Disney Parks' D23 keynote was packed here's everything new coming to Disney World and Disneyland, including Piston Peak, Avengers Campus, and Villains Land

Date:
Tue, 18 Aug 2026 00:30:00 +0000

Description:
The latest Disney Experiences D23 keynote gave us a much better look at
what's actually coming to Disney World and Disneyland, with updates on everything from Piston Peak and Villains Land to Monstropolis, Tropical Americas, Avengers Campus, Coco, and the reimagined Tomorrowland.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Considering that in 2024 the Disney Experiences panel at D23 delivered the news that Disney would be bringing new lands to parks across the globe, expansions on the high seas, attraction updates, and entirely new attractions, the bar was set high for
D23 2026's Horizons: A Carousel of Progress keynote.

Even more so, many of these projects already have shovels in the ground. At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom , construction is well underway for Piston Peak a new Cars-focused area and Villains Land. Nearby, at Hollywood Studios, there's Monstropolis , while Animal Kingdom has Tropical Americas being built. Across the coast at Disneyland, work is underway on the
expansion of Avengers Campus. With many of these projects already in motion, the question heading into this year's showcase wasn't necessarily whether Disney would deliver more announcements, but what updates we'd get on the already-announced projects and whether there would be a few surprises. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

It was a wide-ranging, two-hour-plus show hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and featuring many of Walt Disney Imagineering's brass, along with Thomas Mazloum , head of Disney Experiences. Here are some of my favorites from the night. Piston Peak will bring two new Cars attractions to Magic Kingdom Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Disney Experiences) (Image credit: Disney Experiences) (Image credit: Disney Experiences) (Image credit: Disney Experiences) Image 1 of 4 View Original Image 2 of 4 View Original Image 3 of 4 View Original Image 4
of 4 View Original I'm a pretty big fan of Cars, and it's likely no surprise that Piston Peak was the highlight for me. You may like We went inside the Magic of Disney Animation before it opens at Disney World I went behind the construction walls at Disney World's future Monsters, Inc. land, and Monstropolis is already taking shape Disneys Millennium Falcon ride can now unlock something in Fortnite

The main off-road racing attraction will be called Cars: Ridge Run Rally, and like Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure, guests will race against other ride vehicles, each with its own personality. Disney is also introducing a brand-new ride system designed to give guests a stronger sense of the bumps, dips, and other road elements as they race through Piston Peak.

It also won't be the open road of Route 66. Since Piston Peak is a national park, guests will encounter a variety of landscapes throughout the race. At one point, you'll race toward the top of the mountain for a snow-filled scene before heading back down through bumps and high-speed moments in the desert. Eventually, you'll encounter geysers before reaching two familiar faces at
the end of the track: Lightning McQueen and Mater. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Because it will be outdoors in Orlando, Disney says the attraction will be designed to operate in both sun and rain. Of course, lightning will likely shut it down.

There will also be a second attraction, Miss Fritter's Daredevil Spin-Along, which takes its name from the character from Cars 3. Guests will board a vehicle and spin around as they make their way through the attraction, making it suitable for a wide range of ages.

There's still no timeframe for when Piston Peak will open. If we had to
guess, 2028 seems like a reasonable target, but construction is already well underway. What to read next Disney+ just revealed its next must-watch documentary for Parks fans Exclusive: I watched Disneys new Audio-Animatronic transform from pirate to skeleton Inside Disney World's Mandalorian Smugglers Run Unreal overhaul Monstropolis will open in 2027 with a show, food, and shops (Image credit: Disney Experiences) I've already been behind the walls
of the Monsters, Inc. land being built at Disney's Hollywood Studios , and even a few months ago, I noted that construction in the former Muppets area seemed to be moving quickly.

D23 brought confirmation that a portion of Monstropolis will open in 2027. It will include the Glob Theater show, Welcome to Monstropolis, Harryhausen's restaurant, and a pizza eatery named Archie's Scare Pig Pizza.

Those will be the main components when the area first opens, with the much-anticipated Door Coaster arriving later. It appears Disney wants to open the rest of the land as quickly as possible while the signature attraction continues development. At D23, Disney did tease that the suspended Door Coaster will lift you 40 feet in just four seconds right before you venture into the iconic door vault.

We're still waiting for more details on the theater, but the concept art
gives us a few hints. A laugh canister appears to jet out into the audience, while monsters can be seen on the main stage, in the crowd, and on elevated stages on either side. It also appears there will be a live monster band, potentially playing the new original song, Welcome to Monstropolis, written
by Randy Newman.

Then there's Harryhausen's, which will likely be a dream come true for many Monsters, Inc. fans. Guests will actually be able to step inside the restaurant from the film, complete with an impressive animatronic of Roz. (Image credit: Disney Experiences) While we still have plenty more to learn, Disney has now given us a much clearer picture of what will be ready when Monstropolis first opens in 2027 and what will keep us waiting. Tropical Americas brings Indiana Jones and Encanto to Animal Kingdom (Image credit: Disney Expereinces) Next up was Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom, where we got new details on both the Indiana Jones and Encanto attractions.

The Indiana Jones attraction now has an official name: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. Perhaps the biggest news here is that, for the
first time, Harrison Ford himself is being used as the model for the Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic.

The ride will use the same ride system as the popular Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland, but with a completely new story, scenes, and animatronics. (Image credit: Disney Expereinces) Disney also revealed the name of the Encanto attraction: Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto. The ride will take place on Antonio's gift day, with you invited into Casita to celebrate his new
ability.

