Disney has announced that World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris will debut in Spring 2026 in the reimagined Disney Adventure World theme park! This post shares details, video of progress on the Arendelle expansion, plus why we’re so excited for the second gate at DLP that’s being expanded and overhauled into a true Disney theme park.
Let’s start with today’s news about World of Frozen. During “Beyond the Spires: An Insider Look at Disney Castles” at Destination D23, Imagineers shared some secrets and behind-the-scenes knowledge of the Disney castles. Hosted by Michelle Khare, creator of “Challenge Accepted,” Imagineers Wyatt Winter, Jason Grandt, and Katie Gibbs were joined by Former Imagineering Creative Executive Tom Morris and James Silson, Show Director with Disney Live Entertainment, to share the history of building Disney Castles.
Along with a look back, there was also a look forward at the next castle coming to the Disney parks: Arendelle Castle and Elsa’s Ice Palace in the reimagined Disney Adventure World. Michel Den Dulk, Vice President and Portfolio Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Paris, joined Destination D23 from the World of Frozen project site to share a look at Arendelle Castle and Elsa’s Ice Palace along the North Mountain.
The last several years have been a time of transformation at Disneyland Paris, and World of Frozen’s debut in Spring 2026 is the culmination of this several years-in-the-making progress. Since 2018, Disneyland Paris has celebrated countless changes and major milestones, from the reimagining of Disney Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel and Disneyland Hotel to the opening of Avengers Campus, plus an overhaul and new look for Disney Village.
All the while, work has been underway to reimagine the studios park and make it worthy of the Disney name. The resort’s second gate, which is currently known as Walt Disney Studios Park but will be renamed Disney Adventure World when the new Frozen-themed area opens in 2026, is undergoing a major expansion and embracing a fresh creative vision.
These updates are being shared as part of a major transformation plan for the future Disney Adventure World, which is coming to fruition thanks to a 2-billion-euro investment to expand the park, as announced in 2018 (albeit with several changes since).
By reimagining more than 90% of the second gate’s opening day offerings and roughly doubling its footprint, the soon-to-be-renamed park will become a truly can’t-miss experience by the end of its expansion journey.
Disneyland Paris is now pulling back the curtain further on what to expect from the World of Frozen when it debuts at Disney Adventure World in Spring 2026. Here’s a look at progress:
My first thought is that this looks incredibly far along. So far along that before they announced the opening season in the video, I wondered to myself whether it had been moved forward and we were going to get an actual debut date this Christmas.
But as Imagineer Michel Den Dulk points out in the video, there’s still other work to be done, and obviously, we can’t see how far along Frozen Ever After is; and just because the land looks like it’s nearing completion, doesn’t mean that it actually is. There’s also Adventure Way and everything in between that’s a necessary prerequisite and must be finished first before World of Frozen can open.
Regardless, it’s heartening to see the World of Frozen project and Disney Adventure World overhaul finally nearing the finish line. It’s been a long road, but the park is almost there. We’re really excited to experience this park anew, especially since we argued after our first visit back in 2012 that the Walt Disney Studios Park was not actually a “Disney” theme park. This transformation should finally put that to rest (if it hasn’t been already in the intervening years) once and for good.
Earlier this year, the future Disney Adventure World ushered in its next phase with the grand opening of World Premiere, the gateway to the existing and future immersive worlds of the park. We have yet to experience any of this in person, opting to postpone our planned Paris trip until the relaunch of Disney Adventure World (hence all this still being concept art despite having been open for a couple months).
When guests set foot in the World Premiere building, they become special attendees of a glamorous film premiere in the heart of Hollywood, under an ever-present sky full of stars. Then, they will be able to discover fully immersive worlds, placing them into the heart of their favorite Disney, Marvel, and Pixar stories.
The interior of the former Disney Studio 1 soundstage has been completely reimagined to feature new crafted décor, refurbished spaces and a brand-new storyline that sets guests in an authentic Hollywood boulevard, recognizable by its palm trees, the stars on the ground, the rich and varied architecture of its façades and its famous movie theaters.
Numerous nods to Los Angeles, Disney and other park experiences will be hidden within the sets, particularly including the impressive skyline that serves as the backdrop to the entire building.
At the end of the central alley, the Disney Theater and its majestic, illuminated sign weighing nearly three tons will beckon guests to venture deeper into Disney Adventure World and its immersive worlds. At World Premiere, a wide range of experiences will await guests.
An invitation to dine under the stars at any time of day will be presented through, in the elegant ‘outdoor’ setting of The Hollywood Gardens Restaurant, which will offer delicious quick service options. A range of snacks and hot and cold drinks will also be available to take away from the Searchlight kiosk.
For those who fancy a bit of shopping, the must-visit place at World Premiere will be Mickey’s of Hollywood Boutique, inspired by the classic American department stores of the 1920s. Guests will be able to find a wide selection of products inspired by Disney stories brought to life in the park’s immersive worlds.
