Disneyland is in the midst of a major expansion right now, with several new rides and experiences in active development. Some of these new additions are coming sooner than you may expect, while others are still a way off. There are some major new rides and restaurants that will almost certainly open in 2027, but beyond these, we expect more major projects to be announced and perhaps even some surprising answers to fan requests.
Disneyland is always working hard to deliver new experiences to draw visitors back to the parks between major openings. Here are some of the openings and changes we will likely see in 2027, plus our thoughts on what could come to Disneyland within the year. For the purposes of the list below, we have sorted the items into “likely,” “confirmed,” and “possible” new additions. Note that the “possible” includes items that are informed speculation only. Keep reading for all of the details! Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including Disneyland's 8 Perks for Resort Hotel Guests in July, and Hallmark's 8 new Disney Parks ornaments releasing this week during a sale. This report follows our similar look ahead at Walt Disney World.
READ MORE – This Controversial Disney Hack Actually Causes Big Safety Issues
Likely – Two New Avengers Campus Rides
We know that two Avengers Campus rides are currently under active construction at Disney California Adventure. In our discussion of when Disneyland's new rides will open, we talked about how one of CEO Josh D'Amaro's key initiatives is “One Disney,” which is the idea that the different aspects of the company can support one another’s long-term goals. We have seen this in action before and expect to in the future. What this means is we can expect to see the opening dates for new Disney attractions aligned with the release dates of major Disney films.
Given that Avengers: Secret Wars is slated to release on December 17, 2027, we feel strongly that they will try to align the opening of the new Avengers Campus rides with this. However, we could see Disney opening Stark Flight Lab in mid 2027, to get a new ride online in the park sooner.
Disney Ride Closure ALERTS, Major Changes, Secrets Revealed
Get alerts on closures, park changes, exclusive discounts, and free printables. Trusted by 100,000+ Disney fans & planners.
These two rides are going to be the highlights of the 2027 additions to the resort (or early 2028 if they aren't ready in time). Stark Flight Lab is a unique new ride concept in which a robot arm picks up pods from the track and whirls guests around in simulated flight. Avengers Infinity Defense, which has been previously billed as an “E-ticket” attraction, will feature a combination of screen-based technology and physical sets to deliver an immersive adventure. During this ride, guests will team up with the Avengers across the Multiverse to defeat a variant called “King Thanos,” who has stolen the technology they use to jump between worlds.
We also expect to see some smaller additions to the land to accommodate the fact that it is doubling in size. For instance, we know that new bathrooms are under construction between Cars Land and Avengers Campus, and a permit was recently filed for a new beverage kiosk. I would not be surprised if they announced another small dining location as the opening of the new rides draws closer, as well as the return of the two shows we lost (or entirely new shows altogether). See everything we know so far about the two new rides coming to Avengers Campus here.
Likely – Porto's Bakery
One of the most highly anticipated new additions in Downtown Disney is Porto's Bakery, a Southern California bakery famous for its sweet pastries and desserts and California-Cuban-inspired dishes.
This project has been delayed multiple times, and we didn't really have a clear sense of the construction timeline until work recently began. Now, we have a clearer idea of when it may open, though nothing has officially been announced beyond the (now-elapsed) timelines that were shared previously.
This is a massive project that will be Porto’s first location with sit-down table service and a full bar. Visitors can also pick up treats from the Bakery and Cafe.
We anticipate that the restaurant could open around fall 2027, and anything earlier would be a nice surprise. Some recent Downtown Disney construction projects, like Parkside Market and the two-story Earl of Sandwich, moved along rather quickly, so it's possible we can see them really hustle to complete this long-anticipated addition.
Likely – Arthur & Sons Steakhouse and Pearl's Roadside BBQ
Two other new additions coming to Downtown Disney are restaurant concepts from Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori. On the footprint of the former Tortilla Jo's restaurant, they are constructing a classic steakhouse and an adjacent quick-service barbecue eatery.
This is another project that has experienced a drawn-out construction timeline. Tortilla Jo's closed in the spring of 2024, and progress has been very slow. This makes sense to an extent, as they had to demolish the entirety of the former building. We do anticipate that they will soon kick things into high gear to get this completed sometime in 2027, but it's hard to tell exactly when at the time of writing. If construction starts moving along in earnest soon, there is a chance these two locations could open in late spring or summer of 2027.
Fans are eyeing the full-service steakhouse in particular to see if it lives up to the glory of the former Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel. This new location, called Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon, promises a sophisticated atmosphere with a center bar, offering a menu with prime cuts of beef, fresh seafood, sandwiches and salads, and a selection of bourbon and cocktails.
The adjacent barbecue eatery called Pearl’s Roadside BBQ will offer items like pulled pork and beef brisket with house-made sauces, along with craft beers and moonshine cocktails.
While there is a chance that the barbecue eatery may open sooner than the steakhouse, we anticipate that they will open these simultaneously.
