Time to Open Our D23 Presents: Parks
We've said it before: the bi-annual D23 announcements are like Christmas, and this year, there are some big presents under the tree. In this article, we will examine the news related to the theme parks, including ride re-imaginings, new rides, lands, and resorts. Get ready for concept art.
D23, or more properly, the D23 Expo is what Disney markets as the ultimate Disney fan event. It happens every other year in Anaheim, California, and tends to be the place where Disney drops announcements about plans for films, the cruise line, and the parks. We pay very close attention to the words used at D23 because we've learned that Disney never drops a hint carelessly. They are either gauging reactions or building up to something they aren't quite ready to announce. But in addition to hints, there are official announcements. Basically, by the time something has made its way to D23 to be announced, Disney has committed to the project and only the most extreme circumstances (like the pandemic forcing Disney to scale back on some of the EPCOT re-imagining plans). Because of the wealth of announcements all in one place at one time, we call this the most wonderful time of the year.
Ride Updates
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run will be getting a new storyline based on the Mandalorian and Grogu. The update will come to both versions of the ride in Orlando and Anaheim, but may be a while in coming while the story gets furthered through series first.
Test Track has already gone down for refurbishment and will be opening in 2025. According to announcements at D23, the refurbishment will include updated pre-show elements and new scenes in the ride that are based on the newer technology we now have in our vehicles, and the joy of driving, including a scenic outdoor route.
At Disneyland, Tiana's Bayou Adventure will be opened in November of this year. This is the re-imagining of Splash Mountain which Walt Disney World already experienced.
At Disneyland, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln has been down for refurbishment for some time, and we now know why. It will be coming back as a new show, featuring another great man: Walt Disney himself. Walt Disney- A Magical Life will feature the first Walt audio animatronic. It will open in 2025.
Concept Art for Walt Disney - A Magical Life
Land Updates
Tropical Americas: We've known that the end days were coming for Dinoland U.S.A at Animal Kingdom theme park for some time. Now we have confirmation that goes beyond speculation about what it will become. And we're excited! The land will be re-imagined to be based on the tropical Americas. This leaves Disney with a pretty broad playground in which they can put an Encanto themed attraction, as well as an Indiana Jones attraction (jungles of South America? It works.)
The land will include one of the larger quick service locations at Walt Disney World (Animal Kingdom is about to be spoiled for choices), and a wooden carousel, which the story will claim has been carved by a local woodcarver, in addition to those two new attractions.
Work converting the Dinosaur Land to the Tropical Americas will begin in late 2024 and is expected to take until 2027.
Concept Art for Tropical Americas Land
Cars comes to the Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney World will be updating Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom to make space for two Cars-themed attractions. The first is billed as a rally race through the scenic Southwestern landscape, which we can only imagine is similar to Radiator Springs Racers. The second will be a more family-friendly Cars-themed ride for which details have not been released. (Please be Mater, please be Mater, please be Mater....)
While this news is exciting, some guests are upset about what has to go to make space for this. Tom Sawyer's Island and the Rivers of America will apparently be removed. We're unclear whether the Rivers of America will be filled, but concept art seems to indicate that's the case. This makes us a little sad because the water lent such a peaceful ambiance to the Magic Kingdom and made for great pictures.
Concept Art for Cars Land copyright Disney
At Disneyland, with the re-opening of Tiana's Bayou Adventure, Critter Country will become Bayou Country as the land is re-themed to match the main ride.
New Lands
Disney Hollywood Studios will be getting yet ANOTHER new land, this time based on Monsters Inc. Construction will begin next year. The first new attraction to go in this land will be Disney's first suspended rollercoaster, based on the doors in Monster's Inc.
In case you're keeping tabs, this means that at Walt Disney World, Disney Hollywood Studios has gotten three of the three most recent lands in which new ground had to be broken (meaning, we're not counting land re-imaginings such as EPCOT changing Futureworld into World Celebration). This park has already skyrocketed from fourth most popular park (after Disney's Animal Kingdom built Pandora), to the second most popular park behind the Magic Kingdom. Get ready for crowds! At least they'll be nicely disbursed.
Concept Art for Monster's Inc. coaster
Villains Land will be coming to the Magic Kingdom. Though we saw this from a mile away when Disney started dropping hints years ago, it's finally announced. A Villains land featuring nightmares and terrible deeds is coming. While details remain fuzzy, Disney now says it will feature two major attractions, dining, and shopping.
