Disneyland Paris arrived at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event with plenty to talk about, and after a weekend of announcements in Anaheim, it is safe to say that the future of the resort is looking particularly exciting.
Taking place from 14th to 16th August 2026, D23 brought together Disney fans from around the world, with the Disney Experiences showcase revealing what is coming next across the company’s theme parks. For Disneyland Paris, the focus was firmly on the resort’s ongoing transformation, with major updates for both Disneyland Park and Disney Adventure World.
While World of Frozen has only just opened at Disney Adventure World, Disney is already looking ahead to what comes next. Meanwhile, Disneyland Park is set for two significant changes of its own, including the biggest entertainment shake-up since Disney Stars on Parade debuted in 2017.
Here is everything Disneyland Paris announced at D23 2026.
The Lion King is getting its own world at Disney Adventure World
Perhaps the biggest Disneyland Paris announcement of the weekend was not technically a new announcement at all. The Lion King-themed area was first revealed previously, but D23 gave us our most exciting look yet at what Disney is actually building.
Construction is already well underway on the new immersive world at Disney Adventure World, which will become the first Disney Parks area anywhere in the world dedicated entirely to The Lion King.
Located alongside Adventure Bay and close to World of Frozen, the new area is being designed to transport guests from France straight into the Pride Lands. And the centrepiece is going to be a spectacular water-based attraction.
Guests will follow Simba’s journey through some of the most recognisable moments from the 1994 animated classic, travelling from his childhood towards his destiny as king of the Pride Lands. Disney says the attraction will feature Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, Scar and other Audio-Animatronics figures, alongside visual effects and music from the film.
There will also be three major drops, culminating in an impressive 16-metre descent from Pride Rock. That makes the attraction considerably more than a simple family boat ride. Disney is promising a major E-ticket-style experience that combines storytelling, characters, music and thrills. And now we know that Scar is going to play a particularly important role.
Meet Scar: Disneyland Paris is getting the first-ever Scar Audio-Animatronics figure
One of the biggest surprises from D23 was the reveal that the new Lion King attraction will feature the first-ever Audio-Animatronics figure of Scar. Disney unveiled new concept art showing Simba coming face-to-face with his uncle during the dramatic confrontation that forms part of the attraction’s story. It is an especially fitting scene to bring to life because Scar is one of Disney’s most recognisable villains, and his presence should give the attraction a darker and more dramatic moment amid the colourful Pride Lands.
The announcement also gives us a better idea of how the ride will tell Simba’s story. Rather than simply recreating one scene from the film, guests will essentially travel through Simba’s life, seeing him grow from a young cub into the future king. That opens the door for some of the film’s most iconic moments to appear throughout the attraction.
Disney has also confirmed that the entire Lion King land will cover more than 30,000 square metres once complete. Alongside the attraction, guests will find a shop, a dining location and character appearances.
Construction began in Autumn 2025, with foundation work already completed. Disney says the first structures are now beginning to rise from the ground.So while there is still a long way to go, The Lion King is no longer just a concept on a piece of artwork. It is becoming a very real part of the Disneyland Paris skyline.
A brand-new daytime parade is coming to Disneyland Park
Disneyland Paris has confirmed that a brand-new daytime parade will arrive at Disneyland Park in 2028. And importantly, this will be the first completely new parade for the park since Disney Stars on Parade debuted in 2017.
That means 2028 will mark the end of an era for Disney Stars on Parade, which has become one of the defining experiences at Disneyland Paris over the past decade. Disney has not yet revealed the name, floats, characters or soundtrack for the new parade, meaning there is still plenty left for us to discover.
But the announcement alone is significant. Parades are arguably one of the most important parts of a Disneyland Paris visit. They bring together the park’s characters, music and storytelling in a way that attractions simply cannot replicate.
After years of Disney Stars on Parade, the prospect of seeing completely new floats travelling down Main Street, U.S.A. is incredibly exciting. And with Disneyland Paris continuing to introduce newer characters and stories across the resort, it will be fascinating to see what makes the final line-up. Unfortunately, there is no parade name to add to your Disneyland Paris planning calendar just yet.
