Disneyland Resort: What's New, Coming Soon Or Closed For Renovations At The California Theme Park

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” Those were the immortal words of Walt Disney, and they have proved to be true. Since 1955 Disneyland has continued to grow and evolve. Today it’s the Disneyland Resort, two theme parks, three hotels and a shopping and dining complex.

But the resort is still always changing. New attractions are created, which can often mean that older attractions must close forever. And, even the most popular rides and shows must occasionally close to be refurbished. Keeping track of it all can certainly be difficult, especially if you’re trying to plan a vacation there. So, here’s a quick look at everything coming to Disneyland Resort, from new attractions to refurbishment schedules and complete closures.  

What’s New And Coming Soon To Disneyland Park

From significant updates to classic attractions, to entirely new additions to Disneyland, there's a lot planned for the future. Signioficant updates are planned in 2024, and even more will be coming in the future.

New Star Tours Additions - 4/5/24

Star Tours has existed at Disneyland, in one form or another, since 1987. When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was built, dedicating an entire land to the galaxy far far away, fans wondered if the original Star Wars ride would go away. Not only is it not leaving, but Star Tours will be getting new content in 2024. The attraction, which has so many different potential combinations it's impossible to do the same ride twice, is set to get some new sections when Disneyland begins its Season of the Force celebration in April. We know that the live-action version of Ahsoka will be included in a new sequence, and something with The Mandalorian and/or Grogu also seems likely.   

Pixar Fest April 26 - August 4, 2024

Pixar fans will want to check out Disneyland Resort this year, as Pixar Fest is making a big return. The event will last more than three months and actually cover both theme parks of the resort. In addition to unique characters and exclusive food being available at both parks, Disneyland will host an updated version of Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular. Meanwhile, Disney California Adventure will be home to a much-needed new Disney California Adventure parade, Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration! We'll also see a nightly party, Club Pixar, a spiritual successor to the Mad T Party and Electronica, which should be lots of fun. 

New Entrance Gates (2024)

Sometimes the new cool thing coming to Disneyland is a fun ride, and sometimes it's just something the park desperately needs to make it a better overall experience. Disneyland (and Disney California Adventure) are set to get new ticket gates in 2024. Both parks still use traditional turnstiles, but they will reportedly be replaced with plexiglass doors that open automatically when your ticket is scanned. This will hopefully fix one of the biggest current headaches at Disneyland: just getting into the park.  A couple of the new gates are currently being tested in the park, so this new addition will hopefully be completed soon.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Late 2024)

The biggest new addition to Disneyland Park in 2024 will be Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Splash Mountain has been redesigned into a Princess and the Frog-themed attraction, following fans demanding just such a ride. The Tiana’s Bayou Adventure details that we have tell us that many of the original voice actors from the movie will return, and just like its predecessor, the attraction will contain lots of animatronic characters. 

What’s New And Coming Soon To Disney California Adventure

Disney California Adventure is often overlooked sitting next to Disneyland, but the park has incredible attractions, delicious food, and in some ways is honestly better than Disneyland.

Food and Wine Festival - March 1 - April 22, 2024

Food is one of the best things about Disneyland, and the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival will be back in 2024 to celebrate it. Unique food and drink will, of course, be on offer, alongside cooking demonstrations, beverage-tasting seminars, and the temporary return of Soarin’ Over California, to replace Soarin' Around the World. 

Avengers Multiverse Attraction (TBA)

When Avengers Campus was first announced, guests were promised a major E-ticket attraction would come as part of a phase 2 for the new land. Then a pandemic happened. Originally planned to be mostly set in Wakanda, we learned in 2022 that the ride had been re-conceived as a Multiverse adventure with King Thanos. However, since then we’ve seen only enough detail to confirm the ride is still happening, but without any idea when it will arrive, or when work will even begin. 

Avatar Experience (TBA)

In early 2023, Bob Iger revealed that an “Avatar Experience” was coming to Disneyland. At the IAAPA Expo later that year we learned that whatever it is will be part of Disney California Adventure. Exactly where in the park, or even what this “experience” will be is unknown. It could be a land similar to what’s found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or it could be much smaller. Many, including this writer, have suggested we may see the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail transformed into Pandora.   

What’s New And Coming Soon To Downtown Disney

While the theme parks get all the attention, Downtown Disney is a place worthy of attention. It's got great dining and shopping and all of ther resort's wonderful hotels. Sometimes you need a break from the rides.

Pixar Place Hotel - Now Open

Back in 2018, Disney California Adventure’s Paradise Pier became Pixar Pier, so it only made sense that the accompanying Paradise Pier hotel would get a similar makeover. The Pixar Place hotel opened at the end of January 2024, with a complete renovation inside and out to fill it with Pixar fun.  

Hey, Disney (2024)

Digital assistants are popular with a lot of people, and now you’ll have one to help you plan your time at Disneyland Resort. A special version of Alexa has been rolling out at Walt Disney World resort hotels, and the same “Hey Disney” system is expected to begin arriving at the three Disneyland Resort hotels throughout 2024, and possibly beyond.  

