Theme Park Development Timeline

Charting the story of theme parks

The Theme Park Development Timeline is a running record of how the world’s biggest parks are growing and transforming. From early blue-sky announcements to cranes on site and grand openings, this page pulls all those milestones into one place. It’s a way to see the story of theme park expansion unfold, step by step, across Disney, Universal and beyond.

A timeline that grows with the parks

This timeline is updated regularly with new projects, construction progress, and major openings, so it’s always evolving just like the parks themselves. Whether you’re curious about what’s coming next or want to look back at how today’s favourites were built, this is the place to follow the journey of theme park development around the globe.

2026

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets

Walt Disney World • Disney's Hollywood Studios
Under construction
Announced: 21 Aug 2025 • Opening: 2026

Disney is re-imagining the existing Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster (currently themed to Aerosmith) into a new adventure starring The Muppets, set to debut in 2026.  The attraction will remain open under its current form through the end of 2025, with no firm closure date announced yet.  When it reopens, guests will ride along with the Electric Mayhem band as they race to a concert in a limousine, navigating backstage antics, rock tune remixes and Muppets chaos.

Disney Adventure Cruise Ship

Disney Cruise Lines
Under construction
Announced: 8 Sep 2023 • Opening: 10 Mar 2026

Revealed at Destination D23 in September 2023, Disney Adventure will be the first Disney Cruise Line ship homeported in Asia, sailing primarily from Singapore. Originally intended to launch in late 2025, the ship’s debut was pushed to 10 March 2026. </br>At over 200,000 gross tons and designed to host around 6,000 guests, it will be the largest ship in the Disney fleet, offering expansive Asian-inspired itineraries while still delivering hallmark Disney theming, shows, and family-friendly innovation.

Disney Adventure World

Disneyland Paris • Disney Adventure World
Under construction
Announced: 1 Apr 2024 • Opening: 2026

Disney Adventure World is the new name for Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, reflecting a huge transformation that will stretch into the second half of the decade. Think of it less as a facelift and more as a rebirth: new entrance, new hub, new lands, and an identity built around immersive worlds of adventure.

World of Frozen

Under construction
Announced: 27 Feb 2018 • Open: 2026

A full Frozen land anchored by Adventure Bay’s shoreline.

The Lion King themed attraction

In design
Announced: 12 Aug 2024

Rapunzel’s Tangled Spin ride

Under construction
Announced: 12 Aug 2024 • Open: 2026
2027

Space Mountain reimagining

Tokyo Disney Resort • Tokyo Disneyland
Under construction
Announced: 27 Apr 2022 • Opening: 2027

Tokyo Disneyland's Space Mountain is being reimagined with a brand new futuristic design, reopening in 2027.

Avatar experience

Disneyland Resort • Disney California Adventure
In design
Announced: 3 Apr 2024 • Opening: 2027

Disney California Adventure is set to welcome Pandora, the world of Avatar, bringing bioluminescent landscapes to Anaheim. The 'experience' will transport guests into lush faraway jungles and floating mountains, blending groundbreaking design with immersive attractions, food and cultural details inspired by the Na’vi. It’s being billed as a sibling to the award-winning Pandora at Animal Kingdom, but with unique elements tailored to the California park’s setting. Most notably, Disney are referring to the development as an 'experience', as opposed to a 'land'.

Avengers Campus expansion

Disneyland Resort • Disney California Adventure
Under construction
Announced: 11 Aug 2024 • Opening: 2027

At Disney California Adventure, Avengers Campus is recruiting for a bigger mission with a new multiverse attraction led by a new big bad, King Thanos. The idea is an all-hands-on-deck battle where heroes from across timelines team up, with next-gen ride tech, fresh character moments and upgraded stunt-level spectacle.

Avengers Infinity Defence attraction

Under construction
Announced: 12 Aug 2024 • Open: 2027

Stark Flight Lab attraction

Under construction
Announced: 12 Aug 2024 • Open: 2027

Monstropolis

Walt Disney World • Disney's Hollywood Studios
Under construction
Announced: 11 Aug 2024 • Opening: 2027

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is preparing to open the doors to Monstropolis with a dedicated Monsters, Inc. land.

The reimagined space replacing the area occupied by The Muppets, promises to bring the colourful, chaotic energy of Mike, Sulley and Boo’s world to life, complete with attractions themed around the Monsters Inc. factory, playful eateries, and plenty of character encounters.

It’s designed to be a fully immersive neighbourhood where guests step straight into the Pixar classic, with the charm of Monstropolis bustling all around them.

Monsters Inc. themed rollercoaster

Under construction
Announced: 11 Aug 2024 • Open: 2027

Coco themed attraction

Disneyland Resort • Disney California Adventure
In design
Announced: 12 Aug 2024 • Opening: 2027

An indoor attraction themed around Pixar's Coco, has been confirmed for the area in between Paradise Gardens and Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure park.

