Summary

Disneyland will replace the Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! With Avatar Land.
The construction for Avatar Land in Disney California Adventure Park will begin in fall 2026.
Disney's Avatar Land opening date hasn't been disclosed yet.

Disneyland has finally revealed the location of the upcoming Avatar Land at the Disney California Adventure Park, so fans should prepare to bid farewell to a fairly popular dark ride soon. The new Avatar experience was announced in August 2024. It will serve as a counterpart to Pandora: The World of Avatar in Disney's Animal Kingdom, which opened in 2017.

Given the great reception of the second Avatar movie in 2022, and the success of the Pandora area, it was expected that Disney would invest in more Avatar-themed attractions. When CEO Bob Iger announced the new Avatar Land, few details were released, but Iger said that he was very confident about the expansion. He added that Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products revenues had increased by 21% in the previous quarter (at the time), with Disneyland, Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line performing "particularly well."

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According to Scott Gustin on Twitter, it has now been revealed that a portion of the Hollywood Backlot area will be transformed into the Avatar Land, and Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue! Will cease operations in early 2026 to make way for the new area. Construction is slated to begin in fall 2026, and additional information will be announced at a later date. The new area will be based on the latest movie, Avatar: The Way of Water.

When Will Avatar Land Open in Disneyland?

Disney hasn't yet shared an opening year nor an opening date for the new experience since Avatar Land is still in its early stages. This one seems like a complex expansion that will require a lot of time before it is finally ready. Furthermore, Disneyland Resort is also working on other expansions now, such as the Avengers Campus expansion, which should be ready before Avatar Land.

At Disney Experiences, Imagineers dream, create, design and build these stories into real places. And we have Imagineers in place right now all around the world because everything we’re going to share with you is in active development. Plans are drawn. Dirt is moving. I just want to be clear about this: We are doing everything you’re going to hear tonight.

— Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro at D23 Expo

Disney previously released artwork previewing its vision for Avatar Land, including concept designs for rides, and they look stunning and promising. Until more information is revealed, these are the only available references to what visitors can expect from this new area. Perhaps more will be announced at Destination D23 in August 2025, as fans are excited to learn more about this expansion.

There has been a lot of great news for Disney Parks fans. Many special experiences, merch, and food, are coming this year to celebrate Disneyland's 70th anniversary; a brand-new park will be built in Abu Dhabi; Magic Kingdom will get an amazing Cars expansion in a few years, and much more is coming to please all kinds of visitors.

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PG-13

Science Fiction

Adventure

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Release Date: December 16, 2022
Runtime: 192 minutes
Director: James Cameron
Writers: Amanda Silver, James Cameron, Josh Friedman, Rick Jaffa, Shane Salerno
Producers: Jon Landau
Prequel(s): Avatar
Sequel(s): Avatar: Fire and Ash