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Disney has just wrapped up D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026, and if there was one message coming out of Anaheim this weekend, it was that Disney has a lot planned.
Taking place from August 14–16, D23 brought together Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Animation and Disney Experiences for three days of reveals, trailers, casting announcements and theme park updates.
From the first look at Incredibles 3 and the cast of Marvel’s new X-Men movie to major updates for Villains Land at Walt Disney World, here are the biggest announcements from D23 2026.
Marvel finally introduced its new X-Men
Arguably one of the biggest announcements of the weekend came from Marvel Studios.
Kevin Feige officially introduced several members of the cast for Marvel’s upcoming X-Men movie, which is currently scheduled to arrive in cinemas on May 5, 2028.
Sadie Sink, who makes her debut as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, was joined by Kit Connor as Scott Summers/Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue and Maya Boyd as Storm.
There was another particularly intriguing piece of casting, too: Adam Driver will play Nathaniel Milbury.
It’s a major step towards the X-Men finally becoming a central part of the MCU.
Avengers: Doomsday got a new look
Before Marvel moves fully into its mutant era, however, there’s the small matter of Avengers: Doomsday.
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell joined Kevin Feige on stage as Marvel debuted a new look at the December 18, 2026 blockbuster.
The film will bring together heroes from three different universes against an existential threat, with its enormous cast including Chris Hemsworth, Pedro Pascal, Anthony Mackie, Florence Pugh, Tom Hiddleston, Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, James Marsden and plenty more alongside Downey’s Doctor Doom.
Marvel also showed off VisionQuest, the Disney+ series starring Paul Bettany and James Spader that will complete the story started by WandaVision and continued by Agatha All Along. It’s arriving on October 14, 2026.
Pixar revealed Incredibles 3, Coco 2 and a completely new movie
Pixar had plenty to talk about at D23.
Fans were given their first look at Incredibles 3, with the Parr family heading back into action. Peter Sohn is directing, while Brad Bird and Dana Murray are producing. It’s currently scheduled for June 16, 2028.
We also learned considerably more about Coco 2. Miguel will now be a teenager, and Benjamin Bratt is returning as Ernesto de la Cruz as Miguel makes another life-changing journey into the Land of the Dead. The sequel is planned for November 2029.
Perhaps the more interesting announcement, though, was something completely new.
Pixar is developing Ghost Market, an original film set around a mysterious plate-lunch shop on Oʻahu’s North Shore that serves spirits trapped between life and death. When a living child accidentally discovers it, a supernatural adventure begins.
Ghost Market is currently scheduled for March 2028.
And gaming fans weren’t forgotten either: Kingdom Hearts IV will feature a world inspired by Coco and is targeting a late-2027 release.
Frozen 3 teased a powerful new villain
Disney Animation saved one of its biggest reveals for the end of the entertainment showcase.
Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel and Josh Gad appeared on stage to introduce new material from Frozen 3, including new music and animation featuring Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven.
More intriguingly, the footage hinted at a new villainess whose powers could rival Elsa’s.
Frozen 3 is scheduled to hit cinemas on November 24, 2027.
Disney also confirmed that Zootopia 3 is officially in early development, although there’s no release date just yet.
Star Wars gave us Ahsoka Season 2 and Starfighter
There were two major updates from a galaxy far, far away.
First, Lucasfilm debuted the teaser for Ahsoka Season 2. Rosario Dawson returns as Ahsoka Tano alongside Hayden Christensen and Eman Esfandi, with the new season continuing the fight against Grand Admiral Thrawn.
It’s now officially set to premiere on Disney+ on January 20, 2027.
Then came Star Wars: Starfighter.
Director Shawn Levy was joined on stage by Ryan Gosling to introduce an exclusive look at the new theatrical Star Wars adventure.
Gosling plays a rogue whose mysterious past pulls him into a new adventure across the galaxy, alongside a cast including Matt Smith, Mia Goth, Aaron Pierre and Amy Adams.
Star Wars: Starfighter arrives in cinemas on May 28, 2027.
Lilo & Stitch 2, Tangled and The Bluey Movie
There was plenty happening outside Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, too.
Following the huge success of 2025’s live-action Lilo & Stitch, Disney confirmed Lilo & Stitch 2 will begin production in Hawaiʻi later this year, with Chris Sanders directing. Angel will also join Stitch in the sequel, which is currently scheduled for May 26, 2028.
Disney’s live-action Tangled also received an update. Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim will play Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, while Kathryn Hahn is Mother Gothel and Diego Luna will play a new character named Hawthorne. The film arrives March 31, 2028.
Meanwhile, The Bluey Movie got a new teaser and an August 6, 2027 theatrical release date.
Kingdom Hearts is becoming a Disney series
One of D23’s more unexpected announcements was a new Kingdom Hearts television series.
Disney has officially greenlit an original anime series inspired by the game franchise for Disney Channel and Disney+, developed in partnership with Kingdom Hearts creator Tetsuya Nomura and Square Enix.