Space Mountain is going back to the Moon
The other huge Disneyland Park announcement was one that will have made longtime Disneyland Paris fans extremely happy. Hyperspace Mountain is going away.
But don’t panic. The mountain itself isn’t disappearing. Instead, Disneyland Paris is returning to the attraction’s original Jules Verne-inspired identity. Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune is coming back.
The original attraction opened at Disneyland Paris in 1995 and was inspired by Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon. It became one of the most distinctive versions of Space Mountain anywhere in the Disney Parks, combining a huge Victorian-inspired exterior with a detailed storyline and retro-futuristic vision.
At D23, Disney confirmed that Hyperspace Mountain will make way for a reimagined version inspired by that original concept. The attraction will once again be known as Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune, and the original musical score is set to return alongside a refreshed experience.
For Disneyland Paris fans, this is a particularly exciting piece of news because it represents something slightly different from the usual Disney Parks approach. Rather than replacing an old attraction with a completely new IP, Disney is looking back at what made the original version of the Paris attraction special.
Jules Verne is deeply connected to Disneyland Paris’s creative identity, particularly within Discoveryland, so restoring that connection makes a lot of sense. It also means that the iconic mountain will once again feel like part of a cohesive Jules Verne-inspired land rather than being dominated by the Star Wars overlay.
The original Space Mountain opened in 1995, making this a rather remarkable full-circle moment for the attraction.
Disney Adventure World isn’t finished yet
The D23 announcements also reinforce just how dramatically Disney Adventure World is changing.
The former Walt Disney Studios Park has now entered a completely new era following the opening of World of Frozen, alongside other new experiences including Disney Cascade of Lights and the recently introduced attractions along Adventure Way.
The Lion King will become the next major immersive world to join the park, expanding the resort’s collection of large-scale themed environments beyond Marvel, Pixar and Frozen. And Disney has already confirmed another attraction for Adventure Way.
Wilderness Explorers Sky Swings, inspired by Disney and Pixar’s Up, is scheduled to open next year. It will be the first Disneyland Paris attraction based on Up and will sit opposite Raiponce Tangled Spin. That means Disney Adventure World is continuing to evolve almost year after year.
For guests visiting Disneyland Paris now, it is becoming increasingly difficult to think of the second park as simply the former Walt Disney Studios Park. The scale and ambition of the transformation are becoming much more obvious.
A new era is taking shape at Disneyland Paris
What makes the D23 announcements particularly interesting is that they are not really isolated projects. They form part of a much bigger change taking place across Disneyland Paris. Disney Adventure World has just opened World of Frozen and is now building The Lion King.
Disneyland Park is preparing for the return of its original Space Mountain concept and a completely new daytime parade. In other words, both parks are changing at the same time.
The resort is effectively getting new attractions, new entertainment and refreshed versions of classic experiences simultaneously. And there is something particularly interesting about the balance Disney is striking.
On one side, we have The Lion King, one of Disney’s biggest modern animated properties, being transformed into an enormous immersive world. On the other, we have Space Mountain returning to its 1995 roots. Then there is the new parade, which represents an entirely fresh chapter for Disneyland Park.
It is a mixture of new, nostalgic and completely original experiences.
So when is everything happening?
For Disneyland Paris fans, the next few years are going to be busy. World of Frozen is now open in Disney Adventure World, marking the beginning of the park’s new era. The next major addition will be Wilderness Explorers Sky Swings in 2027.
Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune will return as the attraction moves away from its current Star Wars identity, although Disney has not yet provided a specific reopening date, but Hyperspace Mountain is thought to be closing in 2027.
2028, Disneyland Park will welcome its brand-new daytime parade.
At Disney Adventure World, The Lion King will eventually become the headline addition to the expansion, with the water-based attraction taking guests through Simba’s story and featuring the first-ever Scar Audio-Animatronics figure. There is still plenty that Disney hasn’t revealed.
We don’t yet know the name of the new parade. We don’t know exactly when Space Mountain will close or reopen. And there is still no opening date for The Lion King land. But after D23, the direction is becoming much clearer. Disneyland Paris isn’t simply adding a few new attractions.