D23 Disneyland Paris 2026: Disappointment or future planning?
So… D23 has come and gone, and if you were following the Disneyland Paris rumours in the run-up to the event, you might be feeling a little disappointed.
The rumour mill was in full motion on the road to D23, autopia making way for a Star Wars expansion, Mandalorian and Grogu attraction, confirmation of the third land at Disney Adventure World and even a potential new hotel around Lake Disney.
But after weeks of rumours, what did Disney actually confirm for Disneyland Paris at D23?
Well… three official updates.
A brand-new daytime parade coming to Disneyland Paris in 2028, the return of Space Mountain – From the Earth to the Moon, and the first ever Scar Audio-Animatronic coming to The Lion King attraction.
What did Disneyland Paris fans think of D23?
Before we dive into the three announcements, we wanted to see how our readers actually felt about Disneyland Paris at D23. We asked our followers on social media: “Was D23 a disappointment for Disneyland Paris?” The results were pretty telling:| Response | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Huge disappointment | 25% |
| I expected more | 65% |
| Happy with the announcements | 10% |
Of those who responded, a huge 65% said they expected more, while another 25% called D23 a huge disappointment. Just 10% of our followers said they were happy with the announcements.
That’s quite a reaction, especially when you consider just how much speculation had built up before D23. With rumours ranging from a possible Star Wars expansion and The Mandalorian and Grogu attraction to a third land at Disney Adventure World and even a potential new hotel, expectations were always going to be difficult to meet.
That doesn’t mean the three announcements are bad news. A new daytime parade, the return of From the Earth to the Moon and Scar joining The Lion King attraction are all exciting updates in their own right.
But when you’re expecting major resort announcements, it’s understandable why some fans were left wanting more.
So today, we’re going through all three announcements in detail, looking at what they mean for Disneyland Paris, and asking whether these could actually be the first steps in a much bigger plan for the resort.
Disneyland Paris is getting a brand-new daytime parade
Let’s start with the announcement that, for us, was probably the most overdue.
Disneyland Park is finally getting a brand-new daytime parade in 2028.
And this isn’t simply a new version of Disney Stars on Parade.
The official update says this will be a brand-new parade created specifically for Disneyland Paris, and it will become a major part of the park’s daytime entertainment offering.
In fact, this will be the first new daytime parade introduced at Disneyland Park since 2017.
Compared to other Disney parks that is a pretty big gap.
We love Disney Stars on Parade, and it’s created some incredible memories over the years, but after nearly a decade, we think Disneyland Park is ready for something new.
And that’s exactly what we’re getting.
The new parade will be led by Mickey Mouse and his friends, and the overall theme will celebrate Disney magic and the power of dreams.
Disney is promising elegant, state-of-the-art new floats, and the images released give us an look at which characters will be part of the parade.
We’ve got Genie and Jasmine from Aladdin.
Tiana from The Princess and the Frog.
Rapunzel from Tangled.
And Miguel from Disney and Pixar’s Coco.
So you’ve got classic Disney characters alongside some of Disney’s newer favourites.
And there’s another important point.
This isn’t Disney taking an existing parade from another resort and dropping it into France.
Disneyland Paris says this parade is being created specifically for the resort.
And there has already been a huge amount of work put into it.
We’re talking more than 10,000 hours of research and technical development, as well as nearly 225 sketches for costumes, wigs and makeup.
Of course, there are still a lot of things we don’t know.
We don’t have the official parade name.
We don’t have an exact opening date in 2028.
We don’t know the full character line-up or all of the floats.
So if you see very specific information about the parade online right now, it’s worth remembering that not everything is official.
At the moment, 2028 is the confirmed timeframe.
And honestly, we’re okay with that.
Because a new Disneyland Paris parade is something we’ve been wanting for quite some time.
Space Mountain returning to original From Earth to the Moon Theme
Now let’s get to the announcement that, for many Disneyland Paris fans, could be the biggest one.
Because after years of asking… the Moon is coming back.
Disney has officially confirmed that Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain will be transformed back into Space Mountain – From the Earth to the Moon.
And this is much more than simply changing the name.
For anyone who remembers the original attraction, this is potentially a very exciting refurbishment.
It was inspired by Jules Verne’s From the Earth to the Moon, with that incredible retro-futuristic, steampunk vision of space travel that became such an important part of Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris.
The attraction later evolved into Space Mountain: Mission 2 in 2005, before becoming Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain in 2017.
But now, that Star Wars era is coming to an end.