Tropical Americas

Walt Disney World • Disney's Animal Kingdom
Under construction
Announced: 12 Aug 2024 • Opening: 2027

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is reimagining the old DinoLand area into a lush “Tropical Americas” zone inspired by regions of Central and South America. The new area promises vibrant villages, jungle-green vistas and story-rich attractions tied to beloved franchises, with new food, music and fauna bringing that expedition-ready energy to life.

Carousel attraction

Under construction
Announced: 11 Aug 0004 • Open: 2027

Encanto themed attraction

Under construction
Announced: 11 Aug 2024 • Open: 2027

Indiana Jones attraction

Under construction
Announced: 12 Aug 2024 • Open: 2027

Disneyland gateway expansion

Disneyland Resort
In design
Announced: 5 Jun 2025 • Opening: 2027

At Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, the gateway concept focuses on smoothing arrivals and opening up space for what’s next. Expect a more generous entry experience that knits together security, wayfinding, Downtown Disney access and transport, so guests flow into the Disneyland Resort faster with cleaner sightlines and room for future growth.

Arrival hub and pedestrian bridge

In design
Open: 2027

The resort is building a new pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard which will connect a new parking/transportation hub on the east side directly into an all-new esplanade-style arrival experience for the parks.

Eastern Parking Structure

Announced
Open: 2027

Plans for a 6,000-space parking structure, replacing surface lots east of the resort. The design draws inspiration from mid-century modern Californian architecture, featuring a new Disneyland marquee and a tram-ready ground level. The structure will offer direct access from Interstate 5, drop-off areas for rideshare, and dedicated routes for resort transport, freeing up valuable on-property land for storytelling and new attractions.

2028

Shanghai Resort expansion

Shanghai Disney Resort
Announced
Announced: 3 Nov 2025 • Opening: 2028

Shanghai Disney Resort has announced plans for a major expansion that includes the addition of a new themed hotel and an extension of its Disneytown district.

The project comes as the resort celebrates welcoming its 100 millionth guest since opening in 2016, a milestone that cements its position among the most visited theme park destinations in the world.

Alongside the hotel, Disneytown, the resort’s shopping, dining, and entertainment area, will also see significant growth. The expansion will introduce new retail, restaurant, and entertainment offerings designed to encourage longer stays and provide more options beyond the theme park gates.

Cars themed attraction

Walt Disney World • Magic Kingdom
Under construction
Announced: 11 Aug 2024 • Opening: 2028

A new frontier for the world of Cars is opening at Magic Kingdom: the land dubbed Piston Peak National Park. Built as part of the park’s boldest expansion ever, this new zone — nestled in the heart of Frontierland — will send guests off-road through sweeping terrain inspired by America’s national parks, powered by new ride technology and fresh storytelling built around the Cars universe.

Disney has announced that the land will replace historic attractions: the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat will be permanently closed beginning 7 July 2025 to make way for the massive site redevelopment.  

The land’s theme draws explicitly from the Pixar world of Cars — but re-imagined as a national-park-style wilderness where Lightning McQueen and friends head off the pavement and into the wild. Called Piston Peak National Park (a nod to the Cars-universe “Planesspin-off” world), this new space will feature snow-capped mountains, geysers, towering trees, rock formations, rushing rivers and an immersive “wheelderness” vibe.  

Imagineers are leaning into a design language called “Parkitecture” (borrowed from US-National-Park lodges) so that visitor centres, Ranger HQ, trails, lodges and ride shells integrate into the environment rather than dominate it.  

Two major attractions have been confirmed: one is described as a wild off-road rally ride using a new ride-vehicle system that simulates rugged terrain, mud, hills and natural obstacles — a departure from the version of Cars rides found elsewhere.  The second will be a family-friendly experience, less intense, designed for younger guests.  

Location-wise, the land is being built in Frontierland with strategic adjacency to the existing Big Thunder Mountain Railroad zone, and its site reaches toward Liberty Square and the hinterlands of the park. Trees and landscaping will serve as visual buffers, preserving thematic separation yet allowing seamless guest flow.  

While Disney has not yet published a precise opening date, the scale of construction and scope of demolition suggest that a 2027 or later opening is likely rather than sooner. Analysts note that for such a “ground-up” land project, 2026 would be an aggressive target.  

From a strategic perspective, this expansion marks a bold pivot: leveraging a major IP (Cars) while anchoring it in classic Disney theme-park storytelling (the journey west, adventure in nature, frontier exploration). It also opens up valuable park real-estate previously used by water/boat circulation, allowing expanded guest capacity and new attraction typologies. It is being billed as the “largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom” by the company. 