Possible/Likely – Fantasmic! Dragon Returns
Perhaps the item on this list we would be most excited to see is the return of the dragon in Fantasmic! on Rivers of America. Of course, this wouldn't be the original Murphy the dragon, as that figure was destroyed in the fire in 2023 that shut down the performance for a year. Right now, the battle sequence is replaced by a fight between Mickey and Maleficent raised up on a platform.
In 2024, around the time of the show's reopening from its year-long hiatus, the show director of Fantasmic!, Tobi Longo, hinted that this fan-favorite element may eventually return. In an article by the LA Times, she shared, “We’re excited for something to come back, and we’re in the works and working on it,” Longo says. “But I think what I’ve done with that scene — that good versus evil and that battle between Maleficent and Mickey — is so spectacular. We all loved the dragon, and we’ll keep working on things, but there’s not much I can say about it.”
As far as we are concerned, this means there is a real possibility the dragon could return (likely in an upgraded version 2.0 with the latest Imagineering technology) at any time. Granted, it's been a couple of years since she shared this comment, but we don't have any reason to believe they would have shelved this. Disney knows that this is an important part of the show, and I'm sure that they would like to deliver this to fans in 2027, a year that does not yet have many formal attraction openings slated as of yet.
Confirmed – Autopia Overhaul
Disneyland's only opening-day ride in Tomorrowland, Autopia, will undergo significant changes by early 2027 or close for work. While Disney originally announced a couple of years ago that they were planning on converting the vehicles from gas to electric, we now know that there is a strict state-mandated deadline by which they must make these changes.
Disneyland has until February 1, 2027, to get rid of the gas-powered cars, according to a settlement agreement with the California Air Resources Board. If the ride does not transition to electric vehicles by this date, it must close while work takes place to modify them. Disney previously shared that work is already underway to design the new fully electric vehicles.
We are unsure if there will be additional changes to the ride beyond this switch. Depending on the length of the closure, Disneyland may take this opportunity to make some quick adjustments to the scenery of the ride, though I would guess this is not very likely.
Possible – Tomorrowland Incremental Overhaul
While on the topic of Tomorrowland, fans have been saying for a long time that the land is due for a major refresh. A recent report by the Wall Street Journal indicated that previous Imagineering proposals to overhaul Tomorrowland were shot down by Disney executives during the Bob Chapek era (from 2020 to 2022). Quoting the Orange County Register's article on the report, “The rejected Tomorrowland proposals happened at a time of diminished ambition at Disney when theme parks executives didn’t trust Imagineering could deliver projects on time and on budget, according to the WSJ report.” They deemed at the time that these overhaul plans would not be enough to increase the park's attendance.
This doesn't mean that a Tomorrowland overhaul is out of the question. Disney Imagineering rarely shelves plans for good, and it's possible that even if a full overhaul is not in the cards, they may move forward with elements of that concept. This is especially true in light of Disney's recent initiative to refresh older attractions alongside major expansions (more on this below). It's also much more likely that this would be greenlit with D'Amaro as CEO, given his background.
At this point in time, we don't see attractions like Buzz Lightyear or Star Tours on the chopping block, but we could see Disney introduce some new offerings to underutilized spaces, such as the Tomorrowland Terrace stage and the Rocket Rods tracks. Most recently, they brought the Pixar Short Film Spotlight to the Tomorrowland Theater, which had been closed since 2020. These could incremental changes to improve the land instead of a massive overhaul that would bring a multi-year closure to the area.
Possible – Refreshes of Classic Attractions
As Disney pursues their major expansions, they are also investing in refreshing classic attractions to keep them relevant for a modern audience. When we recently spoke to Michael Hundgen, who is the Portfolio Executive Creative Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering for Walt Disney World, he mentioned how his philosophy for refreshing classics is to “Leave it better than you found it.”
Disney World has been actively refreshing multiple attractions to breathe new life into them, and this has had visible results. Some recent examples include Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Soarin' Across America, Bluey's Wild World, and the new Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run storyline, to name a few. While a couple of these changes were also implemented across both coasts, we anticipate that Disneyland will soon follow in Disney World's footsteps by refreshing its own unique attractions.
There are many possibilities for refreshes across the two parks. Some of the biggest ones that jump out to us are Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, and Silly Symphony Swings.
The most obvious candidate is Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, given the major changes that were just recently implemented at its Magic Kingdom counterpart. The changes to the Magic Kingdom version were incredibly positive and greatly enhanced the ride. While there is no doubt that the Disneyland version of the ride is due for a refresh, it's possible that they are holding off on any dramatic changes due to uncertainty surrounding the future of Tomorrowland and whether or not a major overhaul is in the cards for this land. This is likely the holdup for refreshing Finding Nemo Submarines as well. While that ride is due for a major update, it seems more likely they would be inclined to scrap the whole thing than invest in a reimagining.
Fans have been clamoring for Disney to bring back the PeopleMover, but making this a reality would be a huge undertaking. It would likely require completely redoing the tracks, and the implications of the ride running through several buildings would add even more construction considerations. We don't think that this is very likely to happen, even though we can dream.
