Disney fans trying to decide when to plan their next big trip finally have some important years to work with.
Several massive projects are moving forward across Disney parks, with construction already underway on new lands, attractions, restaurants, and entertainment. While Disney still hasn’t revealed every opening date, the company has narrowed down the dates for four of its biggest projects to begin welcoming guests.
Most of the action is coming in 2027. One highly anticipated expansion, however, won’t arrive until 2028.
Animal Kingdom Has a Major Opening Ahead
Disney’s Animal Kingdom will look very different once Tropical Americas welcomes its first guests.
The new land will introduce Pueblo Esperanza, a fictional village featuring several attractions.
Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto will bring the Madrigal family into a Disney World attraction inspired by Encanto (2021). Guests will enter the Casita and follow Antonio after he gains the ability to communicate with animals.
Disney says the attraction will have no height requirement, feature returning members of the movie’s voice cast, and include 50 different animals.
Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent will provide the land’s biggest adventure.
Replacing DINOSAUR, the attraction takes place in the 1950s and follows Indiana Jones into a South American temple before the journey reaches the Mayan underworld. Bats, scorpions, fire, and snakes will stand between guests and their escape.
Harrison Ford’s likeness will also appear on the Indiana Jones Audio-Animatronic.
El Carrusel de los Animalitos rounds out the attractions with 22 Disney characters, including Pua from Moana (2016), Kevin from Up (2009), and Heimlich from A Bug’s Life (1998).
Final Timeline: 2027. Disney hasn’t announced a month. A fall or winter debut is possible, but that remains speculation.
California’s Marvel Expansion Comes Later
While Animal Kingdom is targeting 2027, guests waiting for Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus expansion will need to be more patient.
Avengers Infinity Defense will send riders across the Marvel Multiverse as the Avengers attempt to defeat King Thanos. The attraction will combine physical sets with screen-based elements and bring back familiar Marvel performers, including Chris Hemsworth and Anthony Mackie.
Stark Flight Lab will offer a completely different experience.
Guests will travel through Stark Labs before their ride vehicle connects to a robotic arm. The system is designed to create the sensation of flying with technology similar to Iron Man’s.
Robert Downey Jr. returns as Tony Stark, alongside Brie Larson as Captain Marvel and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson.
Final Timeline: 2028. Disney has confirmed the year but hasn’t announced a month, making anything more specific speculation.
Tomorrowland Begins Its Transformation in 2027
Tokyo Disneyland has its own major changes approaching, with two Tomorrowland attractions on the calendar.
Space Mountain Earthrise will reinvent the park’s former Space Mountain experience. While it remains an indoor roller coaster, the attraction will feature a launch, along with new lighting, audio, and space-inspired effects.
The Earthrise concept centers on viewing Earth from beyond the moon and seeing the planet from an entirely different perspective.
Sugar Rush Sweet Rescue will replace Buzz Lightyear’s former attraction.
Inspired by Wreck-It Ralph (2012), the interactive ride sends guests alongside Ralph and Vanellope to protect Sugar Rush from King Candy’s bugs. Riders will use blasters to turn the creatures back into sweets.
Final Timeline: 2027. Sugar Rush Sweet Rescue is officially targeting spring, while Space Mountain Earthrise has a broader 2027 window. An April or May start for the area is possible, though speculative.
Hollywood Studios Will Take a Phased Approach
Another major 2027 opening is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but Monstropolis won’t arrive as one finished package.
Disney’s suspended door-vault coaster inspired by Monsters, Inc. (2001) will eventually become the land’s centerpiece. The attraction recreates the factory sequence from the movie and includes a vertical lift that raises riders roughly 40 feet in four seconds.
The coaster won’t be ready for the land’s initial opening.
Instead, guests will first experience The Glob Theater and its Welcome to Monstropolis show with Mike and Sulley.
Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza, the Monsters University Alumni Club, Scareporium shop, and Harryhausen’s restaurant will also be part of the first phase.
Final Timeline: 2027 for the initial Monstropolis opening. Disney hasn’t announced a month yet, though summer has been discussed among fans as a possibility. The door coaster will debut later.
Disney’s Next Wave Is Almost Here
The exact calendar still has some blanks, but 2027 is quickly becoming a major year for Disney parks.
Tropical Americas, Monstropolis, and Tokyo Disneyland’s Tomorrowland projects are all scheduled to begin arriving that year. Avengers Campus follows in 2028.
With those broader timelines established, Disney’s next announcements should begin answering the question fans really want to know: exactly when they can experience everything for themselves.