We got to see the moment guests enter Casita, as well as the ride vehicles, which are designed to feel like pieces of furniture brought to life by the house.

One of the more interesting elements shown was how the attraction will handle elevation changes. Disney appears to be using a new ride system that makes it feel as though the vehicle is moving up or down without the track physically raising or lowering.

The ride will eventually take guests upstairs into Antonio's room, which has been transformed into a rainforest filled with a bevy of animals including a capybara, a toucan, and a donkey.

Interestingly enough, Disney didn't announce an opening date during the
panel. The company has already announced that Tropical Americas is expected
to arrive in 2027, so for now, that remains the target. Fans of Expedition Everest will be thrilled with this news the Yeti will finally be returning
to its original form on the rollercoaster after years of the legendary creature being stuck in its B mode. Simply, the Yeti won't be frozen for much longer. Villains Land will bring Disney's biggest villains together Image 1
of 3 (Image credit: Disney Expereinces) (Image credit: Disney Expereinces) (Image credit: Disney Expereinces) Image 1 of 3 View Original Image 2 of 3 View Original Image 3 of 3 View Original The other active construction site
in Magic Kingdom right now or should we say just outside the current edges
of the park is Villains Land. While D23 2024 confirmed that the land was coming, we finally got more details at D23 2026.

The land will actually be named Villains Land, and Imagineering is touting it as something unlike any other land Disney has developed. The focus will be squarely on the characters, bringing together some of Disney's most infamous villains, including Dr. Facilier, Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil.

The main attraction will be a Maleficent-themed coaster that sends guests racing around her mountain fortress before eventually coming face-to-face
with the villain herself. The ride will feature tight turns, potentially some tipping-track elements, and a very energetic feel throughout.

The other attraction will be a dark ride themed around the Magic Mirror. Guests will travel into the Mirror Realm and encounter several of Disney's villains along the way. Among those shown so far are Cruella de Vil, Ursula, Jafar, and Mufasa, but Disney is keeping the specific details of the story under wraps for now.

With two attractions on this scale, Villains Land could end up being one of the most ambitious additions ever made to Magic Kingdom. EPCOT's Spaceship Earth and Figment will get reimagined Over at EPCOT, Disney also gave us a look at two projects that have been in the works for some time: the reimagining of Spaceship Earth and the return of Figment and Dreamfinder to the Imagination pavilion.

Spaceship Earth will be receiving a major update, expanding the attraction's story while retaining the optimism and wonder that have defined it for generations.

Figment and Dreamfinder, meanwhile, are getting ready to embark on a new journey into imagination at EPCOT. Disney didn't reveal too many details
about the new experience, but just the return of Dreamfinder alongside
Figment is enough to get plenty of EPCOT fans excited. Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab will open in 2028 Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Disney Experiences) (Image credit: Disney Experiences) (Image credit: Disney Experiences) Image 1 of 3 View Original Image 2 of 3 View Original Image 3 of 3 View Original At Disneyland, the biggest update came from Avengers Campus, which is undergoing a massive expansion that will ultimately double its size. Disney confirmed that both Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab
will open in 2028.

Avengers Infinity Defense will put guests in the role of new recruits tasked with helping reassemble the Avengers to take on King Thanos. The attraction will travel across locations including Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City, blending massive physical sets with large-scale media.

Perhaps the biggest casting news is that several heroes will be portrayed by their original on-screen actors, including Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man.

Downey Jr. will also appear in Stark Flight Lab, alongside Mackie and Brie Larson. Guests will board two-person pods, then be grabbed by a giant robotic arm and thrown into a simulated flight experience inspired by Iron Man and
the other Avengers. More details for Coco at Disney California Adventure (Image credit: Disneyland) Disney also shared more about the upcoming Coco attraction, the first ride based on the Pixar film at a Disney park. The
story will take place one year after the original film, beginning in a "casa museo" dedicated to Hctor's music before guests board a boat and travel with Miguel through his memories of the Land of the Dead.

The attraction will feature Miguel, Dante, Hctor, and plenty of other
familiar characters, with Disney and Pixar working together to ensure the
ride celebrates both the original film and the upcoming Coco 2. There will also be no height requirement, which will make this a family-friendly option at California Adventure. Disneyland's Tomorrowland set for a major change Finally, Disney announced that Disneyland's Tomorrowland is set for a major reimagining. There aren't many specifics yet, but Imagineering says the transformation will honor the legacy of the original land while introducing new attractions, more open spaces, and new places for guests to experience
the future. (Image credit: Disneyland) Looking at the updates coming to Disneyland and Walt Disney World, there's more happening across the parks
than we've seen in quite some time. With so many of the projects announced in 2024 now actively under construction, it's clear that Disney wanted to use this year's showcase to give fans a much closer look at what's actually being built.

Could we have gotten a few more details on Tropical Americas, Coco, or even more on Avatar at Disneyland? Absolutely. But overall, Horizons: A Carousel
of Progress gave us plenty to be excited about, while showing just how much detail Imagineering is putting into these new lands and attractions.

And perhaps most importantly, there was a sense that Disney is recommitting
to some of its longtime fans. The return of Dreamfinder and Figment at EPCOT, the reimagining of Tomorrowland at Disneyland, and even the return of the
Yeti to Expedition Everest show that Disney isn't only looking toward what's next. It's also looking back at some of what made these parks special in the first place. Today's best Disney Plus, Disney+ Bundle and Hulu deals Disney+ Monthly Standard With Ads 4.99 4.99 /mth View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Follow TechRadar on Google News and
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