The happiest place on earth just got more global. At the D23’s Saturday Parks Panel, host Neil Patrick Harris gave way to several Walt Disney Imagineers who shared the next steps in the mouse house’s billion-dollar expansion.
In the U.S., executives and creative designers showed off a sneak peek of upcoming West Coast attractions at Disney California Adventure. Coming to Avengers Campus to join the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! and Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure are two new attractions. The first is a flight-spinning ride called Stark Flight Lab, which will see guests take on training trips from returning Avengers cast members Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie and Brie Larson. The second big-ticket attraction will be Avengers Infinity Defense, a ride that puts the fight against Thanos in the hands of park visitors. As they enter, riders will receive special mission orders from Ms. Marvel (featuring a role reprisal from Iman Vellani) and team up with Avengers and their returning actors, Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Captain America (Mackie), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man (Downey Jr.). Both attractions will open in 2028.
Meanwhile, near DCA’s Paradise Pier, a Coco boat ride will usher guests through the world of Miguel via a museum-like flowing river that will highlight Mexican and Día de Muertos culture and showcase artifacts of and music by Miguel’s great-great-grandfather Hector. Joining ranks with Walt Disney World, DCA will also become home to the Na’vi via an Avatar Destination to be announced at a later date.
Over on the East Coast, the Walt Disney World resort is breaking ground on its latest attraction, Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent, which becomes the first park to involve titular star Harrison Ford as an animatronic model. Ford, who could not attend in person, sent a video explaining his excitement at being involved in the ride mechanics for the first time. While Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris and Disneyland have established Indiana Jones attractions, this will be Walt Disney World’s first.
Director and head of Walt Disney Animation Jared Bush came out to talk about an Encanto ride called Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto; all of the cast from the film will be reprising their roles. Housed in the film’s iconic Casita, guests are invited to Antonio’s Gifts Day, where he receives the power to communicate with animals. Riders will travel through the Madrigal family’s home on pieces of elaborate, colorful furniture, viewing the story of the house while interacting with more than 50 animals throughout the attraction.
And finally, though Disney remains the number one home for “happily ever afters,” Imagineering has been brewing up a wicked side. Villains Land, which is exactly what it sounds like, is the destination for fans of all baddies. Executives teased that the Walt Disney World attraction will contain a high-thriller roller coaster experience on Maleficent’s thorny briar mountain top featuring “elements never attempted before on a Disney theme park attraction,” and another flume ride will feature the Evil Queen’s Magic Mirror, who might get to tell his side of the Snow White story.
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