Disney Parks in 2026: Leia, Luke and Han Hit Galaxy's Edge

Disneyland had a huge 2025 when it kicked off its 70th anniversary, a celebration that continues at the original Disney theme park this year. Three new rides are also being built at California Adventure, as well as a whole new Avatar area.

And at Walt Disney World in Florida, four new lands are being constructed right now, themed around villains, Pixar characters and more.

Here’s everything you need to know about Disneyland, Disney World and Disney Cruise Line in 2026 and beyond.

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge: New old characters

New characters have begun roaming around the Star Wars-themed lands in Disneyland, as the area “expands its timeline” to include Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo. The original trio of Star Wars main characters arrived in Batuu on April 29 and are now interacting with guests and other characters.

To help tie them in with the more modern Star Wars land, there will also be new props, graphics and music (featuring the legendary John Williams score) in Galaxy’s Edge.

“Black Spire Outpost will roll back in time several decades, thoughtfully introducing beloved characters from across the Star Wars timeline,” the Disney Parks Blog announced in April. “Each era will be brought to life with the same care and attention to detail that the land was originally designed with, masterfully weaving together stories from across time and space in one location.”

Darth Vader will also be joining the fun, and you’ll still be able to see Ahsoka Tano, The Mandalorian, Grogu, Rey, Chewbacca and R2-D2. 

To tie in with the Star Wars fun in Galaxy’s Edge, Space Mountain has transformed into Hyperspace Mountain in Tomorrowland for a limited time.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring The Muppets gets an opening date

While MuppetVision 3D closed last year to make way for an entire land themed around the Monsters Pixar movies at Hollywood Studios, the Muppets are being moved to the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Apparently, that overlay didn’t take long to complete — Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith had its last day of operation on March 1, and the Muppets-themed version just announced its opening date of May 26.

“The legendary ride roars back to life with a rock-charged remix that drops guests straight into the middle of The Electric Mayhem’s biggest night yet. With high-speed thrills, a pulse pounding soundtrack, and a VIP list like no other, this reimagined attraction hits all the right notes,” the Disney Parks Blog posted on April 16.

Replacing the old Muppets area of Hollywood Studios, meanwhile, Monstropolis — home of the Monsters, Inc. movies, shorts and Disney Plus streaming series — will feature Disney’s first suspended roller coaster inside the city’s laugh/scream factory.

“The first time I saw Monsters, Inc., all I wanted to do was ride on one of those doors like Mike and Sulley,” Disney Experiences Chair Josh D’Amaro said at D23 in 2024. “Remember in the movie how those claws grab the doors and hoist them up into the air to take them away? We’re doing that too. And you’re going along for the ride.”

A TikTok shows the design concept for the Monsters Inc. ride.

MuppetVision 3D closed permanently on June 8, 2025, but we don’t expect Monstropolis to be complete for another year or two.

Bluey has arrived at Disneyland

Spring brought an addition to Disneyland: Bluey and her family are now hosting a stage show and themed area at the original Disney park. Debuting Sunday, March 22, Bluey’s Best Day Ever is located at the Fantasyland Theatre next to Mickey’s Toontown and drew hours-long queues during its first week.

The theater has been transformed into Bluey’s school classroom and grounds, including a gnome village and fairy garden. Bluey and her sister, Bingo, will appear several times each day, along with actors and musicians, to “bring to life the popular music and games emblematic of beloved Bluey episodes.” Those games will include “keepy uppy” and the “grannies,” as well as appearances by Chattermax and Unicorse.

There are also puzzles, games and photo ops throughout the Bluey area, and Disneyland is serving up Bluey-themed foods at Troubadour Tavern.

The hugely popular Australian cartoon about a family of dogs is a worldwide hit, and Disney is slated to release a Bluey movie in 2027. (In the meantime, you can watch Bluey episodes and minisodes on Disney Plus.) 

California Adventure celebrates 25 years

The second Disney theme park built in Anaheim opened 25 years ago on Feb. 8, 2001. While the look of the park has changed a lot over those years, California Adventure has a few ways it’s celebrating the quarter-century milestone: It’s switching the Soarin’ attraction back to Soarin’ Over California until July 1; dressing Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on Buena Vista Street with new outfits, featuring sun motifs like the one originally on the roller coaster; and offering various special anniversary-themed food items, merchandise and drinks.

Soarin’ Across America from coast to coast

At Disney’s California Adventure and Disney World’s Epcot, the Soarin’ Around the World attraction is getting a US-themed makeover. Soarin’ Across America will arrive on July 2, 2026, and will feature scenes, sounds and scents from more than a dozen cityscapes and scenic areas.

Disney released a trailer starring Patrick Warburton, the original Soarin’ narrator and pilot, in which he says we’ll soon “sail across spacious skies” and may see “amber waves of grain” and “purple mountain majesties.” It’s part of Disney’s celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

Disneyland’s 70th anniversary continues

Disneyland is continuing to celebrate its 70th anniversary this year, following its kick-off in May 2025. You’ll have plenty of time to get there as its last day is Aug. 9, 2026 — after which it’ll transition back to Halloween on Aug. 21, then the holidays on Nov. 18, before fully returning to its natural state in early 2027.

