but we hope Disney will take things one step further by sharing concrete details about what to expect from this land’s rides. This would include confirming the Maleficent roller coaster and teasing the other attraction, as well as revealing the official name of the land, if it’s not Villains Land.
Drone Show for Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Nighttime drone shows have become increasingly popular at international Disney theme parks and at pretty much every major U.S. theme park chain except Disney.
This is a fascinating conundrum, considering Walt Disney World was at the forefront as the technology was first emerging, with a holiday show it partnered with Intel to produce for Disney Springs in 2016 that lasted only one season. Another limited-time Disney Springs drone show, Disney Dreams That Soar, pictured above, likewise only lasted one summer, in 2024.
There is not currently a drone show at Walt Disney World, despite the fact that there is a perfect venue for one.
Disney has repeatedly struggled to create a long-term production for the Discovery River Amphitheatre, the lagoonside seating near Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
The space was originally built in 2016 to host an ill-fated nighttime show called Rivers of Light, pictured below, meant to be the centerpiece of the park’s short-lived late-night hours. The daytime show Disney KiteTails followed, but the comically chaotic production, featuring giant kites in the shape of Disney characters that purposefully crashed-landed in the bleachers, lasted even shorter a time.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is limited in its nighttime spectacular options. Fireworks are commonly cited as a nonstarter out of respect for the animals onsite.
In any case, all the pieces are seemingly in place for Disney to utilize the Discovery River Amphitheatre in a new way again: Disney World lacks a drone show, an outdoor venue is sitting empty, and the 2027 grand opening of the new Tropical Americas land will likely lead to longer operating hours for the park. When they last had a nighttime show here, the worry was that there just wasn’t enough at the theme park to keep people captive until the evening performance. That could change with the opening of the new land, helping to reverse Animal Kingdom’s biggest problem.
A show of some kind in the Discovery River Amphitheatre seems viable, and drones would be a visually impressive substitute for the park’s no-pyrotechnics history.
Magic Kingdom Entertainment Reset
The current lineup of live entertainment at Magic Kingdom has been in place for a long time and is primed for a full sweep of new productions. Except for the nighttime parade, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, which debuted in 2025 after being revealed at D23 2024, all of Magic Kingdom’s major live productions are over a decade old. While it’s true that the pandemic paused most performances for two years, the shows are still nearing the end of their life cycle, based on the trajectories of previous Magic Kingdom entertainment.
Magic Kingdom’s daytime parade, Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, debuted in 2014, 12 years ago. Its predecessor lasted 13 years, and was overhauled twice within that timespan. Festival of Fantasy has remained the same parade all this time.
The park’s stage show in front of Cinderella Castle, Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire, premiered in 2016, 10 years ago, and was slightly tweaked with new opening and finale scenes in 2022. The previous castle show, Dream Along with Mickey, lasted 10 years.
Therefore, Magic Kingdom’s history shows us that the daytime parade and castle show will likely be replaced soon. D23’s 2026 parks panel would be an ideal opportunity to reveal those replacement productions.
Entertainment at Magic Kingdom’s seasonal events, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, typically has a longer shelf life than daytime productions and is trickier to predict. Regardless, both events’ stage shows have been around for a decade, and their parades for two decades, and have all already been confirmed to return in 2026.
Refreshes of Classic Rides
A current priority for Walt Disney Imagineering is refreshing classic rides, updating older experiences for modern guests, both in terms of storytelling and infrastructure. We recently spoke with Imagineers leading this effort about the recent examples of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster receiving major updates. Next up is Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, which closed in July 2026 and will reopen in 2027 with changes to every scene.
Given the aggressive output of these overhauls in the past few years, refreshes of other classic rides may be revealed at D23 during the parks panel.
Space Mountain was last rebuilt in 2009. Based on how that refurbishment stacks up with modern roller coaster safety standards, it could be due for another long-term rebuild, similar to the recent retracking of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. While drafting this article, an active rumor has begun to circulate about an overhaul like this. We’ll have to stay tuned.
Disney has also introduced significant leaps in Audio-Animatronics technology in the past year, including upgrading the figures in Frozen Ever After at EPCOT. Imagineers may be interested in getting characters on other classic fairytale rides up to speed.
In sifting through the possibilities of which classic attractions Disney may refresh next, the conversation quickly becomes hypothetical rather than informed, so we’ll refrain from venturing down this rabbit hole any further. However, extensive refurbishments to longstanding attractions, in the hopes of the rides enduring for the next generation, are a priority for Imagineering right now, and D23 is a logical place to unveil which classic rides that attention might turn toward next.
Original Star Wars Trilogy in Galaxy’s Edge
In April 2026, Disneyland in California made major changes to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Firstly, the theme park land introduced walk-around characters from the original Star Wars trilogy, expanding upon a roster that had been mostly restricted to characters from the recent sequel trilogy and The Mandalorian. Now, guests encounter Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Darth Vader daily.
Secondly, Disneyland started playing composer John Williams’s orchestral scores from the Star Wars films throughout Galaxy’s Edge as background music. Previously, the area only pumped in diegetic sound effects, noises that would theoretically only be heard by the community who lived there, such as spaceships flying or shopkeepers bartering.
