We found out A LOT of things coming to Disney World in the next few years during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event! However, one announcement has left us feeling a bit worried. 

Animal Kingdom

We learned that a Cars Land AND a Villains Land will be coming to Magic Kingdom, a Monsters, Inc. Land will be coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, new lounges are coming to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, and so much more. We also learned that Disney’s Animal Kingdom will also be seeing some big changes soon and we are feeling a bit anxious about what that might mean.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is getting a major makeover soon. At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney officially announced that DinoLand U.S.A. will be rethemed to Pueblo Esperanza, a Tropical Americas themed land. Along with the retheme of the area, there will also be new attractions, dining, and shopping. There will be a new Indiana Jones attraction replacing Dinosaur, as well as the first-ever Encanto ride. 

Pueblo Esperanza ©Disney

While we are excited to experience the new area, we are also a bit anxious about the upcoming construction. When DinoLand U.S.A. does close, Animal Kingdom will be down two rides, a bunch of games, dining, shopping, and several meet and greets. The park already has the least amount of rides of the four Disney World parks, so that means there will be even less things to do while it is under construction.

DinoLand U.S.A

However, Disney has made it sounds like the area will be closing in phases so that may help a bit with the reduction in things to do. We don’t know how the phased closure will work yet, but we will likely get more news as construction begins on the area. There is still lots to explore in Animal Kingdom, but the closure of DinoLand U.S.A. will definitely decrease the options.

DinoRama game

Disney hasn’t announced the exact date of when the closures will begin yet. During the D23 expo, it was announced that construction for Pueblo Esperanza would being in the fall. That is coming up very quickly, but it is also a pretty vague statement. That could mean parts of DinoLand U.S.A. could close in September or we could have until December to get one last ride in to help get that dino! 

Dinosaur

Without an exact timeline for the construction, we will have no idea when we will be riding Dinosaur for the last time or when we will eat at one of the restaurants for the last time. We are definitely going to savor every moment we have in DinoLand U.S.A. until it starts its retheme.

Restaurantosaurus

While Disney’s Animal Kingdom is often seen as the least popular park at Disney World, it is truly an underrated park and there is so much to do and explore. Check out our video for 25 things you should always do in Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

While we are a bit anxious about the retheme of DinoLand U.S.A., we are also excited to see what the retheme has in store for us. Stay tuned to DFB for all your Disney World tips and news!

Check out our favorite snacks in Animal Kingdom!

Are you excited about the DinoLand U.S.A. retheme? Let us know in the comments!

The post We’re Anxious About the Fate of Disney World’s LEAST Popular Park first appeared on the disney food blog.

Universal Orlando has shared a first look at Stardust Racers, the dual-track roller coaster that will be located in Celestial Park, the main hub of Epic Universe.

Stardust Racers First Look

The first look was shared on the Universal Orlando Resort official YouTube channel, as part of their Ride Guys series.

This preview includes a look at the “Celestial Spin”, the ride vehicle, and a preview of the coaster’s music.

The Assistant Director, Executive Producer for ride and show, JC, also appears in the video.

Watch the video:

What is Stardust Racers?

Stardust Racers (formerly Starfall Racers) is a dual-track coaster with speeds up to 62 miles per hour and heights up to 133 feet, traveling along nearly 5,000 feet of track.

Described by Universal as the physical “embodiment of a comet,” this dual-launch coaster features a movement called the “Celestial Spin,” in which two vehicles perform an inverted crisscross.

The roller coaster has no brake zones, and is covered in lights that make the vehicles look like shooting stars at night.

Epic Universe opens in 2025.

For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.

The post Universal Orlando Shares First Look at Stardust Racers Roller Coaster appeared first on WDW News Today.

If there’s one thing we know, it’s that being a Disney fan ain’t cheap!

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event

We’ve spent the big bucks on everything from vacations to Disney+ to merchandise to movie tickets in the past, and we’re probably not stopping anytime soon. But if you’re going to be a Disney fan in 2027, there’s one weirdly specific reason why you might be shelling out extra cash!

