Imagine going to a rock concert but, between the songs, the lead singer tells you news about new theme park rides. That’s exactly what happened Saturday night at D23 2024. In front of 12,000 people at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed what’s coming up for Disney parks, cruises and more over the next several years. And, once he’d announce something, there would be a song about it. Or sometimes the song was first, then the news. It stretched things out a lot so the whole thing took about three hours long but don’t worry. We’ve got the highlights for you.
Since we’re io9 though, we’ve already written about two of them. First, Robert Downey Jr. is back as Iron Man in new Disney Marvel rides, of which there are four coming all across the world. Read about that here. Plus, the popular Star Wars ride Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will get a new mission in the future, and it’ll feature The Mandalorian and Grogu. Read about that here.
But what about things that aren’t Star Wars or Marvel? Read on.
A Villains Land
Arguably the biggest news was that Magic Kingdom in Orlando would soon be getting a massive land dedicated to just the villains. It’s something fans have been clamoring for. Read more here.
A Monsters Inc. Roller Coaster. Oh, and a Land too
Hollywood Studios in Orlando won’t just be getting a full new land based on Monsters Inc., that land will have a ride fans have been dreaming about for over two decades: A roller coaster based on the finale of the first movie. That’s some concept art above, read and see more here.
A Lion King Log Flume
I mean, what else can you say? It’s a freaking Lion King log flume. It’s coming to Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris. Read and see more here.
New Avatar land
Avatar land at Animal Kingdom in Orlando is magical. And now, we’re getting a second one at Californa Adventure. It’ll come with a brand new ride, all of which are inspired not just by locations and characters in the second movie, but the third movie too and beyond. Read and see more here.
More Cars rides
Coming to Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, two new rides based on the world of Cars are on the way. One for kids, and one that’s a bit more exciting. Read and see more here.
Indiana Jones and Encanto together
Taking over Dinoland at Animal Kingdom in Orlando will be a new area called Tropical Americas. It’ll feature a whole new Indiana Jones ride, a new carousel, and a ride through the Madrigal house from Encanto. Read and see more here.
The First Coco Ride
The Oscar-winning film Coco will get a brand new ride at California Adventure, it’s the first one from the film anywhere. Read and see more here.
Animatronic Walt Disney
This one could be cool, or it could be creepy. Next year, at Disneyland in Anaheim, we’ll get a new show about Walt Disney’s life that will include an audio-animatronic character of the man himself. Read and see more here.
Those are just our favorites. Head to the Disney Parks blog to read more about everything announced during the event.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
