presents...
Bienvenidos, amigos!
After the success of Disney’s Inventus, which opened in 2025, Disney Imagineering decided it was time to start working on the first expansion of the park.
At the time of development for the new land, Mesoamerica (Development began September of 2026) Disney and Pixar’s Coco would soon be celebrating its 10th anniversary in the next year. For that reason, Imagineers decided that Inventus would be the perfect place for a Coco attraction to open with Mesoamerica in 2027 for the 10th anniversary.
After plans for a Coco attraction in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion fell through with the success of Disney’s animated children’s series Legend of the Three Caballeros which started off in the Philippines but grew over to Disney Channel in the states, Inventus soon became the place for a massive Coco dark ride.
However, far into development, the plan ultimately fell through causing for the Coco Land to be abandoned with only enough money for the main Mesoamerica section. Money lost and feeling defeated, the Imagineering team in charge quit their jobs, leaving it up to the B-Team, Team Princes, a small group of ragtag Imagineers who were just crazy enough to tackle the idea. When Mesoamerica finally opened in 2029 after a two-year delay, it opened only with a single theater for its attractions, leaving many guests incredibly disappointed, especially after the heavy advertising for a Coco land.
With that, Team Princes knee that this was their chance. If the B-Team working on The Lion King could strike gold over the A-Team’s Pocahontas, surely they could compete in the big leagues of Imagineering. With that, they set their sights on a small expansion pad attached to Mesoamerica where they would construct Mariachi Plaza.
Mesoamerica (circa 2031)
15 - The Wind Jewel
16 - Peace
21- Sugar Skull Spin
A Plaza dedicated to a Mexican town, the buildings would be strewn with colorful banners and pennants, lights would dance as music filled the streets, and all around there would be fun food, and most importantly, Family.
Mariachi Plaza would celebrate the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) all year round, with food, music, and plenty of skulls and skeletons to brighten anyone’s day. However, with the minor add-ons to the land planned, Princes struggled to come up with the centerpiece. It was during a board meeting leading up to the last day for plans to be finalized that while sitting at his desk, PerGronStudio was twirling around a sugar skull with a pencil.
The rest of Team Princes knee immediately that this was their attraction, so with plenty of detail and ideas being thrown out, it was settled on that the Sugar Skull Spin (21 on the accompanying map) would become the centerpiece of the Plaza. Smiling colorful skulls would welcome up to four guests (two adults and two children) each as they danced around a spinning floor to the music of an animatronic skeleton Mariachi band who played hits from Mexico as well as some of the favorites from Coco including “Un Poco Loco”, “La Llorona”, “Proud Corazon”, and of course “Remember Me.”
With that, the Land was soon constructed, and in less than half a year, in the spring of 2030, Mariachi Plaza premiered in Disney’s Inventus to the adoration of all of the guests, who lined up for multiple go's on the Sugar Skull Spin.
The Attraction
While light in construction and design as a simple flat ride, the thought and details put into the attraction and surroundings more than compensate for its basic nature. The idea behind the ride is to transport guests into the festive spirit of Dia de los Muertos. While somber in tone, it's also a chance to celebrate with family and honor loved one's memories.
Using the teacups style spinner and accompanying music allows riders to feel the dancing, twirling spirit of the holiday. With a covered shell similar to the Mad Hatter's Tea Cups in the Magic Kingdom, you'll have both shade and an intimate party like atmosphere, but also allow the surrounding plaza to add to the theming and immersion.
Care will be taken to keep things on the lighter side for younger guests, as noted in regards to the ride vehicles themselves, while still keeping in line with the holiday. With it's an addition to Mesoamerica and Inventus, it will bring a no height requirement attraction that can be enjoyed and experienced by the whole family.
For children, they get to experience the joy of music and movement, a popular film and introduction to a cultural aspect of the area. For adults, that same experience is there, but also a time they can reflect and enjoy time with their little ones.
The attraction is 30 seconds longer (total time: 2 minutes). To make up for this the ride is less intense. There are a total of 16 skulls each able to seat 2-4 riders so that the ride has an expected ride capacity of 760 guests per hour.
Mariachi Plaza Theming and Streetmosphere
Mariachi Plaza celebrates not only the legacy of
Coco, but the deeply beloved and time-honored Mexican celebration of Dia de Muertos. The plaza is centralized around
Sugar Skull Spin, but there is plenty to do and explore in the small sub-land of Mesoamerica. The plaza celebrates Dia de Muertos eternally, with all traditions flourishing. The small buildings are authentic in Mexican design, with an emphasis on stone and wood, but also vibrant colors from the Land of the Dead. Ofrendas and family crypts can be seen in the background of the plaza, Mexican marigolds are scattered everywhere, as are colorful Dia de Muertos banners (as seen in
Coco), strung overhead and around the attraction and entertainment.
Path of Remembrance is a small indoor walkthrough, the entrance way through the former crypt of the disgraced Ernesto de la Cruz, now dedicated to the history, meaning, and importance of Dia de Muertos, remembering one’s loved ones, and the importance of family.
La Calavera Cantina (a play of “La Calavera Catrina”, a figure in Dia de Muertos) is a small food and merch stand that sells a variety of tasty items, like alfeñique confectionary, pan de muerto (“bread of the dead”), sugar skull masks, toys based on the Alebrije, and items of affection to honor one’s own family members back home.
Streetmosphere-wise, Mariachi Plaza’s remains small but does come with a few choices. Mariachi Cobre moved from Epcot to Inventus with the opening of the plaza, bringing The Story of Coco and the adorable puppet of Miguel to a new audience. The Alebrije Workshop is a short event where an expert shows how to create Alebrije toys, or painting blank copies to decorate and take home.
