Credit: California's Great AmericaThere’s a unique excitement among Disney theme park fans when construction is spotted, turning initial announcements into tangible progress. Disneyland Resort revealed several attractions for Disney California Adventure at the 2024 D23 Expo, including a Coco dark ride based on the beloved Pixar film. Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro highlighted the use of advanced Audio-Animatronics technology to bring skeletal characters to life, reminiscent of classic dark rides like Haunted Mansion.
Although permits were filed in 2025 to begin construction, fans saw little sign of actual progress, raising concerns about the project’s future. Recently, visible construction on Disneyland Drive suggests that work on the Coco attraction has finally commenced, promising to create an immersive experience celebrating Mexican culture and family traditions.
Pixar Construction Activity Spotted
During a visit to Disneyland Resort, construction was spotted on the back side of Disney California Adventure across from Pixar Place Hotel. Based on the location behind Pixar Pier, this appears to be some of the first work taking place on the new Coco attraction.
The construction visibility from Disneyland Drive allows offsite observers to track progress without needing theme park admission, creating opportunities for fans to monitor development through publicly accessible vantage points that have historically provided early glimpses of major projects before Disney officially shares construction updates.
D23 Pixar Announcement Background
The Coco attraction was first announced in 2024 at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event during the “Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase.” Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro revealed plans for the Pixar boat ride that Walt Disney Imagineering would design, drawing inspiration from classic dark rides.
D’Amaro stated that Disney would bring skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through latest Audio-Animatronics technology, with figures appearing in ways guests will have to see to believe. This promise suggested significant technological advancement beyond existing animatronic capabilities.
Permit Activity
Permits unveiled in 2025 suggested work was set to imminently begin on construction, although the newly spotted activity represents the first possible visible indication of such work actually commencing. The permit filings provided administrative confirmation that Disney was progressing toward construction, but lacked the visual confirmation that fans seek when trying to gauge whether announced projects will actually be built.
Projected Location
Based on concept art of the interior, the attraction will likely be located past where parade gates are currently found, between Incredicoaster and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta. This positioning behind Pixar Pier places the attraction in an area that requires expansion beyond Disney California Adventure’s current guest-accessible footprint.
The location choice suggests Disney is adding capacity rather than replacing existing attractions, allowing Disney California Adventure to grow its attraction roster without sacrificing beloved experiences that would upset fans who prefer preservation over replacement.
Attraction Pixar Design Inspiration
Walt Disney Imagineering, drawing inspiration from Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, signals ambitions for the Coco attraction to achieve a similar status as classic dark rides, defining immersive storytelling standards. Both referenced attractions represent pinnacle achievements in themed entertainment, featuring elaborate show scenes, memorable musical elements, and animatronic figures that have captivated guests for decades.
The comparison suggests the Coco attraction will feature a boat ride system that allows an extended journey through elaborately themed environments rather than a brief experience, with substantial show scenes that develop a narrative across multiple minutes of ride time.
Audio-Animatronics Technology
The promise of latest Audio-Animatronics technology bringing skeletal characters to life addresses both the visual challenge of depicting animated skeleton characters in physical form and the opportunity to showcase technological advancement that distinguishes new attractions from older dark rides.
Coco’s skeletal characters present unique design challenges as their animated forms feature exaggerated movement and expressions that must translate to physical animatronic figures while maintaining the charm and personality that made them beloved in the film.
Construction Timeline
Construction beginning in 2026, as indicated by the spotted activity, aligns with earlier announcements that work would commence during this timeframe. However, Disney has not announced the ride’s opening date, leaving the completion timeline uncertain.
Major dark ride attractions typically require multiple years of construction from groundbreaking to opening, suggesting the attraction likely won’t debut until 2028 or later, depending on project complexity and construction pace.
Disney California Adventure Expansion Context
The Coco ride announcement came alongside news of other Disney California Adventure construction projects, including two new rides coming to Avengers Campus that will double the land’s size, plus an Avatar: The Way of Water attraction without specified location details.
These simultaneous projects indicate Disney California Adventure is undergoing significant expansion, adding multiple major attractions rather than just isolated additions, transforming the park’s capacity and appeal through substantial capital investment.
Plaza de la Familia Connection
While fans wait for the Coco attraction, Disney California Adventure offers Plaza de la Familia celebrations during Día de los Muertos season featuring “The Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia Celebrate The Musical World of Coco!” show. These seasonal offerings maintain Coco presence in the park while the permanent attraction undergoes construction.
Fan Anticipation
Visible construction activity transforms abstract promises into concrete progress, building excitement among fans who have been waiting since the 2024 D23 announcement to see the Coco attraction materialize. The ability to observe construction from public streets allows fans to track development and share updates through social media, creating an ongoing conversation about the project’s evolution.
For Disney California Adventure, the Coco attraction represents a significant addition, bringing Pixar storytelling to the classic dark ride format while celebrating Mexican culture through immersive environments and advanced animatronic technology, showcasing Disney’s continued commitment to pushing themed entertainment boundaries.