ANAHEIM, Calif. — Walt Disney created it. James Cameron will help add to it.
The Disneyland Resort in its seventh decade is getting a new area dedicated to a world of fantasy, this one having originated from the mind of filmmaker Cameron. A long-teased “Avatar”-inspired section is coming to Disney California Adventure. The Walt Disney Co. confirmed the plans Saturday night during its D23 fan convention in Anaheim.
Concept art shown by Disney revealed a water-focused attraction that Walt Disney Imagineering, the division of the company responsible for theme park design, promised would be “dynamic, intense and an emotional experience on a grand scale.”
Imagineering executive Ali Rubinstein said the new area in California Adventure would differ greatly from an “Avatar”-themed land at Walt Disney World in Florida. This one, Rubinstein said, would draw heavily from the second “Avatar” film, “The Way of Water.” Consider it “an excursion in search of majestic natural wonders that can only be found in Pandora,” Rubinstein said.
The announcement arrives at a crucial time for the Walt Disney Co. The company reported lower-than-anticipated operating income for its parks division in its third-quarter results, with executives attributing the slowdown, in part, to a dip in demand driven by financial “stress” on consumers. Any drop in attendance at Disney theme parks — global tourist destinations that draw millions per year — raises questions not only regarding public sentiment on the economy, but the affordability and excitement surrounding the parks themselves.
Convention crucial
In turn, this D23 convention was seen as crucial in inspiring fan passion for what’s to come. Throughout the weekend, it was stressed that announcements during a parks-focused event Saturday evening at the Honda Center would focus on projects in some stage of active development.
“Disney’s plans are drawn,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said from the arena’s stage. “This means the dirt is moving.”
Also coming to California Adventure: A “Coco”-themed boat ride, for which D’Amaro said ground would break in 2026. He said the ride would be influenced largely by classics such as the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, and would feature new animatronic technology.
“We’re bringing our skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through the latest audio-animatronics technology,” he said. “These figures will appear in ways you’ll have to see to believe.”
Locations for the “Avatar” and “Coco” attractions were not detailed at the Honda Center.
Disney itself placed a high significance on this D23 when it came to Disneyland. The birthplace of the modern American theme park turns 70 in July 2025, and recently after a multiyear process the company won approval from Anaheim to significantly expand its parks, hotels and shopping districts.
The project, known as DisneylandForward, came with a pledge, as the Walt Disney Co. has promised to spend a minimum of $1.9 billion on Disneyland attractions, lodging, entertainment, shopping and dining in the next 10 years. Additionally, Disney has stated it will be doubling down on its theme parks: It has guaranteed to spend $60 billion throughout the next decade in its experiences division, with at least half of that total dedicated to parks and resorts, according to a recent SEC filing.
“Turbocharge” has been the buzzword used by top Disney brass in relation to its proposed park expenditures.
At a media event preceding D23, Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock said DisneylandForward gave the resort the “possibility” of expanding its footprint by approximately 50 percent, largely by rezoning parking districts. Disney executives indicated that they were well aware that fans were anticipating relatively major reveals at this D23, especially after the last convention, in 2022, went heavy on potential projects but was light on concrete proposals.
In turn, Bruce Vaughn, chief creative officer of Imagineering, said during a media event Thursday evening that this convention would disclose “some really cool” stuff.
“I know you’ve all been hungry for something beyond blue skies,” Vaughn said, referring to the vague creative visions the company has divulged in recent years. “Blue sky is really fun, but building, delivering and putting shovels in the dirt is even better. That’s what this year is all about and the next decade is all about.”
Coming to the Disneyland Resort much sooner will be a new show for the Main Street Opera House, to tell the story of Walt Disney. The show dedicated to the park’s patriarch will debut next year for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.
“This attraction will imagine what it would have been like to be in Walt’s presence,” D’Amaro said.
The robotic show will be set in the Disney founder’s studio office, and D’Amaro said great care is being taken to bring him to life.
