It's D23 week. Disney theme park fans will get to hear - officially - Saturday night what the company has planned for the next few years when Disney Experienced Chairman Josh D'Amaro takes the stage at Anaheim's Honda Center. I will be there for the reveal, with full coverage following here on Theme Park Insider.
Before that, we might get a few hints at what is to come when Walt Disney Imagineering opens its D23 exhibit on the show floor Friday morning. I also will have coverage of that by early Friday, so please check the site for that news, as well.
But what are you hoping to see from Disney at D23? I posted a somewhat tongue-in-cheek betting guide for the D23 reveals in my Orange Country Register column las week, so let's start the discussion there.
As a Californian, I want to hear what Disneyland is planning now that it has legal approval to develop attractions on its parking lots west of Disneyland Drive. But I suspect that we are more likely to hear details about Disney's plans in Florida, where the Walt Disney World Resort has begun development on its Tropical Americas make-over of Dinoland USA at Disney's Animal Kingdom, as well as the "Beyond Big Thunder" expansion of the Magic Kingdom.
D23 will be the last big Disney exposition before the debut of Universal Orlando's new Epic Universe, as I expect that park to be open before the Destination D23 event at Walt Disney World next fall. So this is Disney's last big chance to stoke its fans' excitement about what Disney World will have to offer relative to Universal's expansion plans.
Outside the United States, I am expecting to hear an opening season for World of Frozen at the soon-to-be-renamed Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris. Official confirmation of the Spider-Man coaster at Shanghai Disneyland would not come as a surprise, either. But I would be thrilled to hear about an actual new ride coming to Disneyland Paris, which hasn't had a new ride added to the park in decades.
Beyond news of the DisneylandForward expansion, I expect to hear details about Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration next year. Will we get a new fireworks show? A new World of Color? A new dragon for Fantasmic? And will Paint the Night ever return to the parks? Just please, for the love of everything, do not recycle the Main Street Electrical Parade again.
One thing I did not include in my betting guide, but now wish I did - what are the odds that we get a surprise Deadpool appearance during D'Amaro's presentation? Or better yet, D'Amaro walking out in a Deadpool costume ("Joshpool")?
Let's hear your wish list for this year's D23 reveals.
* * *
To keep up to date with more theme park news, please sign up for Theme Park Insider's weekly newsletter.
And to help support Theme Park Insider while saving money on discounted theme park tickets, please visit our international and U.S. attraction ticket partners.
Focusing on Disneyland Resort: This all comes down to what Disneyland Forward passage means for actions. Specifically plans dependent on building the parking structure and bridge on the land east of Harbor Blvd.
I have my own speculation to what completion of the Harbor project means (land expansions for DLP & DCA), but it is a key tentpole for the future of the resort. Completion of the Harbor Blvd project is the linchpin for perhaps the biggest piece of the pie: The future of the real estate currently known as the Toy Story lot.
I'll be shocked if anything about Tory Story lot are announced this weekend. But we can't begin to talk about that until the plans for Harbor Blvd project are in motion.
Revival of StarKid's "Twisted" at Hollywood Studios
Add a carribbean island to World Showcase at Epcot (Jamaica? Trinidad & Tobago?)
Revive Pleasure Island as an adult-only all inclusive resort
Revive/update poacher storyline to Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom
TH I'll raise you one, how about a Villain Themed 5th Park?
Hopefully a new night show at Animal Kingdom. Went a few weeks ago and the park was dead after lunchtime.
Regardless of what happens, we can’t have yet another year where D’Amaro presents the Blue Sky Ideas and says something to the tune of “Here’s something we might build…someday…maaayyybeee.”
Refresh Journey Into Imagination with Dreamfinder back.
This is pretty much my (realistic) wish list for D23 announcements, broken down by resort and ranked by likeliness...
DLR
-Announcement of the opening date for California's version of Tiana's Bayou Adventure
-Announcement of 70th anniversary details, which will hopefully include a new nighttime spectacular and the return of Paint the Night (or a brand new nighttime parade)
-Announcement of the Avengers E-Ticket attraction, including a name, general overview, and opening year
-Confirmation of the exact location of California's Avatar project
-Confirmation of a timeline relating to the D23 expansion and possibly some blue sky concepts of what is envisioned for the new areas
-Announcement of a Tomorrowland overhaul in the near future, even if no further details are given at this time
WDW
-Full details of the Animal Kingdom project, including names and themes of attractions and an opening timeline
-Confirmation of the plans for Beyond Big Thunder, even if it's just confirming which IPs will be used and the timeline for the project
-Announcement of some new attractions for Epcot to further integrate IP into the park (Inside Out being the most likely for integration)
-Announcement of a Zootopia land coming to WDW even if no further details are given
-Announcement of future plans for the Galactic Starcruiser property
-Confirmation of whether or not additional parks are under active development for WDW
DLRP
-Confirmation of the opening quarter for Frozen
-Confirmation of the other expansion areas being built at Walt Disney Studios as well as their timelines
-Announcement of a new addition(s) for Disneyland
-Announcement of a third park
HKDL/SDL
-Confirmation of Marvel plans at both parks
-A special ticket offer for Americans to cheaply check these destinations out (one can dream)
Simple enough...
5th gate at the World my friends.
"Beyond Big Thunder" turns into CarsLand. Save "Villains" for that 5th gate.
...Actual plans for Animal Kingdom (Dino replacement) is all I'm expecting for WDW really. I'm hopeful for massive announcements all round, but I have my doubts. We've seen what magic Disney can create in the Asian parks recently... time for some of that in the USA/Paris. Get us excited Disney
If Disney can announce anything for Walt Disney World that matches the scope, scale, and quality of Fantasy Springs that recently opened in Tokyo DisneySea will be a massive win!
It appears Disney will not be live streaming the event. The only reason not to do that is if the presentation is on track to be extremely underwhelming, so I am setting my expectations as low as possible. I will be pleasantly surprised if they announce anything concrete that isn't already out there, and I will be equally puzzled that they don't seem to want anyone to know about it.
Personally, I'm not expecting a lot of concrete details at this event. So many potential projects are years away from completion (aside from TBA at Disneyland) that there's absolutely no reason for Disney to offer any more than general concept drawings of lands and attractions that have already been either strongly rumored or informally confirmed like Beyond Big Thunder, Americas at DAK, Disneyland expansion, and potential reviving of the cancelled EPCOT projects.
I just don't think there's anything needle-moving that Disney would announce aside from solid details on the Villains land at MK and a non-cloned Avatar attraction at DL.
This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.
Walt Disney World
New attractions for Disney's Animal Kingdom
Re-imagine the Jungle Cruise
Villains Land at Magic Kingdom
Update on the PLAY building at EPCOT
Re-implement package pick-up at all parks.
Disneyland
Details on the Forward Project