Guests have responded positively to both of these changes on the West Coast. The East Coast version of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, is nearly an exact copy of Disneyland’s version of the land, but is still restricted to the sequel and Mandalorian characters, and the diegetic sound effects.
Making the same tweaks in Florida that were just implemented in California seems like a low-effort, high-impact win for Disney here. The steps to pull this off, at least from the outside looking in, pale in comparison to the massive task of building a new ride, but arguably have just as much of a positive influence on the guest experience. Audition some performers and send over the soundtrack file, and this could be a slam-dunk announcement at the D23 parks panel.
Monstropolis Theater Show and Dining
Out of anything on our list today, new details about the Monstropolis land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the safest bet to be announced at D23 2026. A fictional newspaper cover that Disney created for a prior Monstropolis announcement teased “local restaurants” and “Glob Theater show” on “Page 8, Col. 15,” a sly hint toward August 15, the day of the Disney Experiences Showcase at D23.
Disney has already revealed quite a bit about the Monstropolis project. The new land will depict the city from Monsters, Inc., complete with an indoor suspended roller coaster inspired by the door factory chase from the climax of the movie. Disney also previously shared that Monstropolis will feature an indoor theater show housed in a venue called The Glob, which will repurpose the former Muppet*Vision 3D space, as well as a recreation of Harryhausen’s restaurant from the movie.
As indicated by the newspaper tease, we expect Disney to reveal details about Monstropolis’s dining and theater show at D23. These could include concept art for the interior of Harryhausen’s and a peek at its menu, as well as news on a potential quick service restaurant replacing the former PizzeRizzo space, which remains standing.
Other than the description of an “indoor theater show,” Disney hasn’t shared anything about what’s happening inside The Glob. We expect Disney to reveal what’s going on inside The Glob at D23.
Beyond the teased announcements, Disney may also reveal the name of the doors coaster.
Encanto and Indiana Jones Ride Names
Of the large-scale expansion projects coming to Walt Disney World, Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the closest to completion. Disney has already announced a 2027 opening for the new land, which will include a new Encanto ride, a new carousel, an overhaul of the former DINOSAUR ride into an Indiana Jones ride, and a transformation of Restaurantosaurus into a quick service restaurant resembling a Spanish hacienda.
With the basics of Tropical Americas already announced, Disney has much less left to reveal about this project than Villains Land or even Monstropolis. There’s still plenty to dive into, though, especially given the history of every attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom bringing forth a deeper meaning about conservation and the natural world.
With that in mind, Mickey Visit predicts Disney will share deeper details about the storylines of the Encanto and Indiana Jones rides at D23, with a particular slant toward how those stories connect with the overall purpose of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. These will likely be accompanied by new concept art revealing specific scenes from the rides or elements of their queues.
Since the opening of Tropical Americas is much sooner than the other projects on this list, we also expect Disney to reveal the names of the Encanto ride, Indiana Jones ride, carousel, and quick service restaurant during the D23 parks panel.
What We Don’t Predict Will Happen at D23
With all this excitement, there are a few details and fan-favorite wish list projects that we don’t expect Disney to announce at D23 2026.
Disney typically doesn’t announce opening dates during the D23 parks panel, or even ballpark opening timeframes. This makes sense, as people in the room will likely be excited for whatever is shared, so there’s no need to commit to a timeline that may shift. For context on just how close-vested Disney is about opening dates, even an attraction opening very soon remains without an announced opening date: The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, for which Disney has only shared a “late summer” opening.
Many fans have hoped for a long time that Disney would overhaul Journey Into Imagination with Figment, a family-friendly dark ride at EPCOT starring the very cute purple dragon. Despite Figment being created just for EPCOT in the ’80s and not originating from a well-known Disney animated film, his popularity has soared in recent years, and his representation in EPCOT merchandise and special events has increased exponentially.
While we’d love to see Figment get some love, we think Imagineers would rather create a full-fledged new ride experience for the character rather than refurbishing the existing ride. Given the other major projects already in progress for Disney World, a new ride on this scale seems unlikely to be announced for another few years.
Another long-held wishlist item among Disney fans is the return of the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights, the wintry icicle overlay of the castle, which was last installed in 2019 and never returned after the pandemic.
We think if the Dream Lights had any chance of returning, it would have been announced as part of the castle’s recent paint job makeover. That multimonth project involved careful updates to the castle’s exterior. If there was ever going to be an opportunity to rethink the Dream Lights’ annual installation for a new era, Disney likely would have already addressed it as part of the company’s vocal publicity efforts during the castle repainting, or at the very least during Disney World’s recent reveal of 2026 holiday season programming. We’d love to be wrong about this one, but the earliest we could see them bringing these back would be for the 2027 holiday season.
We look forward to seeing which of our predictions comes true, and we’re hoping for some unexpected wildcards, as the parks panel commences during D23 on August 15, 2026. What do you predict Disney World will announce at D23? Be sure to join our newsletter to get the big Disney news as it is released.
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