This past weekend, Disney hosted a panel at South by Southwest (SXSW) called “The Future of World-Building at Disney.” During the panel, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro provided fans with exciting updates about some of the new rides and attractions coming to Disney World and Disneyland.
If you’ve been paying attention since last summer’s D23: Ultimate Disney Fan Event presentation, these latest updates from SXSW gave us a ton of insight into what these new rides will be like. Let’s recap all of the major announcements that were made for these new rides and experiences coming to Disney World and Disneyland.
BDX Droids Coming to Disney World and International Disney Parks
The panel kicked off with a presentation filled with updates from all things Star Wars. Disney Parks fans might recognize the BDX Droids, which made their first appearances at Disneyland Park last year, as well as doing demonstrations at last summer’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Those BDX Droids will continue to make appearances at Disney Parks. Later this year, the droids will be brought to Walt Disney World, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disney Resort.
Keep your eyes peeled for the BDX Droids when the upcoming Star Wars film, The Mandalorian and Grogu, hits theaters in May of 2026 — they’re making their acting debut in the film!
READ MORE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT 2025 VACATIONS TO WALT DISNEY WORLD
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run to Receive New ‘The Mandalorian’ Update at Disney World and Disneyland
A huge update is coming to Millennium Faclon: Smugglers Run at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in 2026. Din Djarin, a.k.a. The Mandalorian, along with Grogu, will embark on a quest that brings guests on a new mission starting Memorial Day Weekend 2026, the same weekend that The Mandalorian and Grogu opens in theaters.
In this update, Disney hints that guests “might see some familiar (and beloved) Star Wars locations aboard the Millennium Falcon,” including Bespin, Tatooine, and Endor.
At this time, Disney hasn’t announced whether the new mission will completely replace the original version of Smugglers Run or will be offered alongside it, nor do we know yet if this mission’s destinations will be randomized like Star Tours or if guests will visit all of the hinted-at planets within the same ride.
READ MORE: EVERY ANNOUNCEMENT FROM LAST SUMMER’S D23: ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT PRESENTATION
First Look at Vertical Lift Concept Coming to Monsters Inc. Coaster in Disney World
Following the Star Wars announcements at Disney’s SXSW panel, fans were treated to news concerning two Pixar projects underway at Disney Parks. The first project is Monstropolis coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Fans can expect work on this new land to begin this summer after the phased closure of Muppets Plaza, with Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo having their final day of operation on June 7.
When completed, Monstropolis will feature a brand-new roller coaster attraction that brings guests into the door warehouse as seen in Monsters Inc. Imagineers shared in the panel that this roller coaster concept was thought of when the movie came out 25 years ago, and that it will be “worth the wait.”
Not only will this roller coaster be the first-ever suspension coaster at a Disney Park, but it was revealed this past weekend that it will include Disney’s first-ever vertical life.
As of this writing, Disney has not announced an opening timeline for the new Monsters Inc.-inspired land coming to Hollywood Studios.
READ MORE: TIMELINE OF MAJOR CHANGES COMING TO DISNEY WORLD AND BEYOND
Ride Vehicle Concept Revealed For Cars Attraction Coming to Disney World
Huge changes are coming to Magic Kingdom in the coming years, including a newly re-imagined and expanded area of Frontierland inspired by the Cars franchise. Work on this area of the park should begin sometime this year with the closure of Rivers of America.
The new Cars area of Frontierland will take guests away from Radiator Springs and into the frontier where they can experience new attractions, including an “off road rally race” ride that promises big thrills.
Imagineers shared a look at the research that has been put into this new ride, including a field trip to Arizona where they rented off-road vehicles and took them out over rugged terrain to get a feel for the motions guests could experience on this new attraction. From there, a custom-built track was made in Florida where Imagineers could further research how to design the attraction in a way that authentically recreates that off-road experience.
The presentation concluded with a first look at the proof of concept models for the ride’s vehicles as well as concept art for some of the Cars-universe characters being brought to life for this attractions.
Disney has not released an opening timeline for the new Cars section of Frontierland as of this writing.
READ MORE: MAGIC KINGDOM IS ABOUT TO CHANGE IN BIG WAYS!
Fantastic Four Coming to Disneyland Resort This Summer
Disneyland Park will soon have a new character meet-and-greet opportunity perfect for Marvel fans. The highly-anticipated movie of the summer is Fantastic Four: First Steps, which brings a new lineup of characters to theaters as well as Disney Parks.
The whole “family,” including Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm will make appearances in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park later this summer. Disney is also working on a H.E.R.B.I.E. appearance in the parks as well, but a timeline was not confirmed. Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters on July 25, 2025, so I would expect to find the new character meet and greet begin around that weekend.
READ MORE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT DISNEYLAND’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
New Details Unveiled For Avengers Campus Expansion at Disneyland Resort
The panel concluded with an exciting update from the expansion happening over at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure, which has officially broken ground. The panel was joined by Tony Stark himself, Robert Downey Jr., to show fans the technology being brought to life in one of the two new rides coming to Avengers Campus, Stark Flight Lab.
In Stark Flight Lab, guests will board “gyro-kinetic pods” before being hoisted in the hair by a robot arm in a demonstration of “high-speed maneuvers” inspired by Iron Man as well as other Marvel superheroes. Designing those movements included bringing in professional dancers to choreograph the movement of the robot arms.
For Disney, the technology being brought to life has to do with the complex ride system. President and Chief Creative Officer for Walt Disney Imagineering Bruce Vaughn explained at the SXSW panel, “Transferring from a track to a robot arm and then back again – nothing like this has ever been done before in a theme park, and we’re so excited about it.”
In addition, work is under way for the other brand-new ride, Avengers Infinity Defense. In this attraction, guests will join the Avengers in battling King Thanos across multiple worlds.
