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August 11, 2024

Disney announces new 'Indiana Jones' and 'Avengers' rides, along with plans for villains-themed land

WATCH: D23 announces future offerings at the Disney Parks

The future of Disney Parks and Experiences took center stage on Saturday at the D23 fan event, as Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro announced a number of forthcoming projects, including a new "Frozen" land in Disneyland Paris and both an "Avatar" experience and a "Coco" ride that are coming to Disney California Adventure Park.

"We are taking our guests to a whole new location on Pandora," Ali Rubinstein, the vice president of Creative Development of Walt Disney Imagineering, told the audience.

PHOTO: An Avatar experience inspired by the recent Avatar film "The Way of Water" will come to Disney California Adventure and will provide guests an all-new experience in Pandora not previously seen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
20th Century Studios
An Avatar experience inspired by the recent Avatar film "The Way of Water" will come to Disney California Adventure and will provide guests an all-new experience in Pandora not previously seen at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Rubinstein said "Avatar" will include the search for "new and majestic wonders that could only be found on Pandora ... Dense forests. Wide open seas." Calling it a "dynamic, intense and emotional experience," he said it will also honor the late "Avatar" producer, Jon Landau.

The announcements were just a few of the new rides, lands and digital experiences rolled out at the Disney Experiences showcase in Anaheim, California, on Saturday night.

An entirely new attraction is coming to Disney California Adventure, with the "Coco" ride expected to break ground in 2026, the executives said. The inspiration for the ride drew from classic rides, including Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, D'Amaro told the crowd.

PHOTO: Coming to Disney California Adventure, the first ever attraction inspired by Pixar Animation Studios’ "Coco" lets guests join Miguel on a trip to the Land of the Dead.
Disney/Pixar
Coming to Disney California Adventure, the first ever attraction inspired by Pixar Animation Studios’ "Coco" lets guests join Miguel on a trip to the Land of the Dead.

Also taking place in 2026, a new "Frozen" Land will open in Disneyland Paris, D'Amaro announced.

Beginning next month, "Reach for the Stars" debuts at Tokyo Disneyland, sparking a new era of Disney spectaculars around the world. In January, Disneyland Paris will have a new nighttime spectacular with projections on castle.

And, next year at Disneyland, a new show called "Walt Disney: A Magical Life" will debut at the Main Street Opera House and feature for the first time an audio animatronic of Walt Disney. It will play in rotation with "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln."

MORE: 'Freaky Friday' sequel title announced at D23

Executives walked Disney fans through a spate of other upcoming attractions and park upgrades, including a new "Indiana Jones" ride, which will be part of a new Tropical Americas area coming in 2027 to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando. The other attraction in Tropical Americas will be "Encanto"-themed, executives said.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland opens Nov. 15, followed by a "Zootopia" show at Animal Kingdom, “Zootopia Better Zoogether,” which is expected to bow in winter 2025.

A "Monsters Inc." land is planned for Disney Hollywood Studios. There will also be a new Spaceship Earth lounge at Epcot, along with a pirate-themed restaurant at the Magic Kingdom, both of which are scheduled to open in 2025, executives said. Epcot's Test Track refurbishment is also expected to reopen that year.

PHOTO: A new land themed to Pixar Animation Studios' "Monsters, Inc." is coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Taking place after the events of the film, Monstropolis need humans' laughter to power the city.
Disney/Pixar
A new land themed to Pixar Animation Studios' "Monsters, Inc." is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Taking place after the events of the film, Monstropolis need humans’ laughter to power the city. Guests can even ride on a door like Mike and Sully in the iconic scene from the film with Disney’s first-ever suspended coaster.

"We had to wait for innovation to catch up with our dreams. And now we're finally ready," D'Amaro told the crowd.

Scott Trowbridge, of Walt Disney Imagineering, added that Disney plans to add two attractions to the Avengers Campus, doubling its size. Stark Flight Lab, which will bring visitors inside Iron Man’s workshop, will feature Robert Downey Jr.’s voice as Tony Stark, Trowbridge said. And in Avengers Infinity Defense, the heroes will take on Thanos, he said.

And a new land based on Disney villains is planned for the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Not many details were released on Saturday, but the land will have all the Disney villains whom you "know and that you loathe," D'Amaro said.

PHOTO: The new Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom will feature fan-favorite Disney Villains from popular Walt Disney Animation Studios films and two new attractions.
Disney
The new Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom will feature fan-favorite Disney Villains from popular Walt Disney Animation Studios films and two new attractions.

In an interview with "Good Morning America," D'Amaro said Disney Experiences has "the most incredible future."

"We appreciate that people choose Disney as a place to come and make special memories with their families, and we know that they are going to love all of these jaw-dropping new lands, new ships -- we're building a digital universe -- and there's so much more," he said.

"We just made an unprecedented number of announcements and we know our guests around the world are going to love them," he said. "Whether it's 'Avatar' or Marvel or 'Monsters [Inc.]' -- and so much more than that -- we're bringing the world's best stories to life in a way that only Disney can. People are going to be absolutely amazed."

PHOTO: Josh D'Amaro, Disney Experiences Chairman, shared major announcements about new experiences during D23 on Saturday.
Josh D'Amaro, Disney Experiences Chairman, shared major announcements about new experiences during D23 on Saturday.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News and "Good Morning America."