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Disney will begin construction on two new attractions, inspired by beloved Disney IP The Lion King and Up, at its Disneyland Paris resort later this year
Lauren Heath-Jones | Planet Attractions | 17 Apr 2025
The Lion King water ride was first announced at Disney’s D23 event in 2024 Credit: Disney
Disney has revealed details of two attractions coming to its Disneyland Paris resort in France.
The new attractions are inspired by beloved Disney animations The Lion King and Up and form part of a €2bn (US$2.3bn, £1.7bn) expansion project.
First announced in 2018, the expansion will see the resort’s Walt Disney Studios Park transformed into Disney Adventure World in 2026.
The Lion King water ride was first announced at the 2024 edition of Disney’s D23 fan event. Set to become one of the park’s largest attractions, the ride will offer three slopes, including a 52ft (15.8m) drop.
The Lion King attraction will take guests on a musical adventure through the Pride Lands CREDIT: DISNEY
It will combine state-of-the-art special effects with advanced audio-animatronics technology and will take riders on a musical adventure with Simba through the Pride Lands.
Guests will enter the caves beneath Pride Rock, which will stand 120ft (36.5m) tall, before embarking on a journey through some of the film’s most iconic scenes.
It will form the cornerstone of an immersive The Lion King-themed land, Disney’s first inspired by the 1994 animation.
Other offerings will include themed dining outlets, retail experiences and character meet-and-greets.
Construction of both attractions is scheduled to begin in the Autumn.
Both attractions form part of a €2bn expansion announced in 2018 CREDIT: DISNEY
The Up-themed attraction, meanwhile, is a family-friendly spinning carousel ride that will offer riders a birdseye view of the park.
Located on the Adventure Way promenade, the carousel will be the first attraction at any Disney park to be themed around the 2009 Disney-Pixar animation. It will join the likes of Raiponce Tangle Spin, an upcoming Tangled-themed, spinning-teacup style attraction.
Construction on the Up attraction is also due to begin by the end of the year.
The Up spinning carousel is the first attraction in any Disney park to be themed around the 2009 animation of the same name CREDIT: DISNEY
“As part of the €2bn investment plan announced in 2018, we continue to reinvent this park with a fresh creative vision,” said Natacha Rafalski, president of Disneyland Paris.
“At the end of its expansion journey – which includes the opening of Adventure Way, Adventure Bay and World of Frozen in 2026, and later an immersive world themed to The Lion King – we’ll have reimagined more than 90% of the park’s offerings since its debut in 2002, and roughly doubled its footprint to truly become a can’t-miss experience.”
The news comes following the announcement that the resort’s 1,010-room Disney Sequoia Lodge is to undergo a significant renovation project, as well as reports that the Frozen Ever After attraction is well underway with Imagineers putting the finishing touches on the ride’s state-of-the-art animatronics.
A new park entrance, called World Premiere, is also under-construction, with its reopening scheduled for May 15.
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