Top line
Walt Disney World and Disneyland will look different in the coming years as Disney’s theme park division begins work on a series of major projects — bringing attractions like a Villains’ Land and rides based on “Encanto,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Coco” to the parks — bolstering the theme park giant as it faces declining profits and increased competition in Florida.
Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park will benefit from a major expansion in the coming years, including … (+)
Key facts
Country of the wicked: A new Disney Villains-themed land will open at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park in Florida, theme parks division chief Josh D’Amaro announced, though the company has not yet provided a timeline for when it will open or where it will be located in the park.
“Cars” in Frontierland: Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will redesign its Frontierland area to add a “Cars”-themed land that will feature two attractions, including a mountain race course and an attraction designed for younger children. But the company announced Monday that it will significantly alter the park’s existing landscape, removing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.
Marvel Studios Attractions: Marvel fans will soon be able to enjoy two more attractions at Disney California Adventure at Disneyland. D’Amaro shared more details about an “Avengers”-themed attraction called “Avengers Infinity Defense,” in which riders will face off against King Thanos, and announced “Stark Flight Lab,” which will feature Robert Downey, Jr. reprising his role as Iron Man.
Avatar Walk: Disney California Adventure will feature a new “Avatar” and “Avatar: Waterway”-themed area — which will be different from the existing “Avatar” themed area at Walt Disney World — and will include a new boat ride through the land of Pandora.
Tropical Americas: Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Animal Kingdom will get a new 11-acre “Tropical Americas”-themed land that will include an “Encanto”-themed attraction as well as an Indiana Jones-themed attraction that will be different from the existing Indiana Jones attraction at Disneyland.
The roller coaster of “Monsters, Inc.”: Monstropolis is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, as the company announced a roller coaster themed after Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” and the film’s fleet of zooming doors, which will be Disney’s first suspended coaster, where seats are suspended beneath the tracks.
“Coco” Walk: Disney California Adventure will feature a new attraction themed after the Pixar film “Coco,” which will take guests on a journey to the Land of the Dead.
A number of smaller projects were also announced Saturday, including the addition of the Mandelorian and Grogu to the Star Wars-themed “Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run” attraction on both coasts, the launch of a new nighttime parade at Walt Disney World and the creation of a larger-than-life Walt Disney animatronic that will debut at Disneyland for its 70th anniversary next year.
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When will these new attractions open?
Disney did not provide opening dates for the major attractions and new lands announced Saturday, though they will be at least a few more years away from becoming a reality. D’Amaro gave only approximate dates for when construction will begin on most of the attractions and new lands, with construction on the “Cars,” “Monsters, Inc.,” Avengers and “Iron Man” attractions starting in 2025, while the “Coco” attraction will begin in 2026. The executive said the upcoming Tropical Americas attractions at Animal Kingdom will open in 2027, and did not provide a timeline for the “Villains” or “Avatar” area.
Which attractions will be closed?
While the new announcements will bring a slew of new experiences to Disney’s theme parks, it also means that other areas and attractions will have to close to make way for the new additions. In addition to the closures of Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America, Disney’s Tropical Americas will replace the current DinoLand USA in Animal Kingdom, and the Indiana Jones attraction will take the place of the park’s existing “Dinosaur” ride. It remains to be seen what other attractions will close to make way for the new additions, with fans speculating online that the “Monsters, Inc.” roller coaster could replace “MuppetVision 3-D,” a fan-favorite Muppet attraction, or Rock N’ Roller Coaster, a roller coaster featuring music by Aerosmith.
Peg News
D’Amaro announced the series of new projects onstage during a presentation Saturday night at D23 Expo, Disney’s three-day fan convention that takes place every two years. While the cost of all of the projects is not yet known, the company has already said it plans to double its investment in its parks division over the next decade to $60 billion in total. That also includes Disney’s cruise ships and international theme parks in addition to domestic parks.
What should you pay attention to?
How will Disney’s Florida theme parks fare when Universal Orlando Resort, Disney’s main competitor in Central Florida, opens Epic Universe, an ambitious new theme park slated to open in 2025? Epic Universe is expected to include several new lands that are expected to draw large crowds, including Super Nintendo World, a new “Harry Potter” land, a “How to Train Your Dragon”-themed land and a monster-themed land. The opening of Epic Universe will give Universal Orlando three theme parks plus a water park, making it more comparable to Walt Disney World’s four theme parks and two water parks. That means Orlando travelers will have a tougher choice when it comes to making Universal or Disney the main focus of their vacation — compared to before, when guests could stay at Disney but maybe just spend a day or two at Universal — and could hurt Disney’s attendance numbers and revenue.
Large number
3%. That’s how much revenue will decline at Disney’s Experiences division, which includes its theme parks, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, the company said in its earnings report last week. Iger and Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston cited “moderation in consumer demand” at its parks as the reason for the decline. Johnston told investors that park attendance is likely being hurt by lower-income Americans cutting back on spending and higher-income travelers choosing to go abroad. While Johnston predicted the company would see a few more quarters with “likely similar results,” the Disney executive said he expects the division’s earnings to grow going forward, especially with all the investments it’s making thanks to new park announcements. “We wouldn’t make capital investments on an accelerated basis if we didn’t expect to accelerate the growth of the (parks’) business,” Johnston said on the company’s earnings call.
Tangent
In addition to its domestic theme park announcements, Disney also announced a massive expansion of its Disney Cruise Line fleet. D’Amaro revealed Saturday that the company will build four new cruise ships in addition to the four already in development, bringing the total number of ships to 13. The company also announced new additions to its international theme parks, including a “Lion King”-themed attraction and land at Disneyland Paris and a “Spider-Man” attraction at Shanghai Disneyland.
Key context
Disney’s flurry of announcements over the weekend comes after the company made few concrete announcements during its last Expo presentation in 2022, leaving fans wondering how the theme park giant would respond to Epic Universe and whether anything new would be announced this year. Disney’s theme parks have faced increased criticism in recent years, even as attendance has rebounded from the pandemic, with many questioning the high price of Disney vacations and recent moves that have been seen as underestimating its visitors. Under former Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who was abruptly ousted by returning CEO Bob Iger in November 2022, the company’s theme parks have announced moves such as turning its previously free FastPass program into a paid upgrade and eliminating the Magical Express service that previously shuttled guests between Disney resort hotels and the airport for free. With Iger back at the helm, the company has announced moves in recent months, such as removing reservation requirements for its theme parks and changes to its paid skip-the-line program, though criticism of soaring park prices persists.
Further reading
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