2031

Universal Studios Great Britain

Universal Studios Great Britain
Announced
Announced: 19 Dec 2023 • Opening: 2031

Universal Studios Great Britain was first hinted at in December 2023, when Universal confirmed it had acquired land in Bedfordshire, before being officially announced by Comcast-NBCUniversal in April 2025. Set to open in 2031, the resort will be the first Universal theme park in the UK and will feature a full-scale theme park with immersive lands based on Universal’s biggest franchises, alongside a 500-room hotel and a retail, dining and entertainment district. Built on nearly 700 acres near Bedford, the project is expected to draw around 8.5 million visitors in its opening year, supported by major infrastructure upgrades including new rail links and road access. With tens of thousands of jobs to be created, Universal Studios Great Britain is being positioned as a landmark entertainment destination on par with the company’s parks in Orlando, Hollywood and Japan.

2032

Disney Abu Dhabi

Disney Abu Dhabi
Announced: 7 May 2025 • Opening: 2032

Disney Abu Dhabi, currently under development on Yas Island, will be the first-ever Disney resort and theme park complex in the Middle East. Set to join the region’s growing entertainment district alongside Warner Bros. World and Ferrari World, the project is expected to blend the storytelling and design expertise of Walt Disney Imagineering with the architectural ambition of the United Arab Emirates.

While specific details remain under wraps, early reports suggest the destination will include themed lands inspired by classic Disney films, immersive resort accommodation, and new experiences tailored to the region’s climate and culture. Once completed, Disney Abu Dhabi is expected to become a major milestone in Disney’s global expansion, bringing the magic of its parks to a whole new audience.

TBC

Villainsland

Walt Disney World • Magic Kingdom
In design

In August 2024 at D23, Disney formally confirmed that Villains Land is coming to Magic Kingdom.


Already Opened
2025

Disney Destiny Cruise Ship

Disney Cruise Lines
Soft open
Announced: 20 Mar 2024 • Opening: 20 Nov 2025

Announced on 20 March 2024, the Disney Destiny is themed around the eternal clash of heroes and villains, drawing inspiration from classics like The Lion King, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty. It is part of the Wish-class family and will sail with about 4,000 passengers, powered by LNG (a cleaner fuel option). The Destiny is scheduled to make her maiden voyage on 20 November 2025, bringing with her new restaurants, immersive entertainment, and the same elegant-meets-playful design Disney Cruise Line is known for.

2024

Fantasy Springs

Tokyo Disney Resort • Tokyo DisneySea
Open
Announced: 14 Jun 2018 • Opening: 6 Jun 2024

Fantasy Springs is the eighth themed port at Tokyo DisneySea, opening on 6 June 2024, with three richly detailed areas inspired by Frozen, Tangled and Peter Pan, plus an integrated luxury Fantasy Springs Hotel.

Frozen Kingdom – Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey

Open
Announced: 14 Jun 2018 • Opening: 6 Jun 2024

Boat attraction retelling Frozen.

Rapunzel’s Forest – Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival

Open
Announced: 14 Jun 2018 • Opening: 6 Jun 2024

Romantic boat ride recreating the lantern scene.

Peter Pan’s Never Land – Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure

Open
Announced: 14 Jun 2018 • Opening: 6 Jun 2024

High energy flight adventure with Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

Peter Pan’s Never Land – Fairy Tinker Bell’s Busy Buggies

Open
Announced: 14 Jun 2018 • Opening: 6 Jun 2024

Family ride through Pixie Hollow with Tinker Bell.

Fantasy Springs Hotel

Open
Announced: 14 Jun 2018 • Opening: 6 Jun 2024

Luxury Disney hotel integrated into Fantasy Springs, opened alongside the land in June 2024.

2023

Zootopia

Shanghai Disney Resort • Shanghai Disneyland
Open
Announced: 23 Jan 2019 • Opening: 20 Dec 2023

Immersive Zootopia land featuring a headliner dark ride, shops and dining.

Zootopia: Hot Pursuit

Open
Announced: 23 Jan 2019 • Opening: 20 Dec 2023

Trackless dark ride through Zootopia with Judy and Nick.

World of Frozen

Hong Kong Disneyland • Hong Kong Disneyland
Open
Announced: 22 Nov 2016 • Opening: 20 Nov 2023

World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland is the world’s first Frozen-themed land, opened in November 2023.

Frozen Ever After

Open
Announced: 22 Nov 2016 • Opening: 20 Nov 2023

Boat ride through Arendelle with Anna, Elsa and friends.

Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs

Open
Announced: 22 Nov 2016 • Opening: 20 Nov 2023

Family coaster ride built by Oaken.