Parkside Market (TBA)

Downtown Disney has been undergoing a massive revitalization over the last few years and one of the biggest new additions will be Parkside Market. It will bring four different dining locations under one roof, including Seoul Sister, a fast-casual Korean eatery, Sip & Sonder, a cafe with Caribbean-inspired bites, lattes, and frozen drinks, GG’s Chicken Shop, and a second-story bar on top of it all. 

What’s Closed And Scheduled For Refurbishment At Disneyland Park

Ride closures are never fun, but to keep everything at the theme parks working most of the time, regular maintenance is always necessary. And if you have a beloved attraction you don't want to miss, you can always schedule your trip around refurbishments. 

The Sailing Ship Columbia Closed February 26, 2024 - March 29, 2024

The Mark Twain Riverboat went down for a significant refurbishment that ended in February, and as is often the case, once one boat was ready to go back into the service, it was time for the other to get its refit. The Sailing Ship Columbia went down in late February, but is currently scheduled to come back starting March 29.

Wonderous Journeys Returning 3/22/24

Disneyland fireworks shows are almost always something special, but Wonderous Journeys, the show that debuted to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company at Disneyland, is something quite special. It will return for a limited time in March before it makes way for Pixar Fest in late April. 

Critter Country/Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - Closed May 1 - TBD

One corner of Disneyland Resort is already a mass of construction walls thanks to both the Haunted Mansion queue construction and Splash Mountain being transformed into Tiana's Bayou Adventure. That part of Disneyland is going to become a no-go zone entirely for a little while. Beginning April 1, all of Critter Country will close so that the former Splash Mountain merchandise locations can get a Princess and the Frog facelift. It's unclear how long it will be closed, but it means that the one attraction in the area that was still available, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, will be inaccessible. 

Fantasmic 4/23/23 - 5/24/24

In April of 2023, an accidental fire destroyed the massive Maleficent animatronic that highlighted the show’s finale. Since then, Fantasmic has been down. We know now the show will return in May 2024, with a new finale, as well as the return of the original Peter Pan sequence on the Sailing Ship Columbia, rather than the Pirates of the Caribbean sequence that has been running for the last several years.

Astro Orbitor 11/20/23 - March 21, 2024

The Astro Orbitor is located right at the entrance to Tomorrowland. It’s a classic flying carousel. It’s not the only one of those at Disneyland Park, but it may be the most fun. While the ride may be simple, it’s been undergoing a significant refurbishment. The good news is the time of closure may be finally over. Astro Orbitor is no longer listed on the refurb list as of March 22, 2024.

Haunted Mansion 1/22/24 - TBA

Following the end of the holiday season and the annual Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay, Haunted Mansion, the best ride at Disneyland, closed in January. But, rather than reopening as the classic Mansion after a couple of weeks, this refurbishment will be more significant. The exterior of the attraction is being largely redesigned, with a new extended queue area on one side, and a new gift shop on the other. We could be a long time off from seeing the true Haunted Mansion again.  

Pirate's Lair On Tom Sawyer Island - Closed April 5, 2024 - April 7, 2024

One of the shorter closure's on record, The Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island is scheduled to be closed or a weekend in early April 2024. It will close on Friday but is currently scheduled to be back up by Monday. The reason for the short closure is unclear, though it may be connected to the return of Fantasmic, which uses the island in the show. 

What’s Closed And Scheduled For Refurbishment At Disney California Adventure

Disney California Adventure doesn't have quite the classic attractions that Disneyland has, but it still some E-ticket experiences it would be a shame to miss. Here's what the current downtime schedule looks like. 

Incredicoaster April 8, 2024 - April 18, 2024

The Incredicaoster is the flagship roller coaster at all of Disneyland Resort. It’s the only one with an inversion, making it the most thrilling, and arguably the best ride at Disney California Adventure. The Incredicaoster has had issues with breakdowns in the past that do need fixing and after seeing a brief closure the March, the coaster is set to go down again for about 10 days in April.

Redwood Creek Challenge Trail March 4, 2024- TBA

One of the more curious scheduled refurbishments in the coming months may be the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. The area is mostly a large playground space, that doesn’t have a lot of moving parts. Even it does need to be maintained, but considering this is one of the areas that some, including this writer, have suspected could house the announced Avatar experience, perhaps this closure is something more? 

The Bakery Tour/Boudin Bread Cart - Closed March 22 - April 17

No free sourdough for a bit at DIsney California ADventure as the Bakery Tour attraction, and the Boudin Bread cart, will be out of commission for about a month running from late March until late April.

What’s Closed And Scheduled For Refurbishment At Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney is actually where a lot of the energy of redevelopment has been focused recently. A lot of changes and additions have been made just in the last year, and a lot more is still to come. 

Tortilla Jo’s Closing 4/7/24

Tortilla Jo’s has been a mainstay of Downtown Disney for 20 years, but two decades of service will come to an end in March when the Mexican restaurant closes for good. Exactly what is planned for the space is unclear, though this could be where the new Parkside Market is planning to go.

Pool Slides At Disneyland Hotel - Closed January 2024 - March 31 2024

Even Southern California can be cold in the winter, which is maybe why pool slides often get refurbed during the early part of the year. The slides at the Disneyland Hotel went down in late January and are currently scheduled to be closed through the end of March. 

Disneyland Resort always has something going on. There is always something new, or something old making its return. Keep checking back for the latest updates of what’s new at Disneyland.