What is coming to Disney in 2023?

Sunday, October 9, 2022 - 03:35

Though 2022 was an exciting year at Walt Disney World, with the 50th-anniversary celebrations in full swing and the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT, it looks like 2023 is going to be even bigger at the resort, with some very exciting new attractions getting ready to make their debut next year. As always, timelines are subject to change, but as of right now, these are all of the new additions that Disney fans should be able to check out in 2023:

1: TRON Lightcycle / Run 

Park: Magic Kingdom

Expected opening range: Spring 2023

It's hard to believe that TRON Lightcycle / Run has been under construction for over five years now, and while the attraction seems like it is close to being finished (it has been testing over the past few weeks during park hours at the Magic Kingdom), Disney surprised fans several weeks ago at the D23 Expo by announcing that this attraction would not be coming online until Spring 2023.

TRON / Lightcycle Run will be the first big attraction opening of the year, and there has been some speculation that Disney is holding back the opening of this attraction to get guests excited about visiting the resort early next year. While there's no way to know if that's true or not, it is still very exciting to finally have confirmation that this long-in-development new ride will be completed early next year. 

When the ride is ready to go, guests can look forward to climbing aboard their very own Lightcycle and racing against the Grid’s most menacing Programs, crossing through energy gates as well as thrilling twists and turns. The attraction will also have the distinction of being the fastest at Walt Disney World when it opens, reaching a top speed of 60 MPH. 

2. Journey of Water - Inspired by Moana

Park: EPCOT

Expected opening range: Late 2023

Disney announced in 2019 that the first-ever attraction based on the Walt Disney Animation Studios hit film Moana would be coming to EPCOT. Named Journey of Water - Inspired by Moana, this new walkthrough attraction will let guests interact with magical, living water in a beautiful and inspiring setting that includes fountains, waterfalls, and more. Though characters and iconography from the Moana film will feature heavily in the attraction, the focus will be on education, making this a natural addition to a park that was initially conceived to make learning accessible and fun.  

Work on this exciting new attraction is ongoing, and even though much of the progress on this upcoming area is hidden behind the park's many construction walls, it was confirmed during the recent D23 Expo that this attraction will officially be ready for guests to experience at EPCOT before the end of the year in late 2023. 

Managing editor of Theme Park Tourist and dark ride enthusiast. Amanda is a lifelong theme parks fan who lives just outside Orlando. When she’s not booking FastPass+ reservations, standing in a queue or eating the latest specialty cupcake, you can find her watching a Marvel movie, reading a book (probably by Neil Gaiman) or singing along to showtunes in her car.  Contact: [email protected]

Sign Up For Your Free Account

About Theme Park Tourist

Theme Park Tourist is one of the web’s leading sources of essential information and entertaining articles about theme parks in Orlando and beyond.

We are one of the world’s largest theme park guide sites, hosting detailed guides to more than 80 theme parks around the globe.

Find Out More About Us...

Plan Your Trip

Our theme park guides contain reviews and ratings of rides, restaurants and hotels at more than 80 theme parks worldwide.

You can even print them.

Start Planning Now...

What is coming to Disney World in 2023?

What movies are coming to Disney plus 2023?

Will Splash Mountain be open in 2023?

What time will 2023 Disney packages be released?