We were in the room at the Honda Center for “Horizons: A Carousel of Progress,” the Disney Experiences showcase that closed out D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, and Walt Disney World walked away with more news than any other resort on the list. Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum and host Neil Patrick Harris ran the show, with Imagineers, Disney leaders and a long list of special guests, including Bruce Vaughn, Kevin Feige, Mark Rober, John Stamos, Tig Notaro, Darren Criss, Skylar Astin, Jack McBrayer and Glenn Close, joining them on stage throughout the night. Gloria Gaynor, Los Lobos, Sheryl Crow and Beck performed, and Harrison Ford sent a video message tied to the new Indiana Jones attraction headed to Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Here is what was announced for Walt Disney World Resort specifically:
- New details revealed for Villains Land at Magic Kingdom, including two major attractions inspired by Maleficent and the Magic Mirror
- New details announced for the Cars expansion at Magic Kingdom, including attraction names Cars Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along
- Updates announced for Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, including a new 1980s scene and the addition of Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston as the voices of Mom and Dad
- New details revealed for Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- New details announced for Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, the first Encanto-themed attraction
- New details shared for El Carrusel de los Animalitos in Tropical Americas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Announcement that the Yeti will return to life inside Expedition Everest
- New details revealed for Monstropolis coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, including the new Welcome to Monstropolis theater show and Harryhausen’s restaurant
- Announcement that Dreamfinder and Figment will return in a new journey into imagination at EPCOT
That is the headline list, but there was more said on stage worth knowing if you are planning around any of these.
Magic Kingdom got the biggest share of the night. Villains Land finally has a name, and Imagineering said it will run on a scale comparable to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, with immersive landscapes, dining and shopping built around two headline attractions. The story centers on a corrupted Wishing Well deep in a forest, where Disney’s villains have moved in and built their own lairs. The Maleficent coaster will send riders through an enchanted briar patch surrounding her mountaintop fortress, and Imagineers said it will use ride elements they have never attempted before. The second attraction is a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror, and it will feature a full lineup of villains beyond Maleficent, including the Evil Queen and Dr. Facilier. Glenn Close made a surprise appearance in character as Cruella de Vil, and her presence was enough to tease a Cruella-themed corner of the land as well. No opening date has been announced.
Just down the path, the Cars-themed Piston Peak National Park got new attraction names to go with concept art. Cars Ridge Run Rally will send guests climbing mountain trails, cruising through snowy peaks and racing past geysers, with Lightning McQueen and Mater providing commentary from the sidelines. Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along puts the Cars 3 demolition derby champion front and center in her own competition.
Carousel of Progress is getting its first real update in a long time. The attraction is adding a new 1980s scene, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston stepping in as the voices of Mom and Dad. That update is set to arrive in late spring 2027.
Over at Animal Kingdom, Tropical Americas is where most of the new ground is being broken. Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent will send guests into an ancient Maya temple chasing a massive serpent, and it is the attraction tied to Harrison Ford’s video message from the showcase. Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto will be the first attraction built around Encanto, inviting guests into Casita through new rooms built specifically for the ride on Antonio’s gift day. El Carrusel de los Animalitos rounds out the land as a family-friendly carousel experience. Elsewhere in the park, Disney confirmed the Yeti audio-animatronic inside Expedition Everest is getting a full mechanical restoration to bring it back to dynamic motion after years of running in fixed “strobe” mode.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Monstropolis is set to begin opening in 2027. The land will include a new theater show called Welcome to Monstropolis hosted by Mike and Sulley, along with Harryhausen’s restaurant, complete with a sushi chef animatronic, and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. Disney Legend Randy Newman wrote an original song for the land, which the company said is the first song he has written specifically for a Disney theme park attraction.
And at EPCOT, two long-running attractions are finally getting confirmed news. Spaceship Earth is being reimagined for the first time in nearly 20 years, expanding its story from human communication to a broader theme of human connection. Dreamfinder is officially returning to EPCOT alongside Figment for a new journey into imagination, though Disney has not said what form that reunion will take. We covered both of those announcements in detail here: Spaceship Earth Reimagining and Dreamfinder-Figment Reunion Announced at D23 2026.
Our take on all of it stands the same as when we wrote about EPCOT: we were in the arena at the Honda Center for this one, and a lot of it was mostly song and dance. Several of these reveals came with a name, some concept art and a lot of enthusiasm, but not much else, no opening dates, no construction timelines beyond Carousel of Progress. That said, we are genuinely happy to see this much confirmed activity across all four Walt Disney World parks at once. Villains Land and Piston Peak finally getting real names and attraction details is worth being excited about, and Spaceship Earth getting a confirmed reimagining after almost 20 years matters most to us personally. The Figment and Dreamfinder news is the one still missing its own news. We love that Dreamfinder is coming back, but whether that means a new attraction or just a friend rejoining Figment for meet and greets is still anyone’s guess. Imagineering will have to fill in the blanks, and we will be here when they do.
