Walt Disney Studios Park Expansion at Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is undertaking a billion dollar plus multi-year expansion featuring Marvel and Arendelle lands in Walt Disney Studios Park. Here are the Frozen and Tangled rides coming, plus what already opened in Avengers Campus. (Updated September 15, 2022.)
First, an update to these plans that were announced over 4 years ago. The good news is that Avengers Campus has finally opened, debuting about a year late in 2022. The bad news is that other aspects of the Walt Disney Studios Park expansion came to a screeching halt with the closure of Disneyland Paris and subsequent reopening.
While Disney has not released new high-level concept art, it’s a near certainty that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is no longer part of the expansion plans. Disneyland Paris has not mentioned it in over 3 years, and it was rumored to be on hold even pre-closure. Both Star Wars lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World are believed to be disappointments by Disney, so it’s unlikely the company would build a third, scaled back version of the land.
With that said, here’s a look at what the new development will entail. The expansion will by highlighted a transformation of the Walt Disney Studios Park, adding new areas based on Marvel, Frozen, and IP Gardens. These areas will feature multiple new attractions and live entertainment experiences.
The multi-year development of Walt Disney Studios Park will roll out in phases beginning in 2022 with the aforementioned Avengers Campus (now open!), while significantly expanding the park’s footprint. In addition to the three new areas, the creative vision includes a new lake, which will be the focal point for entertainment and will also connect each of the new park areas.
The most recent updates to the Walt Disney Studios Park expansion plans comes via the D23 Expo held in mid-September 2022.
During the parks presentation, Chairman Josh D’Amaro shared on a whole new area that will connect the current Walt Disney Studios Park to its extension and offer opportunities for Guests to stroll, relax and discover new experiences.
This area will feature a stunning lake and a promenade of unique gardens, each designed around favorite Disney stories. Guests will also enjoy strolling through an elegant English Garden inspired by beloved characters.
The Tangled Garden for example, will feature a new attraction for the whole family to enjoy, even the little ones. The attraction will be a spinner type, similar to Mad Tea Party, but with wooden boats instead of teacups (obviously). The ride is expected to take place during the “I See the Light” musical number in Tangled, with lanterns hanging from the ceiling. It will likely offer paid Premier Access in addition to a standby line.
Nearby, Toy Story Land will get a new entrance and feature enhancements including figures found in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
With its larger-than-life characters and playful landscaping, the Toy Story Garden will transport guests in the world of Woody and Jessie and their pals, while offering a new way to join the fun of Toy Story Playland nearby.
Amidst this daydreaming atmosphere, the picturesque promenade will also include a table-service restaurant where guests will be able to enjoy breathtaking panoramic views across the lake and encounters with Disney characters.
This elegant table-service restaurant comprising 250 seats on the lakefront. With its Art Nouveau design, the restaurant will offer breathtaking panoramic views across the lake along with special meet-and-greet opportunities with characters.
Construction is continuing on the lake itself and the new Frozen-themed area that will welcome Disneyland Paris guests in the near future. Imagineers from around the world are already working together to immerse fans of all ages in the Kingdom of Arendelle like never before.
The Kingdom of Arendelle will be home to a new Frozen attraction that will take guests on an unforgettable journey alongside Elsa and Anna, dining and shopping experiences and will also offer the opportunity to have a magical audience with the royal sisters themselves.
While Disney states that the expansion is “one of the most ambitious development projects at Disneyland Paris since its opening in 1992” it is actually the biggest. This is a significantly larger investment than the original construction of Walt Disney Studios Park.
The expansion follows in the footsteps of Disney California Adventure 2.0 as “reimagining” projects that cost more than their respective park’s initial construction. The press release also talks up Disney’s growth in Europe and underscores the Company’s commitment to the long-term success of the resort, but none of that is really germane here, so we’ll cut to the chase.
This is huge news. This is exactly what the much-maligned park–so bad that after our first visit, we posed the question, Is Walt Disney Studios Park a ‘Disney’ Park?—has needed since it opened. By far the worst Disney theme park (if you want to even call it that) even after the Ratatouille mini-land opened, Walt Disney Studios Park is finally receiving an expansion that isn’t a half-measure. Marvel, Frozen, Tangled, and the Gardens will change this park for the better.
