Buckle up for a brand-new experience when a reimagined Test Track presented by Chevrolet races into EPCOT in 2025.
Announced during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Walt Disney Imagineering is collaborating with Chevrolet to push innovation forward and celebrate humanity’s enduring drive (pun intended) on the thrilling road to a brighter tomorrow. But, before we get too far down this winding road, Test Track will celebrate today’s innovation while highlighting the past, present, and future. The queue will feature six distinct exhibits, and within each room celebrate the vehicles – and people behind the vehicles – that push the envelope and help get people to our next chapter in our motion journey.
New show scenes will be added showcasing technological advances and how our lifestyles and relationships to mobility connect everyone. Enjoy a joy ride through scenes focusing on onboard technology, customization and personalization. Followed by a trip through a scenic outdoor route reminding us all of the joys of driving, taking in the world around us and spending quality time with friends and family.
Construction on this reimagined experience has already begun, and eagle-eyed visitors might already have picked up on the fact that the new exterior harkens back to the original pavilion design.
Zootopia: Better Zoogether
A “Zootopia”-themed show is coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. “Zootopia: Better Zoogether!” will take guests on an adventure through different biomes seen in the film and opens next winter.
All-New Nighttime Parade Coming to Magic Kingdom in Summer 2025
Picture this: you’re nestled on Main Street, U.S.A. with your loved ones getting ready to watch a nighttime parade come to life right before your eyes. Maybe you’ve got a churro or a Mickey Ice Cream bar in hand, or are eyeing a nearby popcorn cart, who knows! But the lights dim, the music swells, and now you’re watching a brand-new nighttime spectacular at the Magic Kingdom Park.
You don’t have to imagine this for much longer, because in summer 2025, a brand-new parade will make its way to the Most Magical Place On Earth.
Broadway darlings — and former Disney Live Entertainment Cast Members! — Rachel Potter and Eden Espinosa graced the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event stage during Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase panel with this monumental announcement. The all-new parade “Disney Starlight” is coming next summer!
“Disney Starlight” will continue the nighttime spectacular legacy started by the “Main Street Electrical Parade” using the latest technology to tell new stories about the characters you love. All of this is brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy, in addition to beloved characters from Walt Disney Animation Studios films “Peter Pan,” “Encanto,” “Frozen,” and more.
And, if you’re hoping for more new spectaculars around the world, you’re in luck! The new nighttime spectacular “Reach for the Stars” debuts at Tokyo Disneyland on September 20.
Coming in January 2025, Disneyland Paris will also unveil its own new nighttime spectacular with timeless songs from Disney and Pixar. This moving journey will be told through projections on Sleeping Beauty Castle and – for the first time – down Main Street.
New Mission Featuring Mando and Grogu Coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
When the upcoming “The Mandalorian and Grogu” movie blasts off in theaters in 2026, it will also touch down at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. A brand-new story featuring Mando and his youngling is coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
During Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Star Wars creative executive Dave Filoni joined Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro onstage to discuss the upcoming addition to the attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. As Dave explained, the Lucasfilm team uses Epic’s Unreal Engine to create some of the virtual sets for “The Mandalorian.” Now, with the expanded partnership between Disney and Epic Games, Epic’s Unreal Engine will help bring to life the latest adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
“The intersection of storytelling and innovation has always been central to Lucasfilm and we’re excited to see where this collaboration will take us next,” Dave told the crowd. “Just imagine it: you’ll be able to fly alongside Mando and Grogu on thrilling, and dangerous, missions.”
Expect to see this new mission jump to lightspeed when “The Mandalorian and Grogu” hits the big screen in 2026. This is the way.
Two New Lounge Spaces Announced for Disney World
Drink up me hearties — and thank the Phoenicians!
During Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro realized there were just too many announcements to get through and too short a time on stage.
Needing a little assistance, Josh called in friends Darren Criss and Skylar Astin to rapid-fire through some exciting updates before continuing on with the show. Set to some catchy and thematically appropriate tunes, the duo announced a brand new lounge and shared details on a previously announced tavern, both coming soon to Walt Disney World Resort!
So next time you’re looking to take a load off (and relive any miraculous journeys you’ve just taken or plunder you’ve come across), there will soon be two new locations to check out. Here’s what else you need to know:
New Lounge Inspired by Spaceship Earth
For over 40 years, Spaceship Earth has welcomed visitors to EPCOT as a shining beacon of optimism and hope. This just-announced lounge is inspired by the stories, shapes, and enduring legacy of this timeless icon. Taking inspiration from the geometric sphere, the zen space to gather and enjoy refreshments will be draped with rich textures and warm metallic tones, giving it a mysterious and elegant intimacy.
Updates to Tavern Themed to Pirates of the Caribbean
Set course for the Magic Kingdom! First announced at Destination D23 last year, this rambunctious watering hole will offer a welcoming haven for all pirate-kind, big and small, and everyone in between. Here, bandits and buccaneers-to-be from every corner of the seven seas are welcome to join together and raise a toast to the pirate life! In the newly released artwork, X marks the spot for a sea-worthy selection of grogs and grub inside this tavern location coming to Magic Kingdom Park.
Both spaces will welcome their first guests in 2025.
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