Disney California Adventure to Debut First-Ever 'Coco' Attraction

Aug 11, 2024 in "Disneyland Resort"

Posted: Sunday August 11, 2024 10:35am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

An all-new attraction themed to Pixar Animation Studios' "Coco" is coming to Disney California Adventure at Disneyland Resort in California.

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.

In this first-ever "Coco" ride in a Disney park, Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration 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."

Disney says that work begins on the attraction in 2026.

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

View all comments →

BrianLo6 days ago

On the balance of things, I don’t know if Coco going anywhere but Pixar Pier makes much sense. Unless Pandora was bumped across the road? I’m not closed off to the possibility, but I’d like to see something more concrete that it all moved - as we have way, way more concrete evidence to the contrary.

mickEblu7 days ago

Yeah that’s probably why they didn’t go with Cars. Toy Story would probably be tacky too. I think you re right in that Incredibles IP lends itself to be themed into a really cool suite. I don’t think Coco is as obvious but what they did looks nice. Coco may have simply been chosen because the ride is going to DCA in general / its beloved and not necessarily because its placement. So it’s like why not Coco. Especially if it’s overlooking the ride land in some way. The fact that it ends up being Incredibles and Coco could just be an odd coincidence but I can’t rule it out.

Professortango18 days ago

The only other Pixar IP that is represented by a major attraction is Cars. I do think it is odd they wouldn't choose a Cars-themed suite. I wonder if it is because they couldn't pull it off without it feeling like a tacky NASCAR themed room that they could charge as an elevated option as they can with Coco and Incredibles. But other than that, I can't think of any major Pixar IP's that also have DCA park representation beyond a C/D ticket. Midway Mania is the closest runner up, and that ride is older and available at three different resorts.

mickEblu8 days ago

Yeah I like said I’m open to it being a coincidence. If it were just Coco or just Incredibles I think you’d have a stronger case but the fact that it’s both I think you have to at least consider the possibility there’s a connection. Also There’s what? 15 or so different Pixar properties? And these two happen to be the new rooms? Edit: 18. I just counted.

Professortango18 days ago

Because DCA is not looking to have an Inside Out themed major attraction anytime soon....People are there for the theme parks and Disney wants them to associate their experience with the parks. This drives more ticket sales to the parks, more merch purchased at the parks, and more LL purchases. To recap: Hotel theme DOES reflect theme park offerings at resort. Hotel theme DOES NOT reflect location of offerings within the resort. If they were building a Pandora-themed hotel that supposed to be highly immersive, you might have a point. But it is a themed room in a hotel themed to Pixar properties. The hotel room will not integrate with any aspects of the park other than a view of the park itself and pushing the IP for spending reasons at the park.

mickEblu8 days ago

You bringing up Inside Out only strengthens my point IMO. Inside Out 2 just made what - almost 2 billion? But we re not getting an Inside Out room and tbh I think one would be more simpatico with the hotel aesthetically than a Coco room. Why Incredibles and Coco? Neither are new. Sure both are Pixar but a little too much of a coincidence for me. If it were just Coco or just Incredibles I think you’d have a point but the fact that it’s both I think you have to at least consider the possibility there’s a connection.

Professortango18 days ago

No real coincidence when you consider that the Hotel is meant to be a companion to DCA and DCA will have a major attraction themed to both properties. Sure, they could have chosen an Inside Out room, but they currently have no open plans for an Inside Out attraction beyond Emotional Whirlwind, which may be relocated/removed. Considering the DL hotel has wings devoted to each Disneyland land without the wings being near the lands they are representing, hotel themeing typically has very little relevance to attraction/land placement.

mickEblu8 days ago

It could very well have nothing to do with it but I think there’s something there. A little too high of a coincidence for me. It’s not like either of them are new Hot properties.

Professortango18 days ago

I think the suites have zero to do with the ride locations. It is a Pixar-themed hotel and they are adding rooms themed to Pixar films. Many Disney resorts have rooms/wings themed to different franchises without any connection to the geographic location of associated attractions. I can stay in a resort with my room area themed to the Lion King while in Florida. It is nowhere near the Festival of the Lion King show or even the park which contains the show.

mickEblu8 days ago

Interesting. I’m going to take this as confirmation that the Coco ride will not be in the Hollywood backlot. Not that I ever really thought it would. Sounds like it’s going right behind Incredicoaster. Not full proof of course but Incredibles and Coco rooms right across from the Incredicoaster and Coco rides? They might as well just announce that it’s going there. Of course you can’t quite rule out the Simba lot (long shot). I think the Paradise Garden area remains but gets a Coco retheme. I saw in a DSNY video a rumor about Emotional Whirlwind potentially going away for Coco queue space. I personally haven’t heard that rumor elsewhere but In one way it makes sense to connect all the Coco areas but then I assume Bing Bongs would have to go as well and you be erasing all Inside Out from the park unless of course they have plans for a ride somewhere else. Which seems hard to believe as I’m not sure an Inside Out ride would fit better in any other existing land and while full blown Inside Out land could be decent it wouldn’t be in my top new lands I’d want to see at DLR.

coffeefan10 days ago

I think Monstropolis will be exclusive to WDW just like Cars Land is exclusive to DL. Hopefully, we get the doors coaster though. I don't even mind if they recycle the animatronics again...

truecoat11 days ago

That would be the best plan in my opinion.

Phroobar14 days ago

They could turn that area in Olvera street with the Coco ride. The trolley could be rerouted through it too.

coffeefan14 days ago

The last Coco Christmas show took place at the Hollywood/ Buena Vista st. area. It's possible TDA was testing that area for Coco. It could work if Buena Vista st gets extended a bit towards Hollywood. I still think it's going towards the Pixar Pier area, but maybe not behind Incredicoaster.