What the press release fails to say–but what’s apparent from the concept art–is that the Studio Tram Tour (and all of Hollywood Boulevard as we know it, except for Tower of Terror) will be departing, as will the entire Backlot, which includes Armageddon — Les Effets Speciaux, Restaurant des Stars, Lights Moteurs Action, and Blockbuster Café. To all of these things, we say: GOOD RIDDANCE.
What’s also not mentioned in the press release, but visible in the concept art, is an expansion to Toy Story Land with Alien Swirling Saucers (or so it appears). There also appear to be other changes in the front of the park, but it’s tough to tell whether those are intentional or artistic liberty with the concept art.
I can’t think of a single negative thing to say about this announcement. Usually, I have some degree of reservations about costly expansion projects. In this case, I think this is exactly what Walt Disney Studios Park needs. It injects three intellectual properties into the park that are popular in Europe, and will be a compelling draw for Disneyland Paris as it attempts to solidify itself as a vacation destination (to fill all those hotel rooms!).
If the concept art is any indication, the expansion leaves untouched the parts of the Walt Disney Studios Park that work well, features some desperately-needed placemaking, and adds three cool new themed lands. It also adds water, which is great because one of my chief complaints about WDSP in the past was that it felt like a bunch of rides plopped onto a Wal-Mart parking lot. It’s currently an ugly mess of concrete.
It will be interesting to see the scope of each area, which the press release stops short of calling “lands.” While $2.5 billion is a ton of money, we wonder whether that’s enough for the place-making, lake plus nighttime entertainment infrastructure, Marvel additions, Frozen additions, Toy Story Land additions(?), and more.
The only concrete detail we have about what attractions this expansion will include is that Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will be totally reimagined as a high-speed Marvel coaster: a hyper-kinetic adventure where guests will team up with Iron Man and their favorite Avengers.
I do hope that a future phase of the project does away with the soundstage at the entrance to the park, but remodeling the interior might be a suitable alternative. Exiting that soundstage might offer an interesting reveal of the new lake, so I’m not even sure the soundstage should go.
All in all, I’m really pleased with this announcement. Very happy that Walt Disney Studios Park is receiving the attention it has needed since opening. This should reinvent the park, and help Disneyland Paris finally come into its own as a resort destination.
It’s also really big from another perspective: it leaves Parc Disneyland alone for the most part. In the past, we’ve discussed how the castle park has benefited from the resort’s financial woes, which has left its ambitious original design relatively untouched and free from the half-baked efforts at synergy that have plagued other castle parks around the globe.
The good news now as the fortunes of Disneyland Paris begin to improve is that the park in much more urgent need of improvement is the Walt Disney Studios Park, which grants Parc Disneyland a further reprieve from attempts at injecting thematically ill-fitting intellectual property and other concepts. (Intellectual property that is much better suited for WDSP, anyway.)
To be sure, Parc Disneyland is in need of expansion and a couple of new attractions to bolster its lineup and provide fresh things to do. However, the park is beautifully–and thoughtfully–designed, and is a veritable feast for fans of Imagineering’s famed attention to detail and brilliant thematic design. Any additions should be carefully integrated into that exceptional original design, and none of these projects slated for Walt Disney Studios Park would’ve fit the bill in that regard.
In the meantime, Parc Disneyland will have to make do with refurbishments and upgrades of existing attractions (such as the current enhancements to Phantom Manor), new seasonal entertainment, and celebrations. All of these can be implemented on a relatively quick turn-around time, and have proven to be quite viable strategies. We’ve very much enjoyed Disneyland Paris’ entertainment offerings over the years, and actually regret missing the Christmas entertainment last year, which looked exceptional.
As you can probably guess, we’re absolutely elated by this news. We’ve loved Disneyland Paris since our first visit, and feel that the resort is unfairly criticized by international Disney fans who experience culture shock or are otherwise biased against Disney’s French offerings. This expansion should instantly give birth to a new generation of Disney fans in Europe, and force some stateside fans to give Disneyland Paris a second (fairer) take.