Some other potential rides that could be refreshed include older rides like the Matterhorn, Jungle Cruise, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and Pinocchio's Daring Journey, but these seem like less likely candidates. It's always possible we could get a surprise ride refresh for any of the Fantasyland rides, especially since we saw them complete enhancements to Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, and Snow White previously.
Possible – Pixar Expansion in Disney California Adventure
Silly Symphony Swings is another prime candidate for a refresh. While Disney has largely moved away from its era of copy/pasting exact versions of attractions across its theme parks globally, there has still been decent overlap in recent concepts. So, with that being said, it would not surprise me at all if Disney announced that Silly Symphony Swings was getting rethemed to match the new “Up” version of the ride in Disneyland Paris. We imagine this would be a fairly straightforward retheming for the ride.
And if they are already doing that, why not update some of the other attractions in the area, like Jumpin' Jellyfish, to Pixar as well? I'm thinking of the Green Army Man parachute-inspired ride of the same format at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong Disneyland. Part of this area is already being incorporated into Pixar theming with the new Coco ride under construction for this corner of the park, so it's possible that Disneyland is already thinking about this. You can see the latest on the Pixar Coco ride construction here.
However, we hope that they don't, and think they probably would have done this retheming with the reimagining of Paradise Pier into Pixar Pier back in 2018 if they were going to at all.
Possible – Show at the Hyperion
Unfortunately, there has not been a consistent show at the Hyperion in Disney California Adventure since the pandemic. For years, the Broadway-quality theater was home to Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular, which ran until 2016, when it was replaced by Frozen – Live at the Hyperion. After the show closed, the space was unused until Rogers: The Musical had a very brief run in the summer of 2023. Since then, it has sat empty for three years.
We presume that shows have not returned to this space due to entertainment budget cuts. Disneyland has made several entertainment cuts over the past few years. However, there is always the hope that Disneyland will bring back a show here, and it's very possible this could happen in 2027. It would be a big investment, but one that may very well be worth it. The theater not only represents the high-quality live entertainment Disney is famous for, but it also served as a crowd-eater during busy times of year, seating nearly 2,000 people at a time.
We at Mickey Visit, along with countless fans, keep hoping that Disneyland will finally bring back a show to this venue. When we asked our Facebook followers what they would like to see come to the Hyperion, the answer was overwhelmingly “bring back Aladdin,” though some also expressed they'd like to see Tangled, Encanto, the return of Rogers: The Musical, Hercules, or Beauty and the Beast, to name a few. Many Disney stories already have full Disney Cruise Line performances, so it wouldn't be a huge stretch to see an adapted performance come to this space.
Possible – Return, Refresh, or Addition of Popular Entertainment
Once a show or parade ends its run at Disneyland, it is never truly gone for good. Disneyland often re-runs or recycles former concepts as an easy way to draw in visitors during slower periods. Most recently, they brought back Paint the Night, something that fans had loudly been requesting. Wondrous Journeys and Magic Happens, the popular fireworks show and parade from the company's 100th anniversary, have also popped in and out.
If Disneyland does not have a resort-wide celebration next year, it may bring back popular entertainment offerings from the past. While Fantasyland Theatre was turned into a flex space since the closure of Tale of the Lion King, and is currently occupied by the Bluey experience, there is a small chance that they could bring back the fan-favorite Mickey and the Magical Map. However, if demand for Bluey remains high, we don't think this will happen.
Another possibility is the return of Disneyland Forever, the 60th anniversary fireworks show that premiered in 2015 and returned for a short run in 2019. Even better would be the return of “Remember…Dreams Come True” fireworks show that highlighted Disneyland attractions and first debuted during the 50th anniversary. We would love to see a modernized version of that show that brings in projection effects.
We could get the return of a seasonal event like Season of the Force, a new event, or simply some refreshes to seasonal offerings throughout the year. I would not be completely surprised to see a refresh of Disneyland's A Christmas Fantasy parade, the Believe in Holiday Magic Fireworks, or World of Color – Season of Light. Disneyland has been making an effort to introduce seasonal updates in recent years, like the addition of themed character dining and the addition of new shows inspired by Coco and Encanto.
Stay tuned for the latest news and announcements for 2027 by subscribing to our Mickey Visit newsletter. We anticipate announcements at D23 Expo in August and then a full slate for 2027 later this year.
READ MORE – Secret Target in Disneyland’s Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters Gives You 50,000 Points
Getting a high score on this ride can sometimes be easier said than done. While there are certain tricks to maximizing your score, there is one secret target you can hit to really blow it out of the water. This is everything you need to know about this secret target in Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters that will give you 50,000 points!
READ MORE – Most Disneyland Guests Don’t Know About This Super Secret Dining Room Open to All
Some guests don't know about a secret dining experience that is available at one of the best Disneyland restaurants in the parks. This special dining room is one of the coolest secret spots in the parks that you might not know about. While it can't be reserved, some lucky guests may get the rare opportunity to dine here. See more details about this secret dining experience!
