
Today’s Parks panel at the 2022 D23 Expo revealed lots of exciting updates and additions that are in the works for Walt Disney World, and one announcement is something Disney fans have been waiting for for years…
Since the debut of Coco in 2017, fans have been practically begging Disney to include the characters, settings, and music from the film in the theme parks. This wish has been granted slowly, with limited-time Coco entertainment in EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion and at Disney California Adventure.
Recently, Miguel joined one of the character cavalcades in the Magic Kingdom, and Ernesto de la Cruz could even be spotted during some of this year’s Halloween festivities at Disneyland. Still, there is always more room for Coco at Disney Parks, and that is exactly what was announced today at D23.
Santa Cecilia, the town in Mexico where Coco takes place (when Miguel and Hector are not off on adventures in the Land of the Dead, that is) may seem like a solid addition to the Mexico pavilion in EPCOT, but today’s panel actually confirmed that the iconic setting is in the works for a different Disney Park.
During today’s event, audience members (and those of us following along on the live stream) were asked to consider what might lie beyond the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the Magic Kingdom. The answer? The city of Santa Cecilia!

Credit: Disney, photo by Brooke Geiger Mcdonald
Details of specific attractions, shops, or restaurants in the new land were not confirmed at the Expo, and the entire concept is still “Blue Sky,” meaning it has not been given the go-ahead yet but fans were given this incredible first look of what if completed will be the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history since the opening of New Fantasyland.
The setting of the Park’s expansion will immerse Guests in the iconic look and feel of the hit Disney and Pixar animated film as they are invited to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in only a way that Disney could create.
Along with the news that Coco could one-day debut in the Magic Kingdom, fans at today’s event were also shown a glimpse of what is in the works for a replacement for DinoLand, U.S.A. in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and a host of attractions, expansions, and more coming to the Disneyland Resort.
No opening timeframe has been announced for the city of Santa Cecilia to debut in the Magic Kingdom, but we will continue to follow all updates after today’s announcement and will update you as we know more here on DisneyTips.