For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Find the best place to stay in Disneyland Paris Hotel Reviews. Check out 101 Disneyland Paris Tips for some (101, to be exact) of our best random tips for doing DLP like a pro. See Disney Park Tickets Tips & Tricks for ways to save on tickets. 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. Finally, for advice beyond Disney, check out our Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris, France.
YOUR THOUGHTS…
What are your thoughts on this huge WDSP expansion? Are you looking forward to visiting Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios Park once this is finished, or would you rather stick to other Disney Parks? Anything with which you disagree in this post? Any questions? Hearing your feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts or questions below in the comments!
I’m always amazed at how Disney can say they have no money for things like replacing or repairing an aged fleet of monorails or to pay their cast members a living wage, but can drop seemingly unlimited amounts of cash to upgrade a park.
Time did an article a few years ago about the poverty many cat members live in, and recently the cast members picketed for higher pay. None of that makes the news, because as Disney fans, we are so easily distracted by the pop bang of a new park or attraction. All the while turning a morally blind eye to the needs of those who create the magic.
It says a lot about the Disney, and it’s fans.
From last week: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-dreier-flaming-disneyland-employee-survey-20180228-story.html
There was extensive conversation about this on social media.
And was any of that conversation constructive in any way? I posted this article to a small Disney-centric board and it got exactly zero comments. Conversely, as soon as a question about “what restaurant?” or “where do I park?” is posted to the same forum, it gets 30 comments immediately from the “experts.” I inferred from that that Disney superfans don’t want to actually confront reality in any way, even when discussing the workings of the park itself. Rich’s “morally blind eye” sums it up well. God forbid we discuss anything about Disney that isn’t “magical.” I’d love for you to address this topic in some way, Tom, if you see value in it.
On Twitter, it was constructive, but some parts of it were also a bit heated (likely because the topic intersects with politics). I think the tone of the conversation really depends upon where it’s discussed. If it’s a Facebook group or message board that deals primarily with trip planning and never delves into the ‘reality’ of Disney or its business units, I could see it not going over there. A lot of those people don’t like to view Disney in real terms.
I think I will include it in our next Disney news round-up. Thanks for the suggestion.
I”m really excited about this expansion.
My son is 8 and finds Disney a bit girly but with the addition of Star Wars and Marvel, I really feel like it will bring a special meaning to him and something he will really enjoy for many years to come.
Is there any idea if / when rides are closed? I’ll be in Paris at the end of April / early May and was thinking of a day trip to Disney Paris
So, so pleased with this news, and the way it has been delivered (no leaks, and done with plenty of aplomb- very unusual for DLP). More money being put into it than was originally invested when they built the Studios, and, as you say, successfully keeping the IPs out of the Disneyland Park. Personally, the most exciting part for me is the lake, and the potential for new shows/parades.
Cannot wait to see how this all develops, suspect it’ll make the Studios a no-go area for the next 3 or 4 years, but that won’t be much of a hardship for everything we will gain.
Now, in the wonderful world of never being 100% satisfied, please can we also do something with the Village?
I find it interesting that the entry to soundstage at the entrance has a different shape than what it currently is. Do you think that this is creative liberty form the artist? Or will they actually make some change happen?
This is so needed but I really wish they’d get rid of the mall food court you walk through to get into the park and make it like Orlando’s entry street.
Also, hopefully they’ll put a World of Color type of show on that lake. It would be really cool if they could freeze the fountains when it gets cold enough and project films/lights on ice.
Also, also, a fun, family-friendly roller coaster would be great in that mountain.
I’m not quite sure if your happy or not Tom please elaborate on that so we all will know
Is it terrible that I’m imagining the Studio Tour vehicles driving into a gigantic dumpster a la How the Grinch Stole Christmas?
So happy they are finally getting a long overdue re-imagining!
Does this mean Star Wars will leave Discoveryland so it can go back to its Jules Verne aesthetic? I assumed Hyperspace Mountain was not permanent, considering its kept all of its Columbiad trimmings. This is great news for WDSP, but eventually I’d like Discoveryland to get a bit more love.
