Have you ever watched a Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars movie and thought, Wow, I wish I could step into that world? Well, Disney Imagineers are making those dreams a reality! During The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, some incredible updates were revealed for Disney Parks—including Monstropolis, Cars Land, Avengers Campus, and an all-new Mandalorian experience in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!

Concept art by Disney of new Monsters Inc. attraction, Cars Land attraction, Smuggler's Run and Avengers campus attraction.

Welcome to Monstropolis!

First announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Imagineers are hard at work transforming the world of Monsters, Inc. into a fully immersive land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Soon, you’ll be able to walk through the streets of Monstropolis and meet James P. Sullivan (Sulley), Mike Wazowski, and more!

But that’s not all—Monstropolis will feature a thrilling signature attraction, a roller coaster ride through the Monsters, Inc. door vault!

Here’s what we know so far:

• Disney’s first-ever suspended coaster!

• First-ever vertical lift to start the ride with a thrill!

• You’ll be hoisted into the air (just like in the movie!) before zooming through the iconic door vault.

• Disney’s first-ever suspended coaster!

• First-ever vertical lift to start the ride with a thrill!

• You’ll be hoisted into the air (just like in the movie!) before zooming through the iconic door vault.

Disney concept simulation of new Monsters Inc. attraction coming to Hollywood Studios. Video from Disney Parks.

Start Your Engines—Cars Land is Coming to Magic Kingdom!

Lightning McQueen and Mater are leaving Radiator Springs behind for an off-road adventure at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Imagineers are developing an entirely new ride vehicle to create the ultimate off-road racing experience!

The team went off-roading in the Arizona desert to capture the feel of racing over rocky terrain, mountain peaks, and geysers. To make the ride as thrilling as possible, Imagineers partnered with a motocross company and built a real dirt track to gather movement data.

Concept art by Disney for the new Cars vehicles for Cars Land in Magic Kingdom.

A Ride Vehicle Unlike Any Other

“For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle,” Hundgen explained. “No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carry you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.”

To get the experience just right, the team went off-roading in the Arizona desert to feel what it’s like to race over rocky terrain, climb mountain peaks, and dodge geysers. Since Lightning McQueen and Mater haven’t tackled this kind of adventure before, the Imagineers wanted to make sure every twist and turn felt real—while still being packed with Pixar charm.

And here’s where it gets even cooler:

• Imagineers partnered with a motocross company to build a real dirt track where they could test-drive different vehicles.

• They installed sensors on a production vehicle to capture real-time data about how it moves over different types of terrain.

• All of this research is being used to create the ultimate off-road racing experience for guests at Magic Kingdom!

“We’re turning that feeling into real-world engineering,” Hundgen said. But the biggest question remains: What will these Cars-inspired ride vehicles actually look like? We can’t wait to find out!

New Cars Land attraction vehicle testing. Video by Disney Parks.

Avengers Campus Expands with Two New Attractions!

Make way—because a genius, billionaire, philanthropist is setting up shop in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure!

Announced at D23, two new thrilling attractions are coming:

Avengers Infinity Defense

Join forces with the Avengers to battle King Thanos across multiple worlds alongside Black Panther, Ant-Man, Hulk, and more!

Stark Flight Lab – A High-Tech Training Facility

Before you can fight alongside the Avengers, you need to train! In Stark Flight Lab, you’ll step inside Tony Stark’s workshop to test his latest tech—with none other than Robert Downey Jr. himself making an appearance!

In an electrifying moment at SXSW, Downey Jr. made a surprise appearance, calling Imagineers “the living embodiment of the Stark Enterprises mission statement.” In this attraction, guests will sit in gyro-kinetic pods and roll along a track before being hoisted into the air by a giant robotic arm—just like Iron Man!

“Nothing like this has ever been done before in a theme park, and we’re so excited about it,” said Imagineer Bruce Vaughn.

Disney Parks video showing the new Stark Flight ride apparatus.

Star Wars: The Mandalorian Comes to Galaxy’s Edge!

A new adventure is coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! First announced at D23, a new experience featuring Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) and Grogu is arriving at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

During SXSW, The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau joined Imagineers to reveal that this expansion will connect with the upcoming “The Mandalorian and Grogu” film—both debuting on May 22, 2026!

The update will be part of Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, allowing guests to embark on a brand-new mission featuring locations from the movie—including Cloud City!

“This isn’t going to retell what happens in the movie – it’s more like participating in something that’s happening just off-camera,” Favreau explained.

Disney concept art of new Mandalorian and Grogu experience coming to Galaxy's Edge in 2026.

Droids and Creatures Coming to Life

Imagineers are also expanding Star Wars lore in the parks:

• BDX droids (seen at Disneyland) will soon appear at Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris!

• Anzellan mechanic, Auto (from The Mandalorian and Rise of Skywalker), will be introduced to help maintain droids across Galaxy’s Edge!

Robots roaming throughout Disney's Galaxy's Edge. Photo by Disney Parks.

The Future of Disney Parks is More Immersive Than Ever!

From Monstropolis to The Mandalorian, these new expansions prove that Disney Imagineering is pushing the boundaries of storytelling like never before.

Concept art by Disney of new Monsters Inc. attraction, Cars Land attraction, Smuggler's Run and Avengers campus attraction.

Trivia question.

What was the first Pixar film to receive an Academy Award nomination?

A. Toy Story
B. Luxo Jr.
C. Tin Toy
D. Knick Knack

Answer. B- Luxo Jr. Pixar’s 1986 short film Luxo Jr. was a milestone for the company, earning its first Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short. The story follows a playful young lamp struggling with a ball under the watchful eye of an older lamp. Luxo Jr. later became an iconic part of Pixar’s logo after Toy Story (1995) and has since appeared in various Pixar films and shorts. A red version of Luxo Sr. is visible on Andy’s desk in the Toy Story films, while Luxo Jr. interacts with WALL-E in a 2008 teaser, where the robot replaces the lamp’s burnt-out bulb.

Pixar Logo.