The Biggest Walt Disney World Announcements From D23 2026 — And What They Mean for Families

If it feels like Walt Disney World is about to look very different over the next few years…you’re not imagining it.

Disney just revealed a huge round of updates at D23 2026, with new details for all four Walt Disney World theme parks.

And there is a LOT happening.

Cars racing through the wilderness of Magic Kingdom. A full land devoted to Disney Villains. Monsters taking over part of Hollywood Studios. Indiana Jones heading into a mysterious temple at Animal Kingdom. A major update for Spaceship Earth.

And somehow, after all these years…

Dreamfinder and Figment are going on an adventure together again. 💜

As a family that spends a lot of time at Walt Disney World, some of these announcements have us ridiculously excited. Others immediately made me think about what they'll actually mean when families start planning future vacations.

So rather than just give you another giant list of Disney announcements, let's break down the biggest news park by park — and what families should actually know about it.

🏰 MAGIC KINGDOM

Piston Peak is bringing Cars to Frontierland

We already knew a Cars-themed area was coming to Magic Kingdom, but D23 gave us a much better idea of what we're actually getting.

Piston Peak will be inspired by the natural beauty and adventure of America's national parks while bringing the world of Pixar's Cars into Frontierland.

And now we know the names of its two attractions.

Cars Ridge Run Rally will send guests racing across Piston Peak, through snow-capped terrain and a geyser field that connects visually with nearby Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Disney says its newly developed ride vehicles will rock, bump and drop like off-road cars tackling rugged terrain.

For younger racers, Miss Fritter's Daredevil Spin-Along will bring the demolition-derby school bus from Cars 3 into the action with a giant Miss Fritter Audio-Animatronics figure.

✨ What this means for families: This is starting to look like much more than "a Cars ride." Having two attractions with different levels of intensity should give families with mixed ages something they can experience in the same land.

And as a family with a pretty serious Cars fan, this one hits especially close to home for us. ❤️

Villains Land sounds absolutely HUGE

Okay, Disney Villains fans.

This one is getting serious.

Disney revealed that the upcoming Villains Land will be comparable in scale to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, complete with dining, shopping and two major attractions.

The story begins with a corrupted Wishing Well and poisoned magic spreading through a dark forest, attracting villains including the Evil Queen, Cruella and Dr. Facilier.

One attraction will be a Maleficent-inspired coaster taking guests through a mountaintop fortress and enchanted briars.

The second will be a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror, bringing together an assortment of Disney Villains.

✨ What this means for families: This sounds less like an attraction addition and more like a destination within Magic Kingdom.

But parents of younger or easily frightened children may eventually need to think about Villains Land differently from Fantasyland. Until Disney releases height requirements, attraction intensity and more details, I wouldn't make assumptions about which experiences will work for every child.

For the rest of us?

A MALEFICENT COASTER?! 😳😂

Disney, you have our attention.

Carousel of Progress is moving into a new tomorrow

There's also big news for one of Magic Kingdom's classics.

Carousel of Progress is being updated with four new decades and a new scene, including the first Walt Disney Audio-Animatronics figure developed for Walt Disney World in Florida. Disney also announced Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston as the new voices of Sarah and John.

The refreshed attraction is scheduled for late spring 2027.

✨ What this means for families: It's encouraging to see Disney investing in a classic attraction rather than simply replacing it. Carousel of Progress is also one of those wonderfully useful slower-paced experiences when your family needs a break from Florida heat and nonstop park stimulation.

Yes, I'm counting air conditioning as a family-planning benefit. 😂

🌐 EPCOT

Spaceship Earth is getting its first major update in nearly 20 years

This is a BIG one.

Disney announced that Spaceship Earth will be reimagined for the first time in nearly two decades.

The attraction's story will expand from the history of human communication into the broader idea of human connection, bringing the story into the internet age and beyond while preserving the optimism that has always been at the heart of Spaceship Earth.

✨ What this means for families: Spaceship Earth is one of those rare Disney attractions that grandparents, parents and kids can experience together, so we're very curious to see how much changes — and how much Disney preserves.

Updating technology that was starting to feel dated makes sense.

Losing the heart of Spaceship Earth wouldn't.

Disney's description so far makes me hopeful they're aiming for the former.

Dreamfinder AND Figment are returning together! 💜🌈

Figment fans, we need to talk.

Disney confirmed that Dreamfinder is returning to EPCOT for a new adventure with Figment.

For longtime EPCOT fans, that's a pretty enormous sentence.

Dreamfinder was part of the original Journey Into Imagination attraction and hasn't shared an EPCOT attraction with Figment in decades. Disney hasn't revealed all the details of their new adventure yet, but the duo is officially coming back together.

✨ What this means for families: This is one of my favorite announcements because it's a chance for Disney to connect generations.

Parents and grandparents who remember the original attraction can potentially share Dreamfinder with kids who know Figment from EPCOT today.

