Disney celebrates Disneyland, villains, and Walt himself in 2025

Here’s what’s coming to Disney’s U.S. parks

The Imagineers, Disney’s merry band of creatives that design and develop its parks and attractions, are busy working on $60 billion worth of projects that will roll out over the next ten years. But fans will have to wait a bit to experience their big-budget goodies, such as the new Monsters, Inc. land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Still, there’s plenty on the way to Walt Disney World and Disneyland in 2025, however most of the offerings will be in the form of new and returning shows as well as updates. Let’s run them down.

Walt Disney will return to the park he opened 70 years ago. (Disney)

Perhaps the most intriguing attraction opening next year will be Walt Disney – A Magical Life, a new presentation at Disneyland’s Main Street Opera House. A film will chronicle the legendary showman’s extraordinary biography followed by–get this–a visit from Walt. The man who pioneered Audio-Animatronics (and theme parks themselves for that matter) will take the form of a robotic character to speak directly to the audience. It may be a tad unsettling to see the company founder and park namesake take the stage, but I’m all for Walt getting his Animatronic moment in the spotlight. According to Disneyland, after its initial engagement, the new show will share the theater with the long-running Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Disney’s depiction of the 16th president of the United States made its debut at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair and was among the first Animatronic representations of a human figure.

The Walt Disney show will debut May 16, 2025, the same day that Disneyland kicks off its 70th anniversary celebration. When Walt spoke at the opening of his beloved park in 1955, he famously said, “To all who come to this happy place… welcome.” In his honor, the theme of the event will be “Celebrate Happy,” which is also the name of a new song that will anchor the celebration.

Joy and her “Inside Out” emotional support buddies will be featured in World of Color Happiness! (Disney)

Disney California Adventure will tie into the joyous theme with a new nighttime lagoon show, World of Color Happiness! (I feel a need to point out that Disney inserts exclamation marks when it names many of its presentations; it is not any grammatical exuberance on my part.) Combining fountains bathed in vibrant hues, lasers, and a 19,000-square-foot water screen, the new iteration of World of Color will focus on happy scenes from films such as “Inside Out,” “Tangled,” and “The Lion King.”

Among other 70th anniversary celebration elements, all of which will launch on May 16, will be the return of Wondrous Journeys, the stunning nighttime castle show at Disneyland Park. It incorporates projections on Main Street U.S.A shops, the “it’s a small world” facade, and locales at the Rivers of America along with the focal point on Sleeping Beauty Castle. The high-wattage Paint the Night parade will also return to wind through Disneyland Park with 1.5 million LED lights adorning its festive floats. Speaking of parades, Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! (exclamation mark alert) will make its way back to Disney California Adventure. The daytime procession will feature characters from movies such as “Up” and “Turning Red.” Disneyland recently opened its version of Tiana's Bayou Adventure, the update of Splash Mountain.

Meanwhile, over at Disney World…

Who’s the unfairest of them all? (Disney)

Part of Disney’s $60 billion booty will be spent on a new Disney Villains land that will take shape beyond Big Thunder Mountain at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in a few years. But visitors will be able to experience the wrath of the meanies in a new show, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in summer 2025. Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, and Captain Hook will lead the repugnant reprobates in the production that’s slated to kick off at the park’s Sunset Showcase theater in the summer. The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will finally debut at the Studio’s long-dark theater in the Animation Courtyard. The long-delayed, revamped show, which is also set to launch in the summer, will feature songs such as “Part of Your World” from the classic film and will incorporate puppets along with live actors.

The third version of Test Track at EPCOT is set to rev up in late summer. Foregoing the otherworldly, sci-fi look and feel of the most recent take on the attraction, the update will return to the pavilion’s World of Motion roots and celebrate the automobile’s past, present, and future. In late spring, you’ll be able to nosh and imbibe at EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth Lounge. I’ve had the pleasure of dining in this space at private events in the past. The park will now be opening it up to all guests.

Starlight, star bright (Disney)

This summer, the Magic Kingdom will be getting its own nighttime parade, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away. From the looks of the rendering (see above), it appears the floats will incorporate the latest in LED light technology. In its day, the Main Street Electrical Parade was wonderful, but show lighting and effects have evolved dramatically since then. The Blue Fairy of “Pinocchio” fame will lead the procession and make way for toon titans from movies such as “Frozen,” “Moana,” and “Peter Pan.” Over in Adventureland, you’ll literally be able to drink up me hearties when a new Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired tavern starts serving grog in late 2025. Yo ho.

Finally, a new 4D theatrical presentation, Zootopia: Better Zoogether! (still not my exclamation mark), will take over the The Tree of Life Theater at Animal Kingdom, which previously was the home of (get ready for the exclamation mark) It’s Tough to be a Bug! The show, which will feature characters from the popular movie, will debut early in the year.