Disney news, rumors, and round up: June 2026

Happy June! I am excited for the summer and in a better mood already. Plus, I leave for a Disney trip in less than two weeks! A number of new things opened around Memorial Day weekend, and I can’t wait to check those out. I also anticipate news to be somewhat light for the next two months or so, as Disney will probably be saving anything bigger for the D23 expo in August. But lots of fun little announcements to share!

Disney news

• Now that Josh D’Amaro is the Disney CEO, some movement has happened with other leadership positions. Joe Schott has been announced as the new Disney World president. He was previously serving as the president of Disney Signature Experiences. That role of Disney Signature Experiences will be filled by Natacha Rafalski (previously the president of Disneyland Paris), and the the new president of Disneyland Paris will be Christophe Murphy (who has worked in leadership roles in both Japan and Paris).
• The Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom will be getting a big update, with new scenes. It will close for this refurb starting on July 6th.
• The “Let the Magic Begin” stage show in Magic Kingdom has been discontinued. Audio welcoming you to the park will continue to play, but no appearances will be made on stage.
• A new version of Soarin’ debuted on May 26th, Soarin’ Across America. Locations include the New England coast, New York Harbor, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon, and more.
• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets opened on May 26th as well, and a new food kiosk (courtesy of the Swedish Chef) also appeared.
• Bluey’s Wild World officially opened in Animal Kingdom on May 26th with a virtual queue. The virtual queue was discontinued starting in June.
• Level99 in Disney Springs is set to open “this summer,” though we don’t have an exact opening date yet!
• Also opening at Disney Springs in the summer is Six Ravens, which is created by the same people who brought us Gideon’s Bakehouse. This location will serve savory hand pies and craft beer.
• Want to hit a water park this summer? More resort buses will head directly to the water parks, instead of requiring you to switch at Disney Springs.
• The Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation resort are getting a “reimagining.” The work here will begin in the summer of 2027.
• Disney continues to expand its airport to resort luggage service, with more resorts and airlines joining the offerings.
• Over in Disneyland, Autopia is getting an updated with electric vehicles replacing the current gas-powered cars.
• Details about Disneyland’s Halloween celebrations have just been released, including information on Oogie Boogie Bash.
• Frequent Disney cruises will be excited to hear that Disney Cruise Line has introduced new Castaway Cay stateroom gifts!
• Disney Cruise Line also recently introduced some new rules about bringing alcohol on board and door decorations, among other things.
• The Mandalorian and Grogu movie came out Memorial Day weekend, making over $100 million the first weekend – impressive for most films, but perhaps a bit light compared to the expectations for Star Wars.
• Season 2 of Ahsoka will come to Disney+ in 2027.
• VisionQuest, a Marvel series, will debut on Disney+ on October 14, 2026.
• For anyone near Omaha, this Art of the Disney Costume exhibit at Durham Museum looks great!
• And while it’s not Disney news, there have been a few updates about Universal Orlando: The Lost Continent (including Mythos) will close in 2027, Thunder Falls Terrace will undergo changes to become a table service restaurant, The Horror Make-up Show will be reimagined, and “Fat One’s Hot Dogs & Italian Ice” by Joey Fatone will replace Hot Dog Hall of Fame.

Disney Rumors

Boardwalk // Last month we mentioned that there might be new things coming to Disney’s Boardwalk. It’s now been discovered that several of these projects have been given code names. Could these names indicate anything about what’s to come? One is called “Project Bubbles” and I’ve seen guesses of a champagne bar or soap shop (like Basin). The other is called Project Amazon, and some speculation includes a Brazilian steakhouse or something like the Rainforest Cafe.

Universal // Let’s speculate about the “other” Orlando theme park a bit! The Lost Continent section of Islands of Adventure is being repurposed, though we don’t know what exactly it will be yet. Top guesses are another Nintendo Land (Pokemon or Zelda), Lord of the Rings, or Wicked. I’m going to guess it will be Hyrule (Zelda), with Pokemon eventually going into Universal Studios… but I’d love to see Lord of the Rings!

Other Disney blogs

Jenmarie from Anakin and His Angel got to attend The Mandalorian and Grogu world premiere, and it looks like an amazing event!

Headed to Disney World this summer? Dave and His Daughters bring us The Ultimate Guide to Air-Conditioned Attractions.

Over at The Disney Tourist Blog, Tom tells us why this new viral dessert at Animal Kingdom is as good as people say.

Jenn at Fairest Run of All shares her thoughts on “Why I Hate Club RunDisney.” I don’t disagree!