The Future of Disneyland Paris

With all the excitement of D23 and the immense surprise (that we felt at least), the dust has finally settled. We thought this was a perfect opportunity to look at what was announced and what all this could mean for the resort. There are 3 major developments at the resort currently:

• The Lion King Land - Opening date unknown

Officially announced back in 2024 during the D23 Expo, this new land coming to Disney Adventure World is probably the most anticipated project in the last 10 years. Although no new announcements were made during this year's D23, we received some new concept art that helps us understand the immense scale and depth of this attraction and land. The ride will be themed to the 1994 animated film and will feature 19 different scenes. When boarding this log flume-style ride, you will follow the entire story of the film and see familiar characters in audio animatronic form, like Simba, Timon, Pumbaa, and Scar. While we only got new concept art, confirming the audio animatronic of Scar, the share size of this entire land and attraction is becoming more obvious.

While we dislike that the land only has one ride, we are very optimistic about all the concept art we have seen so far and what the creative teams of Walt Disney Imagineering will do. It seems that an intense amount of thought has been put into the details, storyline and overall aesthetic of this wonderful new land. We are very curious to how this project will fit in the overall story of Disney Adventure World and what it will look like once it opens. It will be very interesting to see how the land compares to World of Frozen for example.

The land is expected to open in late 2028/early 2029.

• The New Daytime Parade - Announced for 2028

Although not announced during Thomas Mazloum's Experiences presentation, it was announced afterwards on a blog (?). This announcement has been rumored for a very long time. The current daytime parade, Disney Stars on Parade, debuted in 2017 as part of the 25th anniversary celebration and hasn't really been changed. Other than the fact that multiple floats have missing pieces or aren't functioning as they should.

So needless to say, we are THRILLED that Disneyland Park is finally getting a brand new original daytime parade. Looking at the concept art, we already adore the fact that it features both classic Disney Films from the 90's and newer films like Coco and Princess and the Frog. What is peculiar is the size of the floats. They don't look as majestic and grand as the current parade, but we can only make this guess based on the concept art. The characters that have been announced so far that will be joining this parade are: Mickey and Friends, Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, Miguel from Coco, and Rapunzel from Tangled.

2028 couldn't come any sooner!

• Hyperspace Mountain is returning to the original Space Mountain: De La Terra À La Lune - Opening date unknown

We finally get the change we have been wanting, dreaming, and imagining for years! The original version of Space Mountain will return to Disneyland Paris and replace the Star Wars overlay we received almost ten years ago, Hyperspace Mountain.

The reimagining of this attraction has been a rumor for years, but it wasn't on our bingo card for this year. Since the appointment of Michel Den Dulk as Portfolio Executive Creative Director, we have seen an incredible dedication to restoring, preserving and plussing certain attractions and experiences. For example, the scenes that were added along the Rivers of the Far West in Frontierland. These changes are not what regular guests are asking for, but is dedicated to the fans that appreciate storytelling, attention to detail and more story integration in the differents lands and parks. The recent opening of Adventure Way and World of Frozen with a spectacular attention to detail, materials and storytelling puts Disneyland Paris back on the map and we have already noticed the increase in visitors and overal sentiment of guests and Cast Members.

Although Space Mountain is returning to its original form, it probably won't be an exact copy of what the attraction was. We expect that the imagineering team will carefully consider what needs an upgrade, in terms of technique, and what will be return similar to the orignal version. The attraction will close at the end of 2027 to be reimagined and opened hopefully later in 2028!

Looking ahead, Disneyland Paris has such an exciting future! Although nothing has been announced for the distant future (as Disney usually keeps projects very secret until they are greenlit), we cannot shy away from guessing what will happen besides the announced projects.

• Disneyland Paris' 35th anniversary

Disneyland Paris will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2027. Although nothing has been announced so far, in previous years every 5-year milestone has been celebrated heavily. We expect a new central plaza show (replacing A Million Splashes of Colour), new merchandise, new outfits for the characters, new food, and an overall new celebration style guide that will be the basis of the decor around Disneyland Park. What will be interesting to see is whether Disney Adventure World will finally be part of the celebrations; for this year, World of Frozen will join the Christmas celebration with new decor and probably some other surprises!

• Third land at Disney Adventure World

When Adventure Way & Bay (still not a fan of the name) opened, it was quickly noticed that the infrastructure on the lake had 3 distinct sections and styles. World of Frozen featured the architecture and black colour scheme, The Lion King land with its distinct landscaping and brown colour scheme; and on the right-hand side of Adventure Bay, a mysterious green colour scheme was implemented with flower-like lampposts. On the technical drawing for Disney Cascade of Lights (the nighttime spectacular of Disney Adventure World), the barge on this side had the nickname NAVI, which is a direct link to the Avatar franchise. Whether Disney will go through with an Avatar land, it remains unknown. What is known is that Cars Road Trip is a temporary attraction that will probably close in a couple of years. With that being gone, there is an enormous plot of land available for Disney to finish the complete overhaul and expansion of Disney Adventure World. The park is far from finished!

• New land in Disneyland Park

Building on the announcement of the return of Space Mountain: From the Earth to the Moon, speculation is up and running about what the thought behind these changes is and what this means for an expansion in Disneyland Park. The castle park hasn't received an official expansion since 1995(!!!) and is in dire need of something new. With Space Mountain being reimagined and the Star Wars overlay removed, there could be a chance that Disney is looking into adding a new Star Wars land in the park. For example, behind Space Mountain, there is a huge plot of land available for expansion and could tie in together with Star Tours at the back of the land.

There is a huge plot of land available in Adventureland where rumours have been circulating for years that an expansion is underway. There is expansion plots available at the back of Fantasyland as well. So much room for new adventures!

• New Park for the resort

This is a long shot and still a long way from happening, but very fun to speculate on what could be. Disneyland Paris has an obligation to the French government to put plans in for a third theme park by 2036. The deal is very simple: use it or lose it. If Disney decides not to expand and not make an expansion plan, the French government will own that land for their own development. If the resort reaches 22 million visitors before 2036, the plan must be submitted earlier. Currently, the resort has around 16 million guests per year, so still a long way to go.

Want to find out everything about Disneyland Paris? Read our full guide!

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