WHAT’S NEW?

WHAT’S NEW AT WALT DISNEY WORLD?

Updated on 10/16/24

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.

COMING VERY SOON

Cake Bake Shop (BoardWalk)

Any Day Now!!!

For the Sweet Tooth! The construction walls are down, and the menu is posted at the front entrance. Since two of the cake offerings are pumpkin-based, we are guessing opening day will be soon! The Cake Bake Shop will be both a quick-service bakery counter AND a sit-down restaurant serving brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. The cakes look amazing, but at $22+ a slice, start saving your money now.

Island Tower (Polynesian Villas and Bungalows)

December 17, 2024

Island Christmas! 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.

Guest rooms inside Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort feature details, patterns, and textures from the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Moana,” including characters and other references to the story. (Photo Courtesy of Disney, Kent Phillips, photographer)

NEW 2024 STUFF OPEN NOW

New Star Tours Adventures (Hollywood Studios)

April 5, 2024

Star Tours, the first Star Wars attraction at Walt Disney World, has been a part of Hollywood Studios since 1989.

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 in the Ahsoka series. New characters you may meet on the flight include Din Djarin and Grogu, Cassian Andor, and Ahsoka Tano. Remember, Star Tours mixes and matches its adventures, so you’ll have to ride more than once to see all the new additions.

CommuniCore Hall & Plaza (EPCOT)

June 10, 2024

Artist rendering of CommuniCore Hall courtesy of Disney

Opening as a part of the new World Celebration neighborhood in EPCOT on 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

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened June 28 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida! The ride takes guests on a musical adventure, picking up after the events of the Walt Disney Animation Studios film, “The Princess and the Frog.” (Image Courtesy of Disney. Olga Thompson, Photographer)

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 are 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

Meet the fuzziest band around – the Five Bear Rugs, featuring Zeke, Zeb, Ted, Fred, and a bear named Tennessee. All of them can be seen at the Country Bear Musical Jamboree, which opened on July 17, 2024, at Magic Kingdom. (Image Courtesy of Disney)

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.

New Cabins (Fort Wilderness Resort)

July 1, 2024

Artist rendering of the new cabins. (Image Courtesy of Disney)

On July 1, Fort Wilderness Resort began phase I, swapping 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 (6 people), but they also include a kitchen, living room, deck, and outdoor grill.

NEW ATTRACTIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 2025 & BEYOND

Villains Land (Magic Kingdom)

TBD

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.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Cars Attraction (Magic Kingdom)

TBD

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.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Disney Starlight Parade (Magic Kingdom)

Summer 2025

Electric Parade Replacement! The Blue Fairy, beloved characters, and light technology combine into one for the newest Magic Kingdom nighttime parade entitled “Disney Starlight”.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Pirates Tavern (Magic Kingdom)

2025

Yo, Ho, Ho! A new Pirates of the Caribbean-themed tavern is set to open in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Tropical Americas Land (Animal Kingdom)

2027

Goodbye DinoLand USA! 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.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Better Zoogether (Animal Kingdom)

Winter 2025

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.

Image Courtesy of Disney

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure (Hollywood Studios)

Summer 2025

Ariel and friends will return to the Animation Courtyard Theater in the summer of 2025. The Little Mermaid—A Musical Adventure will feature new sets, effects, and designs based on the animated film.

Artist Concept of new design. (Image Courtesy of Disney)

Monsters, Inc. Land (Hollywood Studios)

TBD

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.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Smugglers Run Update (Hollywood Studios)

2026

Fly With Grogu! Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run embarks on a new mission featuring the Mandalorian and Grogu.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Test Track Update (EPCOT)

2025

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.

Image Courtesy of Disney

Space Lounge (EPCOT)

2025

Thank The Phoenicians! Spaceship Earth will house a new lounge with décor based on the attraction’s geometric sphere.

Image Courtesy of Disney

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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