Leslie Iwerks is back, and this time she’s filming as it happens. The Imagineering Story Season 2 is in production, Disney announced during the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress presentation at D23.
The Imagineering Story Season 2 takes a fundamentally different approach from the first — instead of looking back, it follows Imagineers in real time through one of the busiest building periods in Disney Experiences history.
First episodes debut on Disney+ next year, with the full season arriving in 2028.
Quick Summary
- Season 2 is in production and was announced at D23
- Leslie Iwerks returns to direct
- First episodes arrive on Disney+ in 2027, full season in 2028
- The season follows Imagineers in real time rather than covering history
- Iwerks has had access from early concept through construction
- Her next project, Disney Worldbuilders, streams August 20 on Disney+
A Different Kind of Story
Season 1 debuted in 2019 and covered decades of Disney history — a retrospective across the full arc of Imagineering from Disneyland forward.
Season 2 takes a different approach. Instead of looking back, it follows Imagineers in real time as they work through one of the busiest building periods in Disney Experiences history.
Bruce Vaughn, Walt Disney Imagineering President and Chief Creative Officer, said Iwerks has been on hand as projects moved from early concept to construction.
“So a few years ago when it was revealed that dozens of new projects were on the way, you and I started talking about how there may be a new chapter in this tale,” Iwerks told Vaughn. “Turns out… there are several.”
Vaughn added that Iwerks has been given rare access to the creative process throughout, meaning fans will see not just what Imagineers are building, but how they approach the work.
“My goal is to make you all feel like you’re right there with me on this journey,” Iwerks said.
Why Real-Time Access Changes Everything
This is a genuinely different documentary proposition, and the distinction matters.
Season 1 was history, and history has a known ending. Everyone watching already knew Disneyland succeeded, EPCOT opened, and Pandora was well received. The tension came from how, not whether.
Season 2 is being filmed before the outcomes exist. Tropical Americas, Piston Peak, Monstropolis, and Villains Land are all under construction with 2027 and later target dates. Nobody — including Disney — knows yet whether they land.
That’s a considerable risk for Disney to accept. Real-time access means cameras present for problems, delays, scrapped concepts, and disagreements. A retrospective can edit around those. A contemporaneous film has to decide what to include.
Whether the finished series reflects that honestly is the thing to watch. If it does, it’ll be considerably more valuable than Season 1. If it doesn’t, it’s a very long promotional video.
Leslie Iwerks
Iwerks created the first season of The Imagineering Story and most recently directed Disneyland Handcrafted. Her next project, Disney Worldbuilders, streams August 20 on Disney+.
Imagineering runs in her family. Her grandfather, Disney Legend Ub Iwerks, helped shape early Disney animation. Her father, Disney Legend Don Iwerks, spent decades advancing Disney’s technology.
“I was really raised by Imagineers,” she told the D23 crowd.
That lineage is not incidental. Ub Iwerks co-created Mickey Mouse and animated Steamboat Willie essentially single-handedly. Don Iwerks co-founded Iwerks Entertainment after decades in Disney’s camera and technology divisions.
Access of the kind Season 2 apparently required is easier to grant to someone whose family has been inside the building for three generations.
Bruce Vaughn on Imagineering’s Legacy
Vaughn opened the presentation by tracing Walt Disney Imagineering’s history to the creative team Walt Disney assembled to build Disneyland.
For almost 75 years, Imagineers have turned ideas into the experiences guests visit today. That work continues through a global team.
Vaughn also recognized several Disney Legends who joined him on stage:
- Tony Baxter
- Wing Chao
- Robert Coltrin
- Bob Gurr
- Joe Rohde
- Kim Irvine
That is a remarkable group to have on one stage. Baxter designed Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. Gurr engineered the Autopia cars, the Monorail, and the original Abraham Lincoln figure. Rohde created Animal Kingdom. Irvine has shaped Disneyland’s look for decades and is the daughter of Leota Toombs, the face of Madame Leota.
What Season 2 Should Cover
Based on what’s under construction, the likely subjects:
- Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom — Encanto and Indiana Jones, targeting 2027
- Piston Peak National Park at Magic Kingdom — Cars Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter’s
- Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios
- Villains Land at Magic Kingdom
- Carousel of Progress — reopening late spring 2027
- Disney’s Lakeshore Lodge — opening summer 2027
- Disney Cruise Line fleet expansion
That’s an unusually dense slate, which is presumably why Iwerks said “there are several” chapters rather than one.
The Bottom Line
The Imagineering Story Season 2 is confirmed for Disney+, with first episodes arriving in 2027 and the full season in 2028, directed by returning filmmaker Leslie Iwerks.
Rather than covering history, the season follows Imagineers in real time from early concept through construction across Disney’s largest expansion slate in decades.
Iwerks’ Disney Worldbuilders streams August 20 on Disney+ in the meantime.