Rather than simply adapting one of the games, the series will tell a new story within the Kingdom Hearts universe.
And then there were the Disney Parks announcements…
If the entertainment showcase was big, Disney Experiences had an equally impressive amount to reveal.
At Walt Disney World, Disney offered a much clearer picture of its enormous Magic Kingdom expansion.
The upcoming Cars area, Piston Peak, will include Cars Ridge Run Rally, sending guests racing through mountain trails, snowy peaks and erupting geysers, alongside Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along.
But the headline attraction may be what’s happening on the other side of Magic Kingdom.
Villains Land is getting seriously ambitious
Disney revealed much more about the eagerly awaited Villains Land.
The story centres around a cursed forest and broken Wishing Well, with Disney’s villains harnessing its dark magic.
More importantly, we now know about two of its major attractions.
One will be a thrill ride taking guests through Maleficent’s enchanted briars, while another will take visitors into the mystical world of the Magic Mirror.
It’s shaping up to be one of Disney’s most ambitious theme park lands yet.
Figment and Dreamfinder are coming back
For longtime EPCOT fans, Disney may have made an even bigger announcement.
Journey Into Imagination is getting a complete reimagining — and both Figment and Dreamfinder are part of it.
That’s a huge deal considering how often fans have asked Disney to restore more of the attraction’s original spirit.
EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth is also receiving its first major update in almost two decades, broadening its story from human communication to the idea of human connection.
And over at Animal Kingdom, Disney confirmed something fans have wanted for years: the Yeti inside Expedition Everest is going to move again.
Indiana Jones and Encanto are taking over Tropical Americas
We also learned more about the Tropical Americas area replacing DinoLand U.S.A. at Animal Kingdom.
The new Indiana Jones attraction has been named Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent. It will take guests into an ancient Maya temple filled with supernatural dangers and a huge serpent inspired by Maya mythology.
Alongside it will be Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto, where guests will enter Casita on Antonio’s gift day and explore rooms created specifically for the attraction.
Avengers Campus is doubling in size
Disneyland Resort’s Avengers Campus is getting a substantial expansion in 2028.
Two new attractions — Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab — will effectively double the size of the land.
And Disney isn’t holding back on the MCU connections. Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie and Brie Larson are among the actors reprising their superhero roles for the attractions.
Disney California Adventure is also getting Disney’s first Coco attraction, a boat ride through Miguel’s memories of the Land of the Dead.
Tomorrowland is being reimagined
Another potentially enormous Disneyland project was announced right at the end of the showcase.
Disney is working on a full reimagining of Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park.
Details are still relatively limited, but Disney says the transformation will respect the legacy of the original land while introducing new attractions, more open spaces and a new vision of the future.
Considering Tomorrowland has been one of the most discussed areas of Disneyland for years, expect plenty more attention on this project as plans develop.
Disneyland Paris is getting its classic Space Mountain back
There was good news for European Disney fans as well.
Disneyland Paris’ Hyperspace Mountain is set to become Space Mountain: De la Terre à la Lune once again, returning the attraction to the Jules Verne-inspired concept that originally defined the ride.
Disney says the refreshed version will even feature its original musical score.
Elsewhere at Disney Adventure World, work continues on the resort’s first Lion King attraction, which will take guests through Simba’s journey across the Pride Lands.
Disney’s parks are expanding around the world
D23 also showed just how global Disney’s current expansion plans are.
Shanghai Disneyland is getting Disney’s first land entirely dedicated to Spider-Man, complete with a new coaster, while Hong Kong Disneyland will receive a new Avengers Pavilion. Tokyo Disneyland’s replacement for Space Mountain has been revealed as Space Mountain: Earthrise, while Wreck-It Ralph is coming to the park through Sugar Rush: Sweet Rescue.
Disney Cruise Line is growing as well. The Disney Believe will set sail in 2027, while Disney announced plans for an entirely new class of cruise ships beginning in 2029.
The Disney Legends class of 2026
D23 finished on Sunday with the Disney Legends Awards.
This year’s 11 honourees were Chris Berman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Bob Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alan Tudyk.
It brought to an end three days of announcements that stretched across practically every corner of Disney.
So, what was the biggest D23 announcement?
There’s almost too much to choose from.
Marvel finally showing us its new generation of X-Men feels significant. Pixar is balancing sequels like Incredibles 3 and Coco 2 with an intriguing original project in Ghost Market. Frozen 3 is taking shape, Ahsoka is coming back, and Disney has another major Star Wars movie waiting in the wings.
But Disney’s theme parks might have produced the most exciting announcements of the weekend.
Villains Land is finally becoming something we can properly picture, Disneyland’s Tomorrowland is heading for a major overhaul, Avengers Campus is doubling in size and — perhaps most importantly for a certain section of Disney Parks fandom — Figment and Dreamfinder are going on another adventure together.
D23 2026 wasn’t simply Disney showing fans what comes next.
It was Disney laying out what the next several years of the company are going to look like.
And judging by the sheer number of projects announced in Anaheim, those years are going to be very busy indeed.
