The world’s first Coco attraction will take riders on a musical journey through Santa Cecilia and under the Marigold Bridge to the Land of the Dead along with Miguel, Hector and other characters from the 2017 Pixar film.
Construction will begin in 2026 on the new Coco boat ride coming to Disney California Adventure.
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Here are five things you need to know about DCA’s new Coco ride.
A performer controls townspeople from Coco during A Musical Celebration of Coco at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, Sep 12, 2018. The show features a troupe of singers, Folklórico dancers and Mariachi Divas. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
1) What’s the story behind the new Coco ride?
The 2017 Pixar animated film follows the journey of 12-year-old Miguel Rivera into the colorful Land of the Dead in search of his family’s true history. Along the way, Miguel meets the charming trickster Hector, famous musician Ernesto de la Cruz and deceased members of the Rivera family.
Concept art for the new Coco ride shows an eight-person boat gently traveling through a Mexican village beneath Papel Picado banners and exploding fireworks. Marigolds line the gunwale of the boat with a pink and blue Sugar Skull painted on the stern.
Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration for the new Coco ride from classic Disney attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.
Concept art of the new Coco scene in “Mickey’s Philharmagic” at Disney California Adventure. (Courtesy of Disney)
2) Which characters will appear in the Coco ride?
“We’re bringing our skeletal cast of characters to life in a big way through the latest Audio-Animatronics technology,” Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro said during the D23 fan event. “These figures will appear in ways you’ll have to see to believe.”
Concept art shows Miguel and Hector atop a stage and Ernesto de la Cruz on a billboard advertising his Gran Concurso de Talento (Great Talent Show).
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A skeleton mariachi band and folklorico dancers perform on the banks of the waterway.
A pair of rainbow-colored alebrijes spirit guides — Dante the bird-like dog and Pepita the lion-eagle — are also expected to make appearances in the ride.
Miguel, from Coco, waves to the crowd during the “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” parade inside Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
3) What music will be featured in the new Coco ride?
Disneyland has announced the new Coco attraction will be filled with music you know and love from the animated film — without providing a song list for the ride.
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There’s a good chance “Remember Me” will be part of the ride — especially after an Ernesto De La Cruz character sang the tune at the D23 Disney Parks event when the new attraction was announced.
Other songs from “Coco” have appeared in DCA attractions — including “Un Poco Loco” in a 2021 update to “Mickey’s PhilharMagic” and “Crossing The Marigold Bridge” in a 2023 update to “World of Color.”
A performer controls Miguel, a hand-animated dimensional figure, during A Musical Celebration of Coco at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, CA, on Wednesday, Sep 12, 2018. The show features a troupe of singers, Folklórico dancers and Mariachi Divas. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
4) Where will the new Coco ride be built?
The most logical place to build a new Pixar ride would be in DCA’s Pixar Pier. A few unused attraction pads lay beneath the Incredicoaster track.
A Coco themed land was teased as a potential DisneylandForward expansion project — suggesting the new attraction could be built in the parking lot south of the Pixar Place Hotel.
Disneyland has only announced the new Coco ride will be built in DCA — without providing specifics.
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5) When will the Coco attraction open?
Disneyland has announced construction on the new Coco ride will begin in 2026 without setting an opening date.
A major Coco attraction built by Walt Disney Imagineering could take a year or two to open — likely slotting the ride into 2027 or 2028 on the Disneyland development calendar.
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