Sorry for that tone of negatively, it seems theres always something to complain about 🙂 Really though this is fantastic news for WDSP, I look forward to seeing how it is realised. Small worlds like Star Wars and Frozen could work really nicely with the Paris and Toy Story sections: more like an imaginary World Showcase than proper lands in terms of size.
Ciao Tom,
I think this is exactly what this park needs, and it will be more successful & entertaining to go visit. The lake idea is especially nice to have a bit of water in that park, especially over the summer/early Fall as it tends to be pretty warm.
Thanks for the great write up, I’ll be looking forward to my next visit to DP in 2021.
Grazie~ Ella in Italy
Short & Simple. Poo Poo on France, We need a fifth gate in DisneyWorld!!!
Yes, yes, yes! I completely agree with all your points – diverse, interesting content (and priority IPs) in the park that’s most desperately needed *anything.* A brand new water feature as well? Someone gets it!
Tom, this wasn’t mentioned in your article but do you think the completion of this expansion is timed to coincide with the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024? Not only in terms of the crush of visitors that Paris will expect, but also the incredible marketing/publicity opportunities as Paris be front and center on the world’s stage.
Also, maybe this warrants its own topic but I wonder who has Disney ties on the IOC given that the next three summer Olympics are all in cities with multiple Disney theme parks (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024, Los Angeles 2028). If you’re an Olympics fan and a Disney parks fan, the next decade will be a fun time to be alive.
“Tom, this wasn’t mentioned in your article but do you think the completion of this expansion is timed to coincide with the Paris Summer Olympics in 2024?”
Without a doubt. We’re seeing the same thing play out with Beauty and the Beast in Tokyo Disneyland, and I suspect Anaheim will get on the bandwagon, too.
Finally, a major parks plan under Iger I can actually fully support! Shocking.
But I agree with it for all of the reasons you listed and then some. The decision to throw Marvel and Star Wars in the same park instead of forcing them in parks they don’t belong (see: DL and DCA) is a good one. A very good one. And instead of destroying classic attractions like ToT, everything leaving are things that no one will miss.
I have been visiting the resort for almost 15 years regularly. It is the ONLY Disney resort outside of Tokyo that gets better every time I am there.
I am curious what’ll happen with Tower of Terror from a thematic perspective now. In the concept art, it’s sort of an “island” crammed between Marvel and the main thoroughfare. However, there’s also a ton of green space behind it (currently, the Studio Tram Tour). Since that’s unlikely to actually be a bunch of trees, what will it be? A bit of Hollywood? A condensed tram tour? Still TBD?
I haven’t been visiting DLP for nearly as long as you, but the resort has definitely improved during the time I’ve been going. I have a hard time believing that it’s been nothing but forward progress for the last 15 years, but I agree with the general sentiment that its future is bright.
There are rumors, from people I trust that another attraction is coming to Studios in that area. There also was no talk about a new attraction for Parc Disneyland (Fantasyland, not Adventureland), even though a major one is coming. Same for major redevelopment of Disney Village, which certainly needs it. And while HKDL attractions for Frozen and Avengers are being replicated here, SW won’t be a clone of the USA with only the headliner attraction coming and possibly a minor one.
I do agree that my enthusiasm might have been a bit much (but when have I had reason for it under Iger’s alleged leadership?) I would rephrase that things were better annually from 2005-2009, then I didn’t visit until 2012 and things were at their absolute nadir. It seemed like all their 20th anniversary $$$ went into creating and staging Disney Dreams and it was sorta depressing. Since then every visit (and there have been plenty) has shown improvements across the board. Of course, bleeding the resort dry so they could gain control has been Disney’s plan since Iger took over.
Really? Better and better. We’ve only been 5 times but not since 2012 but we stopped going because it was sooo poor. The food used to be simply amazing both in and out of the parks — now its horrendously inedible in the parks and barely acceptable in the hotels. They’ve culled all the live shows and the parades have literally been halved. Floats are now shared instead of one each and there’s half the dancers. I certainly hope all this has changed to get such reviews. We’ll give it another go if this is the case. Really looking forward to the expansions – great news.
PS: Loving the pics of the pets on Twitter!
