'Coco' ride, 'Avatar' land coming to Disney California Adventure

Just announced at D23, attractions based on “Avatar” and Pixar’s “Coco” are on the way for Disneyland in California.

_{Images courtesy of Disney}

As part of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney announced new attractions for Disneyland Resort during “Horizons,” the Disney Experiences Showcase (aka the D23 parks panel 2024) on Aug. 10, 2024.

‘Coco’ at California Adventure

California Adventure will debut the first ride ever based on the 2017 Pixar film “Coco.” Imagineers are looking to projects like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean for inspiration as they develop the ride.

“We’re bringing our skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through the latest Audio-Animatronics technology,” said Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences. “These figures will appear in ways you’ll have to see to believe.”

Disney will break ground on the “Coco” attraction at California Adventure in 2026.

‘Avatar’ at California Adventure

After teasing the idea for several months, Disney officially announced a land based on the “Avatar” films. The area will be part of Disney California Adventure, and will be completely different from Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which opened in 2017 in Florida.

The “Avatar” land at California Adventure will be rooted in the stories of 2022’s “Avatar: The Way of Water,” 2025’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” and future “Avatar” films.

“This new and thrilling excursion will bring all the action, excitement, and wonder of ‘Avatar,’ taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora,” said Ali Rubinstein, global management executive of creative development at Walt Disney Imagineering. “This is going to be a dynamic, intense and emotional experience on a grand scale that we know our guests will love.”

Disneyland Resort’s official 70th birthday is July 17, 2025.