Concept Art for Villains Land, copyright Disney
New Attractions
As mentioned above, Dinosaur will be turned into an Indiana Jones based attraction using the same ride technology, but set in a Mayan temple (we can see how turning the Dino Institute into that will work nicely). Disney claims the story won't be the same as the Indiana Jones attraction in Anaheim.
As mentioned above, a new Encanto themed attraction is coming. It will be set inside the Casita, following a story in which Antonio has just received his gift and has turned his bedroom into a tropical rainforest.
As mentioned above, the Monster's Inc. coaster will come to the new Monster's Inc. land in Disney Hollywood studios.
As mentioned above, two new Cars attractions will come to the Magic Kingdom when Frontierland is expanded, including something we imagine is similar to Radiator Springs Racers, and a family-friendly attraction which we don't know the details of yet.
The Magic Kingdom will be brining back a nighttime parade in 2025, called Disney Starlight. Similar to the Main Street Electrical Parade, we can expect it will be lit, but will follow a different story led by the blue fairy from Pinocchio.
Concept Art for a new Encanto themed attraction in the new Tropical Americas land, copyright Disney
Concept Art for Avatar ride at Disneyland Resort
Over at Disneyland California Adventure, a new Avatar experience will be coming. It will be based on the Way of Water and concept art indicates it will likely be a water ride.
Also at Disneyland California Adventure, a Coco themed boat ride will be coming. Groundbreaking won't happen until 2026.
At Disneyland California Adventure, TWO new attractions will be coming to Avenger's Campus. The first will be called Avenger's: Infinity Defense and will take guests through iconic locations like Asgard and Wakanda as Thanos wreaks havoc on the world. Groundbreaking on that will occur in 2025. The second is Stark Flight Lab, which will feature an all-new ride system for Disney parks. You will enter a personal pod (like an Iron Man suit we imagine), and a robotic arm will take you through a series of maneuvers. And if this sounds scary or unrealistic, consider that Universal Studios is already using the robotic arm technology in two Harry Potter rides. Both of these rides are expected to be E-ticket attractions.
Concept Art for Avenger's: Infinity Defense at Disneyland Resort
Other News
Two new lounges are coming to the Walt Disney World parks. This includes a lounge based on Spaceship Earth in EPCOT, and, surprisingly, a lounge based on Pirates in the Magic Kingdom. That's right, it sounds like you will now be able to get alcoholic beverages outside of table service (but in a lounge) now at the Magic Kingdom. Both lounges are slated to open in 2025.
Theme parks outside of the United States are also getting updates. Disneyland Paris will be getting a new land based on the Lion King and a new Lion King attraction, and a land based on the World of Frozen. Hong Kong Disney will be getting a Spiderman attraction, and Shanghai Disney will be getting Spiderman based coaster. Finally, Tokyo Disney will be getting a new nighttime show.
Finally, the Disney cruise line, which is included in the theme parks budget, will be getting 4 new ships. "Hold on" you may be thinking. "I thought two years ago, they said it would be five new ships". Yes, that's right. This is four NEW new ships, bringing the fleet size by 2031 to a total of 13 ships.
Concept Art of Disney's Cruise Fleet with 13 ships
Our Thoughts
Hang on.
Let us just lay in a sugar-induced comatose state under our D23 Christmas tree for a second here. This has been the most eventful D23 in a long time. We knew daddy got a raise, and boy did it show. Some parks news was anticipated such as Dinoland becoming something that involved Encanto or Indiana Jones. And we knew Disney would be making a Villains land at some pint. But having it all become real is.... a lot. And having it all become real in the next five years is unbelievable.
So, what are we most excited about? Honestly, we're looking forward to seeing the Cars attractions at the Magic Kingdom, and, of course, Villains Land. We might miss the water view of Rivers of America, but knowing Disney, they'll find a way to make the new lands scenic and even better than what was there before.
And, oh my, the construction. That's one thing we're not super looking forward to. I'm guess there will be walls in every park for a while. Here's to hoping it won't be as disruptive as the EPCOT walls were. And there are a few other things that we aren't super psyched about, but we'll take them. Such as the Indiana Jones ride. Will we ride it? Yes, probably. Will we like it? No, probably not. We don't care for that ride technology as we think it just shakes you to simulate thrills. We didn't like it when it was Dinosaur, and we didn't like it over at Disneyland as Indiana Jones. We don't imagine we'll like it next time either, but we recognize a lot of guests do like it and if it draws people to a corner of the park, huzzah.
What do you think of the theme parks announcements? What are you most and least excited about? Come on over to our Facebook page and tell us! You can also follow us there to see when new articles are posted each week. Until next time...
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