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First Looks at Disneyland Expansion and Disney World’s ‘Piston Peak’ Cars Land

Disney this week unveiled a sneak peek of what its flagship theme park’s expansion will look like. Plus, everything you need to know about Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.

It’s been 70 years since Disneyland opened its gates, and the original Disney park is now celebrating its anniversary. As Walt Disney himself predicted, Disneyland will «never be completed,» as long as imagination remains in the world — and it’s continuing to grow with new rides, experiences and entertainment planned for 2025 and beyond. 

This week, Disney announced new details for its big expansion, including a new esplanade entry experience, where the Coco ride will be, and what old attraction will be closing down so the Avatar attraction can open.

And over in the 53-year-old Walt Disney World in Florida, new lands are being built right now (not to mention the brand-new Disney theme park announced for Abu Dhabi). Disney Parks has revealed how its new Cars Land at Magic Kingdom will look — check out the map below.

We’ve got all the details on the park expansions and the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration. Here’s everything coming to the Disney Parks and the Disney Cruise Line in 2025 and beyond.

Disneyland expansion

This week, Disney Parks unveiled concept art and details of what its expansion will look like. The first phase of the project is a new parking structure to the east of Disneyland, along with a pedestrian bridge over Harbor Boulevard. A new esplanade entry «experience» will replace the current walkway entry. Construction is planned to begin in fall 2026.

New Coco attraction at Disney’s California Adventure

Disney’s California Adventure is also getting more Pixar rides, with a Coco attraction being built in the area near Pixar Pier and Parade Gardens, in what is currently mostly backstage areas for cast members. Construction is set to begin this fall, Disney announced in June.

We don’t have many details yet, but it sounds like it’ll be a dark ride like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, populated by audio-animatronics. 

«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,» Disney says.

Avatar area to replace Monsters, Inc. ride at California Adventure

The world of Pandora is expanding from Disney World’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando to California Adventure in Anaheim. The area in California will take its design inspiration from the second Avatar film, The Way of Water, as well as the upcoming Avatar sequels.

This is part of the enormous Disneyland expansion coming to the theme parks, which will push the boundaries past Downtown Disney and into the nearby parking lots. Disney said in June that it is «transforming a portion of the current Hollywood Backlot area into our Avatar destination in Disney California Adventure.» This will include removing the Monsters Inc. attraction, which will close permanently in early 2026.

Disney says the project is still in early development, so it’s still short on details and dates. However, it has previously said the Avatar experience will be «dynamic, intense and emotional,» with a dark boat ride much like Pirates of the Caribbean «taking guests all the way to the wide-open seas of Pandora.»

Disney World Cars Land: First look at Piston Peak

The Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom are being repurposed to add an area themed around Pixar’s Cars movies. This expansion of Frontierland, which currently encompasses Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, will get a Route 66 companion, whose look is inspired by the Rocky Mountain area and the «American Frontier and its national parks.»

«Imagine an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers and impressive geysers,» Disney Parks Blog wrote on June 3.

Disney says Imagineers are «using a style of architecture called ‘Parkitecture,’ which was developed by the National Park Service to create structures that harmonize with the natural environment.»

On the map, you can see a running river surrounding the Piston Peak area, with geysers spitting water. «Trees will provide a natural barrier between the off-road rally and other parts of Frontierland and Liberty Square. Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway,» Disney Parks said. You can see Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the top of the map (though those rides are farther east in the park, so this map of Cars Land is rotated 90 degrees).

There will be a visitor’s lodge, a Ranger HQ and walking trails in the Piston Peak area, so don’t fear that all exploration is being removed with the loss of Tom Sawyer Island. 

During SXSW in March, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michel Hundgen spoke about the new ride vehicle for the Cars attraction. You can watch a TikTok video of Disney Imagineers testing out off-road vehicles in the Arizona desert to create what the ride will feel like.

«These are all things Lightning McQueen and Mater haven’t experienced before, like racing over rocky terrain, ascending to mountain peaks, and dodging around geysers — how do you take these real-world elements and put a Cars spin on it?» Disney Parks said in another blog post. Docter added that each rally car will have its own personality, name and racing number. 

