Disneyland will add new attractions based on Avatar, Coco, Avengers, Mandalorian, Princess Tiana and even Walt Disney himself over the next five years as the Anaheim theme park embarks on an ambitious expansion plan.
Disney Parks Chairperson Josh D’Amaro announced plans for seven new attractions at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure over the next five years during the D23 fan event at Honda Center on Saturday, Aug. 10.
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“Everything we’re going to share with you is in active development,” D’Amaro said during the D23 event. “Plans are drawn. Dirt is moving. I just want to be clear about this: We are doing everything you’re going to hear tonight.”
What opens first? And what comes after that? Here’s a rundown of the anticipated grand opening schedule for all seven new attractions.
An artist rendering of Mama Odie joking with riders in Tiana’s Bayou Adventure coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2024. (Artist Concept/Disneyland Resort)
1) Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
The conversion of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been underway for more than a year.
The revamped log flume ride will return on Nov. 15 in time for the winter holiday season at Disneyland.
Some areas of the newly-renamed Bayou Country may open earlier than Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Concept art of the Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure that will debut in 2025 at the Main Street Opera House in Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disneyland)
2) Walt Disney Animatronic
The world’s first Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure will debut in 2025 at the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland.
The new “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” animatronic show will run by itself during its initial run and then play in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
Pairing the opening of “A Magical Life” with Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary celebration next year would likely give the Anaheim theme parks enough to promote in 2025.
Concept art of the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run makeover tied to the release of “The Mandalorian and Grogu” coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disneyland)
3) Smugglers Run Makeover
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will get a Mando makeover tied to the “The Mandalorian and Grogu” film coming out in May 2026.
The early summer release date likely means the ride makeovers will debut in Spring 2026 in the twin Star Wars lands at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.
Concept art of the Avengers Infinity Defense attraction coming to Disney California Adventure. (Courtesy of Disneyland)
4) Avengers Infinity Defense
The Marvel themed land in Disney California Adventure will double in size with the addition of two new rides: Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab.
Construction will begin on the Avengers Campus expansion in 2025.
Concept art for the Avengers Campus expansion shows the new buildings for the attractions stretching out into the last remaining section of the original Disneyland parking lot behind the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout drop tower ride.
The Avengers E-Ticket ride has been in development since 2019 – likely meaning Avengers Infinity Defense is further along in the development process and more likely to open first.
If that’s the case, Avengers Infinity Defense could open as early as 2026.
Concept art of the Stark Flight Lab attraction coming to Disney California Adventure. (Courtesy of Disneyland)
5) Stark Flight Lab
Stark Flight Lab sits riders in pods attached to robot arms during a flight simulation.
Disneyland has not yet announced if Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab will open at the same time – but that’s unlikely. Separating the opening dates by a year or two would give Disneyland the opportunity to market each of the rides individually – and get more bang for the buck.
If that happens, Stark Flight Lab could open sometime between 2027 and 2029.
Concept art of the Coco attraction coming to Disney California Adventure. (Courtesy of Disneyland)
6) Coco Attraction
The world’s first Coco attraction coming to Disney California Adventure will take riders on a musical journey to the Land of the Dead along with Miguel and other characters from the 2017 Pixar film.
Work will start on the new Coco attraction in 2026.
A Coco themed land was teased as a potential DisneylandForward expansion project – suggesting the new attraction could be built in the parking lot south of the Pixar Place Hotel.
A major new Coco attraction built by Walt Disney Imagineering could take a year or two to open. A full-scale themed land would take longer – if Disneyland eventually decides to expand the ride into a land.
A new Coco ride could slot into 2027 on the Disneyland development calendar. A further buildout of a Coco themed land could happen in the years to follow – if that’s in the cards.
Concept art of the Avatar destination coming to Disney California Adventure. (Courtesy of Disneyland)
7) Avatar Area
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An innovative new attraction coming to Disney California Adventure based on “Avatar: The Way of Water” and other upcoming films in the franchise will take riders on a thrilling and action-packed journey to the wide-open seas of Pandora.
Disneyland has not yet announced when construction will start or set an opening date for the Avatar-themed destination.
An Avatar experience was teased as a potential DisneylandForward expansion project.
DisneylandForward allows Walt Disney Imagineering to think more broadly about what’s possible and develop ideas about what the Avatar destination can become, according to Disneyland officials.
An Avatar themed land would take the longest to build from scratch of all the new attractions announced for the Disneyland resort. Disney hasn’t called the Avatar addition a “themed land” just yet – variously describing it as an “experience,” “destination” and “area.”
A D23 blog post promised the new Avatar experience coming to DCA would be as amazing as the 12-acre World of Avatar themed land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida.
A full-scale Avatar themed land based on “The Way of Water” would likely take as long to build as the 14-acre Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge – which took four years.
That would likely put the DCA Avatar land on the calendar in 2028 at the earliest – and 2029 if Stark Flight Lab gets slotted in before Pandora. A single Avatar attraction without a complete land could be finished sooner.
