Disney fans everywhere just about lost it when Disney announced a brand-new Coco ride is coming to Disney California Adventure.
This will be the very first Coco-themed ride in any Disney park, and it’s already shaping up to be a huge deal. Disney Imagineers promised inspiration from classic attractions like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, and yes, there will be state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics bringing Miguel and the skeleton cast to life. But while all of that sounds incredible, there are already a few things making us nervous about how this ride is going to turn out. Here’s why we’re already worried about the new Coco attraction before construction even begins.
The Movie Sets the Bar REALLY High
Let’s be honest — Coco isn’t just any Pixar movie. It’s a masterpiece. Between the breathtaking visuals, the heartfelt storytelling, and that iconic soundtrack, Coco set a standard that is hard to beat. That means the ride has a LOT to live up to.
We’ve seen Disney attractions that capture the spirit of their films perfectly (like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or Rise of the Resistance), but we’ve also seen rides that leave fans feeling a little underwhelmed. With Coco being such a beloved story, anything less than spectacular could feel disappointing. Fans are already going in with sky-high expectations, which makes the pressure on Imagineers intense.
The Technology Sounds Amazing… But Will It Work?
Disney executives teased that the Coco ride will include some of the most advanced Audio-Animatronics yet. Characters from the Land of the Dead are expected to “appear in ways you’ll have to see to believe.” That sounds jaw-dropping, but with cutting-edge technology comes a big risk: breakdowns.
If you’ve ever been on rides like Rise of the Resistance, you know how often high-tech attractions can have downtime. And when those rides go down, wait times skyrocket, and guests leave disappointed. The last thing we want is for Disney’s first Coco attraction to be remembered as the ride that’s always closed.
The Location Is Tricky
The ride is slated to be built near Paradise Gardens Park and Pixar Pier, in an area that’s mostly backstage right now. On one hand, that means Imagineers have a blank slate. On the other, it means they’ll be working with limited space in an already crowded part of the park.
If the Coco ride ends up being smaller in scale due to space restrictions, that could be a problem. Fans are expecting something epic — not just a short dark ride or a basic retelling of the film. A compact design might limit what Imagineers can do, and that has us worried about how immersive the final product will actually feel.
Music Will Make or Break This Attraction
Coco without music is like Main Street without churros — it just doesn’t work. Luckily, Disney already confirmed that the ride will feature the unforgettable songs from the film, but the question is how.
Will the songs be integrated into the ride in a way that feels natural and emotional, or will it be a simple sing-along format? We’ve seen both approaches work in different attractions, but Coco’s music carries so much heart and meaning that it has to be handled just right. If the music feels tacked on instead of woven into the story, fans won’t get the emotional punch that made the movie so powerful.
The Timeline Feels Long
Construction permits have been filed, with work expected to begin backstage in 2025. The ride itself won’t break ground until 2026, which means we’re still years away from actually stepping into the Land of the Dead with Miguel.
That’s a long time for fans to wait, and it also leaves a lot of room for changes behind the scenes. Projects can get delayed, reworked, or even scaled back depending on budget and priorities. The long timeline adds to the uncertainty about what the final attraction will really look like by the time it opens.
Disney Needs This to Be a Hit
The Coco ride isn’t just about one movie getting its own attraction. It’s a big statement about how Disney handles newer IPs in the parks. A successful ride could pave the way for more attractions based on fan-favorite films that haven’t had much park representation yet. But if Coco’s first-ever ride underwhelms, it could make Disney hesitant to invest in similar projects down the line.
For fans who adore Coco (and there are a LOT of us), that’s a nerve-wracking thought. We want this to be the kind of ride that makes you cry happy tears and immediately want to ride again. Anything less would feel like a missed opportunity.
At the end of the day, we’re excited — but cautious. This ride has the potential to be an absolute showstopper, blending heartfelt storytelling, groundbreaking technology, and the music we love. But until we see it in action, we can’t help but feel a little worried.
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Do you think Disney’s Coco ride will live up to the hype, or are you nervous like we are? Tell us in the comments!
My worry is that they’ll destroy the much more beloved Mexico ride at Epcot and replace it with a stupid CoCo ride copied and pasted in its place. They already replaced the amazing Norway ride with the Frozen abomination.