The time has come! This year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event kicks off tomorrow, taking place August 9th through 11th. Between all of the show floor excitement, big theme park news is expected to drop at this year’s Horizons: D23 Disney Experiences Showcase taking place on Saturday, August 10th.
The showcase artwork above includes all Disney theme park icons from around the world (with the exception of Tokyo DisneySea), so we can expect some big reveals spanning Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Disney Cruise Line, and more.
We’ve already shared what we hope is announced for Walt Disney World, today we’re focusing on Disneyland! First, let’s see where Disneyland Resort projects discussed at last year’s Destination D23 and the D23 Expo 2022 stand today.
Disneyland & Disney California Adventure
- The reimagining of Disneyland’s Paradise Pier Hotel was mentioned at D23 Expo 2022; the new Pixar Place Hotel opened this January.
- As announced, runDisney races resumed at the resort this January for the first time since the pandemic.
- Plans are still underway for a new multiverse E-ticket attraction coming to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, as mentioned at D23 Expo 2019 and 2022, and Destination D23 in 2023.
- A new evolution of the Downtown Disney District was discussed at D23 Expo 2022; including new shops, dining locations, a stage for music performances alongside a sprawling lawn area. This is an ongoing transformation, as new venues have recently opened, while others haven’t even broken ground yet (looking at you, Portos!).
What We Hope To Hear
First, five words: Where is Paint the Night?
Moving on… since Disney’s plans for their mysterious DisneylandForward project were unanimously approved by the city of Anaheim, we await concrete information on the planned developments. Mini-themed lands á la Fantasy Springs from Tokyo? A third theme park?
How about that Avatar project that was teased earlier this year? Where would this go? We hope to hear more about DisneylandForward and what else may be on the horizon…
We hope to hear more about that E-Ticket Marvel attraction planned for Avengers Campus. This will be the third-consecutive D23 Expo teasing the seemingly-endless possibilities of the eventual E-ticket attraction; including concept art and ride vehicle change-ups.
Originally announced in 2019, the ride would involve boarding a land-exclusive Quinjet, a ride system that was going to be “completely unique” from anything found at Disney’s parks.
Then at D23 Expo 2022, additional artwork was teased showing a new King Thanos villain from a timeline where the Avengers failed.
The latest version shared at Destination D23 2023 revealed the updated attraction vehicle that will be used, combining elements from Tony Stark’s time suits, Xandarian jump points, and Wakandan technology; promising the capability of jumping between worlds and realities, on planet Earth and beyond. (This looks to be the same ride vehicle and tech found in Tokyo Disney’s new Peter Pan attraction — or the Spider-Man attraction at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.) Could this concept art already be outdated, and they’re planning something else entirely?
While we’re near Avengers Campus, how about a new show for the Hyperion Theater which currently sits empty? And could a Thanos character encounter be on the horizon?
Now that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is open at WDW’s Magic Kingdom, we await an official opening date for Disneyland.
A Tomorrowland revitalization has been long-rumored, including many cosmetic changes and one large attraction change. The PeopleMover track lies in wait… we hope to see this up and moving again soon.
And now for some fun parks panel wishlist ideas from yours truly…
Since we heard about Hungry Bear receiving a jamboree update, could the Country Bears make a Disneyland comeback; even if it’s just a meet & greet? I’d also like to see a new show for Fantasyland Theater, Tom Sawyer Island receive some TLC (including the re-opening of Dead Man’s Grotto), better utilization of the space that was Carousel of Progress or the Magic Eye Theater, a Grizzly River Run re-theme, Mickey’s PhilharMagic reverts back to MuppetVision 3D with Muppetville taking over Hollywoodland (sorry Monsters Inc.), and maybe we could find space somewhere for a Sleeping Beauty dark ride? What would you like to see?
Stay tuned to our D23 landing page for all the breaking news to come, and catch our hot & fresh post-announcement thoughts on our YouTube channel after the panels!
Theme Park Correspondent for The DIS | Chloé loves kitschy dark rides, roller coasters, a good background area music loop, hot Butterbeer, and all things Halloween. You’ll mostly find her wandering around Orlando’s biggest theme parks snapping pics and sharing tips… or probably talking about The Great Movie Ride.
