As 2023 quickly approaches, we are breaking down the rides, attractions, and shows The Walt Disney Company has in store for The Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort for the new year.
Are you bored with the current slate of attractions featured at Disney Parks? Just be patient because there is a lot scheduled to be released in The Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World in 2023.
Disneyland and Disney World are constantly changing things. New rides, shows, and even menu offerings are always in the queue for Disney Park designers and Imagineers. It is typical for aging Theme Parks to undergo upgrades, renovations, or “reimagining.” This can be said for 2023 when the Disney Parks plans to celebrate The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary with brand-new attractions alongside returning parades and nighttime spectacles.
Are you interested in seeing what is on the docket for 2023? The list below highlights what Disney Park Guests can expect to see added to the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort next year.
Disneyland
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Currently running at Disney Hollywood Studios since debuting in early 2020, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will now be opened at Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland on January 27, 2023. Based on reports from the Disney Parks, Guests will first enter the El CapiTOON Theater for a screening of Mickey and Minnie’s new animated short, “Perfect Picnic,” before getting whisked away on a “zany, free-ranging romp through ever-changing and rearranging cartoon scenes.” It’s also one of Disney’s many trackless rides — appropriate enough for a “runaway” railway.
Related: Disney Releases New Details as Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Nears Opening Date
‘Magic Happens’ Parade
Initially making its debut in early 2020, the “Magic Happens” parade enjoyed only a very short run before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Disneyland entirely in March 2020. The parade is scheduled to return on February 24, 2023, when the daytime parade — along with its new floats, choreography, and soundtrack — will make its way down Main Street, U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A., U.S.A., again. A description of the parade can be found below:
As part of the Disney100 Celebration at Disneyland Resort, celebrate the return of this unforgettable spectacle that reminds us you don’t need wings to fly, shooting stars are for wishes, and magic doesn’t end at midnight!
With a wave of his wand, Mickey Mouse leads a cavalcade of fabulous floats, whimsically costumed performers, and popular Disney pals around the park and into your hearts—all while moving to a high-energy contemporary musical score that puts a spin on classic Disney hits. In addition, a stirring song co-composed by singer-songwriter Todrick Hall brings some of your favorite Disney tales to life like never before.
Watch Moana ride the crest of a beautiful wave in her voyager canoe, followed by Coco’s guitar-strumming Miguel, joined by his dog Danté and other fantastical spirit animals, and behold the enchanted forest from Frozen 2 as Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven pass by. The parade’s grand finale commemorates memorable moments from Disney classics in an incredible procession that’s not to be missed!
Related: Disney Finally Speaks Out on Fate of Magic Happens Parade
‘Wondrous Journeys’ and ‘World of Color One
This all-new nighttime spectacular will celebrate 100 years of Walt Disney Animation Studios in an experience that ignites the dreamer in all of us. “Wondrous Journeys” will feature nods to every film released by the iconic studio over the past century, with music, characters, and memorable moments from favorite stories, including “Encanto,” “Hercules,” “The Princess and the Frog,” “Peter Pan,” “Frozen,” “Treasure Planet,” “Big Hero 6,” “Moana,” and more.
Related: New Details About Disney’s Latest Nighttime Spectaculars Revealed
Adventureland Treehouse
Paying tribute to the original treehouse that Walt Disney and his Imagineers built in 1962 for the hit movie, “Swiss Family Robinson,” the Adventureland Treehouse inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson will return in a fresh, new way at Disneyland Park in 2023.
A description of the attraction can be found below:
The Adventureland Treehouse will showcase wonderous new environments created amongst the branches of a giant tree on the shores of the Jungle River, where guests will once again enter by the giant waterwheel and follow the wood rope stairways up, up, up into the boughs.
Here, you will find fascinating rooms that the family in this new story created for one another. From the mother’s music den (as depicted in the concept art above) and the young sons’ nature room to the teenage daughter’s astronomer’s loft, all things are fashioned from found objects, natural resources, and pure ingenuity.
