- Disney execs teased upcoming theme park features at SXSW.
- They touted Disney’s storytelling and tech collaboration with Robert Downey Jr. and others.
- Disney’s parks face competition from Universal’s Epic Universe opening in May.
Two years after Disney announced a $60 billion, 10-year expansion of its theme parks and cruise businesses, the entertainment giant is sharing more details about new features coming to its parks.
Alan Bergman, co-chairman of Disney Entertainment, and Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, appeared onstage in a packed ballroom at Austin’s South by Southwest culture festival on Saturday.
They were joined by a parade of other Disney stars, most notably Robert Downey Jr., who is trading in his Iron Man suit for Doctor Doom’s uniform in “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” “Avengers: Doomsday” will hit theaters in May 2026 and “Avengers: Secret Wars” will premiere in May 2027.
Also appearing were “The Mandalorian” creator Jon Favreau and a gaggle of pint-sized droids; Pete Docter, chief creative officer of Pixar; and Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios.
Here are the biggest reveals from Disney’s SXSW panel.
Star Wars
Disney shared that Walt Disney World’s Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run attraction, where people get to see what it’s like to ride in the iconic spaceship, would be getting an upgrade, with “a brand new story” about the film’s characters. Execs described how they used artwork from the Star Wars universe to create a “fully immersive experience” where guests “are fully in control of their own destiny.”
Execs also hinted that Disney would extend Star Wars and other franchises online with its investment in Epic Games, the creator of “Fortnite.” Meanwhile, Star Wars-inspired droids will visit Disney’s theme parks in Tokyo, Paris, and Orlando later in the year.
Pixar
Docter shared two projects Pixar has in the works for Disney World: a land inspired by “Monsters, Inc.” called Monstropolis and what was touted as Disney’s first suspended roller coaster ride, which reimagines one of the movie’s scenes.
Another feature based on “Cars” will create an off-road attraction in a spin on the movie, taking riders geyser-dodging over rocky terrain.
Marvel
At Disneyland, the Fantastic Four characters will visit the park this summer. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” will debut in theaters on July 25 as part of phase six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or MCU. Disney is also doubling the size of its Avengers campus in California with two new attractions — Avengers: Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab.
Avengers: Infinity Defense will let guests battle alongside Black Panther and Ant-Man to fight Thanos.
Downey discussed Stark Flight Lab, an attraction that takes fans into the character’s workshop. The actor said he gave Disney’s Imagineering team input about the ride, which will now include DUM-E, a nod to Tony Stark’s robot assistant in the franchise.
Disney’s enduring franchises
Bergman and D’Amaro, along with Dana Walden, Bergman’s cochair, have both been floated as potential successors for Disney CEO Bob Iger. Their public appearances are regularly scrutinized for what they imply about who might be ahead in the succession race.
Both men took turns finishing each other’s sentences to emphasize that Disney’s big, enduring franchises are the product of collaboration across teams and work enabled by technology but rooted in storytelling.
According to Nielsen, Disney’s streaming business trails digital giants YouTube and Netflix in terms of viewing time. But none matches Disney’s franchise-building ability, which has spawned a diversified global entertainment empire.
“We truly have something for everyone, with so many ways to experience it,” D’Amaro said, calling this an “unprecedented era” of creating attractions, shows, and games. “This also has strong connections with our audience, which is so unique to Disney. We’re constantly developing new tools that allow us to tell our stories in even more compelling ways.”
Disney’s behind-the-scenes look comes as one of its largest competitors, Universal, is also expanding domestically. This May, Universal Orlando Resorts’ new theme park, Epic Universe, will welcome guests to explore five separate “worlds” — including Super Nintendo World.
Disney executives have navigated questions about how the arrival of Epic Universe could impact the company, including during a 2024 earnings call when CFO Hugh Johnston said it could be “beneficial.”
“The early bookings that we have next summer are actually positive,” Johnston said.
