If you thought Walt Disney World was already going through one of the biggest periods of change in its history, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event has made it very clear that Disney is nowhere near finished.

Over the weekend of 14th to 16th August 2026, Disney fans gathered in Anaheim for D23, with the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress showcase on Saturday night delivering a huge collection of updates for Disney Parks around the world.

For Walt Disney World, the announcements were particularly significant. Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios all featured in the showcase, with several projects moving from vague concepts to something much more tangible.

And while fans may have arrived hoping for one enormous surprise, Disney instead delivered something arguably more interesting: a much clearer picture of what Walt Disney World is going to look like over the next several years. From Disney Villains and Cars to Monsters, Inc., Indiana Jones, Encanto, Figment and even the return of the Yeti, here is everything Walt Disney World fans need to know from D23 2026.

Magic Kingdom is about to become a very different park

The biggest announcement for Magic Kingdom was undoubtedly Villains Land. Although Disney had previously announced that a land dedicated to Disney’s most infamous villains was coming to the park, D23 2026 finally gave fans a much better idea of what to expect.

Villains Land will be a dark, twisted environment unlike anything currently found at Magic Kingdom. Disney describes a landscape filled with a cursed forest, a broken wishing well and Disney villains who have claimed the land for themselves. And, crucially, we now know more about the attractions.

One of the headline experiences will take guests racing through Maleficent’s enchanted briars on a thrilling roller coaster. Another attraction will take guests into the mysterious world of the Magic Mirror. Disney is promising a land that feels substantially different from the rest of Magic Kingdom, rather than simply adding a few villain-themed attractions to an existing area. That could make Villains Land one of the most anticipated additions to any Disney park in the world.

Cars is heading to Frontierland

If Villains Land wasn’t enough, Magic Kingdom is also getting another major new area inspired by Pixar’s Cars. Piston Peak is coming to Frontierland, transforming part of the park into a rugged wilderness inspired by the world of Cars. D23 gave fans a much closer look at the attractions that will eventually occupy the area.

Cars Ridge Run Rally will send guests racing through the mountains of Piston Peak, with snowy peaks, mountain trails, geysers and plenty of twists and turns along the way. Lightning McQueen and Mater will also be part of the experience, providing commentary from the sidelines as guests make their way through the wilderness.

Then there is Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along. The enormous school bus from Cars 3 will host a demolition derby-style experience, giving guests the opportunity to get much closer to one of Pixar’s more memorable characters. The combination means Piston Peak won’t simply be a single new attraction. Disney is building an entire environment around the Cars franchise.

For families, it could become one of the most significant additions to Magic Kingdom in years.

The Carousel of Progress is getting a major update

One of Magic Kingdom’s oldest attractions is also getting a new lease of life. Carousel of Progress will receive an update beginning in late spring 2027, including a refreshed 1980s scene. Disney also revealed that Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston will join the attraction as the voices of the show’s mother and father.

Perhaps even more intriguingly, Walt Disney himself will make an appearance as an Audio-Animatronic. That gives Disney an opportunity to update the attraction while retaining the basic spirit of one of Walt Disney World’s most historic experiences. For fans who worry that new developments are always about replacing the old, this is a particularly welcome announcement.

Animal Kingdom is getting Indiana Jones

Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tropical Americas continues to take shape, and D23 provided some of the most exciting details yet. The new Indiana Jones attraction now has a name: Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.

The attraction will take guests into an ancient Maya temple alongside Indiana Jones, with the adventure involving supernatural dangers, legendary creatures and a massive serpent inspired by Maya mythology. It sounds like exactly the kind of attraction that Animal Kingdom has been missing. Rather than simply being another screen-heavy ride, Disney is promising a full expedition into an ancient environment, complete with a new Indiana Jones story. For a park built around exploration and adventure, the theme fits exceptionally well.