For those who would rather stay on terra firma, the bottom floor will showcase an ingenious kitchen and dining room, along with the father’s art studio, displaying hand-drawn sketches and paintings of each of the rooms.
Related: Disney Announces Future For Beloved Attraction, Major Changes to Come
Mickey’s ToonTown
The rest of Mickey’s ToonTown — where Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will be located — is scheduled to reopen on March 8, 2023, after a year-long closure for renovations and “reimagining.” Upon opening, Guests can visit a new outdoor gathering space known as CenTOONial Park, where children are encouraged to play with the new fountain’s water tables and even explore the Park’s large “dreaming tree,” inspired by a tree Walt Disney himself used to visit in his hometown.
Visitors can also expect updates to Gadget’s Go Coaster, Goofy’s House, and Donald’s Boat, which are being reimagined as Chip ‘n’ Dale’s GADGETcoaster, Goofy’s How-To-Play Yard and Donald’s Duck Pond.
Related: Aerial View of Mickey’s Toontown Brings Nostalgia to Disney World Fans
Walt Disney World
The Hatbox Ghost
The Hatbox Ghost is an animatronic character that holds his head in a hatbox and can currently be seen in the Disneyland version of the ride, but not yet at Disney World. However, this year, Disney Parks confirmed he’ll “materialize” at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 2023.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana
Inspired by Moana, Journey of Water is scheduled to open within World Nature at EPCOT in late 2023. The new experience welcomes Guests to “explore and engage” with water along a self-guided trail featuring waterways and “rock” formations sculpted by the Walt Disney Imagineering team.
A description of the attraction can be found here:
Stroll along a self-guided outdoor trail where you can play and interact with water as it travels from the sky to the oceans and back again. Along the way, learn about the importance of water and discover its playful personality—just as Moana did on her heroic voyage.
Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana is scheduled to open within World Nature—the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty and balance of the natural world.
Related: Fans Freak Out After Disney Makes Dirty Photo Mistake
TRON Lightcycle/Run
Currently in operation at the Shanghai Disney Resort since 2016, the Tron Lightcycle/Run attraction is scheduled to make its debut at the Magic Kingdom in the spring of 2023. Based on the film series, the upcoming “Tron” ride will take Guests on a “high-speed adventure” through the in-universe “Grid,” according to Disney. It’s also said to be “one of the fastest coasters at any Disney Theme Park in the world.”
A description of the ride can be found below:
Lean forward into the ultimate race of survival! Leave the real world behind and join Team Blue in an epic quest across the Grid—the dark, computerized world with no horizons from TRON. Here, there’s no limit to the excitement.
Climb aboard your very own Lightcycle and take off on a high-speed adventure, racing against the Grid’s most menacing Programs. Surge past your fierce opponents as you attempt to cross through 8 Energy Gates and secure your team’s victory—so you can survive to race another day.
Scheduled to open in Spring 2023, TRON Lightcycle / Run will be one of the fastest coasters at any Disney theme park in the world.
Related: Good Morning America Cast Gets a Sneak Peek of Walt Disney World’s Latest Thrill Ride
Figment
Not only will Figment be featured in his usual nostalgic attraction, “Journey Into Imagination With Figment,” but Disney has revealed he will have a meet and greet for Park Guests in 2023.
Related: Skunk Figment Smell Changes…
‘Happily Ever After’
During the D23 Expo in September 2022, Disney revealed that the Disney Enchantment fireworks would be removed. The popular Happily Ever After fireworks will return in 2023.
Related: Happily Ever After Returning to Disney World, Will Replace Enchantment Soon!
As you can see, many changes are expected for the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort in 2023. As we move into the new year, stay updated by following Inside The Magic to get the latest and greatest news for all things Disney!
We want to hear from you! Which Disney Parks attraction are you most excited about in 2023? Let us know by leaving us a comment below.