Movies come and go, but Disney\u2019s theme parks are forever. They\u2019re arguably the most crucial and recognizable thing about Disney, and have hosted millions and millions of guests over the decades. But those guests grow up, technology gets better, and the parks change. And when those changes happen, D23 is where they get announced.<\/p>\n
Saturday night, Disney once again took over the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA for a massive presentation about what\u2019s new and exciting in its theme parks. A ton of info was revealed about things such as a new Lion King land, updates on Coco and Encanto rides, and upcoming new lands dedicated to Cars and Monsters Inc. You can get the full, official recap at this link, but below, we\u2019re focusing on five announcements we found the most exciting.<\/p>\n
Disney doesn\u2019t always like to put numbers on these updates until it\u2019s good and ready, and now it\u2019s good and ready with two new Avengers Campus rides coming to Disney\u2019s California Adventure. Both Avengers: Infinity Defense and the Stark Flight Lab will open in 2028, and it was revealed that several actors from the films are along for the ride.<\/p>\n
In Infinity Defense, Iman Vellani will reprise her role as Ms. Marvel, explaining to guests how they\u2019ll travel around the world to assemble the Avengers to bring down King Thanos. Among those Avengers will be Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. We guess it\u2019s not canon.<\/p>\n
Over at the Stark Flight Lab, Downey will be a part of it, joined by Mackie and Brie Larson as Captain Marvel.\u00a0There are also some insane looking Marvel attractions coming to Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disney, and more. You can get more info about all of them here.<\/p>\n
Tomorrowland has had some tweaks in recent years, but nothing major. Apparently, something major is on the way, we just don\u2019t know what. According to Disney, that transformation will \u201chonor the legacy of the original land while reimagining its future. Disneyland Resort will strive to preserve what guests cherish most, while also introducing new experiences and possibilities for the next generation of fans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Does that mean a new Space Mountain, like the just-announced changes coming to Japan or France? The removal of its massive Star Wars Launch Bay? We don\u2019t know. We also don\u2019t know when this will happen, but the park\u2019s 75th anniversary coming in 2030, so we\u2019ll see if it\u2019s ready by then.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve known for a while that a new Indiana Jones ride is coming to Disney\u2019s Animal Kingdom in Orlando. But now we know so much more: it\u2019s called Indiana\u202fJones\u202fand the Myth of the Jade Serpent, and will take guests on a dangerous journey below a Mayan temple, which, yes, will include a giant jade serpent. Plus, Harrison Ford himself will be the model for the ride\u2019s animatronic version of Indy, which is a first.<\/p>\n
Last D23 had a big, final reveal of Disney adding a villain-focused area into the Magic Kingdom at Orlando\u2019s Walt Disney World. This year, we learned that it\u2019s officially called \u201cVillain\u2019s Land,\u201d and it\u2019ll have two rides.<\/p>\n
One is a major roller coaster based on Maleficent (not The Emperor\u2019s New Groove coaster once rumored), as well as a dark ride themed around the Magic Mirror that will incorporate a ton of different villains.<\/p>\n
There was much, much more revealed, and you can read Disney full recap here. Do you agree with our choices, and what are you most excited about? Let us know below.<\/p>\n
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.<\/p>\n