Disney Experiences is rolling out the best of the best for South by Southwest.
The annual festival in Austin, Texas brings together the latest and greatest from film, music, interactive media, and for 2025, the future of experiential storytelling when it comes to Disney Parks. During The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro took to the stage alongside Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman to talk about what came out of the blue sky phase and is currently in the production pipeline.
Last year’s D23: The Ultimate Fan Event set the stage, but now at SXSW, it’s time to dive into the technology and storytelling of Disney’s expansive ecosystem of platforms bringing fans closer to the stories and characters they love.
“The stories we tell are powered by seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technology into everything we do,” Josh told the crowd. “It’s a blend of art and science we take directly from our founder, Walt Disney – our original visionary and innovator.”
When Walt started working on Disneyland, he tasked a group of animators from the movie studio to start dreaming up how their work on the big screen could translate to the happiest place on earth. It’s a practice that’s still in place today, some 70 years later, thanks to the partnership between filmmakers and Imagineers.
“Our filmmakers and Imagineers connect throughout the process to bring these stories from the screen into the real world in innovative and surprising ways,” Alan explained. “One of my favorite parts of my job is joining Josh and his team in those early concept meetings, where we get to see our stories and characters take on a whole new life.”
It’s happening every day, and you might be excited about what’s coming very soon — like, how about seeing the upcoming Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters on a Friday, and then meeting Reed Richards Saturday in Tomorrowland?
But, that’s just one of the many exciting announcements discussed during the SXSW panel.
Embark on a new mission with Mando and Grogu
A new adventure is on the horizon for Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. With the release of The Mandalorian and Grogu in theaters on Memorial Day Weekend 2026, embark on a new mission that will make you feel like you’re right alongside the daring hero (and youngling).
Pixar Pals come to play at Walt Disney World
Disney World is getting not one but two brand new attractions themed around beloved characters from Pixar Animation. Racing into Magic Kingdom, a new Cars experience will take guests on an off-road rally race as you race over rocky terrain, ascend to mountain peaks, and dodge geysers. Buckle up, because these Cars are going where no Car has gone before!
Over in Hollywood Studios, Monsters are moving in. Join Mike, Sulley, and the rest of the scare crew from Monsters, Inc. on a thrilling door coaster — the first ever suspended coaster and vertical lift at a Disney Park.
Suit up for your next great adventure at Avengers Campus
He is Tony Stark, and he’s inviting you to his tech workshop. Robert Downey Jr. surprised the crowd at SXSW to talk about Stark Flight Lab, coming to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure. Visit Tony’s workshop to see what he’s been tinkering with, and then find yourself practicing for battle, too, along with some fan-favorite Super Heroes.
Ahead of that, this Summer, some new heroes are touching down in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. You’ll be able to meet the whole family — Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm — when Fantastic Four: First Steps opens in theaters.
But do you want more Imagineering? We’ve got more Imagineering.
Come along as we pull back the curtain on the latest episode of “We Call It Imagineering,” and take you behind the scenes of the Ride Studio. What’s the Ride Studio? Great question — it’s the birthplace of many vehicles just seen in the SXSW presentation in a space dedicated to design and engineering.
Join us as we take a deeper dive into the evolution of some of the most beloved attractions, from Haunted Mansion to the upcoming rides seen here at SXSW!
Catch a brand-new episode this Monday only on the Walt Disney Imagineering YouTube.
Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for all the latest updates out of Austin, and be sure to follow all the announcements and news on social — find us on X, Instagram, and TikTok!