It will be the first time since Destination D23 in 2021, that Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro will have a chance to talk about the current state and imminent future of the Disney Parks division. We have to be honest here. There are tons of things that the Disney Parks division has to address. Will they address these things we have listed? Who knows but it’s worth stating that there is a lot that needs to be discussed. From the state of EPCOT to lesser-known ventures, here is a list of things that we think the Disney Parks need to address at the D23 Expo.
The reality of the EPCOT plans and canceled projects
At D23 Expo, Disney must address EPCOT and its future. The massive transformation remains pretty unclear. The rearranging of shops and restaurants along with new neighborhood names like World Discovery, World Nature, and World Celebration is something. Yet, the massive transformation has lacked actual execution on new experiences besides Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Space 220, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
How will Disney address the center of the park? Did we really shut down the middle of EPCOT for years for it to reopen the exact same? How will Disney tackle some of the more dated attractions at the park? I’d say both Journey into Imagination and the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival need some upgrading.
What about the Spaceship Earth update? That attraction desperately needs some updates to its tracks (although I would prefer if they keep the storyline of the current Spaceship Earth relatively untouched). Mary Poppins is another project that could get addressed as it was previously delayed/canceled. I think Disney’s priorities should be more towards Spaceship Earth as its the icon and one of the main attractions at EPCOT.
We also know that the Play Pavilion is coming at some point as well. I could see Disney waiting to build out the Play Pavilion and opening it at a later date.
What about that Walt Disney statue for Dreamers Point? Maybe we will get an update on that.
But how does EPCOT become better after this massive transformation? This is what I want to see get answered by Disney during D23 Expo. Or we can put it like how Bob Chapek has explained it on quarterly earnings calls, “EPCOT will become more Disney, more family, more timeless.” Now we just need to see that happen.
EPCOT’s new theme is “the magic of possibility” and I would like to see how that comes into play for the rest of its transformation.
The Projects Rumored For Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary
There was an abundance of projects rumored for Walt Disney World’s 50th-anniversary celebration. It makes me sad to look back at how excited I was around 2017–2019 that the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary celebration was going to be an iconic moment in the resort’s history with nostalgia, new attractions, and expanding experiences.
Here were just a few of the rumored projects for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary.
We didn’t get any of these. We got one new PhilharMagic scene and the characters of Carousel of Progress got new outfits, not a new finale.
But could some of the updates that we’re planned for the 50th be “easy wins” for them to announce at the D23 Expo? Big Thunder Mountain Railroad getting the explosion effect finale seems like a good idea just like the Haunted Mansion getting a special update with Hatbox Ghost. Even “it’s a small world” adding Disney characters at Walt Disney World seems like a plausible idea. Obviously, the Mary Poppins attraction and new World Showcase pavilions are less likely. Although instead of Brazil, Disney could build out a Colombia pavilion anchored around Encanto.
I do think it could be easy to address some of these once rumored projects. As most of them were minor undertakings but still would add enough value to have their own announcement.
Further Details on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure + Tokyo Disneyland’s Splash Mountain
Frankly, it is bizarre how long it’s taken Disney to provide updates on Splash Mountain being replaced by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It’s also bizarre it took them so long to give general updates on the attraction’s progress. It got to the point that some were questioning if it was going to actually happen. We now know the attraction will arrive in late 2024 on both coasts. It’s clear Disney can’t shut down Splash Mountain due to capacity issues at the parks but the handling of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has just been odd.
They announced The Princess and the Frog replacement and then they went silent for months as guests continued to enjoy Splash Mountain, an attraction that was bound to be replaced. I think in hindsight, Disney should’ve held off on announcing the Splash Mountain retheme until this year’s D23 Expo. It would’ve then only given Splash Mountain a few more weeks just like what happened to The Great Movie Ride and Universe of Energy. Instead, they gave the announcement too large of a runway.
