New D23 Expo Concept Art Offers Clue That Coco Boat Ride is Sequel to Movie

Disney has shared another glimpse at the brand-new Coco boat ride being built backstage behind Pixar Pier in DCA at Disneyland Resort, revealing that the attraction’s timeline is probably a sequel to the original film. This post shares new photos & video, details, concept art, and everything we know about the upcoming attraction.

By way of recap, the Coco-themed boat ride was announced at the 2024 D23 Expo. Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro offered a sneak peek at concept art for future expansion plans at Disneyland Resort, and this was one of several ‘shovel to soil’ projects slated for Disney California Adventure.

At the time, the Coco boat ride was the project that felt “least real” to me at the time. Although it sounded very promising, it also had the fewest details of any major project announced. Not only that, but the start date was simply 2026. It was entirely possible that another D23 Expo would arrive before construction even began. Thankfully, that was not the case.

When sharing updates on Disneyland Resort projects last summer and announcing a revival of the Eastern Gateway, Disney revealed that the Coco attraction would be built backstage near Paradise Gardens Park and Pixar Pier.

Most significantly, Disney accelerated the construction timeline and revealed that construction would start on Coco last fall! Fast-forward to August 2026, and work is moving along backstage to the point that it’s taking the DCA parade route out of commission and causing the 2026 Oogie Boogie Bash to present a street party as opposed to the full Frightfully Fun Parade.

All of which brings us to the 2026 D23 Expo, and our first material update on the Coco boat ride in about a year…

For the 2026 D23 Expo, Walt Disney Imagineering intentionally designed a pavilion that follows up on projects first announced two years ago at the Horizons Showcase or Parks Panel. Aptly named, the “Imagineering: Horizons” pavilion offers updates on all those shovel-ready projects that are now being built (plus Avatar, which isn’t).

This is the largest pavilion that WDI has ever done, and wow does it show. It’s basically model mania with something for everything currently under construction, highlighted by the massive Piston Peak National Park model. There’s also space for presentations and a whole lot more.

One of the areas within the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion shares an update on Coco at DCA. Here’s the video that plays in the booth…

Behind the scenes on the Coco boat ride at DCA. (Really just the statue out front.) pic.twitter.com/D8DMS6Suai

— Disney Tourist Blog (@DisTouristBlog) August 15, 2026

What immediately stands out is that the statue is of Héctor Rivera as opposed to Miguel.

To refresh your recollection, Ernesto de la Cruz was the legendary, larger-than-life Mexican musician who (spoiler alert) murdered his best friend, Héctor Rivera, and stole his songs. In the real world and the Land of the Dead, Ernesto is celebrated as an iconic musician and a national hero, famous for his “seize your moment” motto.

Miguel idolizes Ernesto and runs away to find him, mistakenly believing the star is his great-great-grandfather. Thankfully, Ernesto is not.

Instead, Héctor Rivera is Miguel’s great-great-grandfather. It’s revealed that, in fact, Héctor is the kind of man people should be erecting statues to celebrate.

Presumably, that’s exactly what happened after the events of the movie, which is what would make the Coco boat ride a sequel to the film as opposed to a straightforward retelling. This approach to attractions is becoming more common in ways that are sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious; the results are hit or miss, just as they are with the traditional Cliff Notes retelling approach.

Above is a look at concept art featuring the Héctor statue that’ll be in the Casa Museo de la Familia. An inscription on the statue says “¡Su familia era su mundo!” or “His family was his world!”

This is the first time Disney has hinted at the timeline of the Coco attraction or indicated it’ll be set after the events of the original film. Disney has already indicated that it’ll feature Miguel in the Land of the Dead; from this, we know it’ll be a return visit, and that the attraction will tell an original story.

We can also surmise that the attraction will be set before Coco 2. During D23, Disney also revealed new concept art from the sequel, which depicts a teenage Miguel alongside his beloved dog, Dante. The company also revealed that the Pixar sequel is set to hit theaters in November 2029 and that Benjamin Bratt will reprise the role of Ernesto de la Cruz.