Disney last year said there would be a second Cars-themed attraction, too. Cars Land, which was added to Disney’s California Adventure back in 2012, remains popular in the west, so it was only a matter of time before it was added to the eastern outpost. 

Work is set to begin this year, and the Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat will close on July 7.

What to know about Disneyland’s 70th celebration

Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration kicked off on May 16. (The original Disney park opened on July 17, 1955, but the celebration began two months early.) You have plenty of time to get there, though — the celebration will continue for more than a year, running through summer 2026.

«Celebrate happy» is the theme of the anniversary celebration, and Disneyland has an entirely new theme song, performed by the Jonas Brothers.

New events include a Mickey and Friends cavalcade (including Duffy and ShellieMay), a projection show at It’s a Small World called Tapestry of Happiness (as well as Miguel and Dante being added to the ride), a projection show at Carthay Circle, 70 new food and drink items and new outfits for Mickey and friends. 

The new World of Color show is hosted by Joy from Inside Out. The other Emotions manifest movie moments from Pixar and Disney films, including The Incredibles, Turning Red, A Goofy Movie, Encanto and Tangled. It also has a new preshow starring The Muppets.

The esplanade between Disneyland and California Adventure now has a 50-foot sculpture of Sleeping Beauty Castle, with more decorations sprinkled throughout Downtown Disney and Main Street USA, as well as inside Disney’s hotels. There’s even 70th anniversary decor inside the Toy Story Midway Mania ride.

The Paint the Night parade, Pixar Pals parade and the Wondrous Journeys fireworks show have also returned for the celebration.

On the official anniversary day of July 17, Disneyland will debut a new verse for It’s A Small World, as well as a 3-minute film called The Last Verse in the Main Street Cinema. The movie celebrates the Sherman Brothers, who wrote the music for the ride. There will also be a new gallery exhibition in the Opera House on Main Street USA, featuring never-before-seen images, art and artifacts from the development, opening and evolution of Disneyland. These include the original rocking chair, lamp and table from Walt Disney’s private apartment above the Fire Station on Main Street, Walt’s 1955 Emmy award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom he received in 1964. There will be a second exhibit on the history of animatronics. 

The first-ever audio-animatronic figure of Walt Disney himself will also debut on July 17 as a part of the Walt Disney: A Magical Life show inside the Main Street Opera House.

Ticket pricing for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration

Another big drawing card for the 70th anniversary celebrations: ticket pricing deals that make it slightly cheaper than usual to visit (as long as you go for at least three days).

If you’re visiting Disneyland between May 16 and Aug. 14, 2025, you can buy tickets that are part of the Disneyland Anniversary Ticket Offer. These cost $360 for a three-day, one-park-per-day ticket, or $400 for a four-day, one-park-per-day ticket.

Avengers Campus is getting two more rides at California Adventure

Looking beyond 2025, Disney’s California Adventure, which is already home to the Spider-Man Web Slingers and Guardians of the Galaxy attractions in the Avengers Campus area of the park, will be getting two more Marvel attractions. 

During SXSW, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, Imagineering Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn and Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., revealed more details about these two new rides. Avengers Infinity Defense will see you assemble alongside the Avengers battling King Thanos, featuring appearances by Black Panther, Ant-Man and Hulk. Stark Flight Lab, the second ride, will see you help test Tony Stark’s latest tech.

«In Stark Flight Lab, guests will sit in ‘gyro-kinetic pods’ and roll along a track before stopping in front of a giant robot arm,» Disney explains on its Parks Blog. «This robot arm will hoist you into the air where you’ll make several high-speed maneuvers inspired by Iron Man and some other Avengers.»

Construction begins this year on the Avengers Campus additions. 

Updates to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Over in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will close in August for a total overhaul. Announced on March 26, the Tomorrowland attraction will get new ride vehicles with video monitors. 

It’s also getting a new scene at the start starring a new character, Buddy the friendly robot. Each star cruiser will have two handheld blasters with always-on lasers that come in two different colors so you can see which laser is yours. The static Z targets will also now «react and light up when hit.»