Another wrinkle that doesn’t get brought up in the Splash Mountain conversation is Tokyo Disneyland. The resort owned by the Oriental Land Company has not decided on if they would do The Princess and the Frog retheme. If Tokyo decides to keep Splash Mountain as is, it doesn’t show a united front for Disney on the issue of Splash Mountain. What could be even worse is if Tokyo Disneyland opts for another intellectual property that isn’t The Princess and the Frog to replace its Splash Mountain.
Disney Parks Tech Upgrades
The Disney Parks tech needs an upgrade across the board, and I’m not talking about just adding something like Disney Genie to the app. I mean the entire framework and experience need to be addressed.
As an annual passholder I should be able to see my AP blackout dates, AP availability, and other items all in the app. I shouldn’t be sent to my web browser every time I want to check a calendar or every time I want to get a park reservation. Although I’d be content if they just killed park reservations altogether because they only benefit the business and not the guest.
I also think the Disney app especially at Walt Disney World could be improved upon when it comes to trying to get dining reservations. I will give Disney props though that the app’s mobile ordering has never given me any problems. That’s an incredible feat to pull off for multiple logistical reasons.
When I asked my audience on Twitter, what Disney should do to improve its theme park apps. One person suggested being able to change a Lightning Lane without canceling an existing reservation. Another person suggested adding the ability to add their Magic Key (Disneyland AP) to the Apple Wallet.
I think Disney should strive to make their app so good that users don’t even have to worry about using it. The Disney Parks apps have a lot of cool features but when you force guests to use the app for theme park reservations, dining reservations, boarding groups, Lightning Lanes, etc. then there is more pressure on the apps to provide a good experience.
The Inclusion Initiative
After Splash Mountain it was heavily rumored that Disney would be looking into other attractions to make more inclusive. They went on with a Jungle Cruise update, some tweaking of the Hoop Dee Doo Review, and minor changes to Peter Pan’s Flight.
D23 Expo would be the perfect place to address the current state of the initiative, and what attractions might be modified. The list of rumored attractions that could receive inclusion updates that haven’t already were American Adventure, Hall of Presidents, Country Bear Jamboree, Carousel of Progress, and it’s a small world. I also noted that Disney may take a look at Enchanted Tiki Room and Tom Sawyer Island as part of this initiative in my newsletter.
The inclusion initiative sounded like a priority for Josh D’Amaro and it would also fit with his keynote title for D23 — A Boundless Future.
The Next Two Disney Cruise Line Ships
If they are anything like the Disney Wish then Disney Cruise Line may start to pop off even more.
I’m curious if we will get names revealed for the next two ships. That seems like an easy thing to at least announce. Here are some of my projected names for the next two Disney Cruise Line ships.
I think the biggest key will be about how the next two ships will be different from the Disney Wish. It’s a tall task to ask for sure but as the Disney Cruise Line continues to expand there has to be new ideas to make every ship different. Soon, the Disney Cruise Line will boast a fleet of seven ships. You have to make the seven feel slightly different from each other.
Also, speaking of the Disney Cruise Line…
Lighthouse Point Situation
Lighthouse Point was going to be spearheaded by Imagineering Legend Joe Rohde. Then Joe Rohde decided to retire from Disney and pursue other ventures. The Lighthouse Point project was always fascinating because it would be Disney’s second private island destination.
Unlike Castaway Cay, locals and environmental groups fought back against Disney coming to Lighthouse Point. Yet despite the pushback, it looks like Disney is moving full steam ahead. Disney this past August hired Nassau native Leslie Lopez as a human resources manager, who will help Disney’s recruitment and employment efforts in the Bahamas.
I am curious to see how this project develops without Joe Rohde. I wonder if they were far enough in the process that most of his contributions will still be evident in the final version of the project. I guess only time will tell.
An update on Lighthouse Point would be wonderful at D23 Expo as it was another project that flew under the radar after D23 Expo 2019, and obviously wasn’t focused on during the pandemic.
