The Walt Disney Company turned 103 years old on Friday, October 16, 2026. On that day in 1923, Walt and Roy Disney founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood to make a series of short films called the Alice Comedies. To celebrate Disney’s 103rd anniversary, here is everything we are excited for next, from Monstropolis, Villains Land and Tropical Americas at Walt Disney World to the Avengers Campus expansion at Disneyland, Avengers: Doomsday in theaters, Super Bowl LXI on ESPN and Banana Ball at Disney World.
It is a long way from two brothers and a cartoon girl named Alice. Here is what Disney’s 104th year looks like.
- Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom. For a Disney birthday, this one fits best. Walt’s own show is getting the biggest update in its history, and Walt himself is coming back as a new Audio-Animatronics figure in a new opening scene. Every scene is new, taking the family from the 1969 moon landing to Halloween 1985, New Year’s Eve 1999 and a home off planet. Bryan Cranston and Jamie Lee Curtis voice John and Sarah, and “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” stays. You can see the new costumes and scale models at Walt Disney Presents now, and the show returns in late spring 2027.
- Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Monsters, Inc. land is taking shape fast. The first coaster track went in last week, and the storefronts are getting brick, trim and colorful shingles. The first phase opens in 2027 with the Glob Theater show, Harryhausen’s and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. The suspended door coaster comes later.
- Villains Land at Magic Kingdom. Disney confirmed two headliners at D23: a Maleficent coaster and the Mirror Realm dark ride. Disney has not announced an opening date yet.
- Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The land replacing DinoLand U.S.A. will bring an Encanto ride, an Indiana Jones ride and El Carrusel de los Animalitos, a carousel of hand-carved Disney animals. The Encanto Casita is already rising. Disney’s website dropped its 2027 opening date in September, so a firm date is still to come.
- Avengers Campus at Disneyland Resort. Out west, Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure is doubling in size. Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab are both set for 2028, and Robert Downey Jr. is coming back as Iron Man for both. See more in our D23 2026 guide.
- Hexed, November 25. Walt Disney Animation’s next movie follows Billie and her mom Alice into a hidden world of witches. Its official trailer just dropped, and a new Lilo and Scratch short plays before it.
- Avengers: Doomsday, December 18. Robert Downey Jr. returns to Marvel as Doctor Doom. AMC already has a $29.99 Doctor Doom mask light, and we are tracking more theater collectibles in our Movie Theater Popcorn Buckets guide.
- Super Bowl LXI, February 14, 2027. For the first time ever, ESPN will air the Super Bowl, along with ABC, from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It will also stream on Disney+. Dude Perfect is even making Super Bowl content as part of its new Disney partnership.
- Banana Ball Open, April 15 to 18, 2027. All six Banana Ball teams are coming to ESPN Wide World of Sports. Fans can join the ticket lottery until October 31. Here is how to get tickets. A Banana Ball documentary also comes to Disney+ and Hulu in fall 2027.
- Star Wars turns 50 in 2027. Star Wars hit theaters on May 25, 1977, so its 50th birthday lands next spring. Expect Disney to make a big deal of it.
I have covered Walt Disney World every day since 2020, and I have never seen this much under construction at once. New lands at three Disney World parks, a doubled Avengers Campus, Robert Downey Jr. back in the MCU and the first Super Bowl on ESPN all land within about two years. Happy 103rd, Disney. Year 104 is already stacked.
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