Is It Time for Tomorrowland’s Reimagining?

Now is the best time (sing it with me) for Walt Disney World to reimagine Tomorrowland, and there’s reason to believe updates might finally be on the horizon starting in 2026. There are several attractions that are well past their prime, and other projects Imagineering is currently working on in Magic Kingdom and beyond suggest that they’re laying the foundation for redevelopment of Tomorrowland.

This is not a new problem nor is it unique to Walt Disney World. The Tomorrowland problem is well-documented, and we actually feel a little guilty about advocating for an overhaul of Tomorrowland at Walt Disney World even as Disneyland’s version clearly needs it more. But who knows, maybe those construction walls that have been up for over 5 years around the entrance in Disneyland will finally bear fruit sometime before 2055.

This isn’t to say Magic Kingdom’s vision of the future is the envy of theme park fans the world over. There’s a reason why our list of the Top 10 Ride Reimaginings Needed at Walt Disney World is dominated by Tomorrowland attractions. The difference is that this post is no longer a wish list. Rather, it appears that Walt Disney Imagineering is on the precipice of fixing Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom. Or at least improving it considerably. So the titular question really is more about wondering whether the stars have aligned and the time has finally come…

When we first discussed this possibility of an overhaul, it appeared that Imagineering was teeing up a transformation of Tomorrowland as part of the 10-year plan in the early 2030s once the current 5-year plan involving Cars and Villains Land is finished. For the reasons discussed below, it seemed probable that those and other projects would facilitate a Tomorrowland overhaul.

Now it’s looking increasingly likely that Imagineering takes a piecemeal approach, and will start to reimagine Tomorrowland before then, with smaller-scale off-year projects undertaken to give guests a reason to visit between now and the 2030s when the Magic Kingdom expansion is finally finished.

With that in mind, here’s a list of Tomorrowland projects that could announced at the 2025 Destination D23 or 2026 D23 Expo…

Stitch’s Great Reentrance

Disney’s live-action “Lilo & Stitch” remake is riding a box office wave to $772 million in worldwide ticket sales, ranking as the second-biggest Hollywood release of 2025 through only its first three weekends. And Stitch is showing strong legs, putting it on a trajectory to become the year’s top-earning movie and first $1 billion release before the month is over.

Explaining the strong performance for “Lilo & Stitch” and its likelihood of breaking the billion-dollar barrier is its word of mouth and an exceptional response from moviegoers. The film holds a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” CinemaScore. Stitch has a multi-generational fanbase, seeing a resurgence with younger generations and staying power with millennials.

This is another example of the power of Stitch, one of Disney’s most beloved characters and biggest brands according to the company. Beyond the fun marketing campaign, Disney has been touting the popularity of Stitch and the quality of the animated film from 2002 that has created a real fandom–and is likely already looking at ways to build on this ASAP, just as they did back in 2002. Because the reasons for the remake’s popularity would also explain why an attraction reboot would succeed.

Enter Stitch’s Great Reentrance, which could be another 2026 project announced at the upcoming Destination D23. Now for something controversial: Stitch’s Great Escape was underrated. This isn’t me playing revisionist history, only missing attractions once they’re extinct. I felt Stitch’s Great Escape was underrated even during its existence.

Underrated is a relative term. So this is not to say that Stitch’s Great Escape was good (it definitely wasn’t!), but that it was not as bad as some fans made it out to be. Many called it the worst attraction in Walt Disney World, which was simply too harsh. Like so many fans my age who grew up on Walt Disney World, I had a hard time forgiving Stitch’s Great Escape for its original sin of replacing the far superior Alien Encounter. But I nevertheless thought there were nuggets of good ideas in Stitch’s Great Escape, and “good bones” on the attraction.

Stitch’s Great Escape had a solid pre-show set-up and the Audio Animatronics figure of the character was one of the best created by Walt Disney Imagineering. It’s still pretty fantastic, and alone could come close to carrying a show. More than anything else, the problem is the writing, and Stitch’s Great Escape being a product of its time. It tried to be edgy and angsty, and that came across as crude and cynical. It was off-putting.

It was almost as if the show writers had never seen “Lilo & Stitch,” or maybe watched only the first ~30 minutes and said “we get the idea.” Stitch’s appeal is that he’s a lovable misfit with a big heart, and while his hijinks are part of the appeal, it’s his warmer side that resonates. The good news is that the cheapest thing to fix in an attraction that doesn’t “work” is its script.

