Disney World’s New Expansion

So now we know. The future of Walt Disney World is full of new lands, including the long-wished-for Villains Land. Yes, Disney is going full speed ahead for a major expansion!

That is the latest headline news after the company announced a dazzling series of new developments for its parks worldwide at the big D23 convention in Anaheim, California, on August 10, with the largest chunk of the near $60billion in new attractions and infrastructure being earmarked for our Orlando theme parks.

It also follows on from a series of hints and rumours that have floated around Walt’s Florida World for several years, as we reported in this blog earlier this year. Now, thanks to the ‘big reveal’ from Disney parks chief Josh D’Amaro, we have a LOT of new rides – and whole lands – to look forward to.

What’s the bottom line?

The basic detail is that three of Walt Disney World’s four main theme parks can expect extensive new expansions, with FOUR fully-fledged new lands to look forward to.

Two will be in the Magic Kingdom, a Cars Land that is part of a Frontierland makeover and – the big one, as far as we’re concerned – the eagerly awaited Villains Land, which gives free rein to the likes of Maleficent, the Evil Queen from Snow White, Jafar and other classic ‘baddies,’ in what D’Amaro describes as “a fearless new vision.”

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will see a Monsters Inc. Land developed in one corner of the park, bringing to life the characters of Mike and Sulley and the rest of the Monstropolis crowd of not-so-scary monsters. It will have a major new ride, too.

Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we can expect a complete redevelopment of the DinoLand USA area as it becomes the Tropical Americas, introducing a new Indiana Jones ride (that effectively replaces the DINOSAUR attraction) as well as a section dedicated to the style and characters of the movie Encanto in their Colombian mountain home.

EPCOT, of course, has only just completed its big transformation, so there won’t be anything major to report from there for the next few years, but Disney did highlight a new lounge/bar area – connected to the Spaceship Earth ride – that will be added in the next year.

Tell us more about the Villains!

While this month’s Big Announcement was a bit short on the real detail of the main attractions amid this huge expansion – which is unparalleled, even by Disney standards – there is still a lot we can see in the various artist renderings that were released in the wake of the D23 event. The focus of the Villains Land looks like being a suitably dark and forbidding Castle devoted to Maleficent, with a themed roller-coaster type ride based on her dragon persona from Sleeping Beauty.

Much of what we can expect came directly from D’Amaro himself, who insisted: “This land will be home to the villains that you know and those that you loathe, which means happily-ever-after might feel like a distant dream. It will have two major new attractions, dining, shopping and so much more fiendish fun for you to explore. This is storytelling on a grand scale that only Disney can deliver, so, be prepared, you poor unfortunate souls. It’s going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be.”

Just as importantly, D’Amaro revealed that work is already going on behind the scenes to prepare for this new land, which will take place beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, albeit there is no time frame for it yet. However, looking at the scale of the development and complexity of the illustration, this could easily be three or four years in the making, so probably not before 2027.

What can we expect from the Cars Land?

This is an easier one to predict, as the main attractions for this Frontierland expansion look like being new versions of existing rides in the Disney Empire. Taking guests into the wilderness beyond Radiator Springs will be “a thrilling off-road rally race and a family-friendly attraction even the youngest racers will love.”

To us, this looks – and sounds – very much like the bigger of the two will be a version of the superb Radiator Springs Racers ride at the Disney California Adventure park in Anaheim, side-by-side Cars-themed vehicles that roar through and around some convincing Western scenery. It will be ideal alongside Big Thunder, taking over the space currently occupied by Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.

The “family-friendly attraction” sounds more like the scaled-down children’s ride Cars Quatre Roues Rallye at the Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, which is an amusing version of the Teacup-type ride already at the Magic Kingdom.

Knowing how sharp the Radiator Springs area looks in the Anaheim park, this could well be another creative tour de force for Disney’s Imagineers, and something we will really enjoy seeing in due course. Construction will begin next year and, again, it could take at least three to four years to complete.

As a Magic Kingdom bonus, we CAN expect to see two new elements next year, as the recently-announced Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge and bar is due to open in 2025, with work for it already well under way. There will also be a completely original night-time parade, Disney Starlight, that continues the tradition of the old Main Street Electrical Parade, brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy, in addition to characters from Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen and others.

Then there’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios

If there was one completely out-of-the-blue surprise from the D23 outpouring of news, it was the announcement of the Monsters Inc. Land for the Studios park, with another action-packed rendering of what’s in store – and a headline attraction with a difference.

Here’s what they revealed: “Construction begins next year on the first full land dedicated to Monsters, Inc. The land will feature the first suspended coaster ever in a Disney Park, where guests can experience what it’s like to zoom through the door vault in the factory, just like Mike and Sulley.”

That’s a major step forward in the coaster business for Disney and it will make the Studios an even bigger draw than it is right now, even if it means losing an existing attraction or area. Now, it is even money whether this land will replace Animation Courtyard (home of The Little Mermaid and Disney Junior) or Grand Avenue (home of the Muppets), but we should know soon enough as work will begin next year.

And as a bonus attraction, look for the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to get a new storyline featuring spin-off hit The Mandalorian (and Grogu, of course) in 2026, in conjunction with the first full movie featuring Mando and his young sidekick.

And finally, Animal Kingdom

While this development might be a bit of a stretch for the animal theme of the park, the two-handed Tropical Americas land should add a lot of pizazz to an area distinctly short of it. DinoLand USA has always looked a bit under-done ever since it opened, and a transformation here would add a lot of appeal.

It will come in two parts and feature two signature attractions. The first will be a thrilling adventure following the daring exploits of Indiana Jones into an ancient Mayan temple (following the formula of the Disneyland Resort attraction, which uses similar technology to the DINOSAUR ride). But Disney are at pains to insist this will be a completely new story, as Indy goes in search of a mythical creature. The ride vehicles will still be similar, but the outcome won’t be.

And then there will be a magical journey through the Casita Madrigal from Encanto, which follows Antonio’s story on the day after he received his magical gift. It’s not clear yet what type of ride this will be, but it sounds like it could well be something special, in keeping with Disney’s immersive experiences. This elaborate section will make up most of the new land as the village of Pueblo Esperanza and feature a beautiful carousel incorporating animals from many favourite Disney stories. Tropical Americas is set to open in 2027.

There’s bad news for fans of the ‘It’s Tough To Be A Bug’ show in the Discovery Island area of Animal Kingdom, though. This is being closed in the near future (date to be confirmed) and will re-open in winter 2025 as Zootopia: Better Together, featuring an animated journey through various parts of the Zootopian world with Judy, Nick and Co.

That’s the full inside track as of right now, but there will certainly be more detail – much more – to come in the months ahead, so stay tuned to Debbie’s Villas for all the best theme park news!

What do YOU think will be the outstanding new ‘land’ at Walt Disney World? Give us your thoughts on our Facebook, X and Instagram pages.