WHAT’S NEW AT WALT DISNEY WORLD?
Updated on 8/20/24
As much as Disney fans bemoan change, can you honestly imagine a year without ANYTHING new? Theme parks aren’t monuments. New stuff is why we go back again and again, right?
While nothing in the Disneyverse is guaranteed, here is a list of what’s NEW, what’s been announced, and what Blue Sky Ideas are out there in the great big beyond.
THE LATEST UPDATES
For Magic Kingdom
A Villains Domain! Imagineers will begin fulfilling the wishes of millions of fans when they conjure up a new land for the Magic Kingdom dedicated to Disney Villains. The space will spawn behind the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction and include two new attractions, dining, and shopping.
Opening Date To Be Announced
Cars Are Comin’! Hitch up the horses and make way for Cars in Frontierland. Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and friends are taking over Frontierland’s Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America. The area will be reimagined with rugged racing terrains. Once complete, the spot that connects Frontierland and Liberty Square will house two new Cars-themed attractions.
Opening Date To Be Announced
Electric Parade Replacement! The Blue Fairy, beloved characters, and light technology combine into one for the newest Magic Kingdom nighttime parade entitled “Disney Starlight”.
Starting Summer 2025
Yo, Ho, Ho! A new Pirates of the Caribbean-themed tavern is set to open in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland.
Opening 2025
For Animal Kingdom
Tropical Americas! The new land that was announced last year is moving forward at the Animal Kingdom theme park. The 11-acre Tropical Americas will include the town of Pueblo Esperanza, an Indiana Jones attraction, an Encanto-themed attraction, and a carousel featuring carved animals from Disney stories.
Opening 2027
Zootopia Takeover! A new show, Zootopia: Better Zoogether!, debuts in the Tree of Life theater. Guests will visit the different biomes featured in the animated film.
Opening Next Winter
For Hollywood Studios
Laughter, Not Screams! In 2025, work will begin on a new land for Hollywood Studios based on the Monsters, Inc. stories. The land recreates the familiar city powered by laughter and will feature Disney’s first ever suspended coaster attraction.
Opening Date To Be Announced
Fly With Grogu! Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run embarks on a new mission featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu.
Opening 2026
For EPCOT
In Tribute To Motion! Test Track adds “edutainment” back to EPCOT with a reimagined inside that will celebrate the evolution of mobility. But don’t worry, a thrilling trip remains.
Opening 2025
Thank The Phoeicians! Spaceship Earth will house a new lounge with décor based on the attraction’s geometric sphere.
Opening 2025
NEW 2024 ATTRACTIONS
New Star Tours Adventures (Hollywood Studios)
April 5, 2024
On April 5, a new destination and new characters came to Star Tours – the OG Star Wars attraction at Hollywood Studios. The new location that may pop up on your next journey is the planet of Peridea, featured on the Ahsoka series. New characters you may meet in flight include: Din Djarin and Grogu, Cassian Andor, and Ahsoka Tano. Remember, Star Tours mixes and matches its adventures, so you you’ll have to ride more than once to see all the new additions.
CommuniCore Hall & Plaza (EPCOT)
June 10, 2024
Opening as a part of the new World Celebration neighborhood in EPCOT June 10, CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza are places to celebrate, relax, and meet with friends (as in Mickey & Friends).
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Magic Kingdom)
June 28, 2024
Take one of the most popular rides (Splash Mountain) and combine it with one of the hippest Princesses (Tiana) and what do you get? Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The water ride itself — a log-flume with a giant drop — hasn’t changed, but the decor and music is all new and the biggest update to the attraction since it opened in Frontierland on July 17, 1992.
Country Bears Jamboree Update (Magic Kingdom)
July 17, 2024
The Country Bear Musical Jamboree attraction in the Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland reopened with a new show this summer. The act pays homage to Nashville and includes Disney tunes sung in different country music genres. Fans of the attraction’s 50-year history should be on the lookout for easter eggs.
The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure (Hollywood Studios)
Fall 2024
Ariel and friends return to the Animation Courtyard theater in the fall of 2024. The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure will have new sets, effects and designs based on the animated film.
NEW 2024 RESORTS
New Cabins (Fort Wilderness Resort)
July 1, 2024
On July 1, Fort Wilderness Resort began phase I swapping up the campground’s log buildings for luxury cabins! While the cabins are Disney Vacation Club accommodations, the general public can rent them as well. The cabins provide much more space and privacy than traditional hotel rooms. Not only can they sleep more guests (it’s expected they’ll allow at least 6 people), the cabins include a kitchen, living room, deck, and outdoor grill.
Island Tower (Polynesian Villas and Bungalows)
December 2024
This Christmas, the Polynesian Village Resort will be home to the new Island Tower, a 10-story, on-property Disney Vacation Club villa option with views of the Seven Seas Lagoon. Bookings start in early June.
Island Tower will be a deluxe resort option. It is located on the monorail loop and sits along a walking path to the Magic Kingdom.
NEW 2024 RESTAURANTS
The Cake Bake Shop Restaurant and The Cake Bake Shop Bakery (BoardWalk)
Coming Soon!
Fans have been waiting forever for this restaurant and bakery to open on Disney’s BoardWalk. The restaurant will serve American fare, Insta-worthy baked goods, and a tea service.
2023 OPENINGS!
If it’s been a minute since you’ve visited Disney World, here’s a quick list of “What Was New in 2023!”
Attractions
- Journey of Water (EPCOT) – October 16, 2023
- TRON Lightcycle/Run (Magic Kingdom) –April 4, 2023
Entertainment
- Luminous: The Symphony of Us (EPCOT) –December 5, 2023
New Land
- World Celebration (EPCOT) – December 5, 2023
Restaurants
- SummerHouse on the Lake (Disney Springs) – December 14, 2023
- EET by Maneet Chauhan (Disney Springs) – December 4, 2023
- Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya (EPCOT) – August 15, 2023
- Roundup Rodeo BBQ (Hollywood Studios) – March 23, 2023
- Rosa Mexicano (BoardWalk) – March 19, 2023
Characters
- The Hatbox Ghost (Magic Kingdom) – November 30, 2023
- Asha (EPCOT) – November 1, 2023
- Moana (EPCOT) – October 16, 2023 (Animal Kingdom) – April 22, 2023
- Mirabel (Magic Kingdom) – September 15, 2023
- Figment (EPCOT) – September 10, 2023
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