Once outside the building, guests will arrive in the heart of World Premiere Plaza. Inspired by Broadway and the West End district, this vibrant area brings together several theatres, currently celebrating Disney Animation and Pixar stories, in a stylish setting. The Walt Disney Imagineering Paris teams are hard at work to turn the park’s former central square into a dynamic and warm environment.
This initiative, which focuses on reimagining pathways, creating colorful murals, introducing new landscaped areas, and adding new Art Deco-inspired street furniture, aims to bring harmony to the space while enhancing the appearance of World Premiere Plaza. The transformation work, which is being carried out in phases, will be completed before the opening of Disney Adventure World’s new areas in 2026.
At the end of its expansion, which includes the opening of Adventure Way, Adventure Bay, and World of Frozen in Spring 2026, and later an immersive world themed to The Lion King, Disneyland Paris will have reimagined more than 90% of the Walt Disney Studios Park’s offerings since its debut in 2002. Disney Adventure World will roughly doubled the footprint to truly become a theme park worthy of the Disney name.
Featuring themed gardens that celebrate beloved stories, such as Disney Animation’s Tangled and Pixar’s Toy Story, Adventure Way serves as a crossroads between the front of the park and the new immersive worlds. In this place out of time, guests will be able to unwind and daydream before diving into immersive journeys to the heart of Disney stories.
In addition to offering a broad range of experiences, Adventure Way will also be home to the Regal View Restaurant & Lounge, a stylish restaurant where guests will not only be able to meet Disney Princesses, but also watch the breathtaking new nighttime spectacular that will light up the new Adventure Bay central lake at night.
This show will combine water screens, fountains, special effects, and innovative drone choreography. The entertainment teams at Disneyland Paris have already started conducting tests in preparation for this groundbreaking experience.
We’re looking forward to World of Frozen, which we believe will be a pleasant surprise to most guests–especially those who have only experienced Frozen Ever After at Walt Disney World. Expectations seem somewhat muted for World of Frozen in Paris, perhaps because this will likely be “third place” to the Frozen areas in Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.
However, it’s also fair to point out that those are two world-class lands, so third place here isn’t necessarily a bad thing. To the contrary, we were very surprised by World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, finding that land punched way above its weight and was better than it had any right to be. We expect this to also hold true for the Disneyland Paris version of Arendelle.
If the atmospheric entertainment is as good in the Parisian version of this land, it’s going to be a surprise hit for many Disney fans. Disneyland Paris usually does entertainment really well, so we have incredibly high expectations for this incarnation of the Frozen-themed land.
All in all, we are really looking forward to visiting the second gate at Disneyland Paris. Those were not words I ever thought I’d type back in 2012 after experiencing the Walt Disney Studios Park for the first time. I knew everyone thought it was bad, but I couldn’t believe it was that bad. And after spending a couple days in the beautiful Disneyland Paris, I also thought that maybe Parisian Disney fans had too high of expectations. Nope.
If anything, my perspective is that diehard Disney fans grade WDSP on a curve. That the park is (or was) so bad they look for any nuggets of positivity. For example, I’d say Crush’s Coaster is one of the most overrated Disney attractions on earth. It’s certainly good, but it’s sometimes made out to be a top 10 ride worldwide…and I’m not sure it’d crack my top 50. We seldom do it because the wait in that boring extended queue is never “worth it” to us…and because we spend 90% of our time in Disneyland Paris.
In any case, what a difference a decade or so makes. The Walt Disney Studios Park still has a long way to go, but each new update on the park has me more excited for Disney Adventure World. It’s an unprecedented feeling for the second gate at Disneyland Paris. I’m really looking forward to the expansion debuting in Spring 2026, as well as the Lion King Pride Lands area that’s further down the road.
My biggest complaint is that all of this has happened too slowly and with too few attractions, but it’s still a massive win for Disneyland Paris. A massive leap forward in the right direction after years (decades?) of neglect and underinvestment in the European parks. When comparing the first decade of WDSP to what’s on the horizon in 2026 and beyond, it’s just a night and day difference, and an almost unfathomable improvement.
Disney is literally spending more now on the transformation of the soon-to-be Disney Adventure World than they spent on the opening day Walt Disney Studios Park. (That might seem surprising, but I’m guessing the same has also been true for HKDL and DCA.) My only other nitpick is the name. It’s still not too late for the obviously superior Disney’s CineMagique Adventure!
For the basics of planning a visit to Disneyland Paris, check out our Disneyland Paris Trip Planning Guide. Find the best place to stay in Disneyland Paris Hotel Reviews. Check out 101 Disneyland Paris Tips for some (101, to be exact) of our best random tips for doing DLP like a pro. See Disney Park Tickets Tips & Tricks for ways to save on tickets. 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. Finally, for advice beyond Disney, check out our Ultimate Travel Guide to Paris, France.
Your Thoughts
Thoughts on World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris? Do you view this as a good addition to Disney Adventure World, or wish they went bigger? Are you excited for the Lion King Pride Lands, Adventure Bay, or any other upcoming additions to the second gate at Disneyland Paris? Excited to finally stroll around the central lake and experience the reimagined park? 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!
