Costumed characters take photographs with tourists in Times Square in New York. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Guests visiting Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida can now meet Moana, star of the new Disney film.

But the biggest 2017 news from Disney parks is the summer opening of a new land at Animal Kingdom in Florida called Pandora The World of Avatar, inspired by the movie Avatar. Pandora will include a multisensory ride called Flight of Passage and a water ride.

Fans of the classic Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction at Disney California Adventure park can stop mourning its Jan 2 closing.

It will be replaced in summer by Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout! with freefall and other ride experiences.