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin will reopen sometime in 2026.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Monsters, Inc. land

If you’re going to miss the Monsters, Inc. ride at Disneyland, you’ll be relieved to know that a new addition coming to Disney World’s Hollywood Studios theme park is a Monsters, Inc.-themed area, to replace the current Muppets area (with the Muppets to replace Aerosmith theming in the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster).

Revealed by the voice of Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal), the land will let you stroll through Monstropolis from the Pixar movies and shorts. A new ride will also take you through the Monsters Inc. laugh factory aboard one of the doors to the human world — aka a suspended roller coaster. 

«The first time I saw Monsters, Inc., all I wanted to do was ride on one of those doors like Mike and Sulley,» Disney Experiences Chair Josh D’Amaro said at D23 last August. «You’ll go into the factory and experience the first suspended coaster ever in a Disney park. Remember in the movie how those claws grab the doors and hoist them up into the air to take them away? We’re doing that too. And you’re going along for the ride.»

Docter and Hundgen were also on-hand to talk about the new Monsters, Inc. ride during SXSW. Here’s the TikTok showing the design concept for the Monsters Inc. ride.

Your last day to enjoy MuppetVision 3D is June 7, as it’ll close permanently on June 8. Work on the Monsters, Inc. land will then begin later in 2025. There’s no closing date yet for the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Disney World and Disneyland get Bluey meet and greets

Meet and greets with Bluey and her family will be coming to Disneyland and Disney World, as well as to Disney cruises, starting at an unspecified time in 2025. Disney announced this news after revealing that a Bluey movie will hit screens in 2027.

«Bluey has become a household name for families around the world, and we are thrilled to bring her story to life in new ways,» said D’Amaro. «We can’t wait to watch our youngest guests and their families make memories with Bluey in our parks and on our cruises.»

The hugely popular Australian TV series about a family of dogs is a worldwide hit, and Disney will release the movie in two years. (In the meantime, you can watch Bluey episodes and minisodes on Disney Plus.)

Disney World’s Magic Kingdom: New Villains Land

Villains Land, which will celebrate all the classic baddies from Disney films, is coming to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World in Florida, and it will be «dark and thorny,» according to the Horizons Disney Experiences Showcase (part of Disney’s D23 expo in August) and info that Disney has released since. 

Villains Land was first teased during D23 2022. It’ll be positioned on the other side of Big Thunder Mountain — aka, the top left edge of the current Magic Kingdom map — and will stretch around to where the Haunted Mansion is.

Two major attractions will be built in Villains Land, as well as dining and shopping «on an incredibly twisted, grand scale.» The land is already being constructed, but no word yet on when it’ll open.

A chilling trailer for the chaotic land on Instagram hints at elements in the land representing Maleficent, Dr. Facilier, Ursula, Gaston, Yzma, Queen of Hearts, Hades, the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine, Captain Hook, Jafar, Kaa, Madam Mim, Cruella, Scar, King Magnifico and Mother Gothel.

Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World is replacing its DinoLand USA area with Tropical Americas. Though this had been previously announced, Disney confirmed a few more details in August: Pueblo Esperanza will feel like you’re walking through a real village and will have a huge quick-service dining location, a fountain and a carousel.

Tropical Americas will also have a new Indiana Jones ride through a Maya temple and an Encanto-themed attraction where you’ll explore Antonio’s rainforest room inside the Casita.

Construction began in fall 2024, but DinoLand USA is closing down in stages. The Dinosaur ride (which will become the Indiana Jones ride) remains open, but TriceraTop Spin and the midway area closed down on Jan. 13.

Tropical Americas is planned to open in 2027.

Disney Cruise Line: Four more ships

In addition to the Disney Wish, which launched in July 2022, the Disney Treasure, which set sail in December 2024, and the Disney Destiny, which is set to embark later this year, Disney is adding four more cruise ships to its ocean vacation lineup.

The ship names and destinations have yet to be revealed, but the ships will set sail between 2027 and 2031.

Everything else coming to Disneyland and Disney World

Here’s what else is new and coming soon to the theme parks:

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Technologies

Homebuyers Are Scoring 5% Mortgage Rates With These Simple Strategies

You don’t have to settle for high rates in 2025. Here’s how to cut your mortgage rate by 1% or more.

