Credit: DisneyIt’s finally here, folks! Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) is taking over a Walt Disney World Resort theme park.
The Emperor’s New Groove Is 25-Years-Old
With its witty humor, fast-paced jokes, and offbeat charm, The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) remains one of Disney Animation’s most distinct offerings. Instead of following in the footsteps of classic fairy tale musicals, this film leans into sharp comedic timing and a contemporary tone. It tells the story of the vain Emperor Kuzco, who finds himself transformed into a llama.
Directed by Mark Dindal, the film takes audiences on an unexpected buddy adventure as Kuzco (David Spade) learns humility and friendship through his partnership with the kind-hearted peasant Pacha (John Goodman). Spade’s sarcastic wit as Kuzco is counterbalanced by Goodman’s warmth and sincerity, making the duo one of the most memorable pairings in the Disney canon.
Adding to the film’s unique energy, Eartha Kitt’s Yzma and Patrick Warburton’s Kronk inject the story with humor that continues to resonate with fans today. Despite initial box office challenges—earning just shy of $170 million on a $100 million budget—the film garnered a cult following over time and became the biggest-selling home video release in 2001.
Now, in celebration of its 25-year anniversary, The Emperor’s New Groove is taking over one of the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Kuzco and Pacha are just months away from making their grand entrance.
Kuzcotopia Comes to Typhoon Lagoon
The Walt Disney Company has announced the details for the upcoming Destination D23 event, which will take over Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort from August 29 through August 31. Titled Destination D23: A Journey Around the Worlds of Disney, the event is for D23 Gold Members, and the Mouse House is calling it “the biggest one yet.”
As part of the celebration, Disney is hosting an 80s-90s-themed concert, as well as a shopping spree, and looks at the archives. In addition, there will be a retheme happening at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park as Kuzcotopia officially arrives on Saturday, August 30, 2025.
“Boom, baby! All Destination D23 2025 ticket holders are invited to celebrate 25 years of Disney Animation’s The Emperor’s New Groove with a splash at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park!” the official D23 announcement reads. “Following the day’s presentations, be sure to lever-age this after-hours exclusive celebration of the cult classic, including special tributes to Disney’s water parks.”
The site added: “Look out for complimentary snacks, photo opportunities, special activities, and exclusive entertainment at this ultra neat, squeak squeakin’ member-only party!”
The desire to see more of Kuzco and friends in the park has always been there. From questions (like this) around a complete retheme of a water park to Kuzcotopia to other ideas (such as this) to change the former Splash Mountain attraction (now Tiana’s Bayou Adventure) to The Emperor’s New Groove.
It is unlikely that Disney World will ever have a fixed New Groove attraction. The future of the Central Florida resort will include inclusions of the Encanto, Monsters, Inc., Indiana Jones, and Zootopia franchises.
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park is still currently closed at the Walt Disney World Resort but will reopen to guests on May 1 following the closure of Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. It won’t be long until both are open together, though, as May 21 will mark the first time in six years that all six Disney World parks are open at the same time.
While fans may be excited to visit Kuzcotopia this summer, there is a troubled history of how the movie came to be, and it may have meant that Kuzcotopia would never exist.
The Troubled History of The Emperor’s New Groove
The Emperor’s New Groove wasn’t always destined to be a slapstick comedy. The movie was initially planned to be a more traditional story called Kingdom of the Sun, but the project endured major changes due to creative differences.
As hurdles mounted, the film’s direction pivoted—ushering in a drastically different tone that traded these proposed musical numbers for the comic misadventures that fans grew to love.
That evolution is explored in The Sweatbox, a behind-the-scenes documentary co-directed by Trudie Styler, wife of musician Sting, who had originally been enlisted to write songs for the project. The documentary—which charts the troubling production of Kingdom of the Sun and its eventual evolution—has rarely been seen and cannot be found on streaming platforms like Disney+ despite being owned by the company.
In the years following its release, Disney expanded the story with Kronk’s New Groove (2005), a direct-to-video follow-up, and the Disney Channel animated series The Emperor’s New School, which ran for two seasons.
The cult-classic movie’s inspiration at Typhoon Lagoon will likely appease fans who long for more Emperor’s New Groove presence at the Disney theme parks.
How do you feel about this upcoming event at Walt Disney World? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!