There are many 70th anniversary shows to see, including the Paint the Night parade, Celebrate Happy Cavalcade and the Wondrous Journeys fireworks and projection show on the castle. Mickey and friends are also wearing 70th celebration outfits.

You can catch 70th anniversary-themed merchandise, food and drink items as well as a projection show at Carthay Circle and a 50-foot sculpture of Sleeping Beauty Castle on the esplanade between Disneyland and California Adventure; you can also find decorations sprinkled throughout Downtown Disney, Main Street USA, Disney’s hotels and even inside the Toy Story Midway Mania ride.

Disneyland expansion begins as the Avatar area is constructed

Disneyland is finally expanding after unveiling plans almost five years ago. The expansion is expected to take a couple of years to complete and will push the park’s current boundaries past Downtown Disney and into the nearby parking lots. It’ll also transform “a portion of the current Hollywood Backlot area,” leading to the closure of the Monsters Inc. attraction permanently in 2027.

The biggest part of the expansion will be adding an Avatar-themed land, based on the second film, The Way of Water, as well as Avatar: Fire and Ash. It will include a dark boat ride much like Pirates of the Caribbean, “taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora.”

It follows the success of the world of Pandora, based on the original Avatar film, in Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. Disney has no dates or details yet on when it’ll be complete.

Coming sooner than the Avatar land, however, is a new esplanade entry “experience” to replace the current walkway entry at the east side of Disneyland, as well as a new parking structure and pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard. Construction on this begins in the fall.

A Coco ride is coming

It won’t be launching this year, but construction has begun backstage at California Adventure to build a new dark ride. It’ll be themed for the beloved Pixar movie Coco and populated by audio-animatronics.

The Coco ride will be located in the area near Pixar Pier and Paradise Gardens, in what is primarily backstage areas for cast members currently. It’ll have characters and music from the movies as you travel through the land of the dead with Miguel.

California Adventure: 2 more Avengers rides 

Avengers Campus already has two rides: Spider-Man Web Slingers and Guardians of the Galaxy. Soon, this will double as Disney builds two more Marvel attractions at California Adventure. 

“We’re doubling the size of the land with two new attractions,” a structural engineer said in a video posted to Walt Disney Imagineering’s Instagram account on Feb. 26. The engineer showed off how the Avengers Infinity Defense structure is looking now, including its columns, foundations and a catwalk that will “support projectors, speakers and other types of show elements.”

Avengers Infinity Defense will see you assemble alongside the Avengers, battling King Thanos — set in a multiverse — featuring appearances by Black Panther, Ant-Man and Hulk.

Stark Flight Lab, the second ride, will see you help test Tony Stark’s latest tech.

“In Stark Flight Lab, guests will sit in ‘gyro-kinetic pods’ and roll along a track before stopping in front of a giant robot arm,” Disney said. “This robot arm will hoist you into the air where you’ll make several high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and some other Avengers.”

Construction began in 2025, but no launch dates have been revealed yet.

Villains Land at Disney World: 1 year closer

While it won’t be ready in time for 2026, construction is well underway for Disney’s first villains-themed area. Villains Land, which will celebrate all the classic baddies from Disney films, is coming to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Florida.

Imagineers have been drawing inspiration from architectural structures in Paris and Barcelona — like Gaudí’s buildings in the latter — to design Villains Land, Disney revealed during Destination D23 in August 2025.

“Paris is a city full of classic Art Nouveau … natural motifs and swirling designs there make nature appear to be ‘cursed,’ like magic has frozen it into place,” Disney said on its Parks Blog. “Barcelona’s art style is Modernisme, which has less natural patterns but gives the architecture an otherworldly, unnerving appearance.”

Villains Land, first teased during D23 2022, will be positioned on the other side of Big Thunder Mountain at the top left edge of the current Magic Kingdom map and will stretch around to where the Haunted Mansion is.

Two major attractions are planned, along with dining and shopping. Still no word yet on when it’ll open.

First peek at Piston Peak

The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom have been closed and removed from the online map, as Disney works to construct a new land themed after Pixar’s Cars movies. Cars Land, which was added to Disney’s California Adventure back in 2012, remains extremely popular in the west, so it was only a matter of time before it was added to the eastern outpost.

In an expansion of Frontierland — which also includes Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad — Route 66 will feature a look inspired by the Rocky Mountains and the “American Frontier and its national parks.”

The Disney Parks Blog described the new area as “an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers and impressive geysers.” Disney Imagineers are “using a style of architecture called ‘Parkitecture,’ which was developed by the National Park Service to create structures that harmonize with the natural environment.”

There will be two attractions, one of which is a rally race. Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen spoke about the new ride vehicle for this, and you can see a TikTok of Imagineers testing out off-road vehicles in the Arizona desert to create what the ride will feel like. Each rally car will have its own personality, name and racing number, Docter said.

“These are all things Lightning McQueen and Mater haven’t experienced before, like racing over rocky terrain, ascending to mountain peaks and dodging around geysers — how do you take these real-world elements and put a Cars spin on it?” Disney Parks said in a previous blog post. 

