We’re just a couple of weeks away from D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event! I will be in attendance, and I cannot wait. This will be my first D23 Expo since attending in 2019. I hope to see some of you there!
For theme park fans, the highly anticipated Disney Experiences Showcase is circled on our calendar. On Saturday, August 10, at 7:00 PM PST, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro will share the year’s biggest announcements regarding the Disney theme parks and Disney Cruise Line.
But what exactly will he announce? There are plenty of rumors circling around the World Wide Web, and predictions are always fun to talk about…so I decided to throw my hat in the ring and share what I think could be announced! Keep in mind that these sorts of articles are all in good fun, and I’m in no way saying any of these are 100% happening (don’t believe anyone unless it’s Disney themselves!).
Here are my personal predictions for what I think could be announced at the Disney Experiences Showcase, ranked from most likely to least likely:
Test Track 3.0 Opening Timeline
Test Track closed in mid-June for a pre-announced refurbishment. At last year’s Destination D23, it was revealed that Test Track would be reimagined once again, this time inspired by its predecessor, World of Motion. So, we know that this project is definitely happening, and is under construction as I type this article.
I think Disney’s easiest “low-hanging fruit” for the Experiences Showcase would be to announce an opening timeline for the new version of Test Track. It’s quick, easy to commit to, and gives fans something in the immediate future to look forward to. It might not be an exact date, but we should expect to hear at least a season (my guess is sometime in the first half of 2025). Given that the Disney Experiences Showcase is called “Horizons,” I definitely think we’ll hear about a few EPCOT-related updates (more on that in a minute).
LOOK BACK AT WHAT WAS ANNOUNCED AT THE 2023 DESTINATION D23 EVENT
Opening Timeline For Pirates of the Caribbean-Themed Lounge at Magic Kingdom
Another project that Disney seems to get closer and closer at announcing a concrete opening timeline for is the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge coming to Magic Kingdom. The lounge, which will be located adjacent to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, was first announced last year at Destination D23. It is said to extend the story of the beloved attraction and will feature the return of Barker Bird, the famed Audio-Animatronic parrot of Pirates of the Caribbean lore.
I’m thinking this another update we’ll hear at the Disney Experiences Showcase. My educated guess is that, like Test Track 3.0, this will open sometime in the first half of 2025. In addition to an opening timeline, I’m hoping Disney sheds some light on what will be served at this pirates-themed lounge (I’m hoping for some tasty bites and super fun drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic!).
Official Announcement For Tropical Americas Land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Another project that is all but certain is the Tropical Americas land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney has already shared multiple pieces of concept art as well as models of the land on social media, and my guess is that guests will be able to take a look at the model in person at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event on the show floor.
I suspect that we’ll get a big update from the Animal Kingdom team during the Disney Experiences Showcase (the big question remains…will we get a back-from-retirement Joe Rohde appearance?).
We might even get a closing date for DinoLand U.S.A. What could be more up in the air are the exact details of what this land will include. Will we get an Encanto boat ride? A new Indiana Jones ride? Animal exhibits? While it remains to be seen how detailed Disney wants to be with this project, I’m certain we’ll get some more concrete information.
Disney may also choose to keep a timeline for this land up in the air as well, and I would be surprised if we got anything beyond a year for when Disney expects this land to be complete.
Disney Treasure, Adventure, and Destiny Updates
A portion of the Disney Experiences Showcase will be devoted to Disney Cruise Line. There’s a lot in the works for Disney Cruises, including three ships currently under construction. The next ship to join the fleet, the Disney Treasure, embarks on its maiden voyage this December.
We already know a lot about the Treasure, so I personally think the bulk of attention will go to the Disney Destiny, which embarks on its maiden voyage in December 2025. At least, that’s what I thought until the other day. Disney announced that it will be hosting a three-day virtual reveal for the Destiny from July 30 through August 1, a week ahead of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
What does this mean for D23? Will Disney Cruise Line announcements take up less time? Will the showcase focus on the Asia-bound ship, the Disney Adventure, instead? Will we hear more about the previously announced ninth cruise ship coming to Japan in 2029? Or will there be surprises in store? There will definitely be updates on Disney Cruise Line, but the exact details are a bit up in the air!
