Today is Destination D23, the biggest day of the year for Disney Parks announcements. Every other year Disney fans get together at D23 in Anaheim or Destination D23 at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort to celebrate all things Disney – but mostly to hope they get some juicy announcements about new rides and attractions that might be coming to their favorite parks. This year was the smaller version of the two events, Destination D23, to be honest, it felt like there were more announcements this year than last year at the bigger D23 Expo! While there was plenty of squishy “blue sky” stuff, just like last year, there were some hard date announcements and even some semi-squishy “we’re working on this but just give us a little bit more time but trust us” kind of announcements. So let’s round up all the big news.
Solid Openings Dates Announced:
- Figment Meet and Greet – Opening in the Imagination Pavilion at EPCOT tomorrow 9.10.23
- Journey of Water – Inspired by Moana – Opening at EPCOT Monday October 16, 2023
- Asha From WISH Meet and Greet – Coming in November to Disney World (Park TBD)
- Hatbox Ghost takes residence at Haunted Mansion – Opening in the Magic Kingdom in “late November”
- Luminous – The Symphony of Us – New fireworks show opening at EPCOT on December 5, 2023
- World Discovery Opens/Wallcot closes – TBD December 2023
- A Star Tours update featuring an ASHOKA adventure – coming in 2024
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – TBD 2024
- Country Bears Jamboree Show and Song Update – TBD 2024
My Thoughts: I’m really happy just to see everything above get actual opening dates – especially the walls coming down at EPCOT. Hopefully this means my birthday trip in January WILL happen – at that point I can finally ride TRON and Cosmic Rewind also (though you probably don’t care about that). Still I think this means a return to EPCOT for big Disney fans, like me, will be a must at some point in 2024. I think Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and the Country Bears update will also influence people to return to Walt Disney Word – but considering TBA (Tiana’s Bayou Adventure not To Be Announced lol – just realized that unfortunate abbreviation) is also coming to Disneyland, I feel like EPCOT will be the star of the WDW show in 2024. Also the Country Bears Jamboree update could go either way – though I think at least initially it will get more people into the attraction. And as far as the Star Tours/Asha – I think its super neat (I’m a HUGE Sabine Wren fan so let’s hope she shows up in the new version) but I’m not sure if THAT update moves the needle for anyone but a hardcore fan. Last, regarding the Asha meet and greet for WISH, well unless WISH is a runaway ENCANTO level cultrual phenomenon, this might be a no big deal for most. But if it is a huge hit, this will be the first of many things to come for the parks from the WISH-verse and if you go next year, you can snap that picture and be the first to day you were so excited to see Asha before anyone else way back in 2023.
Moderately Squishy Announcements (with no set timeline) Most-Likely Coming to WDW Sometime in the Future
- Test Track 3.0 Update inspired by World of Motion
- For me this was the most exciting announcement of all Destination D23. I’m a HUGE World of Motion fan. Even though it was long gone by my first trip to EPCOT, I’ve read all the EPCOT history, looked at all the pictures and I’ve always wanted to go on this ride. So to see parts of it incorporated into TEST TRACK (ironically my second favorite ride at EPCOT which sadly replaced World of Motion) seems like a best of both worlds situation. I can’t see work starting on this till late 2024 (once Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens) though so it could be a while. Sadly, I could also see this update fall apart if budgets are cut. Test Track was updated fairly recently and still works fairly well and, most importantly, has a massive line very day. Also, because of that demand, shutting down Test Track for 6-12 months will be a burden on park and resort operations. Still I have hope. Then again there was that Spaceship Earth and Journey Into Imagination updates that everyone seems to have forgotten about so…
- A Pirates-Themed Tavern featuring Peg-Leg Pete next to Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom
- Although semi-squishy, I think this update will definitely happen because 1.) it’s probably not that expensive and 2.) it will be a big money maker for the park and 3.) will give people something else to do in that virtual dead end side of the park after Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens and most importantly (3.) Pirates+Alcohol+Peg-Let Pete Merch = $$$$$. It will likely go right into Tortuga Tavern’s current space with a light retheme (wasn’t that already kind of a Pirates hang-out?). But I love the idea of just seeing Peg-Leg Pete again – or for the first time outside of old photos and youtube videos. My first trip to the park happened long after Pete had left his place greeting people at the front of the Pirates ride.