While construction has begun and Disney has even released a map showing what the land may look like (geysers shooting water, a running river, an off-road rally track, mountains, a visitor’s lodge, a Ranger HQ and walking trails), we don’t expect Piston Peak to open until at least 2027 or 2028.

Dinosaur closes to make way for Tropical Americas Land

Animal Kingdom’s DinoLand USA area is no more, with the area on the Disney World map now a blank sea of grass as Disney slowly builds out the new Tropical Americas Land. 

Construction began in the fall of 2024, with TriceraTop Spin and the midway area closing down in January 2025. The Dinosaur ride remained open until Feb. 1 this year but has now closed its doors as it’s transformed into a new Indiana Jones ride through a Maya temple (a relatively easy overlay since Disneyland’s Indiana Jones reportedly follows almost exactly the same ride track as Disney World’s Dinosaur).

The Pueblo Esperanza area will be themed like a South American village, with an Encanto-themed attraction, where you get to explore Antonio’s rainforest room inside the Casita, as well as a huge quick-service dining location, a fountain and a carousel.

Tropical Americas is planned to open in 2027.

Discounted Disneyland tickets and a new Magic Key

California residents can currently get a three-day Park Hopper ticket for $249, a 50% discount. Time is running out to use it, though — you can only visit until May 21 using this ticket. After that is a Kids’ Summer Ticket deal, with a one-day Park Hopper ticket costing $50 per child, ages 3 through 9. You can purchase it now and use it between May 22 and Sept. 7.

Disneyland is also adding (and removing) a Magic Key option: The Explore Key will replace the current Enchant Key. All California residents will be able to purchase it — not only Southern California residents. It will allow access on weekdays in June and July, which are currently blocked out for Enchant Key holders. 

The Explore Key went on sale earlier this year. It costs $999, with a $99 down payment and 0% APR on repayments for 12 months. Disney said its “full value” can be unlocked in just four visits to the parks, thanks to Park Hopper admission, 25% off parking, Lightning Lane Multi-Passes and 10% off merchandise and dining.

Disney World discounted summer tickets

For what Disney World is calling Cool Kids’ Summer, it’s offering two free nights and two free theme park days when you buy a four-night, four-day Disney hotel and ticket package for a visit during May 26 through Sept. 15. You can also save up to 30% on some Disney hotels between May 1 and Oct. 4.

Also part of Cool Kids’ Summer is a free day at a Disney water park (Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach) on your check-in day when staying at a Disney hotel between May 26 and Sept. 8; and a free dining plan for kids aged 3-9 when you buy a dining package for guests over 10 and a room at a Disney hotel.

Disney Cruise Line: New ships

Disney has been all in on launching cruise ships over the last few years, including the Disney Wish in 2022, the Disney Treasure in 2024 and the Disney Destiny in 2025.

The Disney Adventure sailed on its maiden voyage from Singapore on March 10, the first of four new ships set to embark soon. Disney’s next cruise liner, the Disney Believe, was unveiled by new CEO Josh D’Amaro on March 18. 

“The Disney Believe will bring to life the magical worlds of Encanto and Frozen, the wishing wells of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the depths of the sea with Moana and The Little Mermaid,” Disney said.

The Disney Believe is expected to set sail in late 2027. The other ship names and destinations have yet to be revealed, but they’re expected to sail before 2031.

Everything else coming soon

Here’s what else is new and coming soon to the theme parks:

• A 3D-printed prop canoe was added to the Jungle Cruise ride in January.
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin closed at the Magic Kingdom in August to receive new ride vehicles with video monitors and two handheld blasters featuring always-on lasers in two different colors (so you can finally see which laser is yours). It’s also getting a new opening scene starring Buddy the friendly robot, and static Z targets will light up when you hit them. The ride reopened on April 8.
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is reopening on Sunday, May 3, at Magic Kingdom after a lengthy refurbishment. It will include “a journey through the spectacular natural phenomena of the Rainbow Caverns.”
• Disney World’s water park Blizzard Beach reopened on Feb. 15, and Typhoon Lagoon is reopening on May 12.
• Disneyland and Hollywood Studios are adding Mandalorian and Grogu missions to the Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run ride in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, tying in with the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu in cinemas. The new missions will launch on May 22, 2026.
• Bluey and Bingo meet-and-greets are coming to Disney World at the Conservation Station at Animal Kingdom as part of the Cool Kids’ Summer celebration, which goes from May 26 until Sept. 8. 
• Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom is currently being repainted in its original theme colors: gray, cream, blue and gold.
• From July onwards, you’ll be able to book a wedding at the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. Weddings will be hosted at the courtyard right outside the mansion’s front doors. The area can seat up to 25 guests. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include thematic midnight ceremonies — you can only host your wedding there in the early morning before park opening. Other new Disneyland wedding venues include the Magnolia Park Gazebo (right outside Tiana’s Palace), Magnolia Park Terrace (right outside the new Haunted Mansion queue) and Fantasy Faire Garden (opposite the castle).
• Following the release of the Walt Disney animatronic at Disneyland, Disney announced that a similar animatronic will be added to Disney World’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom in a new introductory scene to the ride.