Coming in 202...2? 3? 4? 

1. Continued Transformation of EPCOT's center

Unlike the similarly-scaled, five-year transformation of Disney California Adventure, EPCOT's reimagining is more... open-ended. The ongoing (and at this rate, unending) rebuild of the area formerly known as Future World is still pressing ahead, with construction walls as far as the eye can see. Fans can't help but pour over the plans to figure out how much of the "new" Epcot has survived the pandemic.

For example, an announced reimagining of the dark ride inside Spaceship Earth (shifting its focus from "communication" to "storytelling" and inserting homages to Disney animation) seems to be off the table for now. The "Dreamer's Point" that would've served as its exit – and the park's equivalent to Magic Kingdom's "Partners" statue – is probably still coming, but currently part of the massive pile of dirt in "World Celebration's" center so... maybe not 2022?

Speaking of "World Celebration," the Celebration pavilion meant to anchor the new space (above) would've been the centerpiece of EPCOT's eternal festival seasons, while also providing premium, park-like, elevated viewing space for Harmonious for dining packages or corporate sales. Now, the "festival pavilion" is being described as a "festival area," likely insinuating that – at least for now – maybe a grassy, manicured lawn will have to do. (Too bad they just tore down half of Innoventions to make room for the building. Oops.)

The recently-unveiled Connections Café is likely open soon, complementing the nearby Creations Shop. But the biggest component of the reimagining of EPCOT's core is Moana's Journey of Water – a sort of outdoor waterplay walkthrough that could serve as a great prelude to The Seas... but for now, it, too, remains part of that central plot of soil, making late 2022 possible, but unlikely.

2. Wondrous China

Expected: Late 2022 (if at all)

Remember "Wondrous China"? Maybe not. After all, the all-new CircleVision 360 film set to replace the long-running "Reflections of China" was announced in 2019 as one of a suite of films meant to refresh EPCOT's aging theaters (the others – Canada: Far & Wide in Canada, Awesome Planet in The Land, and Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along in France – all debuted as planned in 2020) and hasn't been mentioned since.

It's unclear what the hold-up is with "Wondrous China," though it wouldn't be surprising if a political scuffle between the Chinese government and The Walt Disney Company held up the film's approval. In any case, recent rumors suggest that this travelogue film presented in a new seamless 360 format may be held back to 2022 as a small something for EPCOT's 40th Anniversary celebration. Disney's been quiet on the project since it was announced three years ago, so who knows?

3. PLAY! Pavilion

Expected: Late 2022 / Early 2023

It feels like a decade ago that Disney announced a permanent new pavilion headed to EPCOT, with the family-focused "Play!" pavilion taking over the long-underutilized remains of the Wonders of Life. Concept art revealed that the cavernous interior of the one-time Festival Center would become a bustling, glowing cityscape of mini-attractions that would not only entertain kids, but give Imagineering a testing grounds for new technologies and show effects. When it was announced in February 2019, it was even promised that the Play pavilion would be ready "just in time for Walt Disney World's 50th anniversary."

Well, the 50th Anniversary has come and gone. Certainly, the Play pavilion's development would have been interrupted by COVID-19, and perhaps even by the alleged $900 million in capital projects cut from Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products in its wake. But Disney has not scrubbed mention of the Play pavilion from its archives, and insiders suggest that beneath the golden dome, Play is more ready than not, just waiting for Disney to put on the finishing touches and flip the switch. Will Disney give Play the greenlight sometime in 2022? Maybe!

4. TRON Lightcycle Power Run

Expected: Likely early 2023

It's believed that TRON Lightcycle Run was initially meant to debut on or before October 1, 2021 – the anchor of Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary, and a centering reason to return to Magic Kingdom. Even when COVID struck and a wave of delays and cancellations swept through parks projects, it was expected that TRON would get back on track quickly, at least being ready for Summer 2022.

But the official announcement that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind would take the blockbuster summer slot seemed to indicate that somehow, TRON would become that most infamous of Disney frustrations: a five year construction project (made all the more inexplicable by the fact that it's an exact duplicate of an already-existing ride!). We still don't have an opening date for TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom, but at this point, 2022 seems unlikely if only strategically. It seems much more likely that Disney will now pace itself to launch the ride in Spring 2023 as a crescendo the 50th Anniversary celebration as it winds down, milking Cosmic Rewind for all its got before marketing a second mega-project.

... Then What?

Looking for a Mary Poppins attraction, a Coco overlay of Gran Fiesta Tour, or a reimagining of Journey into Imagination at EPCOT? Hoping for that Avengers E-Ticket earmarked for California Adventure? Planning the next immersive land that'll make its way to Walt Disney World or Disneyland? Unfortunately, you're on the wrong timeline.

At least for now, the Magic 8 Ball says "check back later" regarding what's next. With hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to the Parks, Experiences, and Products division, a tourism downturn set to last for years, rising inflation, and new CEO Bob Chapek at the helm, we don't have our usual ten-year sketch-out of major projects. In fact, after TRON Lightcycle Run at Disney World and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway at Disneyland (both lined up for 2023), we just don't know what's next for Disney Parks.

Granted, 2022's D23 Expo could fill in a lot of blanks, announcing (or as the case may be, re-announcing) projects across the Parks division... but at least for now, it seems that just about everything Disney's got on the table for the U.S. parks are projects we already know about, with a whole lot hidden over the horizon...