Disney announces ‘Coco’ ride, other major expansion plans for Disneyland Resort

Massive expansion plans will bring new experiences and attractions to Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure in the coming years.

The second night of D23, Disney’s ultimate fan convention held every two years in Anaheim, focused on Disney Experiences, which includes theme parks, hotels and cruise ships.

Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, hosted Saturday’s event at the Honda Center and revealed the entertainment giant’s plans for Disneyland Resort and Disney California Adventure, as well as Disney’s properties in Florida and across the globe.

D’Amaro started the event by telling the crowd that everything being announced Saturday was already in development, not in “blue sky,” the term used by Disney to describe park concepts.

In California, the biggest announcements included more concrete details about the new “Avatar”-inspired land, which was teased last year and formally announced this spring but with little details revealed.

On Saturday, D’Amaro announced that the new land will be located at an undisclosed location at Disney California Adventure. Unlike the land already located in Orlando, which is inspired by the first film, the new Avatar land in Anaheim will be inspired by the 2022 sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water,” as well as the upcoming third installment, “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Photos shared during Saturday night’s event indicated the land will include a water attraction.

Another new addition to DCA will be the beloved Pixar film, “Coco.” It will be the first attraction inspired by the film to be added to a Disney park and Disney officials say it will utilize advanced audio-animatronics, modeling the experience after classic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. Construction on the new “Coco” attraction is expected to begin in 2026.

Walt Disney himself will also make his return to Disneyland with a new audio-animatronic experience coming to the Main Street Opera House. Walt Disney: A Magical Life will feature an animatronic Walt and musical accompaniment. It will be in rotation with the existing Great Conversations with Mr. Lincoln beginning in 2025.

D’Amaro said it’s long been a dream to create a Walt Disney animatronic, but said the company wanted to be patient until technology was able to catch up to their high expectations.

“I speak for our entire team when I say there is so much pride and excitement for everyone involved in this endeavor,” D’Amaro said. “Creating our first Walt figure is a huge responsibility.”

Many of the most anticipated announcements involved Marvel’s Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure.

In a shocking development, not one but two new attractions were announced on Saturday.

The first will be located in the large Avengers headquarters that takes up a significant portion of the campus footprint and has long been rumored as the eventual home of a big ticket attraction. The ride, Avengers: Infinity Defense, will transport riders to locations across the Marvel Universe, including New York City, the nation of Wakanda and Thor’s home planet of Asgard, as the Avengers battle King Thanos and attempt to foil his plans for universal chaos. Construction on that attraction will start next year.

The second new attraction to Avengers Campus, and the fourth overall for the land, is called Stark Flight Lab. The attraction’s plot centers around a testing lab for new Avengers equipment. Riders will be paired up with a hero of the Avengers as they fly around the shop. Each experience will be unique depending on which hero a rider ends up with, Disney officials said.

Disney CEO Bob Iger tested the new attraction technology alongside a familiar face: Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr. Disney announced that Downey will reprise his role as Tony Stark when the attraction opens to guests.

In Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, a new ride experience is currently in development for Star Wars: Millennium Falcon – Smugglers Run. Lucasfilm Chief Creative Officer Dave Filoni said a new ride alternative inspired by the upcoming film, “The Mandalorian and Grogu,” is in the works, powered by the Unreal Engine, the gaming engine developed by Epic Games.

And Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios film, “The Princess and the Frog,” officially has an opening date at Disneyland. The attraction, which is already taking riders on a tour through the bayou at Walt Disney World, will officially roll out the welcome mat at Disney’s first park on Nov. 15.

D23 takes place over the weekend from Aug. 9-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center and will be followed by star-studded ticketed presentations at the Honda Center.

Sunday is the convention’s final day and the evening event will be a ceremony to honor the latest crop of “Disney Legends,” including Harrison Ford, Kelly Ripa and Miley Cyrus.