Disney Worldbuilders, a feature-length documentary about how Disney films become theme park lands, will premiere at D23 on August 16 and land on Disney+ on August 20 — and it includes footage of Disneyland Abu Dhabi.
The film is directed by Leslie Iwerks, the Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker behind The Imagineering Story and The Pixar Story, and the granddaughter of Ub Iwerks, who co-created Mickey Mouse with Walt Disney. The National reports it features interviews with former Disney chief executive Bob Iger, current chief executive Josh D’Amaro, James Cameron, Kevin Feige, Jon Favreau, Pete Docter, Jennifer Lee, Dave Filoni and Jared Bush.
The documentary traces how Avatar, Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pixar, Frozen and Zootopia move from screen to attraction, with a look at new lands and resorts in development around the world. It premieres at D23, Disney’s fan event in Anaheim, on August 16, four days before its Disney+ debut.
Iwerks describes the aim simply:
I wanted to understand what ignites the imaginations of the storytellers behind some of the world’s most beloved stories.
What it shows of Disneyland Abu Dhabi
For UAE audiences the draw is the park footage. The trailer shows Bob Iger walking the site of the future resort on Yas Island — the same trip that produced his January Instagram post, captioned “Walking the site of what will one day be Disneyland Abu Dhabi!”. Iger’s line in the trailer does the sales pitch:
You have to dream big, you have to have a wild imagination.
Disneyland Abu Dhabi was announced in May 2025 as Disney’s seventh resort and first in the Middle East. Miral is funding, building and operating it on Yas Island under Disney’s capital-light model, with Disney overseeing creative development and collecting royalties. Iger has described the park as “authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati”. No opening date has been announced; until the gates open, this is the closest look at the site.
Yas Island’s other marquee project, the Sphere, is due in 2029. For Disney, the region has been busy this year — Toy Story 5 in UAE cinemas, a growing Disney+ catalogue — and Worldbuilders arrives on Disney+ UAE from AED 29.99 a month on August 20.
When and where can I watch Disney Worldbuilders?
It premieres at D23 in Anaheim on August 16, 2026, and streams on Disney+ from August 20. In the UAE, that is Disney+ UAE, with plans from AED 29.99 a month.
What does the documentary show about Disneyland Abu Dhabi?
Behind-the-scenes footage of the Yas Island site, including Bob Iger walking the grounds during his January visit — the trip behind his ‘Walking the site of what will one day be Disneyland Abu Dhabi!’ post.
When will Disneyland Abu Dhabi open?
No opening date has been announced. The resort, Disney’s first in the Middle East, was confirmed in May 2025 and is being built and operated by Miral on Yas Island.
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