‘Disney Worldbuilders’ takes fans behind Disney’s biggest ideas
‘Disney Worldbuilders’ takes fans behind Disney’s biggest ideas
Bob Iger, James Cameron, and more reveal how Disney turns ideas into movies, parks, and experiences.
I went to film school, so Hollywood is a huge part of my life, and I’m always interested in how the stuff we watch actually gets made. And if you’re a fan of Disney, “Disney Worldbuilders” is for you. The new feature-length documentary brings Leslie Iwerks together with Bob Iger, James Cameron, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Pete Docter, Dave Filoni, and a bunch of other big Disney creatives to talk about how an idea goes from somebody’s head to a movie, then sometimes all the way into a theme park you can literally walk through. That’s a pretty cool peek behind the curtain. “Disney Worldbuilders” starts streaming Thursday, Aug. 20 on Disney+, and here’s how to watch.
How to watch ‘Disney Worldbuilders’
- When: Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. ET
- TV: Disney+
- Stream: Watch with a subscription to Disney+.
- From anywhere: Watch with a subscription to a VPN.
Everything you need to know about ‘Disney Worldbuilders’
When will ‘Disney Worldbuilders’ come out?
“Disney Worldbuilders” premieres Thursday, Aug. 20 on Disney+. Since this is a streaming release, it should be available beginning at 12:01 a.m. ET, which means the truly committed Disney people can technically start watching Wednesday night.
Why do we recommend Disney+ for watching ‘Disney Worldbuilders’?
Well, there isn’t much of a decision to make here. “Disney Worldbuilders” is coming to Disney+, so that’s where you’ll need to go if you want to stream it. Disney+ Basic costs $12 per month with ads, while Premium costs $19 per month and goes ad-free, while also adding offline downloads.
There’s another option that I think is a much better deal if you watch both services: Disney+ and Hulu together for $13 per month with ads. That’s actually the bundle Tara and I have. For one dollar more than Disney+ Basic, you get Hulu too, which is kind of hard to argue with if you’re going to use both.
Can you watch ‘Disney Worldbuilders’ for free?
Nope. Disney+ doesn’t offer a free trial right now, so you’ll need a paid subscription to watch “Disney Worldbuilders.” The cheapest option is Disney+ Basic at $12 per month. But again, if you already watch Hulu or think you might, I’d spend the extra buck and get the $13 bundle.
Watch the trailer for ‘Disney Worldbuilders’
What is ‘Disney Worldbuilders’ about?
“Disney Worldbuilders” is about that very Disney thing where a story doesn’t just stay a story. A movie becomes a ride, a character becomes a legend, and suddenly something that started on a screen is a place you can actually walk through. Leslie Iwerks talks with Bob Iger, James Cameron, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Jennifer Lee, Pete Docter, Dave Filoni, Jared Bush, and Josh D’Amaro about how that process works with worlds like “Avatar,” “Star Wars,” Marvel movies like “The Avengers,” Pixar films like “Toy Story,” “Frozen,” and “Zootopia.” There’s also a look at new lands Disney is still building around the world, which is probably the part that’ll have theme park fans planning their next trip.
And Iwerks has a pretty unusual connection to all of this. Her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, was Walt Disney’s original animator and co-creator of Mickey Mouse, while her father, Don Iwerks, spent his career working on camera technology at Walt Disney Studios. Leslie basically grew up with this history sitting right there in the family, then went on to make documentaries like “The Imagineering Story,” “The Pixar Story,” “Industrial Light & Magic: Creating the Impossible,” and “Disneyland Handcrafted.” If you’re at all curious how some of the most famous Disney IP came together, this doc is for you.
Disney+
Disney+ is a video streaming service with over 13,000 series and films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, The Muppets, and more. It is available in 61 countries and 21 languages. It is notable for its popular original series like “The Mandalorian,” “Ms. Marvel,” “Loki,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” and “Andor.”