Disney is expanding and renovating over the next couple of years. From changes and additions to Downtown Disney, to new nighttime activities at Animal Kingdom and more, guests will find themselves with a lot more to add on their Disney vacation to-do list.

Advertisement New expansions coming to Walt Disney World Animal Kingdom, Polynesian Resort, Downtown Disney undergoing changes Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Disney is constantly evolving and they recently announced some expansions that will be coming soon. On Friday, Disney announced that May 28 will be the official opening day for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Although it is the final addition to New Fantasyland, it is not the end of the growth at Disney World.The park's growth and expansion over the last year has brought many exciting and new experiences to guests. Some include: - In-depth character meet-and-greets: Guests have found their favorite Disney characters in specially themed locations over the years. The experience has now been taken to a whole new level. Guests can now be placed in the story with these characters before they get their photos taken. For example, in Town Square, guests can interact with Mickey Mouse in his dressing room. Mickey interacts personally with his visitors and even performs magic tricks. - New dining opportunities like California Grill at the Contemporary Resort and Epcot's Spice Road Table- Fairytale Hall, where guests can interact with their favorite Disney princesses - New parades including the Festival of Fantasy Parade- Epcot's "After Hours Wind Down," where guests can stay after hours and enjoy food and drink - "It's a Small World" 50th anniversary- RunDisney eventsTwo large events are coming up in the next month. The first one is the "Rock Your Disney Side" party. It will take place on Memorial Day Weekend (May 23-24) and encourages guests at Disney parks on both coasts to dress as a villain or hero. The celebration will continue for 24 hours. Star Wars Weekends will run from May 16 to June 15. During the event, guests can meet celebrities from the films as well as attend special Star Wars themed character dining from May 4 - June 15. Each evening will conclude with what is called "Symphony of the Stars," which is an evening finale featuring favorite Star Wars characters and fireworks. So what's new?Resort HotelsIn 1971, the Polynesian Resort opened at Walt Disney World. Last year, in order to keep the resort vibrant and inviting, renovations began. New additions are coming to the Polynesian, including a Trader Sam's. The restaurant will feature a themed lounge area with hand-crafted tiki cocktails served in souvenir mugs.The resort will also be adding bungalows on Disney's Seven Seas Lagoon. These additions will be complete is 2015.Also, as part of the renovation, the Polynesian Resort will return to its original name, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort. Animal Kingdom:This year marks the 20th anniversary of Lion King Events. The Lion King Music Experience will resume in June at the new Harambe Theater. New to Animal Kingdom is "Harambe Nights." The production will provide guests a never-before-seen way to experience the story of Lion King. Guests will see Tony and Emmy-award nominated narrators, including Viola Davis, David Alan Grier and Joe Morton from "Scandal." Harambe Nights will take place on Saturdays beginning on June 7 and going through Aug. 9. There will also be a "Harambi Night" street party with dancing characters, food and beverages. Animal Kingdom will be offering a nighttime spectacular called "Rivers of Light." Guests will experience live music, floating lanterns, water screens and a swirling imagery of animals on Discovery River. There will also be live performers on Discovery Island around the Tree of Life as well as a nighttime version of the Kilimanjaro Safari. Downtown DisneyA major expansion is coming to Downtown Disney. There will be more than twice as many shops and restaurants. Downtown Disney is being re-named to Disney Springs. Next year is the predicted opening date to the landing, which is the first element of the new shopping, dining and entertainment neighborhood. BIGGEST ANNOUNCEMENT: PandoraEarlier this year, Disney broke land to create a new land based on James Cameron's film, "Avatar." Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resort, felt this would really give guests an entirely new kind of experience. "One of the things guests tell us they love the most about our parks is their ability to step into amazing worlds that otherwise only exist in our imaginations or on films," Staggs said. According to Staggs, Pandora will be the perfect addition to Animal Kingdom.He said, "Pandora is one of the most elaborate and captivating worlds ever caught on film. It celebrates the connections between nature and living things."Pandora will allow guests to take in all the aspects of "Avatar," including a ride on a Banshee. "In my wildest imagination growing up, I don't think I could have ever imagined a day when something I created would live inside a Disney theme park. From the moment we released 'Avatar,' there was this amazing response from people around the world that they wanted to go to Pandora. Now, thanks to Disney, that's gong to be possible," Cameron said. Pandora will be unveiled in 2017.