Avengers E-Ticket Attraction
If Disney doesn’t build an attraction based on one of their most popular franchise then what are they doing?
An Avengers E-Ticket attraction would be an immediate draw for not just Avengers Campus but for Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Resort as a whole. It makes sense for the fans but it also makes wise business sense.
At this rate, I would even just take a general update. Maybe if Disney can address it and give a release date that would be fine too. Maybe we can get some story details for the attraction as well. The roster of MCU characters is growing almost monthly now. This attraction could end up breaking a record for the number of characters featured in a Marvel attraction. Also, with the everchanging MCU this attraction could have easy update potential.
Disney could even just announce that the Avengers E-Ticket attraction is coming in 2026, and it would still garner hype for fans. An Avengers E-Ticket attraction shouldn’t be hard to figure out and add in the perk that Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is a huge Disney Parks fan. I think we could end up with something truly spectacular.
DisneylandForward
DisneylandForward is probably something that won’t get addressed directly but it would be nice if they mention potential plans for Disneyland Resort. I do hope they address it somehow as I believe the resort has the potential to become more of a vacation destination. I’ve heard a lot from non-Disney fans about how they would always pick Florida over California due to size. I wouldn’t be shocked if some Disney execs want to change that narrative that has been built around casual fans with this DisneylandForward project.
The DisneylandForward website listed a bunch of projects that could potentially come to the resort. Realistically these may just be examples but you never know. The list of possibilities includes themed lands around Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan. Toy Story Land and Zootopia Land are also cited as possibilities. TRON: Lightcycle Run is also listed as a possibility.
Although not listed as a possibility some of the vague concept art does look familiar. In the image above, the land that is near Disney California Adventure features a large panther statue. It looks like Wakanda from Black Panther. A land that many Disney Parks fans and Marvel fans want to see come to life.
The concept art land near Disneyland is a bit tougher to guess. The land near Wakanda in this concept art also looks like Pandora — The World of Avatar.
A non-attraction possibility is the potential of a miniature version of Disney Springs which Disney itself describes as “a property that could be the perfect location to cater to locals, conventioneers, hotel and Disneyland Resort guests with restaurants, hotels, live music, shopping, ticketed shows, and theme park experiences.”
DisneylandForward would also address additional parking for the resort.
I think with Disney’s attempts at getting rid of annual passholders and Magic Key holders at Disneyland Resort. We may see Disney try to transform the resort through expansions made possible by DisneylandForward.
Local Experiences
Walt Disney Imagineering was allegedly turning its focus towards more location-based experiences. In March 2021, it was heavily rumored that Walt Disney Imagineering and its New Experience Development division would be bringing localized, touring Disney experiences to market.
An example of this initiative for more touring attractions was The Soul of Jazz: An America Adventure which started off as an exhibit at EPCOT’s The American Adventure and is now touring the country with stops at the New Orleans Jazz Museum, Downtown Disney in California, American Jazz Museum, and The National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
I just want Disney to address if they are going to do more of this, and are they going to get bolder and go beyond just building museum exhibits? When the restructuring of the Disney Stores was announced it was heavily hinted at that there would be pop-up Disney Store experiences happening. We haven’t seen that happen yet. As of late though it seems that Disney is interested in catering to local experiences. They recently did some work with CAMP and also there have been Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy local experiences.
I think Disney could have more up its sleeves. Especially as Disney continues to find ways to combine elements from its parks, experiences, and products.
I hope you enjoyed my list of things that the Disney Parks needs to address at Disney’s D23 Expo. I’m excited to circle back to this and see how much of this actually gets addressed.
Be sure to continue to follow Boardwalk Times for more coverage on The Walt Disney Company.
Support Boardwalk Times on Ko-Fi.
If you like this article. Subscribe to my free newsletter Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore, a monthly dose of Disney and its businesses
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
