In a surprise announcement at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026’s Disney Experiences Showcase, Disney revealed that an all-new Tomorrowland is in development for Disneyland! The thrilling announcement came as part of the big Disney Horizons: A Carousel of Progress Disney Experiences Showcase at the Honda Center. Here’s what was announced and what we know:
D23: THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT — DISNEY EXPERIENCES SHOWCASE
It’s official! A brand new Tomorrowland is on the horizon at Disneyland!
As Saturday night’s Disney Experiences Showcase drew to a close, Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum surprised the Honda Center’s audience of 12,000 fans with one word: TOMORROWLAND. The announcement has been long-rumored and hotly anticipated by fans for years, with hopes that a major Tomorrowland overhaul would be announced at just about every D23 event since they began in 2009.
Well, the time has finally come and fans erupted with cheers and applause Saturday night as Thomas Mazloum made the announcement. But what can we expect? No details were released in Saturday night’s announcement, as the project is just getting off the ground — but the audience was reassured that Disney is fully committed to launching the aging land into the future.
What we do know is that the Tomorrowland project is officially being overseen by Imagineer Emily “Emo” O’Brien. Emily is Walt Disney Imagineering’s Portfolio Executive Creative Producer for Disneyland Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort. Yes, Tokyo Disneyland — the park that is currently getting a brand new, state-of-the-art Space Mountain. And yes, Emily is currently overseeing that massive update to Tokyo Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. That project saw the complete demolition of Tokyo’s original Space Mountain and the construction of the brand new Space Mountain Earthrise over the last couple years. With that project nearing completion and set to open in 2027, Emily is setting her sights now on transforming Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.
Tokyo Disneyland’s all-new Space Mountain Earthrise will open in 2027
Tokyo Disneyland’s new Space Mountain is fresh take on the classic aesthetic
New icons in Tokyo Disneyland’s Tomorrowland have a fresh take on classic Tomorrowland spires
Disneyland’s Tomorrowland is an opening-day land, featuring classic attractions such as Space Mountain, Autopia, the Disneyland Monorail, and the Submarine Voyage. Tomorrowland and its classic rides have all been updated over the years, with Tomorrowland getting major transformations in 1967 and 1998. Space Mountain received a brand new show and a completely rebuilt track in 2005 with Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters opened the same year, both as part of Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The Submarine Voyage reopened in 2007 as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage after being shuttered for nearly a decade. Autopia has received several updates over the years, including the most recent in 2016. Brand new electric vehicles are expected to debut at Autopia in 2027 (but that return may be impacted by this new news). Additional attractions include Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, the Astro Orbitor, and a Disneyland Railroad station.
But what will remain, what will head to Yesterland, and what will be transformed as Tomrorowland heads into the future? Only time will tell, as our great big, beautiful tomorrow is still being planned.
Classic concept art for Tomorrowland 1967.
The Tomorrowland news may be bad news for AVATAR fans. Disney is prioritizing the new Tomorrowland project over the AVATAR project at Disney Califonria Advenutre. As of now, AVATAR is still officially planned but will be delayed, so that Tomorrowland can become the focus. With AVATAR on the back burner, that means work on Tomorrowland can get started as soon as the Avengers Campus expansion and Coco attraction opens at Disney California Adventure. With the focus shifting dramatically to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, anything could happen and the possibilties are endless… in both theme parks! Stay tuned to MiceChat for the latest on this exciting news!
The AVATAR model on display at D23 2026. The announcement of a New Tomorrowland will delay the AVATAR project and could potentially put it at risk.
D23 2026: Walt Disney Imagineering shows off new Horizons for the parks