Onstage at the event, Bratt hinted at the story: “To some, Miguel is a little menace who ruined a career and destroyed a legacy,” he said. “Ernesto de la Cruz is back for revenge, sending Miguel on an adventure back to the land of the dead. Proving fate has a sense of humor, Miguel must team up with a handsome superstar: me.”

In the concept art from Coco 2, Miguel appears older than he does in concept art for the Coco attraction. Of course, that was the lone piece of art released two years ago and it does predate the announcement of Coco 2, so perhaps things have changed since then. We hope to learn more during tomorrow night’s Parks Panel, so stay tuned!

One thing that really impresses us about this project is how Disneyland is using every inch of its real estate to build this as an expansion of Pixar Pier. The Coco boat ride is being built backstage by an access road connecting to Disneyland Drive, and bordered by Katella Avenue, Downtown Drive, and the backside of Incredicoaster.

Last summer, plans were submitted to Anaheim Public Works concerning the public right of way along Disneyland Drive and Katella Avenue on sidewalks, curbs, gutters, trees, planters, landscaping, irrigation and fencing. These plans do not show the outline of the ride building, but it’s expected to be squeezed between Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, the DCA parade storage building and the Incredicoaster track.

It’s our understanding that the parade route will return once construction is finished or far enough along to accommodate it. This is pretty impressive, if true. Disney previously worked magic backstage behind Toontown “making space” for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and our expectation is for something similar here.

It’s a bit amusing that Disneyland constantly squeezes the most out of every inch of its limited real estate and gets new attractions without major sacrifices. Meanwhile, Walt Disney World–the massive Florida Project that promised the blessing of size–constantly is replacing existing attractions despite ample expansion pads. Amusing, I guess, if you’re a Disneyland fan. Sad if you’re a WDW diehard.

If you’re wondering what to expect from the Coco boat ride, the attraction will be filled with the characters and music from the beloved movie, as you join Miguel on a trip to the land of the dead.

Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration for the attraction from beloved classics, like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. “We’re bringing our skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through the latest Audio-Animatronics technology,” D’Amaro said at the 2024 D23 Expo. “These figures will appear in ways you’ll have to see to believe.”

When host Neil Patrick Harris and new Parks Chair Thomas Mazloum take the stage for the 2026 Parks Panel, we’re expecting an update on Coco–beyond just this statue. It’s safe to predict that Disney will show off more of the ride, with a couple pieces of concept art and more fleshing out of the show scenes and ride description.

Speaking of fleshing out, perhaps we’ll see footage from Imagineering of the real use-case of the human-to-skeleton transforming Audio Animatronics figure that’s being tested in Pirates of the Caribbean. Do not expect an opening year at this point.

I’m totally on board with a Coco attraction. It’s easily one of the best–and arguably the very best–animated film in recent memory, rivaling Moana, Inside Out, Frozen, and Zootopia. Coco has stunning visuals and beautiful music–scenery and sounds that seem tailor-made for a theme park attraction. The concept is tantalizing. Describing it as a spiritual successor to Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion definitely captured my attention and imagination.

This Coco boat ride sounds fantastic. Of what’s been officially announced, this is probably the project at Disneyland for which I’m most excited. Eastern Gateway comes close, as I’m a sucker for infrastructure and that’ll improve our commute tremendously. I would be more excited for Avatar, if I believe it were happening in the next 5 years (or at all). Then there’s the Marvel stuff, which is about as exciting as CommuniCore Hall: The Ride.

Suffice to say, Coco is #1 for now, at least until or unless something bigger and better is announced at the 2026 D23 Expo. It’s easy to imagine what a Pirates plus Haunted Mansion inspired Coco ride could be like, which is precisely why this one is so promising. I only hope the size of the budget and building are sufficiently large to accommodate an E-Ticket attraction. My other hope is that this is one of those “good ideas that won’t die” in Imagineering, and they finally found a home for it after trying to make space in EPCOT.

Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!

Your Thoughts

What do you think of the Coco boat ride coming to Disney California Adventure? Thoughts on it being set between the two films and being an original story? Excited that construction and demolition are already getting started? Think DCA will be able to preserve its parade route? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!