At D23 Expo 2022, we got SO MUCH NEWS about the Disney parks in Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Shanghai, but now that World of Frozen in Hong King, Zootopia in Shanghai, and Fantasy Springs in Tokyo have all opened, we weren’t sure how much international parks news we’d get this time around.
Thankfully, Disney did not disappoint.
First-ever Lion King-themed land coming to Disney Adventure World
Congratulations to everyone who guessed that “The Lion King” is coming to Disneyland Paris! At last night’s Disney Experiences presentation in Honda Center, Josh D’Amaro confirmed that the first immersive attraction and area themed to the classic film – celebrating its 30th anniversary this year – will be brought to life in Disney Adventure World.
And now that Lion King has been announced as the new land, the Disney Adventure World model in the Imagineering Pavilion is complete! Below, the model appeared with a large green space on the left side of the lake…
…but on Sunday, that green space had been removed and replaced with the new Lion King-themed land.
“We are very excited and proud to be unveiling the next immersive area of Disney Adventure World,” said Disneyland Paris President Natacha Rafalski. This new area—inspired by the unforgettable story that has enchanted several generations of viewers—exists nowhere else in the world. It will make it possible for guests of all ages to make one of their wildest dreams come true: exploring the Pride Lands alongside all their favorite characters.”
The new area is dedicated to the characters and stories from the original animated version of the move, including dining, shopping, character meet-and-greets, and a new signature attraction that will take lion kings (and kings at heart) on a journey into the caverns beneath Pride Rock to join Simba as he transitions from cub to king. The unique attraction will blend a water experience with state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics technology.
In addition to updating the park-wide model, Imagineers also revealed a larger scale model of the entire Lion King-themed area in a new display on Sunday:
“From the moment the sun rose on the big screen in theaters all around the world, audiences were captivated by the story of The Lion King, and its characters, and it has not lost any momentum since,” said Michel Den Dulk, Portfolio Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris. “Our goal as Imagineers is to translate the emotional core of the film into this exciting project and have you relive that feeling all over again as you experience this unique attraction.”
The Lion King area will debut after the opening of World of Frozen at Disney Adventure World in 2026.
And Speaking of World of Frozen
We now know that the third Frozen-themed land (the others are in Hong Kong and Tokyo) will open in Spring 2026 with Arendelle Castle, the charming village from the movie (including Friendship Fountain), and of course, Elsa’s Ice Palace on the North Mountain.
When the Kingdom of Arendelle opens its gates in 2026, guests can join Anna and Elsa inside an all-new version of the Frozen Ever After attraction.
Here’s the version of the ride at the recently opened “Frozen Ever After” ride in Hong Kong Disneyland’s World of Frozen:
The land’s meet and greet with Anna and Elsa will be inside Arendelle Castle, a location that’s exclusive to Paris.
TWO New Nighttime Spectaculars in Paris
A new year = a new show. Starting January 2025, an all-new nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Park will feature a magical combination of iconic songs and projections onto Sleeping Beauty Castle – and for the first time, down Main Street.
In 2026, an all-new nighttime show will debut on (and above) Adventure Bay in Disney Adventure World, featuring a combination of water screens, fountains, special effects, and never-before-seen drone choreography. Disneyland Paris and France-based Dronisos is developing first-of-its-kind water drones for the show.
Also opening at Disney Adventure World is an all-new Tangled-themed area, including a charming lakeside restaurant and a circular building housing a spinning attraction called Rapunzel Tangled Spin (Raiponce in French)
On a video screen above the model, Disney snuck in a few “first looks” at some of the other reimagined areas in Disney Adventure World.
The video includes a peek into the interior of the new Hollywood Gardens Restaurant in the park’s World Premiere area.
The World Premiere area is the Main Street of the park, themed to classic Hollywood. The area is a re-theme and upgrade of the existing Studio 1, which was themed as a sound stage with various “hot sets” of Hollywood locations. The new version of the land promises to be higher in quality, detail, and showmanship (and will hopefully turn out to be a proper entrance land to a Disney theme park).
The reimagined park will include the addition of a new main thoroughfare called Adventure Way with a new entrance to Toy Story Playland, which will include a brand new character meet and greet area.
Here’s the full video. See if you spot anything we missed!
You can read more about the rebranding of Walt Disney Studios here:
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More International Parks News
Paris isn’t the only international Disney park with exciting news. Let’s travel to Asia and find out what’s coming to Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
Double Trouble
An all-new Spider-Man coaster is coming to Shanghai Disneyland. As usual, Peter Parker has gotten himself in a bit of a tight spot, so guests will need to follow him (at very high speeds, by the way) to get out of trouble.
Then, Peter will swing over to Hong King for another all-new attraction. Invited by his mentor Tony Stark to serve as the new Stark Industries intern, Peter is showcasing some of his new inventions, which unfortunately draw the attention of one of Spidey’s arch rivals. Luckily for him, park guests are on hand to help Spider-Man protect the new tech just in the nick of time. Phew!
More Marvel
On Sept. 20, 2024, the new “Reach for the Stars” nighttime spectacular will debut at Tokyo Disneyland, marking the first appearance of Marvel Super Heroes at the resort.
For all the announcements from the U.S. Disney theme parks, check out our articles here:
UPDATED! New Attractions for Walt Disney World & Shocking Surprises!
BREAKING NEWS: New Attractions and Surprises Announced for Disneyland
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Let’s Hear From You!
Do you think it’s about time “Lion King” got its own land? And what’s with Spider-Man getting in trouble around the world? Have these exciting announcements motivated you to visit an international Disney park (or all of them)? Let us know in the comments!
Be sure to keep checking back for updated details about everything coming to international Disney parks!
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This article was brought to you by Samantha Davis Friedman and Andy Castro