And anything that gives Figment more love gets an automatic thumbs-up around here. 😂💜

🎬 DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

We're going to Monstropolis in 2027

Disney gave us a much clearer picture of the new Monstropolis land inspired by Monsters, Inc.

Humans will officially be welcomed into Monstropolis beginning in 2027, and Disney has announced a surprising amount beyond the headline coaster.

The Glob Theater will feature Welcome to Monstropolis, hosted by Mike and Sulley.

Families will also be able to eat at Archie's Scare Pig Pizza, visit a table-service version of Harryhausen's, and shop at the Scareporium.

Disney says those experiences are planned to open in 2027 while work continues on the previously announced coaster experience.

✨ What this means for families: This is exactly why opening dates matter.

If you're planning a 2027 trip specifically for Monsters, Inc., don't assume that every piece of Monstropolis will necessarily debut simultaneously. Disney specifically distinguishes the 2027 openings from the coaster, which is still under development.

That's something we'll be watching as Disney releases more details.

Smugglers Run has a new Fortnite adventure — right now

This one isn't years away.

Disney and Epic Games launched a new experience connecting Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run with Fortnite on August 16.

Guests can link their Disney and Epic Games accounts to access a custom Smugglers Run adventure and a Star Wars creative island called Smugglers Gambit in Fortnite.

✨ What this means for families: If you've got Star Wars AND Fortnite fans in your family, this is one D23 announcement you don't have to wait years to experience.

And after watching Seth pilot the Millennium Falcon himself, I can tell you that attraction can create some pretty unforgettable family moments. ❤️

🌳 DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM

Indiana Jones is heading into a completely original adventure

We already knew Indiana Jones was coming to Animal Kingdom's new Tropical Americas land.

Now we know a lot more about his adventure.

The attraction is called Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent and sends Indy into an ancient Maya temple in search of knowledge surrounding a passage to the underworld.

Naturally, there's a giant serpent involved.

Because apparently Indiana Jones wasn't traumatized enough already. 😂

The mythological Tsukán serpent will be represented by a massive Audio-Animatronics figure, and Disney says the Indiana Jones figures will be modeled after Harrison Ford — a first for a Disney attraction.

✨ What this means for families: Most importantly, this isn't simply Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure dropped into Florida with a new sign.

Disney is describing this as an original Indiana Jones story created for Animal Kingdom, which makes this a genuinely new Disney World experience.

Encanto is getting a family attraction

Tropical Americas will also bring the Madrigal family to Animal Kingdom in Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto.

Disney says the attraction will have no height requirement, feature more than 50 animals throughout Casita and center around a celebration of Antonio's gift of communicating with animals.

Several members of the movie's voice cast are also returning for the attraction.

✨ What this means for families: THIS is an important detail.

With so many headline-grabbing thrill attractions coming to Walt Disney World, a major new experience with no height requirement gives families with toddlers and younger children something substantial to look forward to as well.

That's exactly the kind of detail we're going to keep watching as these lands develop.

And THE YETI IS COMING BACK TO LIFE 😳

Yes.

That Yeti.

Disney announced that the enormous Yeti Audio-Animatronics figure inside Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain will come back to life.

If you've ridden Expedition Everest for years, you understand why Disney fans collectively lost their minds over that sentence. 😂

✨ What this means for families: Expedition Everest isn't a new attraction, but restoring such an iconic part of the ride could make an old family favorite feel new again.

And if your kids have only ever experienced the Yeti as it operates today, eventually they'll get to experience something they've never seen before.

So…when is all of this actually opening?

Here's the important part for families planning Walt Disney World vacations:

Don't plan a trip around an attraction until Disney gives it a firm opening date.

Some projects now have clearer windows — including several Monstropolis experiences in 2027 and the Carousel of Progress update in late spring 2027 — while other major projects still don't have specific opening dates attached to them.

And that's okay.

Construction schedules change. Individual attractions within a land may open at different times. Disney will continue releasing details as these projects get closer.

We'll keep updating you as those details become useful for actually planning a vacation.

Because knowing that something cool is coming is fun.

Knowing whether it'll be open when your family gets there is useful. 😉

✨ What we're most excited about

Trying to pick one favorite announcement is almost impossible.

Piston Peak looks like it could be incredible.

Villains Land sounds unlike anything currently at Magic Kingdom.

Monstropolis has the potential to become one of the most immersive areas at Hollywood Studios.

Indiana Jones belongs in our family's must-do category before the ride even exists. 😂

And seeing Disney invest in attractions like Spaceship Earth and Expedition Everest while also bringing Dreamfinder and Figment back together makes me especially happy.

But what excites me most is the variety.

Thrill rides. Family attractions. Classic characters. New technology. Updated Disney icons. Experiences grandparents can share with grandchildren.

Disney World isn't simply adding more rides.

The way families experience all four parks is going to change over the next several years.

And we're going to be following it every step of the way.

💫 Helping families pack less stress & more pixie dust ✨

Want to follow these changes as Disney shares new dates, details and updates? Keep an eye on our Disney News & Updates as we follow what these announcements mean for future Walt Disney World trips.

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