If you’re looking to buy a home, you probably know that housing affordability is in the dumps. Record-high prices and high mortgage rates are serving a double whammy to prospective buyers everywhere. 

But mortgage rates aren’t set in stone. Although current rates are hovering near 7%, more borrowers are finding creative ways to snag rates below what lenders advertise. Last year, nearly half of buyers purchased a home at a rate below 5%, according to Zillow. 

«With borrowing costs elevated, buyers can take steps to reduce their housing expenses by securing a lower mortgage rate,» said Hannah Jones, senior research analyst at Realtor.com. 

The market forces that influence mortgage rates are out of your control. However, if you’re financially prepared and shop around, you can save up to 1.5% on your personalized rate. Optimizing your credit score, making a larger down payment and negotiating with multiple lenders could also help you unlock homeownership in 2025. 

Even a 1% difference in your rate can translate to about 10% savings on your monthly mortgage payment and tens of thousands of dollars in savings over the course of your loan.

Here are several ways to reduce your mortgage rate. 

1. Improve your credit score

If your credit needs work, consider taking steps to raise your credit score before applying for a mortgage. 

Lenders look at your credit score to decide whether you qualify for a home loan and what interest rate you receive. FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850, with 850 being the best score possible. Higher credit scores show you’ve managed debt responsibly in the past so it lowers your risk to a lender. This can help you secure a lower interest rate and save big. 

«The best mortgage rates and products are typically reserved for those with a credit score of 740 or better,» said Sarah DeFlorio, vice president of mortgage banking at William Raveis Mortgage.

According to a 2024 Lending Tree study, when borrowers moved from the «fair» credit score range (580 to 669) to the «very good» range (740 to 799), they shaved 0.22% percentage points off their interest rate. That rate difference helped borrowers save $16,677 over the lifetime of a home loan.

2. Increase your down payment

Your down payment is the amount of money you contribute to your home purchase upfront. Each type of home loan comes with a minimum down payment, usually ranging from zero to 5%, but a higher down payment means a cheaper interest rate. That’s because the lender takes on less risk when you contribute more toward the loan. 

Because a down payment lowers your mortgage rate and builds your home equity, home loan experts often recommend making a large down payment of at least 20%. 

3. Take out an adjustable-rate mortgage

An adjustable-rate mortgage, or ARM, is a home loan with a fixed rate for a set introductory period, such as five years. Once that period ends, the interest rate can go up or down in regular intervals for the remaining term. 

The big appeal of ARMs is that the introductory interest rate is often lower than the rate on traditional mortgages. In general, the average 5/1 ARM rate is about 0.5% lower for the first several years than the average rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. 

4. Negotiate your mortgage rate

When you’re applying for mortgage loans, you don’t have to go with the company that did your preapproval. In fact, research shows that getting rate quotes from multiple lenders and comparing offers can result in significant savings. 

If you want to use this strategy, start by submitting a mortgage application with lenders that fit your criteria. Once you have a few loan estimates in hand, use the best one to negotiate with the lender you want to work with. 

The loan officer may lower your rate, help you save on closing costs or offer other incentives to get you onboard. In a 2023 LendingTree survey, 39% of homebuyers negotiated the interest rate on their most recent home purchase. Out of that pool of buyers, 80% were able to get a better deal.  

5. Choose a shorter home loan term

Nearly 90% of homebuyers choose a 30-year fixed mortgage term because it offers the most flexibility and monthly payment affordability. Payments are lower because they’re stretched over a longer timeline, but you can always put more toward the principal here and there. 

But when you take out a longer-term home loan, «you’re holding up the lender’s money, and there’s an opportunity cost for the funds to be invested elsewhere,» said Nicole Rueth, SVP of the Rueth Team Powered by Movement Mortgage.

Shorter loan terms, such as 10-year and 15-year mortgages and ARMs, have lower interest rates, so you can reduce your rate now.

