UPDATED November 7, 2025

Walt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” And since Walt Disney World first opened on October 1, 1971, new rides, attractions, and lands have certainly added LOTS of “new things” for guests to enjoy over the years!

Here, we’ve gathered all of the new rides and attractions coming to Disney World in 2025 (and even a bit beyond) so you can plan your trips accordingly!

New and Updated Rides, Attractions, and Character Greetings Coming to Disney World in 2025

 

Magic Kingdom

Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away — NOW SHOWING!

A brand new nighttime parade has come to Magic Kingdom as of July 20th, 2025. It’s time for Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away!

Disney Starlight follows in the footsteps of previous iconic nighttime spectaculars like the Main Street Electrical Parade and SpectroMagic. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro shared that, “Disney Starlight will add to that legacy” of these beloved nighttime parades.

Check out EVERYTHING you need to know about Disney Starlight HERE!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

“Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” — NOW OPEN!

BIG CHANGES have come to Disney’s Animal Kingdom! And one of these changes has happened to the park’s icon: the Tree of Life. It’s welcomed an all-new show:  Zootopia: Better Zoogether! opened on November 7th, 2025!

Guests will see Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and more characters from Disney Animation’s Zootopia. The all-new 4D show begins when you arrive at the main stage just in time for Zoogether Day festivities, where you’ll spot some new and familiar faces!

Here’s how Disney describes the attraction: “Zoogether Day, a celebration of unity amongst the diverse biomes across the city, will be recognized with special performances such as ice-skating spectaculars from the heart of Tundratown! Synchronized swimming direct from Marsh Market! Tiny mouse drone shows soaring over Little Rodentia! And of course, a musical finale by superstar Gazelle – all of which we’ll see from the livestream watch party.”

Joining the gang for Zoogether Day is an audio-animatronic of none other than Benjamin Clawhauser.

He really wants to become the V.I.Z. (Very Important Zootopian – the lucky mammal who will get special access to the Zoogether Day performers). But when things don’t go as planned, he takes things into his own hands…

Learn more about the new Zootopia show!

EPCOT

Test Track Reimagined — NOW OPEN!

A brand new version of Test Track has come to EPCOT as of July 22nd, 2025! Disney collaborated with Chevrolet, the ride’s sponsor, to celebrate the spirit of innovation while also looking forward to the human “drive” for a brighter tomorrow. The new version of the ride offers a look at past, present, and future with the queue presenting six distinct exhibits.

Disney had previously shared that guests will take a joy ride through scenes focusing on onboard technology, customization, and personalization, ending with a trip through a scenic outdoor route.

The attraction update also debuts an all-new musical score, as well as new scenes that highlight the technology that makes our cars smarter. You can check it all out HERE!

We Rode the NEW Test Track in EPCOT and We Have SO Much to Show You!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After — NOW OPEN!

Disney has delivered even more live entertainment to the stage down Sunset Boulevard, where the Sunset Showcase has been transformed into the “mysterious, reflective realm of the Magic Mirror.”  Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After is a brand new show made its debut on May 27th, 2025!

In this show, the Magic Mirror summons some of your favorite Disney Villains who will break through the glass and explain why we’ve misunderstood them. After the villains share their side of the story, “In the end, it will be on you to make the final call in a delightfully wicked finale filled with dozens of the most infamous evildoers awaiting your decision from within the Mirror’s realm.”

We Just Saw Disney’s BRAND-NEW Villains Show! Check it out HERE.

New “The Little Mermaid” Show in Disney’s Hollywood Studios — NOW OPEN!

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure also opened on May 27th, 2025! 

The story is retold almost entirely from Ariel’s point of view and features two songs that weren’t in the previous Little Mermaid show in Hollywood Studios: “Daughters of Triton” and “Kiss the Girl.” The show features live actors, puppets, digital animation, and even some live motion capture integrated together to fully replicate the underwater setting!

We Just Saw Disney’s BRAND-NEW Little Mermaid Show and We Have THOUGHTS

New and Updated Rides and Attractions Coming to Disney World in 2026

The Walt Disney Studios and The Magic of Disney Animation — OPENING IN 2026!

A brand new area is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: get ready to step into The Walt Disney Studios when it opens in 2026! In July 2025, Disney announced that the area currently known as Animation Courtyard will be reimagined into The Walt Disney Studios as a “special nod to the legendary Walt Disney Studios Lot” in Burbank, California. But here, Disney Animation characters will “leap off the screen and into our world.” The new land will retain two of Animation Courtyard’s signature attractions while introducing brand-new experiences inspired by beloved Disney characters as well as the “Once Upon a Studio” short film!

Animation Courtyard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios closed permanently on September 25th to make way for a new addition to the park, which will open in 2026. This includes a permanent closure for Star Wars Launch Bay as well as a closure of Disney Jr. Play and Dance to make way for “a fresh Disney Jr. show,” according to Disney.

The new building will let you into the studio, “as the animators have temporarily stepped away,” and characters come to life and take over in The Magic of Disney Animation! The experience draws its inspiration from the Disney short “Once Upon A Studio.” If you’ve seen the short (and if you haven’t, you can view it here and on Disney+), you will remember how the Disney characters came to life… and The Magic of Animation will present its own moments when portraits come to life as they do in the short! Disney even teased that  here “you’ll even pencil in some time to learn how to draw your very own character sketch.”

And there’s even more in store… like lots of Character Greetings, an indoor playground, and a courtyard for all guests!

Check out EVERYTHING there is to know about The Magic of Disney Animation and more new experiences coming to Hollywood Studios!

