Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris: An Interview with Natacha Rafalski

On March 29, 2026, Disneyland Paris will inaugurate Disney Adventure World, a reimagined and expanded second park centered on a new World of Frozen and a wide slate of attractions, dining and entertainment that the resort says will allow guests to “step into the stories they know and love. “

What Opens March 29 at Disneyland Paris

The transformation turning the resort’s second gate into Disney Adventure World arrives with a number of headline elements. The centerpiece is World of Frozen, a fully immersive land that recreates the kingdom of Arendelle on a life-size scale and includes an anchor attraction named Frozen Ever After. Within Arendelle, Anna and Elsa will be available for character meets, and a daytime show will take place on Viking longships in the land.

Guests entering the new park will walk down a newly built Adventure Way promenade and will encounter an attraction inspired by Tangled, 14 new dining locations, an immense lake called Adventure Bay, and a new nighttime spectacular. The park’s daily entertainment will include an Arendelle celebration featuring a new Olaf robotic character as part of the show. The resort has also signaled that a new world and attraction themed to The Lion King will arrive later, extending the build-out beyond the March 29 opening.

How Stories Were Chosen — Natacha Rafalski On Strategy

Natacha Rafalski, Présidente of Disneyland Paris, framed the creative choices for the project around two core objectives: the proven emotional power of Disney’s franchises and an ambition to introduce stories that complement those already present in the resort’s original park. “Our strategy was driven by two key pillars: the proven emotional power of our franchises and our ambition to introduce new stories that complemented those already featured in Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris, ” she said.

Rafalski explained that franchises like Frozen, Marvel and The Lion King were selected because they together “offer something for everyone, ” from families with young children to adult fans. She noted that Frozen and Marvel have become cultural phenomena that particularly resonate with European guests, while The Lion King holds a special place in the region. The goal, she said, was to move beyond watching stories to allowing guests to live within familiar cinematic environments — whether by wandering the streets of Arendelle or immersing themselves in the high-tech world of the Avengers.

Rafalski emphasized the universal themes behind the chosen properties: the importance of family and self-discovery in Frozen, values of heroism and leadership in Marvel, and responsibility and the circle of life in The Lion King. “It proves that our stories speak a universal language, ” she added, describing how those themes help the lands connect across generations and borders.

Visible Changes Already Underway

The physical transformation has been visible on site in recent weeks as the park prepares for the official opening. The second gate originally opened in 2002 as Walt Disney Studios Park and over time added signature offerings such as Ratatouille: The Adventure and, more recently, Avengers Campus in 2022. The resort has also invested in other upgrades, including a reimagined hotel, as part of a wider effort to reposition the destination.

Signs of the rebrand and construction work have been observed by guests on property ahead of the March 29 debut, and the resort’s planned schedule places the official renaming and public introduction of Disney Adventure World on that March date in 2026. With the World of Frozen and Adventure Way opening first and The Lion King-themed additions still to come, the project is being staged as both an immediate relaunch and an ongoing expansion of the resort’s second gate.

March 29 will mark the formal unveiling of Disney Adventure World and the start of the resort’s next chapter; in the weeks and months that follow, the resort will add remaining elements that Rafalski said were designed to let guests “fully dive into the cinematic worlds they have seen on screen. “