Imagineering could write circles around the old Stitch’s Great Escape, and inject fresh life into this attraction in a similar way to what was done with Country Bear Musical Jamboree and the Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. While a wholly new attraction in this space would be optimal, a quick reimagining utilizing existing assets is the most efficient option.

Stitch’s Great Escape 2.0 wouldn’t be a world-class attraction, but it could at least realize some of its potential and be quality midday filler. It’s certainly better than the status quo of using this space as a storage and break room. Walt Disney World needs some “singles and doubles” before all of the big expansion comes online, and this would be a huge win on that front–breathing new life into existing space and restoring lost capacity to Magic Kingdom. And it could theoretically debut in 2026 even if announced at Destination D23!

Space Mountain

There are rumors that Space Mountain is next up for a track replacement in 2026 after Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens. To be transparent, I have not heard these rumors from any credible sources. But with the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin reimagining now official, it’s entirely plausible that Space Mountain could be next up in a phased overhaul of Tomorrowland.

Magic Kingdom has several medium-term projects to be accomplished before 2030. Re-tracking of Space Mountain could be among them. The reasons for this should be pretty straightforward to anyone who has ridden Space Mountain in the last decade or two.

Space Mountain was once slated for a total overhaul in 2009, but that instead ended up being a multi-month project that involved TLC but was mostly cosmetic and thematic in nature. Over 15 years later, it’s safe to assume the ride needs a re-tracking more now than it does then. From what I understand, roller coasters don’t age like wine.

Personally, I’m still skeptical that Space Mountain will be next up in 2026. But I do think a re-tracking is inevitable at some point in the next decade, and it will occur as opposed to a demolition and rebuild a la Tokyo Disneyland. There simply isn’t enough space backstage for that, and it’s hard to fathom Walt Disney World wanting to spend that amount of money.

It really becomes a question of when, not if, and making this a fully-fledged reimagining–as opposed to just a re-tracking–to tie into a bigger picture Tomorrowland overhaul makes sense. When paired with the aforementioned Stitch’s Great Escape and Buzz below, this could be for a trifecta of Tomorrowland announcements at the 2025 Destination D23.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

This one has already been officially announced, so technically, we’ll hear new details about this project at the 2025 Destination D23, which will be held mere weeks after the ride closes for its lengthy overhaul. (See Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will close for reimagining starting in Fall 2025 and reopen sometime in 2026.)

What we know so far is that Imagineers are taking the bones of Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin and modernizing the attraction with improved gameplay, new handheld blasters, updated ride vehicles, and a variety of enhancements including a new show scene and Audio Animatronics character.

I love the idea of this attraction as a shooter ride that uses physical show scenes to make it engaging for guests who want to enjoy the attraction passively. Some of the staging, props, and Audio Animatronics are really cool. The interactivity is fun, and Walt Disney World could use more attractions like this. These updates will breathe new life into Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, potentially making it the best incarnation of the ‘blasters’ ride in the world.

When previously discussing a potential reimagining to this attraction, we pointed out that Tokyo Disneyland closed its newer, better, and meticulously-maintained version of Astro Blasters. Some of its assets could be shipped to Walt Disney World and reused–there’s likely a treasure trove of props and figures that could enhance the Magic Kingdom version.

Tomorrowland Speedway

Disney announced a new Cars area in Magic Kingdom that will replace the Rivers of America, resulting in permanent closures of Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat. This still might seem unrelated to Tomorrowland. It’s not.

There are a couple of fairly major connections. The Piston Peak area will feature two rides, both of which (shockingly) focus on Cars. One is a rally race that puts guests behind the wheel (sort of) in a vehicle that simulates the excitement of driving on diverse terrain.

We’ve called this Tomorrowland Speedway on steroids–think of it as iterating on that attraction in a somewhat similar way to what Avatar Flight of Passage does with Soarin. The difference is that both of those attractions are newer, more popular, and in different parks. There was no desire for one to replace the other.

By contrast, Tomorrowland Speedway sits on a large and valuable plot of real estate in a park that Disney would very much like to grow without building beyond the berm. Freeing up that space would be hugely beneficial, allowing for expansion of Tomorrowland or Fantasyland.

This would be similar to how the closure of the Grand Circuit Raceway at Tokyo Disneyland paved the way for Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast, The Happy Ride with Baymax, and more. There’s not enough room for all of that due to TRON, but there is enough space for a consequential attraction.