According to Variety, we’re about to get some BIG Disney movie drops in 2027! Disney has updated its release calendar to include a whopping 11 (!!) films throughout 2027, including movies from Marvel, Pixar, and Disney Animation. Check out the list (they’re keeping the titles a secret, for now):

• UNTITLED DISNEY is now dated 2/12/27
• UNTITLED DISNEY is now dated 3/5/27
• UNTITLED DISNEY is now dated 4/2/27
• UNTITLED DISNEY is now dated 5/28/27
• UNTITLED PIXAR is now dated 6/18/27
• UNTITLED MARVEL is now dated 7/23/27
• UNTITLED DISNEY is now dated 8/6/27
• UNTITLED DISNEY is now dated 9/17/27
• UNTITLED DISNEY is now dated 10/8/27
• UNTITLED MARVEL is now dated 11/5/27
• UNTITLED DISNEY ANIMATION is now dated 11/24/27

Disney movies are coming soon!

According to that list, we’ll be expecting new movies literally every month except January and December. This list was released before D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and thanks to the Entertainment showcase from that event, we now know what one of those dates is for!

D23 Entertainment showcase

It was confirmed at D23 that Frozen 3 will be released on November 24th, 2027, and Frozen 4 was confirmed as well! After the success of the first two films in this franchise, we’re not surprised that Disney wants to capitalize on these characters.

‘Frozen 3’

In addition to all the movies coming in 2027, we’ll also be getting a TON of content throughout 2024, 2025, and 2026. Moana 2 drops in theaters on November 27th of this year, and Pixar’s next film, Elio, is coming out June 13th, 2025.

©Disney

The third installment in the Avatar franchise is Avatar: Fire & Ash, which will be released on December 19th, 2025. Pixar also announced a new film for 2026 called Hoppers, which will star Jon Hamm, Bobby Moynihan, and Piper Curda.

©Disney

Incredibles 3 is now in the works as well! The film doesn’t have a release date yet, but there is a slot on the calendar for a Pixar release in June of 2027. Could that be this one? We’ll have to wait and see!

©Disney

So if you’re ready to hit theaters, then you’ll need to start adding all these movies to your calendar! We can’t wait to check these out as they’re released. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney movie news.

Click Here to See ALL the Big Movie Announcements From D23!

Which movies are you going to see? Tell us in the comments!

The post Being a Disney Fan in 2027 Could Be Expensive for One Weirdly Specific Reason first appeared on the disney food blog.

It’s certainly no secret that Disney parks are top-notch.

Cinderella Castle

There’s a reason people come from all over the world to visit the Most Magical and Happiest Places on Earth, and even more reasons why people keep coming back time and time again. We can sing the praises of Disney parks until we’re blue in the face, but don’t take it from us — take it from the (other) theme park experts!

It’s official — Magic Kingdom is the number one Most Visited Theme Park Worldwide and in North America, according to the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). The 2023 Theme Index Report lists Magic Kingdom in the top spot, with several other Disney parks making the ranking as well.

This is the first year the rankings have been adjusted since 2019 due to the global pandemic, but for the 18th year in a row, Magic Kingdom is number one. Disneyland Park has retained its spot as the number two Most Visited Theme Park Worldwide and in North America as well!

©Themed Entertainment Association

Overall, Disney holds eight out of the top ten spots for most visited parks worldwide and four out of the top five spots for most visited parks worldwide AND in North America.

Not only that, but Shanghai Disneyland has risen in rank from the number 10 spot to the fifth most visited park across the globe.

©Themed Entertainment Association

With so many incredible park expansions, new rides, new restaurants, new hotels, and more coming to Disney parks worldwide, it’s easy to see why they’re in the top spots! Both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom in Disney World will be getting new lands, and a ton of new expansion plans were recently shared for Disneyland, too.

Walt Disney World

Disneyland Paris will have reimagined lands as well, with Shanghai Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Tokyo Disney Resort recently opening new park expansions. It’s a great time to be a Disney parks fan!

Zootopia in Shanghai Disney ©Disney

No matter which Disney park you might be visiting next, it’s pretty much a guarantee that you’ll be at one of the TOP theme parks across the globe — which is pretty darn cool! We’re always on the lookout for the latest and greatest Disney news from all over the world, so make sure you stay tuned to DFB so you don’t miss a thing.

Check Out Our ULTIMATE Guide to Magic Kingdom Here!

When are you heading to Disney World next? Tell us in the comments.

The post Magic Kingdom Is the #1 Most Visited Theme Park in the World, But We Didn’t Expect THIS! first appeared on the disney food blog.