Choosing a shorter repayment term could help you save money because you’ll be paying less in interest over the long term. But don’t make the homebuying mistake of choosing a shorter loan term just for the lower rate. Shorter loan terms mean you’ll have less time to repay the money you borrow, resulting in higher monthly payments, so it’s important to ensure they fit within your budget.

6. Buy mortgage points

A mortgage point, also known as a mortgage discount point, is an upfront fee you can pay the lender in exchange for a lower interest rate on your home loan. 

Each point costs 1% of the purchase price of a home and usually knocks the rate down by 0.25%. On a $400,000 home, you’d pay $4,000 for one discount point. The lender may even allow you to buy four mortgage points to lower the rate from 7% to 6%, although you’d have to shell out $16,000 to get there. 

To check whether this strategy is worthwhile, take the total cost of the points and compare it to the overall monthly savings. In this case, when you pay $16,000 to buy four points and save $210 per month, it would take you more than six years to reach your break-even point. 

Some experts encourage putting any extra money you have toward a down payment instead of buying points. That’s because if you sell the home or refinance before reaching your break-even point, you lose money. But the amount you spent on your down payment becomes part of your equity. 

7. Get a temporary mortgage rate buydown 

A temporary mortgage rate buydown involves paying a fee at closing to lower your interest rate for the first few years of your loan term. Because of the considerable upfront cost, this strategy only makes financial sense when someone else pays that fee. Home builders, sellers and even some lenders may offer to cover this type of buydown to boost sales, especially when market rates are elevated. 

For example, a lender may offer a «3-2-1» buydown, where the interest rate is slashed by 3 percentage points in the first year, 2 percentage points in the second year and 1 percentage point in the third. Starting in the fourth year, you pay the full rate for the rest of the loan term.

Buyers often choose a temporary buydown and plan to refinance later on. Your buydown funds are refundable and you can use them toward closing costs when you refinance (if rates do drop). 

What is a ‘good’ mortgage rate?

The majority of US adults would consider purchasing a home if rates were to drop to 4% or below. Yet most mortgage forecasts don’t project average rates dipping below 6.5% this year.

In a historical sense, a good mortgage rate is generally at or below the national average. Since 1971, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate has averaged 7.72%, according to Freddie Mac. In the last year, average mortgage rates have mostly fluctuated between 6% and 7%.

Affordability is relative to your overall financial situation. And because mortgage rates can change daily and even hourly, the definition of a «good» rate can change quickly. 

«What matters is the rate you can get today,» said Colin Robertson, founder of The Truth About Mortgage. According to Robertson, the only way to know if you’re getting a good deal is to speak with a few different lenders and brokers and then compare their quotes against the daily or weekly averages. 

Buying a home is a personal decision so it should feel right for your situation and budget. As you shop for a home, consider multiple strategies to lower your rate. A mortgage calculator can help you estimate what you’d pay each month.

Read more: Still Chasing 2% Mortgage Rates? Here’s Why It’s Time to Let Them Go

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, June 15

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for June 15.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue:  Long, drawn-out story
Answer: SAGA

5A clue: With 6-Down, become hopelessly infatuated
Answer: CRUSH

7A clue: Unsettled feeling
Answer: AGITA

8A clue: Back tooth
Answer: MOLAR

9A clue: Passionate student, perhaps
Answer: NERD

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: A text saying «Congratulations! You’ve won a $1,000 gift card,» usually
Answer: SCAM

2D clue: Element between chlorine and potassium on the periodic table
Answer: ARGON

3D clue: Craftiness
Answer: GUILE

4D clue: «___ Is Born» (film)
Answer: ASTAR

6D clue: See 5-Across
Answer: HARD

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for June 15, #469

Here are hints and answers for NYT Strands puzzle No. 469 for June 15.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle celebrates Father’s Day, but in kind of an oddball way. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Here’s to him.

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Dad food.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

  • DRAW, WARD, PAIR, SPARE, PORE, PADS, CLAY, PLUS, FORE, SCORE, CORE, CRAW, CORN, PATH

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

  • CHALUPA, CRAWDAD, POPCORN, POPSICLE, PAPARAZZI

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is FATHERSDAY. To find it, start with the F that’s five letters down on the first row to the left, and wind over.

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