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Disney has also announced the Monsters, Inc. Doors Coaster and Monstropolis finally coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In addition that coaster, there will also be a new show in Monstro Theater, which is shown in the concept art as taking over the space that formerly housed MuppetVision 3D.

With that, the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Tomorrowland becomes redundant. It’s not completely clear whether Laugh Floor is going to be relocated to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but we doubt it. Even in the absence of this Monstropolis expansion, Laugh Floor is showing its age and would probably be due for replacement in the next 5 years.

Regardless, Walt Disney World doesn’t need two separate Monsters, Inc. shows in two separate parks. Monstropolis is another medium-term move on the board that frees up space in an overhaul of Tomorrowland.

Carousel of Progress & PeopleMover

Within the last few years, Carousel of Progress and the TTA PeopleMover received minor updates to freshen them up. These weren’t blockbuster changes, but were incremental upgrades that were also clearly passion projects that demonstrated there are Imagineers working on to improve Tomorrowland who “get it” and care.

Personally, I have mixed feelings about more ambitious updates to both Carousel of Progress and the PeopleMover. If someone else made this list, both might be at the top of it. And I’m not suggesting that they don’t have room for improvement–they absolutely do! I’d love to see new vignettes along the TTA, and I personally wouldn’t mind a ‘new’ version of Carousel of Progress that presents the attraction as a historic presentation of how the future was envisioned in the last century, as opposed to the fool’s errand of trying to keep in current.

At the same time, I also have a “be careful what you wish for” voice at the back of my head, wondering if it’s better that Disney leaves both well enough alone at this point. There isn’t as much downside risk to the PeopleMover, but I fear a fully-funded Carousel of Progress overhaul could fundamentally alter the attraction, giving it a needless IP integration to spice things up (similar to the abandoned Spaceship Earth: Our Shared Story). Maybe this is where Stitch actually ends up, with the mischief-maker added to that ‘ohana. He wouldn’t be so loveable if that happened.

Tomorrowland ’55

Tomorrowland no longer has a distinct visual identity. There are remnants of the Space Age flourishes and Googie architecture of the original Tomorrowland in the core structures, some of which have been brought back to the fore during recent streamlining. There’s still a melange of Streamline Moderne, Factory Pomo and industrial design, which is what’s being peeled back. There’s also a hodgepodge of various other stuff thanks to additions and partial removals.

There’s also TRON Lightcycle Power Run with its swooping organic design and biomimicry features. This style of architecture is unlike anything currently existing in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland, which makes sense given that the ride was cloned from Shanghai Disneyland, where it fits alongside that park’s unique Tomorrowland and city itself. Walt Disney World is not going to make the rest of Tomorrowland resemble TRON, so there’s always going to be a degree of discord. That’s perfectly fine.

The best case scenario is probably further stripping away the hodgepodge to reveal the mid-century or streamline style underneath and adding new thematic elements reminiscent of Googie or Space Age design. That’s not the same as the organic design of TRON Lightcycle Power Run, but both share ultramodern bloodlines.

Personally, I think that would work. Googie is difficult to define, but I think it’s at least adjacent to both the swooping lines of the PeopleMover track and the canopy of TRON Lightcycle Run. Things like the Palms of Tomorrow are probably post-modern, but also can coexist peacefully alongside the biomimicry of TRON. There are kernels of ideas and thematic elements that can exist in harmony, and there’s nothing wrong with blending styles–not like any futuristic cities have a singular architectural identity.

I also wouldn’t mind Walt Disney World fully leaning into nostalgia and restoring the original entrance to Tomorrowland. There’s a reason this is the only thing Tokyo Disneyland isn’t touching in its Tomorrowland, and why Disneyland announced a reimagined entrance that evokes this look. Because it holds up.

My personal wish list aside, all eyes should be on what happens during the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin reimagining. The attraction will almost certainly get a new facade and marquee–the existing exterior looks like it was thrown up as part of an overnight overlay, Spirit Halloween style. It was a product of the time and Imagineering could do so much better today, which would further improve the look of Tomorrowland. I don’t doubt it’ll be better, I’m more curious about what style it’ll be in. Because that will likely set the tone for the projects to come, and we’ll see similar styles used on inevitable projects around the Avenue of the Planets.

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Your Thoughts

What do you think about Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom? Think the land will be overhauled in the 2030s given the future redundancy of Tomorrowland Speedway and Monsters Laugh Floor? Or do you think we could get a Tomorrowland trifecta in 2026 with Space Mountain and Stitch’s Great Escape joining the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin reimagining? Do you agree or disagree with my assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? 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!