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT WHAT’S COMING TO DISNEY CRUISE LINE IN 2024 AND 2025
“Beyond Big Thunder” Project at Magic Kingdom Announcement
If you look at the Disney Experiences Showcase poster art, you’ll notice that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was included in the design. We can likely conclude that we’ll hear an update surrounding the “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” project that was hinted at as a Blue Sky project from Destination D23 last year.
Questions that could be answered at D23 this year include revealing what movies or pieces of intellectual property (IP) will be incorporated into this region of the park. I’m also curious to see if we get a name announced for this supposed new “land.”
Another possibility is that the “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” region of Magic Kingdom could wind up being the big focus at the next D23 Expo in 2026. So this year’s showcase might be more of a “Yay! It’s officially happening!” with more details about the land itself coming in two years. With Big Thunder in that poster design, however, I would wager that we’ll hear something from D’Amaro regarding this project.
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Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening Date for Disneyland
I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll get an official opening date at the Disney Experiences Showcase for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland Park. The ride opened in Magic Kingdom about a month ago, so everyone’s attention has now turned to the West Coast version.
All we know right now regarding the opening timeline for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland is “later in 2024.” If we don’t get an exact date, maybe we’ll get a month. But this is another piece of low-hanging fruit that Disney could (and should) easily pull out of a hat to appease fans. I’m hopeful they will include it. The only reason this isn’t higher on my list of certainty is that Disney could settle with announcing a month to buy them additional flexibility.
READ MORE ABOUT TIANA’S BAYOU ADVENTURE BEFORE IT OPENS AT DISNEYLAND
Avatar “Experience” and Other DisneylandFoward-Related Updates
Since DisneylandForward was officially given the green light by the Anaheim City Council earlier this year, we might hear some concrete information about at least some of the plans that Disney has in store for the Happiest Place on Earth.
The most concrete potential project we know about currently is the previously announced Avatar project, which appears to be a sister land to Pandora in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Disney has already shared concept art from this project, so I would not be surprised if we got an update or announcement about where this land would go.
However, it’s worth pointing out that Disney has nearly 30 years to bring DisneylandFoward to fruition, so it’s unlikely we’ll hear about everything they have up their sleeves. This could also mean that Avatar remains in the Blue Sky phase for now, and we get a similar sort of presentation like what happened last year at Destination D23 in regards to the Tropical Americas land at Animal Kingdom or “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” at Magic Kingdom.
I’m less confident we hear about additional plans for new lands or expansions as a result of DisneylandForward. Concepts like Frozen and Zootopia were used as examples for what could be added to the parks, but they may have only been used as placeholders when Disney was pitching the plans to the city of Anaheim.
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Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration Announcement
Disney LOVES celebrations and anniversaries, and next year will mark the 70th anniversary of Disneyland Resort. Something big will surely be in the works, but it remains to be seen what the celebrations will include.
On the low end of the scale, it would be a one-day celebration with a cavalcade, photo ops, and specialty merchandise. On the other end of the scale, it will be a year-long celebration with new entertainment, limited-time food and beverage items, and lots of merchandise, to just name a few things. I sincerely hope it’s the latter.
Will we get a year-long celebration that lasts through 2025, similar to the Diamond Anniversary from ten years ago? Will we get a slate of refurbished attractions? Will we get a new fireworks spectacular? If I was a betting gal, I would put money on the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade because if there’s anything Disneyland loves to do, it’s bring that parade back from the dead time and time again.
Update on the ‘Zootopia’ Show Coming to Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom
At Destination D23, D’Amaro announced that a show themed after the animated film Zootopia would be coming to Animal Kingdom, specifically to the Tree of Life theater where “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” is currently showing. Unlike Test Track 3.0 at EPCOT or the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge coming to Magic Kingdom, Disney kinda went radio silent on this show after the initial announcement.
