D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event officially kicks off Friday, but Disney is already giving us our first look inside what could easily become one of the busiest places on the show floor this weekend. The Imagineering: Horizons pavilion is the largest pavilion Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created, and it is packed with models, Audio-Animatronics, concept art, maquettes, and previews of projects currently being developed around the world.
For Walt Disney World fans, there is A LOT to see here.
One of the biggest displays belongs to Piston Peak National Park, the Cars-themed area coming to Magic Kingdom. Imagineering has created a massive 19-by-19-foot model of the land, and Disney says it includes our first look at Piston Peak’s second attraction. There’s also a land marquee featuring a Goat Cart that guests can pose with for photos.
Over at the Tropical Americas display, we’re getting another peek at what’s coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Imagineering is showing Audio-Animatronics that will appear inside the new Encanto attraction, along with a model of the temple façade for the upcoming Indiana Jones attraction. Four character sculpts from the new carousel are part of the display as well.
Magic Kingdom’s future Villains-themed land makes an appearance, although Disney isn’t giving away too much just yet. Two themed tree sculpts offer a hint at the visual style Imagineers are developing for the land.
There’s also plenty for Disney’s Hollywood Studios fans. The Monstropolis section includes a mood board filled with sketches and renderings showing the inspiration behind the land’s different neighborhoods. And apparently even the wildlife is getting monster-fied. Painted maquettes show what a Monstropolis pigeon, squirrel, and rabbit might look like.
Interestingly, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress gets some attention, too. The pavilion features two new costumes for the attraction, including one from the 1960s scene and another from the Future scene. Imagineering is also displaying two maquettes and a new attraction poster inspired by the original.
And that’s only Walt Disney World.
Disneyland Resort’s displays include new looks at the upcoming Coco attraction and Avatar destination at Disney California Adventure. Guests can see a new Coco queue rendering and Héctor sculpt, while Avatar is represented with a rockwork model and ride vehicle model. The Avengers Campus expansion model and a Stark Flight Lab ride vehicle maquette are also on display.
Imagineering has brought projects from the international parks along for D23, including the upcoming Wreck-It Ralph attraction and reimagined Space Mountain at Tokyo Disneyland, the new Avengers attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland, a Spider-Man project at Shanghai Disneyland, and The Lion King attraction coming to Disney Adventure World at Disneyland Paris. The latter includes a black-light study model offering a look at what guests could experience aboard the attraction.
The pavilion itself begins with the Promenade of Progress, leading guests through artwork representing projects currently underway. Its Center Stage will host more than 30 Imagineer presentations during D23, with a design inspired by the 1967 Tomorrowland Terrace Stage.
Disney says more than 150 Imagineers will staff the pavilion throughout the weekend.
If this is what Disney is willing to show us before D23 even starts, I’m especially curious about what we’re going to learn once Horizons: A Carousel of Progress gets underway Saturday night. There are already enough models and details inside this pavilion to keep us busy for quite a while, and you can bet we’ll be taking a much closer look once the D23 show floor officially opens Friday.
