This week D23 has been taking place in California, and as a theme park enthusiast I have been waiting patiently for the news about all the Disney Parks around the world.
And oh boy, did we get some exciting announcements!
In this post I want to run through some of the major additions and updates that will be coming to the Disney Parks in the coming years, and share my thoughts and feelings on these changes.
Disneyland Paris
Well, this is going to be short and sweet because there’s not a lot of announcements about the original park in Disneyland Paris.
There’s a new nighttime show coming in January 2025.
That’s it. That’s all you’re getting!
I’m kind of disappointed there aren’t going to be any major changes or new additions to the Disneyland park itself but it’s not unexpected as we know they’re putting all their efforts into the second park, which we’ll discuss in a second.
I mean, they could have at least rethemed Space Mountain again so they could market it as a new ride (we know they like to do that in Paris!) and make the fans happy. #BringBackTheMoon
Adventure Worlds (Walt Disney Studios Park)
Before I get into the announcements, I wanted to talk for a moment about the name change of Walt Disney Studios Park to Adventure Worlds. I know this name change isn’t brand new information, but all these announcements from D23 have got me thinking about it again.
Honestly, I don’t love the name Adventure Worlds. It’s hard to explain but it feels too generic. Like that could be the name of a little family theme park in the north of England. Do you know what I mean?!
I think even a small tweak to Adventure Kingdom might have suited it better and made it feel more Disney (we already have Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom).
But did they need to change the name? I don’t think so. California Adventure is no long themed around California, but they haven’t felt the need to change the name of the park (yet). As the areas and rides in the Studios Park are still based on Disney films, I think the name “Studios” still kind of works.
Anyway…moving on! We’re here to talk about new announcements.
I think I speak for anyone who has visited the Studios park when I say that the news of the expansion to the Studios park a few years back was a relief. The second park at Disneyland Paris was definitely lacking and was in dire need of more attractions.
When this announcement was made, we all thought we’d be getting a Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge like Disney World and Disneyland, but as the years have passed this has seemed less and less likely.
And D23 2024 has brought us the news that Adventure Worlds will be getting a Lion King themed area instead. It will be called Pride Lands.
This new area will bring new dining and shopping opportunities, as well as a new ride; a log flume style attraction.
I’ve been saying for years that Paris needs a water ride (I’m not counting It’s a Small World or Pirates as water rides!) even though there’s only two weeks of the year where it’s actually warm enough to ride one. So I do think this will be a welcome addition to the park.
But the theming? I’m not so sure. Will this land be based on the classic animated version of the film, or the god awful live action version? Because the concept art suggests the live action version, and if this is the case then I’ll be disappointed.
But to be honest, I’m disappointed either way because I really wanted to see Galaxy’s Edge in Paris!
Magic Kingdom
Let’s face it; Magic Kingdom is the real winner of D23 2024!
Firstly, the park is getting a Villains land with two new attractions, and the concept art for this new land is incredible. I think it will be so different to anything we’ve ever seen in a Disney park before.
Secondly, Frontierland is getting two new Cars inspired attractions.
Four new attractions?! This is incredible news and I am so excited to see how Magic Kingdom evolves over the new few years. After visiting Tokyo Disneyland earlier this year and seeing how an older castle park can look and feel with new attractions, I really do feel like this is going to be a game changer for Magic Kindom.
In addition, Magic Kingdom will be getting a Pirates of the Caribbean themed tavern and a new nighttime parade.
Hollywood Studios
Just when you thought the accountments for Disney World couldn’t get any better, Disney shared that Hollywood Studios is getting a Monsters, Inc themed land!
And best of all? It’s going to feature a suspended coaster!
I am always happy for rollercoaster news and I think the Monsters, Inc theming will work perfectly for a family thrill attraction. I adored Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek in Tokyo Disneyland and so I’m excited to see what Disney creates in Hollywood Studios.
Also, Smugglers Run will be updated to feature a new story inspired by The Mandalorian and Grogu. I really hope this update will be released fairly soon as I’m heading out to Disney World in March next year and I would love to experience this during my trip.
Animal Kingdom
But wait, that’s not all! Animal Kingdom will also be getting some exciting updates.
DinoLand USA is being transformed into a new area called Tropical Americas, with new attractions being added. This will include a carousel and an Encanto themed ride.
As a part of this update, Dinosaur will be reimagined to be Indiana Jones themed. It sounds like it will be very similar to the Indiana Jones rides in Tokyo and California but it will have a different storyline.
I think this retheme makes complete sense. The ride system is fantastic and it would be a waste to just completely scrap it to start a fresh. Even though the last couple of Indiana Jones films haven’t been the best, it’s still a well loved franchise that can enjoyed by all ages.
Epcot
Epcot has already been going through some major redevelopment over the past few years so there’s not too much news about the park coming out of D23.
What we have learned though is that new version of Test Track will be opening in 2025. I just hope it opens before March 2025 when I visit!
Disneyland
There’s not much to talk about when it comes to the original Disneyland park.
Splash Mountain will be re-opening with it’s new theming and new name, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, later this year. Critter Country will also be renamed to Bayou Country.
Also, an audio animatronic version of Walt Disney will be making an appearance in a show called Walt Disney – A Magical Life.
California Adventure
Just like in Paris, the second park in California is getting the majority of the exciting updates.
Avengers Campus is going to double in size with the addition of two new attractions; Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab.
I’m particularly interested in Stark Flight Lab which will use robotic arms. I’m wondering if it will be similar to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey at the Universal Parks.
In addition, California Adventure will also be getting its own Avatar themed experience. While I’m not the biggest fan of the Avatar films, I do think Disney knocked it out of the park with Pandora in Animal Kingdom. So I’m pretty confident they will create something beautiful in California.
What are your thoughts on all the new additions and updates to the Disney parks? What are you most excited for? And are you feeling disappointed about anything?
Credits
The image used in this post is from Christian Lambert on Unsplash.
Leave a Reply