Disney has confirmed that Hyperspace Mountain will close towards the end of 2027 for a refurbishment lasting several months, which will bring back the original Jules Verne story and the Moon.
And what’s particularly interesting is that Disney isn’t simply restoring the attraction exactly as it was in 1995.
The refurbishment will include technical upgrades, refreshed sets and props, an enhanced queue, new effects and scenic details — making use of more than 30 years of technological development.
Essentially, we’re getting the original story and aesthetic with a modern attraction underneath it.
And there is one detail that we think will make longtime fans particularly happy.
The original Steve Bramson score is coming back — fully remastered.
For anyone who remembers that soundtrack accompanying the launch into darkness, that is a pretty special detail.
The queue is also being redesigned, with guests once again able to watch the trains in motion as they make their way through the attraction.
And then there’s the launch.
Disney says the refurbishment will include special effects enhancing that famous blast sequence.
So while we shouldn’t expect a perfect recreation of 1995, it certainly sounds like Disney is trying to bring back what made the original experience so distinctive, while updating it for a modern audience.
And that’s what makes this announcement so interesting from a Disneyland Paris perspective.
Bringing the Moon back could help restore the cohesive Jules Verne identity that was originally intended for Discoveryland.
And after years of fans asking for the Moon to return, we suspect there are going to be a lot of very happy Disneyland Paris visitors when that Columbiad finally fires again.
But this also brings us back to one of the biggest Discoveryland rumours: a possible Star Wars expansion.
One obvious question was always what Disney would do with Hyperspace Mountain.
Well, now we have our answer.
The Star Wars overlay is going, and Space Mountain is returning to From the Earth to the Moon.
So does that mean the wider Discoveryland rumours had a touch of truth to them?
Could this be the first step in a much bigger transformation for this part of Disneyland Park?
For now, Disney isn’t saying.
But it’s certainly something we’ll be watching.
First ever Scar audio animatronic
And finally, let’s head over to Disney Adventure World, because The Lion King attraction is already one of the most anticipated projects at Disneyland Paris.
Construction began in autumn 2025, with the attraction being built on the shores of Adventure Bay, close to World of Frozen.
We’ve already known quite a lot about this attraction.
It’s a major water-based attraction taking guests into the world of the 1994 film The Lion King, featuring Audio-Animatronics, characters including Simba, Timon and Pumbaa, three major drops, and that impressive 16-metre descent from Pride Rock.
But D23 gave us something new.
Scar.
Disney has confirmed that the first ever Scar Audio-Animatronic will feature in the attraction, with the new concept art showing the villain during the climactic confrontation with Simba.
Scar is obviously a major part of the original story, so his inclusion gives Imagineering another opportunity to bring that drama into the attraction.
Disney is promising plenty of detail, with guests travelling beneath the 37-metre-high Pride Rock and through scenes inspired by the animated film.
There will be state-of-the-art visual effects, Audio-Animatronics and the original film’s much-loved soundtrack, alongside those three major drops.
And, of course, that 16-metre plunge.
We’ve already seen a test vehicle travelling down a section of test flume at the opposite side of Adventure Bay.
This allowed Imagineering to carry out real-world testing of the ride system and vehicle design, and the full-scale test structure has actually been visible for months.
So while D23 didn’t give us the opening date many fans were hoping for, we did get another glimpse at what’s taking shape behind the scenes.
And with construction progressing, testing already underway, and the first ever Scar Audio-Animatronic confirmed, The Lion King attraction is starting to feel very real.
WAS D23 A DISAPPOINTMENT FOR DISNEYLAND PARIS?
And this brings us back to the original question.
Was D23 a disappointment for Disneyland Paris?
If you went in expecting a new land, a major new attraction, a Star Wars expansion and a roadmap for the next decade, then yes — you probably came away disappointed.
The rumours had created some very high expectations.
But if we strip away the rumours and look at what Disney actually announced, there’s still plenty here.
We’re getting a brand-new Disneyland Paris-exclusive parade in 2028.
Space Mountain – De la Terre à la Lune is coming back.
And The Lion King attraction is looking increasingly ambitious, with Scar confirmed as part of the experience.
And perhaps the biggest lesson from D23 is simple:
Rumours are not announcements.
The Star Wars expansion didn’t happen.
There was no new land announcement, and no new Disneyland Park attraction.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean those ideas are gone.
They simply weren’t announced at D23 2026.
And that leaves us with a very interesting question:
What comes next?