Encanto is coming to Animal Kingdom

Tropical Americas will also be home to a new attraction based on Encanto. Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto will take guests inside Casita during Antonio’s special gift day. The attraction will explore new rooms created specifically for the experience, while bringing Antonio’s animals, music and the magical world of the Madrigal family into Animal Kingdom.

It is another example of Disney using a hugely popular animated film to create an attraction that is designed specifically for the park rather than simply recreating scenes from the movie. Together, Indiana Jones and Encanto should give Tropical Americas a very broad appeal, with one attraction aimed more towards adventure and another offering a family-friendly experience.

And yes, the Yeti is finally coming back to life

There was one announcement that probably produced an unusually loud reaction from Disney’s most dedicated fans. The Yeti is coming back to life.

Disney confirmed at D23 that the legendary Audio-Animatronic inside Expedition Everest will once again move. For years, guests have ridden past the famous creature while seeing the shadow of the original figure rather than the dramatic movement that once made the attraction’s finale so spectacular. Now Disney says the Yeti will roar to life again.

It may not be an entirely new attraction, but for Animal Kingdom fans, this could be one of the most exciting announcements of the entire showcase.

Monstropolis is getting closer at Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also preparing for a major transformation with the arrival of Monstropolis. The Monsters, Inc.-themed land is scheduled to open in 2027, and D23 revealed more details about what guests will find inside.

The land will include locations inspired directly by the film, including Harryhausen’s and Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza. There will also be a new theatre show featuring Mike and Sulley. Disney Legend Randy Newman is even creating an original song for the land, helping bring Monstropolis to life with music that feels connected to the original film.

The most exciting part, however, remains the attraction that will take guests through the monster world using Disney’s first suspended roller coaster. That alone makes Monstropolis one of the most anticipated additions coming to Walt Disney World.

EPCOT is getting ready for its next chapter

EPCOT was not left out of the announcements. Spaceship Earth is preparing for its first major update in nearly two decades.

Disney says the attraction will expand its story beyond human communication to focus more broadly on human connection. The intention is to retain the optimism and sense of wonder that have always been central to Spaceship Earth while bringing the attraction into a new era.

Figment and Dreamfinder are coming back

One little spark is about to become a much bigger deal at EPCOT. Disney confirmed that Figment and Dreamfinder are returning for a new journey into imagination.

For longtime EPCOT fans, this may be one of the most emotionally significant announcements of D23.

Figment has remained one of the most recognisable symbols of EPCOT, while Dreamfinder has become something of a legendary character among fans of the park’s original identity. Disney has not yet revealed all of the details surrounding the new experience, but simply confirming that the two characters will once again share an attraction is enough to generate enormous excitement. It is also a clear sign that Disney understands just how much affection there is for EPCOT’s history.

This wasn’t one big announcement. It was a roadmap.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about D23 2026 is that Disney didn’t need one gigantic new attraction announcement to get fans excited. Instead, the company provided a much clearer roadmap for the future of Walt Disney World.

Magic Kingdom is preparing for Villains Land and Piston Peak. Animal Kingdom is rebuilding its identity around Tropical Americas, Indiana Jones and Encanto, while finally bringing the Yeti back to life. Hollywood Studios is getting an entire Monsters, Inc. land. EPCOT is receiving updates to Spaceship Earth while Figment and Dreamfinder prepare to return. And the Carousel of Progress is being refreshed rather than simply left behind.

Taken together, it represents one of the most ambitious periods of development Walt Disney World has seen in decades. Disney itself has previously described this period as a major expansion of the resort, and D23 has now given fans a much better idea of how all of those individual projects fit together.

The important thing for anyone planning a Walt Disney World holiday is that most of these projects are still some way away. This isn’t a situation where you suddenly need to cancel a 2027 holiday because the park is going to look completely different next month. Quite the opposite.

There is already a huge amount of new and refreshed entertainment to experience, while the projects announced at D23 give us plenty to look forward to beyond that. And perhaps that’s the biggest takeaway from D23 2026.

Walt Disney World isn’t finished changing. In fact, it feels like Disney has only just started.