NEW Adventures Coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run — Debuting May 22, 2026!

Disney has announced Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will soon feature one of the most popular Star Wars characters, the Mandalorian! 

New missions with the Mandalorian and Grogu are going to be added to the attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

There will also be new Star Wars destinations to explore including including Bespin, Tatooine, the ruins of the Death Star (we are STOKED), Coruscant, Beggar’s Canyon, and more!

AND for the first time ever, you and your crew get to be in control of the destination!! It will fall to the Engineer on board to choose where to go throughout the journey, where passengers will team up with the Mandalorian, Grogu, and Hondo.

You see, Hondo Ohnaka just found out about a deal on Tatooine between ex-Imperial officers and some pirates, and, yep, there’s a good bounty for their capture. So the mission is to “borrow” the Millennium Falcon and team up with the Mandalorian and Grogu to track them down.

This new Mandalorian and Grogu storyline will coincide with the release of upcoming films on May 22nd, 2026. 

Rock ‘n Roller Coaster Starring THE MUPPETS — OPENING SUMMER 2026!

The new Monsters, Inc. land is taking over what was previously Muppets Courtyard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, BUT this isn’t the end of The Muppets in Hollywood Studios. In fact, The Muppets are being moved elsewhere in Hollywood Studios…

The Muppets will be the star of the show on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and will be teaming up with some of “music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival.” Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets will be “fueled by the tasty tunes of the Electric Mayhem and the high-speed hijinks of The muppets.”

This will be the first Disney ride to feature The Muppets and there are sure to be “laughter, screams and new tunes for this attraction for fans to enjoy throughout the adventure.”

It is slated to open in the summer of 2026. 

Check out what’s coming in Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets HERE!

Disney has also confirmed that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will remain open through all of 2025 ahead of the transformation.

New and Updated Rides and Attractions Coming to Disney World in 2027

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

TWO Attractions Coming to The Tropical Americas Pueblo Esperanza

A NEW LAND themed to the Tropical Americas is coming to Disney World’s Animal Kingdom park in 2027. Get ready to step into Pueblo Esperanza! With this announcement, What is now DinoLand, U.S.A. will become Pueblo Esperanza, and the new land will become home to two signature attractions — an Encanto ride featuring the Madrigal family and a new Indiana Jones adventure ride!

Pueblo Esperanza will feature an all-new Encanto-themed ride with the family Madrigal inside the enchanted Casita.

The boat ride will begin just as Antonio has received his special gift and his room becomes a beautiful rainforest. You go explore with him, and according to Disney, “You never know what member of the family you might bump into…”

While some may be familiar with the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction in Disneyland, the Indiana Jones ride in Animal Kingdom will feature a brand-new story.

As described by Disney, the attraction will follow “the man with the hat” during a time when he has “recently discovered a perfectly preserved Maya temple, and that can only mean one thing: it’s time to explore it. He’s heard rumors about a mythical creature deep within the temple — and he’s got to see it for himself. So, he brings us along on the adventure… but will there be snakes? We’ll just have to wait and see.”

Click HERE to explore everything coming to Pueblo Esperanza!

Please be aware that DinoLand, U.S.A. is currently undergoing a phased closure which started on January 13th, 2025.  To begin, the last day for TriceraTop Spin, Fossil Fun Games, and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures at Animal Kingdom was January 12th, 2025, and they are all permanently closed as of January 13th. 

The Boneyard play area in DinoLand permanently closed to accommodate construction for The Tropical Americas land, Pueblo Esperanza, on September 2nd, 2025. 

The closure of the rest of DinoLand — which includes the DINOSAUR attraction and Restaurantosaurus — will happen on February 2, 2026 (which means the last day to access these offerings is February 1, 2026).

New and Updated Rides and Attractions Coming to Disney World — Timeline Not Yet Known

Magic Kingdom

TWO New Cars-themed Attractions Coming to Frontierland

Disney has announced that a new area inspired by the movie Cars is coming to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland! Get ready to visit Piston Peak!

The cars are leaving Radiator Springs to explore the West and into new frontiers. There will be two NEW Cars attractions. 

One will take you on a rally race through wild terrain along mountain trails, dodging geysers and splashing through mud holes.

The second ride will geared toward “smaller racers” and will be fun for the whole family.

Please be aware that the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat closed permanently on July 7th to make way for the Cars expansion.

Find out more about the NEW Cars rides coming to Magic Kingdom HERE!

TWO New Attractions Coming to Villains Land

In August 2024, Disney officially announced that Magic Kingdom is expanding the theme park with a brand new Villains Land!

TWO major attractions, along with new dining and shopping experiences will be presented “on an incredibly twisted grand scale.” Though an opening timeline has not yet been shared, Disney has stated that preparations are now underway!

Click HERE to explore Magic Kingdom’s upcoming Villains Land!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

NEW Roller Coaster Coming to Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World is preparing to open a BRAND NEW THEMED LAND featuring those lovable monsters from MONSTERS, INC.! That’s right… the monsters are inviting YOU to Monstropolis, where they need human laughter to power the city and keep it running.

Monsters, Inc. Land will feature Disney’s VERY FIRST suspended coaster, which “will put you right in the middle of the monster action. Just be sure to fill out your paperwork! Roz is always watching…”

NEW Monsters, Inc. Show Coming to Hollywood Studios

Though not many details have been released, Disney has also confirmed that the upcoming Monsters, Inc. Land will deliver  a “whole new theater show.”

Click HERE to check out the upcoming Monsters, Inc. Land!

We will continue to keep you posted on all the latest new for these and other new additions coming to Disney World!