Thank you so much for this update! Including the larger image rendering of what is to come! As a previous commenter indicates: this really is HUGE – and is a definite reason to consider a return to this resort. While the culture shock was not an issue for me, I suspect my expectations of this resort were set too high originally due to all the hype. That said, these additions – just to see the before and after in person! – would be reason enough to return to DLRP. Agree whole-heartedly on your assessment that this park seemed more a Wal-Mart parking lot with rides than a Disney theme park. The lake is super smart, as is placement of the IPs. Thanks again for the headlines today – look forward to your reviews as they happen, before any decisions to head back!
Wow- this is HUGE!!! In regards to them possibly scaling back the Star Wars land to save on costs- since this will be the 3rd Star Wars land they have built they should not have to do that. It’s like how home builders use the same house plans over and over- the hard part is done the first time with all of the intricate planning. Building it a 2nd or 3rd time is easier 🙂
I realize the R&D will already be done, but there are components to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge that are just flat-out expensive. The higher labor cost in France would also eat up a lot of the savings on R&D.
Also keep in mind that included in this $2.5 billion expansion is two top-to-bottom hotel redos, and also some likely yet-unannounced projects.
I agree with your assessment regarding Parc Disneyland. One of the (many) reasons it is my favorite castle park is the fact that it’s the only “pure” Disneyland that still only has the five original lands, allowing each of them to be big and immersive. This is how it should remain. Instead of adding any new lands, future additions should focus on developing the expansion pads in each land.
Also, this announcement has solidified my conviction that Iger is the anti-Eisner. I understand some fans’ annoyance with his insistence on using IP’s for everything, but overall, Iger’s leadership has been great for Disney theme parks. I think everything the parks have built in his watch has been better than most of the things built in the Eisner era after Euro Disney.
Great news!! WDSP really needs some rejuvenation, and I’m glad that it’s going to leave ToT alone. RnR is a ride I enjoy, but I’ll be happy to see what will come in it’s place too.
Interesting that they’re choosing to place Star Wars “land” in WDSP, I wonder what that’ll mean for Star Tours in Discoveryland…
Wow, that is great news. My only trepidation would be that 2021 is a long time away and Disney has a habit of changing plans.
I agree that the whole backlot area is horrible and this sounds like a welcome change. If RnRC is getting a Marvel makeover, I wonder if the Tower of Terror would also get a makeover. In this case, I wouldn’t mind too much as the current tower, particularly the queue, is a sad imitation of Florida’s, IMO.
“My only trepidation would be that 2021 is a long time away and Disney has a habit of changing plans.”
If it’s any solace, Disney California Adventure’s redo actually went over budget, and the incredible success of that project paved the way for this one.
Disney badly needs WDSP to be a full-day (or more) draw. That is the best strategy for selling nights in the surplus of hotel rooms they have in France, so I see them going big on this plan and doing it right.
I am so excited by this news. WDSP really is (was?) the worst Disney park, far behind HKD (which would’ve been the next-worst contender). I do wonder how much of that artist’s rendering takes creative liberties with the actual blueprint for the expansion – there seems to be a LOT of empty, green space (behind Hollywood Tower in particular). I get that some of it may be necessary to physically separate out new “lands” like Galaxy’s Edge or Arendelle, but surely not that much? Right now it seems the new areas are a long walk to the far side of the lake through a barren landscape. I have to disagree that NONE of the new areas could’ve fit into Parc Disneyland; surely Arendelle could’ve been added as an enclave of Fantasyland without disrupting the overall environment. (And that would’ve spread the love a bit by giving the original park a couple of much-needed new offerings, too – assuming that Arendelle has both a ride and a show; I can’t see them having two rides.)
” I have to disagree that NONE of the new areas could’ve fit into Parc Disneyland; surely Arendelle could’ve been added as an enclave of Fantasyland without disrupting the overall environment.”
You’re absolutely right about this. I do think Frozen gives this expansion a nice balance, so I like it in WDSP.
I also hope it opens the door to Beauty and the Beast being added to the expansion pad in Fantasyland down the road, which I personally find to be a better property for Parc Disneyland. (But that’s probably just personal bias/preference.)