Disney’s next wave of theme park expansions could look very different from what fans were originally promised.
A major project once planned for Disneyland Resort may already be shifting direction, according to new reporting — with insiders suggesting the company could move away from Avatar in favor of another franchise entirely.
The rumored pivot centers on Disney California Adventure, where Disney previously confirmed plans to build an Avatar-themed land. The project was envisioned as a West Coast counterpart to Pandora — The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida.
Pandora has been one of Disney’s most successful modern theme park expansions. The land opened in 2017 and quickly became one of the most popular areas at Walt Disney World.
Disney hoped to replicate that success in California.
Construction on the Disney California Adventure expansion was expected to begin in 2026, though the project has remained largely conceptual so far.
Disney Expansions Are Accelerating
The uncertainty around the Avatar project comes as Disney prepares for a massive investment cycle across its theme parks.
The Walt Disney Company has pledged roughly $60 billion toward its parks, cruise ships, and experiences division over the next decade. A large portion of that spending will go toward expanding existing parks.
Walt Disney World is already undergoing significant changes.
At Magic Kingdom, Disney is adding a new Cars-inspired land alongside a long-discussed Villains-themed area.
Animal Kingdom is also changing dramatically.
DinoLand U.S.A. is being replaced by Tropical Americas, a new land inspired by Encanto and Indiana Jones that will transform one of the park’s oldest areas.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios will soon join the expansion push.
A Monsters, Inc. land has been announced for the park, while Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster will eventually be rethemed to The Muppets following the closure of Muppet*Vision 3D.
Meanwhile, Disney California Adventure is planning its own upgrades.
Avengers Campus will expand with new attractions, including the long-delayed Avengers: Infinity Defense ride.
Yet the park’s Avatar project may not be moving forward as originally planned.
Why Zootopia Is Now Being Mentioned
Recent reporting from The Wrap suggests Disney may be reconsidering the Avatar expansion entirely.
The discussions come after Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025) generated strong revenue but reportedly sparked conversations about the long-term trajectory of the franchise.
Future installments are still tentatively planned, with release windows floated for December 2029 and 2031.
Industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian explained the unusual expectations surrounding the series.
“It’s all about compare-and-contrast – ‘Fire and Ash’ made half of what the first movie made. And ticket prices in 2009 were not what they are in 2025. That’s the level that James Cameron and the ‘Avatar’ films are operating in,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Comscore.
“When an $89 million domestic opening weekend and almost $1.5 billion worldwide would be seen — in any stretch — as a disappointment. That’s why there’s that perception. These are high-class problems to have.”
Some theme park insiders believe Disney may now favor a different franchise.
Former Imagineer Jim Shull suggested that Zootopia could be a stronger fit for Disney California Adventure.
“Disney doesn’t do anything without a reason. The reality is that ‘Avatar 3’ did OK but as a cultural force, it’s exhausted. Nobody is demanding to see more. They like what they have and if they really like it, they can go to Florida and see it,” Shull told The Wrap.
“California does not have a lot of land. If ‘Avatar’ had been a huge success and people were demanding ‘4’ and ‘5’ and beyond, that would change the equation. But there’s not a lot of demand.”
Shull also believes Disney could justify a pivot to Zootopia.
“‘Zootopia 2’ exceeded expectations in terms of money and laid the groundwork for more ‘Zootopia,’” Shull said. “If I were Josh D’Amaro, in the seat, looking at the stock, I know that I could go to the board and say, ‘I’ve changed my mind for the stronger property,’ and there would be no pushback.”
He pointed to the absence of visible progress on the project.
“The only time you do something like that is when you have second thoughts,” Shull said.
Operational concerns may also be influencing the conversation.
According to one source familiar with Disneyland Resort planning, a Zootopia attraction could use a ride system similar to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
That would make the ride easier to maintain than the originally proposed Avatar attraction, which was designed as a boat ride requiring water-treatment infrastructure.
Disney has also emphasized Zootopia’s popularity in its parks.
The company recently noted that Zootopia: Hot Pursuit at Shanghai Disneyland is the park’s highest-rated attraction, with “one in four guests” visiting the park specifically to experience the land.
For now, Disney has not confirmed any changes to the California project.
But with construction timelines shifting — and the closure of Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue now pushed back to 2027 — the final plan for the space remains unclear.