- A Zootopia Update to the Tree of Life Theater (“It’s Tough To Be A Bug” show) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Disney is replacing the Bug’s Life themed show “It’s Tough To Be A Bug” with a Zootopia themed show. I’m guessing this one comes soon, like next year or 2025 at the latest, as it will be an instant crowd eater when they have to shut down Dinoland for the coming re-theme (more on that in a minute). I think Zootopia could fit in well with a refocus of these iconic characters like Judy Hopps into a more environmentally-fit presentation (which might be what they are doing). Also this is clearly an inexpensive re-skin to the attraction and area – all of the water/fog effects could easily be re-purposed. All things that favor this one coming very soon – even sooner than the Pirates bar, and especially Test Track 3.0.
- Dinoland Re-theme to Tropical Americas featuring “Encanto” and Indiana Jones at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Yes this is easily the biggest announcement of the day. And you’ve already probably read a million other sites discuss it. So I’ll keep it short. Disney announced a Tropical Americas re-theme to the Dinoland area of Animal Kingdom that will be centered around Indiana Jones and Encanto. Tropical Americas is a new region set to join Asia, Africa, India, and Pandora. There were not too many solid details on this one but mostly because it seems a ways out still. But considering the artwork looks like it will be a basic re-theme/overlay to the area with just a few new from scratch builds (like the Encanto house), I think this could easily be done before Animal Kingdom’s 30th anniversary in 2028 (and I have to think that’s what Disney is aiming for). But considering the retheme shifted from Moana/Zootopia to Encanto/Indiana Jones in just a year, I still think there is much to be planned and nailed down. Also while I don’t hate it, I’m just not fully sold on Indiana Jones being a part of it as the franchise feels a little objectively rusty (even though I love it) and on a personal level, I love that Temple of the Forbidden Eye is a Disneyland-only ride. If it gets cloned, WDW gets the better matterhorn (Expedition Everest), likely better Indy ride too. The only Disneyland-specific e-tickets left would be Radiator Springs Racers, Incredicoaster, and Grizzly River Run – all DCA rides. So they best get working on that Avengers ride ASAP. More on that here: https://noscoopsclub.com/2023/09/09/ride-vehicle-avengers-campus-disneyland/
A Super Squishy “It Could Happen” Plans
- The “Behind Big Thunder” Expansion to Magic Kingdom
- This announcement felt like a “hey we’re working on it but we have A LOT of work to do” sort of thing – especially since “Encanto” was originally hinted at for this area with concept art and everything and now “Encanto” appears set for Animal Kingdom and absolutely zero concept art was presented beyond a drone shot around Big Thunder Mountain. Will it be the long-rumored Villains land? Will it be Coco (which was also featured in the concept art presented at last year’s D23)? Who knows, maybe even the imagineers don’t… I’m just excited about this because, unlike the Dinoland re-theme/overlay, this is a blank canvas ground-up expansion that has not been seen at WDW this decade. Even the presenter from Imagineering admitted that there is so much room there that eventually something will probably show up – but time and profit margins will tell what shows up and when exactly that is. Still the expansion was at least mentioned again – so let’s hope!
Even though some were disappointed by Destination D23 announcements, I thought overall, we got a ton of information and enough concrete opening dates to make me excited about the future of Walt Disney World. Destination D23 is more about blue sky and speculation anyway, at least to me – whereas D23 is for the bigger, more concrete announcements. I also think that while some of the squishier announcements will likely change or not measure up to what we have in our heads, they are great ideas, exciting starting points, and I think we can all hope for the best – especially knowing that there will be more announcements and more information to come in the future.
No Scoops Club 