Walt Disney World has ambitious attractions in development or under construction at all four of its theme parks. These include a roller coaster inside the Monsters, Inc. door factory and an entire land dedicated to Disney Villains. With so many large-scale projects underway, the timeline for the grand opening of a few projects had been unclear. Disney just provided clarity on these points, which comes as great news to fans.
Disney World confirmed its 2027 slate of new attractions and expansions opening, including two rides that some thought had been delayed beyond 2027. We have the breakdown of exactly what Disney said and what it means for the parks’ future. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a new perk for Disney World annual pass renewals and Halloween Disney Loungefly bags.
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Walt Disney World Celebrates 55 Years by Looking Ahead to New Rides
Walt Disney World first opened on October 1, 1971, and on the occasion of the resort’s 55th anniversary, newly installed Walt Disney World President Joe Schott shared some celebratory remarks.
“As we celebrate 55 years, we’re proud of the incredible cast members who have shaped our story and excited about the opportunities ahead as Walt Disney World continues to grow. That growth creates opportunity across Central Florida, and it reflects our long-term confidence in this community and in the future of Walt Disney World.”
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Disney recently shared with Mickey Visit that the resort will create more than 5,000 jobs over the next 5 years. Many of these roles are a result of the new attractions and experiences coming to the Disney World theme parks and beyond the parks.
Disney shared this graphic above displaying what’s “on the horizon” for Walt Disney World. After breaking down this list, we have another piece of news from Disney to pass on, which we will discuss in the following section.
Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge will be a new resort hotel near Magic Kingdom, complete with traditional hotel rooms and private lakehouses that will have fireworks views.
Monstropolis will bring the city from Monsters, Inc. to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The new land will include an indoor theater show hosted by Mike and Sulley, and a suspended roller coaster through the Monsters, Inc. factory’s door vault.
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom is currently closed as Imagineers change every scene to more recent decades and add a new Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney to the attraction’s introduction.
Tropical Americas will introduce new Encanto and Indiana Jones rides to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Piston Peak National Park will be a new area of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom with a thrill ride and a family-friendly ride based on Pixar’s Cars and the beauty of the U.S. national parks.
Villains Land will be an entire realm at Magic Kingdom dedicated to Disney Villains. The land will include a Maleficent roller coaster and a dark ride starring favorite Disney bad guys from across the decades.
Spaceship Earth at EPCOT will be reimagined as Disney brings the classic attraction into the internet age and beyond. Also at EPCOT, Journey Into Imagination With Figment will be overhauled, bringing back its fan-favorite Dreamfinder character. We wonder if the inclusion of Spaceship Earth, and not Figment, in the graphic above could mean Spaceship Earth will be up first.
The yeti Audio-Animatronics figure on Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been broken nearly since the attraction opened in 2006. It currently stands motionless, with a flashing strobe light giving the illusion of movement, but Disney is finally fixing the yeti.
Clarity on Grand Opening of Tropical Americas
One of the upcoming Disney World projects is Tropical Americas, a land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom with three new attractions: Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, a family-friendly indoor dark ride taking place inside the Madrigals’ Casita from Encanto; Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, a thrill ride repurposing the former DINOSAUR attraction; and El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a merry-go-round with Disney animal characters as its steeds.
Disney had previously announced 2027 as the opening year for Tropical Americas. However, during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, in August 2026, Imagineers and executives refrained from mentioning any opening timeframe for Tropical Americas, despite detailing opening timeframes for other park projects. This led some fans to believe Disney had delayed the Tropical Americas opening, or was otherwise reevaluating its schedule. We speculated whether Disney was planning a phased opening, with perhaps Indiana Jones and the carousel opening first and Encanto opening later. Other speculated that a recent website change to language that dropped the 2027 opening meant that the rides had been delayed.
In its 55th anniversary press kit, Disney shared this list of future projects:
- Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, theater show, dining experiences, and merchandise shop opening in 2027
- Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge opening July 1, 2027
- Tropical Americas featuring Encanto and Indiana Jones attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom opening in 2027
- The largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, including an area dedicated to Disney and Pixar’s Cars and Villains Land
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort room refurbishments
This phrasing confirms that all of Tropical Americas, including both the Encanto and Indiana Jones rides, will open in 2027!
We are thrilled to hear that the project is on schedule, and the recent construction project has us excited for what this new land will bring to guests’ time at Animal Kingdom. Above is a look at construction for Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, with the in-progress framing for the Casita and the beginnings of the sculpts for the rolling mountains that will hide the ride building.
The façade for Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent is looking great as plaster is being added to the Maya temple that will mark the entrance to the ride.
El Carrusel de los Animalitos and the surrounding village of Pueblo Esperanza is taking shape. We can’t wait to walk through this new Disney theme park land in 2027!
Referring back to the above bulleted list, as a reminder, Monstropolis will open in phases. Phase 1 will open in 2027 with Welcome to Monstropolis, Harryhausen’s, Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, and the Scareporium. Phase 2 will follow later with the doors roller coaster.
We also recently toured the updated rooms coming to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.
READ MORE – These 10 Disney Rides Have Changed Dramatically Since Their Opening
Disney World’s Recent Growth
Those upcoming experiences follow a period of extensive growth throughout Walt Disney World. In the past 10 years, Disney World has opened:
- 3 new lands: Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Over 18 new attractions
- 4 new resorts or resort additions: Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, and Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
- Over 25 new entertainment offerings
- 2 new modes of transportation: the Minnie Van Service and the Disney Skyliner
In 2026 alone, Disney World has opened a long list of new and refreshed attractions.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios replaced the long-running Aerosmith version of Disney World’s only upside-down coaster with new energy and favorite characters.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Magic Kingdom reopened after a 15-month-long closure with a fresh new track and new special effects.
The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened as a fanciful version of Disney’s animation headquarters, complete with drawing classes hosted by an Audio-Animatronics figure of Olaf from Frozen.
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom reopened after an 8-month closure with upgraded ride vehicles and modern effects.
Soarin’ Across America at EPCOT introduced a limited-time film traversing U.S. landmarks like Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty.
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios added the Mandalorian and Grogu to the ride, along with new destinations and more interactivity for riders.
Bluey’s Wild World at Conservation Station took over the science facility at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with a new show and animal exhibits focused on the popular preschool series Bluey.
Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! debuted at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as an episode of the children’s TV show come to life on stage.
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