Walt Disney created it. James Cameron will help enrich it.
The Disneyland Resort, now in its seventh decade, will feature a new area dedicated to a fantasy world that came from the mind of filmmaker Cameron. A long-announced “Avatar”-inspired section is coming to Disney California Adventure. The Walt Disney Co. confirmed the plans Saturday night at its D23 fan convention in Anaheim.
Concept art shown by Disney revealed a water-focused attraction that Walt Disney Imagineering, the company’s division responsible for designing theme parks, promised would be “dynamic, intense and an emotional experience on a grand scale.”
Imagineering executive Ali Rubinstein said the new land at California Adventure would be very different from the “Avatar”-themed land at Walt Disney World in Florida. This one, Rubinstein said, would be heavily inspired by the second “Avatar” film, “The Way of Water.” Consider it “a field trip in search of majestic natural wonders that can only be found on Pandora,” Rubinstein said.
The announcement comes at a crucial time for Walt Disney Co. The company reported lower-than-expected operating income for its parks division in its third-quarter results, and executives attributed the slowdown in part to a drop in demand driven by financial “stress” among consumers. Any drop in attendance at Disney’s theme parks — global tourist destinations that draw millions of people a year — raises questions not only about public sentiment about the economy but also about the affordability and enthusiasm surrounding the parks themselves.
In turn, this D23 convention was seen as crucial to inspiring fan passion for what’s to come. There was a lot of emphasis throughout the weekend that announcements at a park-focused event on Saturday night at the Honda Center would focus on projects that are in some stage of active development.
“Disney has the blueprints laid out,” said Josh D’Amaro, president of Disney Experiences, from the stadium stage. “This means the ground is moving.”
A “Coco”-themed boat ride is also coming to California Adventure, with construction expected to begin in 2026, according to D'Amaro. D'Amaro said the ride would be heavily influenced by classics like the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, and would feature new animatronic technology.
“We're bringing our cast of skeletal characters to life in a big way using the latest audio-animatronic technology,” he said. “These figures will appear in ways you'll have to see to believe.”
The locations of the “Avatar” and “Coco” attractions were not detailed at the Honda Center.
Disney itself gave great importance to this D23 when referring to Disneyland. The birthplace of the modern American theme park turns 70 in July 2025, and recently, after a multi-year process, the company obtained approval from Anaheim to significantly expand its parks, hotels and shopping districts.
The project, known as DisneylandForward, came with a commitment, as Walt Disney Co. pledged to spend a minimum of $1.9 billion on Disneyland attractions, lodging, entertainment, retail and dining over the next 10 years. In addition, Disney has said it will double its investment in its theme parks, having pledged to spend $60 billion over the next decade on its experiences division, with at least half of that total going to parks and resorts, according to a recent SEC filing.
“Turbocharge” has been the buzzword used by Disney’s top executives regarding their spending proposals for the parks.
At a media event preceding D23, Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock said DisneylandForward gave the resort the “possibility” to expand its footprint by about 50%, largely through rezoning parking districts. Disney executives indicated they were well aware that fans were expecting relatively major reveals at this D23, especially after the last convention, in 2022, focused on potential projects but not concrete proposals.
Imagineering creative director Bruce Vaughn said at a media event Thursday night that the convention would reveal “really cool” things.
“I know everyone has been hungry for more than just blue skies,” Vaughn said, referring to the vague creative visions the company has released in recent years. “Blue skies are really fun, but building, delivering and putting shovels in the ground is even better. That’s what this year and the next decade is all about.”
A new show is coming to Disneyland Resort much sooner than expected at the Main Street Opera House, telling the story of Walt Disney. The show dedicated to the park's patriarch is set to debut next year for Disneyland's 70th anniversary.
“This attraction will imagine what it would have been like to be in Walt’s presence,” D’Amaro said.
The robotic show will take place in the Disney founder's studio office, and D'Amaro said a lot of care is being taken to bring it to life, hinting that it will also feature what has long been said to be his favorite song: “Feed the Birds” by the Sherman Brothers.
“For the first time, there will be an audio-animatronic figure of Walt,” he said. “We are advancing the technology that he introduced 60 years ago with Abraham Lincoln.”
Nostalgia fans and Disneyland purists need not worry. The Opera House’s current show, “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln,” will be featured in rotation with the Disney-centric show after the latter has its initial run.
Also announced: a “Monsters, Inc.”-themed land for Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, and attractions based on “Encanto” and the “Indiana Jones” franchise for the Florida resort's Animal Kingdom.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
