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Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicDisney didn’t just name a new CEO — it handed him the keys in the middle of one of the most ambitious expansion eras the company has ever attempted.
Josh D’Amaro is officially set to take over as Disney CEO in March, and when he steps into the role, he won’t be easing in slowly. Instead, D’Amaro inherits a packed slate of projects that will reshape Disney parks around the world for the rest of the decade. Some of these plans were already in motion. Others now fall squarely under his leadership to deliver, refine, and — in classic Disney fashion — sell as the next evolution of magic.
By the time the dust settles, D’Amaro will oversee 12 major new attractions, lands, and park experiences scheduled for 2026 and beyond. That’s not a promise for someday. These are real, funded projects with shovels already in the ground.
And yes — fans are already judging how he handles them.
A New CEO Walking Into a Construction Zone
D’Amaro’s rise to CEO wasn’t a surprise. His fingerprints are already all over Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, where he’s spent years pitching growth, leaning into IP-driven lands, and defending controversial changes. Now, he gets to do all of that from the top.
What makes this moment different is timing. Disney isn’t planning expansions — it’s already deep into them. Entire lands are gone. Parks are being renamed. Iconic attractions are being retired to make way for something new.
D’Amaro’s challenge won’t be announcing projects. It’ll be finishing them — and convincing fans the payoff is worth what they’ve lost along the way.
Disneyland Paris Becomes the Centerpiece
The most dramatic transformation under D’Amaro’s immediate watch happens overseas.
In 2026, Walt Disney Studios Park officially becomes Disney Adventure World, a full-scale rebrand meant to finally elevate Paris’ second gate. This isn’t cosmetic. It’s foundational.
Leading the charge is World of Frozen, a massive new land that drops guests directly into Arendelle, similar to what we’ve already seen at Tokyo DisneySea and Hong Kong Disneyland. Anchored by a new Frozen Ever After attraction, the land brings scale, scenery, and a much-needed emotional hook to a park that’s long felt incomplete.
Alongside it comes Raiponce Tangled Spin, a brand-new attraction themed to Tangled, adding another family-friendly ride to the lineup.
Rounding out the opening slate is Disney Cascade of Lights, a nighttime spectacular designed specifically for the new park’s central lagoon. Together, these projects don’t just add rides — they redefine what this park is supposed to be.
That’s three major experiences and a rebrand already landing squarely on D’Amaro’s opening-day checklist.
Walt Disney World Enters Its Next Phase
Back in Florida, the changes are less about one park and more about momentum.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster reopens as a Muppets-themed attraction later this year, marking a rare case of Disney leaning into nostalgia while still reworking a thrill ride. It’s also one of the clearest signs of D’Amaro’s willingness to resurrect fan-favorite characters in meaningful ways.
Over at EPCOT, Soarin’ Across America debuts as a limited-time but high-profile update tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary. While temporary, it’s still a headline-grabbing attraction shift during a time when EPCOT continues to redefine itself. The attraction will also transform over in Disneyland at Disney California Adventure.
Animal Kingdom gets its own addition with a Bluey and Bingo experience, bringing one of Disney’s most successful modern brands into the parks in a way clearly designed for younger families.
These aren’t massive lands — but they are deliberate moves aimed at broadening appeal and filling gaps across multiple parks.
The Big Swing Coming After 2026
If 2026 is about execution, the years that follow are about transformation.
At Animal Kingdom, Tropical Americas replaces DinoLand U.S.A. entirely. This new land introduces an Indiana Jones attraction and an Encanto-themed experience, marking one of the most dramatic overhauls in park history. By the time it opens in 2027, DinoLand will be a memory — and D’Amaro will own that decision.
Magic Kingdom is squaring up for the biggest expansion in its history, as well, with Cars Land and Villains Land taking over Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island.
Tokyo Disneyland adds a completely new Space Mountain in 2027, replacing the original with a modernized version that signals Disney’s willingness to rebuild icons from the ground up.
Back in Paris, a Lion King-themed land is already under construction as part of Disney Adventure World’s second phase, expanding the park even further beyond its 2026 debut.
Meanwhile, Monsters, Inc. is finally getting its own land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios — a long-rumored project that now sits firmly in the “when, not if” category.
There is also an Avatar experience coming to Disney California Adventure Park in Disneyland.
Each of these projects pushes Disney deeper into IP-based worlds, a strategy D’Amaro has championed — and one that continues to divide fans.
Why These Disney Park Projects Matter
Taken together, these major attractions and lands tell a clear story about Disney’s future under Josh D’Amaro.
This isn’t about slow, careful preservation. It’s about scale. It’s about recognizable stories. And it’s about moving fast enough to keep up with a changing theme park landscape — especially with Universal pushing aggressively forward elsewhere.
D’Amaro isn’t inheriting a blank slate. He’s inheriting expectations. Some fans want reassurance that Disney’s soul isn’t being traded for IP efficiency. Others want proof that the company can still deliver unforgettable experiences on a massive scale.
Starting in March, he’ll be the one answering for all of it.
And by the time these 12 projects open their gates, there won’t be much debate left about what kind of CEO he really is.