In one of the biggest surprise announcements during D23, Disney announced the world’s first Coco ride coming to California Adventure. This post shares details, concept art, and everything we know about the attraction–plus comprehensive commentary about why this is coming to DCA instead of Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom and other random thoughts.
This news was announced during the “Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase” or Parks Panel presentation during the 2024 D23 Expo at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro offered a sneak peek at concept art for the future in addition and teased what was to come in a few years.
This was just one of several blockbuster announcements for Parks & Resorts at Horizons, during which D’Amaro revealed several ‘shovel to soil’ projects that will come online in the next 5 years, including over a half-dozen additions that will debut before the end of 2025. He and head Imagineer Bruce Vaughn followed through on their promise to deliver concrete details and not just tease more ‘Blue Sky’ possibilities.
The most villainous musician who ever died grabbed the spotlight during D23 for a once-in-a-lifetime performance for the crowd, as Ernesto de la Cruz stormed the stage.
The attraction will be filled with the characters — and music! — you know and love from the beloved movie, as you join Miguel on a trip to the land of the dead. This marks the first-ever “Coco” ride in a Disney park.
Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration for the attraction from beloved classics, like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. “We’re bringing our skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through the latest Audio-Animatronics technology,” Josh told the crowd. “These figures will appear in ways you’ll have to see to believe.”
Get ready to celebrate everything you know and love about the movie, and music, with work beginning on the attraction in 2026!
Turning to commentary, this is the announcement that felt the ‘least real’ of everything that was shared. And even it still felt fairly concrete, especially as compared with the past Blue Sky sessions. It’s probably just that this wasn’t on anyone’s radar–at least not for DCA–and the starting timeframe is more remote than just about anything else.
Still, a lot of projects haven’t begun for 16+ months after the time they were announced, so that isn’t necessarily conclusive. Moreover, this is hardly the first time a Coco attraction has surfaced. It was first rumored for EPCOT as replacement for Gran Fiesta Tour (before you ask, the queue space was deemed insufficient for demand), before resurfacing as part of Beyond Big Thunder at Magic Kingdom, and then seemingly Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom for a brief moment. Now, it would seem that it’s bounced from Walt Disney World to Disneyland.
Honestly, that makes sense. Purely from a demographics perspective, Coco has always made more sense in Southern California. Día de Los Muertos is a significant event in and around Anaheim, with DCA already having Plaza de la Familia during the Halloween season–which has its own dedicated advertising campaign in the local television market.
I’m totally on board with a Coco attraction. It’s easily one of the best–and arguably the very best–animated film in recent memory, rivaling Moana, Inside Out, Frozen, and Zootopia. (There’s probably something I’m forgetting, but I’m writing this at 2 am.)
Regardless of its ranking, Coco has stunning visuals and beautiful music–scenery and sounds that seem tailor-made for a theme park attraction. Even though Josh D’Amaro shared very little–only brief remarks and a single piece of concept art (the musical performance was longer than the reveal), the concept is tantalizing. Describing it as a spiritual successor to Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion definitely captured my attention and imagination.
Honestly, Coco absolutely won’t lend itself to such a ride, which is a big part of why this is so exciting–because you can just imagine what a Pirates plus Haunted Mansion inspired Coco ride could be like. My real hope is that this is one of those “good ideas that won’t die” in Imagineering, and they finally found a home for it after trying to make space in EPCOT and then Magic Kingdom.
Given how little is known at this point, I don’t really have much additional commentary. Except to say that pretty much everything Disney has done with Coco in the parks up until this point has been a show-stopper (mostly in nighttime spectaculars), and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if it ends up being the #1 attraction announced for Disney California Adventure during the 2024 D23 Expo.
That’s really saying something about the potential ceiling on this Coco attraction, as we’re ready to effusively praise the Pandora boat ride and we already know the ride system for the King Thanos multiverse ride is fantastic. If DCA gets 3-4 excellent new attractions, it becomes one of the best theme parks in the entire world. Honestly, that sounds a little too good to be true.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. 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. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and many other SoCal cities!
Your Thoughts
What do you think of the Coco boat ride concept for Disney California Adventure? Does the idea of a modern attraction inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion excite you? Or do you fear that this is ‘blue sky by another name’ and won’t actually come to fruition? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