That doesn’t necessarily mean this show isn’t happening. It could just mean Disney is not rolling it out as quickly as we may have first thought. It will be interesting to see if Disney brings this show up again at the Experiences Showcase as a concrete announcement or if they kick the can down the road. It’s possible they want to keep this in their back pocket as a filler announcement in the future when the news cycle needs something for fans to look forward to.
Avengers E-Ticket Ride at California Adventure Announcement
When Avengers Campus was first in the works at Disney California Adventure, it included plans for two new attractions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first phase of Avengers Campus only included one of those rides, WEB Slingers. The second ride was stalled, but Disney didn’t forget.
At last year’s Destination D23, the ride was brought up again as something that was still in the works. This year’s Disney Experiences Showcase could be a make-or-break point for the “King Thanos” ride for Avengers Campus, at least in its current form. Disney brings the ride up every now and then, but lately, it feels more like they’re kicking the can down the road.
In my opinion, Avengers Campus desperately needs another ride, so I truly hope there are some concrete updates.
An Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney Coming to Disneyland
This is where we start to shift away from the realm of “will likely happen” or “wouldn’t be surprised if it was mentioned” at the Disney Experiences Showcase and towards the “out of left field” sort of announcements. These are more largely based on rumor than anything else.
There have been whispers that an Audio-Animatronic version of Walt Disney is on its way to Disneyland Resort, specifically as part of the Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln attraction. The only thing eagle-eyed fans have really had to go off of is a rather pricey permit for the attraction and the promise from the Disney family that the company could use Walt’s likeness for certain projects. This included his appearance at the start of the Disney 100 Exhibition touring around the U.S.
Would we get a sneak peek of the animatronic at D23? This feels like the sort of thing they would leave until the very end of the showcase as a grand “finale” sort of reveal.
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Shelved EPCOT Transformation Projects Get Dusted Off
Remember when Spaceship Earth was supposed to have a two-year renovation? Remember when Dick Van Dyke came out on stage at the D23 Expo to announce a Mary Poppins dark ride in the U.K. Pavilion? Remember PLAY Pavilion? There were a lot of EPCOT transformation projects that were ultimately shelved…for now, at least.
Now that the dust has settled, it’s possible EPCOT could re-visit one of those shelved projects. Those construction walls were up for several years, however, and I’m not sure of the optics if they were to throw walls back up right away.
READ ABOUT THIS YEAR’S LINEUP OF EPCOT FESTIVALS!
Tomorrowland Is Updated at Disneyland
Sorry, I had to throw it in here. If you’ve been following Disneyland rumors for any length of time, you probably know about the long-standing wish of many Disney fans to reimagine Tomorrowland at the Happiest Place on Earth.
In fairness, I totally understand the desire to update Tomorrowland. Older rides like Autopia and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage take up a lot of real estate, and the rest of the land, which includes Star Tours, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Space Mountain, and the Monorail are looking a bit dated for a land that’s supposed to be focused on the future.
I know we love to talk about a potential Tomorrowland update, but I’m one of those people who just doesn’t think it will ever happen, at least not at the scale people want. The topic comes up every time there’s a D23 event, however, so I wanted to mention it for fun.
Bonus: Surprise Announcements
There are almost always a few unexpected surprise announcements baked into these D23 presentations. A big surprise last year at Destination D23 was Test Track’s reimagining. So it’s likely that we’ll get at least *some* surprises, but what will Disney announce, exactly?
Here’s a rapid-fire bullet point list of surprise announcements that we really have no evidence of that would be fun:
- A new parade coming to Magic Kingdom (dare I say…a nighttime parade?!)
- A new resort hotel is being built Walt Disney World and/or Disneyland Resort
- Announcing the tenth ship for Disney Cruise Line (heck, I’ll take another trio of new ships)
- Disney announces what they’re planning to do with the remains of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser
- A new pavilion is added to World Showcase
- A new land/expansion is announced for Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree is coming to Disneyland (ok, this one has at least SOME legs now that we know Hungry Bear restaurant is being rethemed after the Country Bears)
What surprises do you hope to see at the Disney Experiences Showcase at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event? Let me know!
