Disney Villains, Pixar Cars Areas Coming to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom [CNET]

From Coco, Avengers, Encanto and Indiana Jones rides to all-new lands for Cars, Villains, Avatar and Monsters Inc., here’s all the Disney Parks news announced during D23 for Disneyland and Disney World.

Disneyland and Walt Disney World still aren’t completed. Per Walt Disney himself, they never will be.

So what’s coming next to the Disney parks in Florida and California? A ton of new rides and experiences, according to the Horizons Disney Experiences Showcase on Saturday, part of Disney’s annual D23 expo. From new rides to new lands to huge park expansions, here’s everything Disney announced over the weekend for Disney Parks and Cruises. 

Villains Land at Magic Kingdom

Villains Land, which will celebrate all the classic baddies from Disney films, is coming to the Magic Kingdom in Florida, and it will be “dark and thorny.”

Villains Land was teased during D23 two years ago, and confirmed Saturday. It’ll be positioned on the other side of Big Thunder Mountain — aka, the edge of the current Magic Kingdom map — Disney Experiences Chair Josh D’Amaro said, and will stretch around to where the Haunted Mansion is.

A chilling trailer for the chaotic land on Instagram hints at elements in the land representing Maleficent, Dr Facilier, Ursula, Gaston, Yzma, Queen of Hearts, Hades, the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, Captain Hook, Jafar, Kaa, Madam Mim, Cruella, Scar, King Magnifico and Mother Gothel.

Two major attractions will be built in Villains Land, as well as dining and shopping “on an incredibly twisted grand scale.” The land is already being constructed, but no word yet on what it’ll open.

Rivers of America is being transformed for Pixar’s Cars

The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island at the Magic Kingdom are being repurposed to insert a new area themed around Pixar’s Cars movies. An expansion of Frontierland, which encompasses Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, will now get a Route 66 companion.

“To make way for this completely new frontier, the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island will be transformed into vast and rugged terrains for a rally race with some of the world’s most iconic racers,” Disney said in a blog post Monday. 

The rally race ride will take you through mountains, geysers and trails, Disney said, adding that there will be a second Cars-themed attraction, too. Cars Land, which was added to Disney’s California Adventure back in 2012, remains popular in the west, so it was only a matter of time before it was added to the east. Work is set to begin next year.

Two more Avengers rides at Disneyland

Disney’s California Adventure, already home to the Spider-Man Web Slingers and Guardians of the Galaxy attractions in the Avengers Campus area of the park, will be getting another two Marvel attractions. 

Avengers Campus will double in size to make room for Avengers Infinity Defense — a King Thanos ride where you’ll travel the multiverse between Asgard, Wakanda and New York City to fight him — and Stark Flight Lab, where you’ll sit in a two-person pod and go on a flight with Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

Construction begins in 2025 on the Avengers Campus additions. 

Monsters Inc. Land at Hollywood Studios

Disney World is getting another new addition at its Hollywood Studios theme park: a Monsters Inc.-themed area, 

Revealed alongside Mike Wazowski himself, Billy Crystal, the land will let you stroll through Monstropolis from the Pixar movies. A new ride will also take you through the Monsters Inc. laugh factory aboard one of the doors to the human world — aka a suspended roller coaster. 

“The first time I saw Monsters, Inc., all I wanted to do was ride on one of those doors like Mike and Sulley,” D’Amaro said Saturday. “You’ll go into the factory and experience the first suspended coaster ever in a Disney park. Remember in the movie how those claws grab the doors and hoist them up into the air to take them away? We’re doing that, too. And you’re going along for the ride.”

Work on the Monsters Inc. land will begin in 2025.

Coco Ride at California Adventure

Disney’s California Adventure isn’t just getting more Avengers — it’s also getting more Pixar. 

A Coco attraction will be built in a yet-to-be-announced area of the park, but it sounds like it’ll be a dark ride like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, filled with audio animatronics. 

“The attraction will be filled with the characters — and music! — you know and love from the beloved movie, as you join Miguel on a trip to the land of the dead,” Disney says.

Work begins on the Coco ride in 2026, so it’s still a far-off dream.

Avatar comes to California

The world of Pandora is expanding from Disney World’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando to California Adventure in Anaheim. The area in California will take its design inspiration from the second Avatar film, The Way of Water, as well as the upcoming Avatar sequels.

It’ll likely be part of the enormous Disneyland expansion coming to the theme parks that will push the boundaries past Downtown Disney and the nearby parking lots. While Disney was short on details and dates, the Avatar experience will be “dynamic, intense and emotional,” with a dark boat ride much like Pirates of the Caribbean ” taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora.”

Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World is replacing its DinoLand USA area with Tropical Americas. While this had been previously announced, Disney confirmed a few more details this weekend: Pueblo Esperanza will feel like you’re walking through a real village, and will have a huge quick-service dining location, a fountain and a carousel.

Tropical Americas will also have a new Indiana Jones ride through a Maya temple, and an Encanto-themed attraction where you’ll explore Antonio’s rainforest room inside the Casita.

Construction begins this fall, and it’ll open in 2027.

Four more Disney Cruise Line ships

Yes, four. In addition to the Disney Wish, which launched two years ago, the Disney Treasure, which sets sail in December this year and the Disney Destiny, which is set to embark next year, Disney is adding four more cruise ships to its ocean vacation lineup.

The ship names and destinations have yet to be revealed, but they’ll be setting sail between 2027 and 2031.

Everything else announced for Disney World and Disneyland

Disneyland’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening on Nov. 15, with Critter Country being rethemed to “Bayou Country.” It still includes the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, as well as Pooh Corner and “the newly reimagined Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree.” Two merchandise stores called Ray’s Berets and Louis’ Critter Club will also open.

Disneyland and Hollywood Studios will be getting Mandalorian and Grogu missions added to the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Epcot will be opening a “Reimagined Test Track” (still sponsored by Chevrolet) in 2025, which will celebrate “the past, present, and future of automation.”

Animal Kingdom will be replacing its old It’s Tough to be a Bug show inside the Tree of Life with a Zootopia-themed show. Zootopia: Better Zoogether will feature Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde taking you through several different areas from the city, and will open next winter.

Magic Kingdom and Epcot are getting two new lounges: A Pirates Lounge and a Spaceship Earth lounge, respectively. They’ll open in 2025.

Magic Kingdom will also be getting a new nighttime parade in 2025.

Disneyland is getting the first ever audio-animatronic of Walt Disney himself, as part of a new “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” show inside the Main Street Opera House in 2025.