Disney turned Saturday evening’s D23 showcase right into a veritable all-star live performance, bringing A-list expertise on stage to carry out traditional songs from Disney movies and assist introduce a veritable avalanche of recent sights and lands based mostly on the corporate’s mental property.
Performers included Meghan Trainor, Shaboozey, Rita Ora, Plain White T’s, Pentatonix, Chromeo, Abi Carter, Tank and the Bangas and All-4-One, with appearances and performances from Billy Crystal, John Stamos, Darren Criss, Skylar Astin and Ke Huy Quan.
The presentation was led by Disney parks, experiences and merchandise chairman Josh D’Amaro, who helped introduce the entire new choices on faucet.
“These are the true, true Disney followers. They’ve a historical past with us. They’ve reminiscences of their households being right here. They’ve a ardour for our tales, they’ve a ardour for our forged members,” D’Amaro tells The Hollywood Reporter of the group in attendance on the D23 panel. “We do our greatest to guarantee that we cowl the world, and canopy our ambition in a really inventive, storytelling means. And we all know that our followers are going to hold that message out to the remainder of the world. It’s the most effective place on the earth for us to be speaking in regards to the future.”
This 12 months’s showcase happened on the Honda Heart in Anaheim, California, with a capability of about 12,000 individuals, that means round twice as many individuals have been in attendance as in previous years when it was held within the Anaheim Conference Heart.
Disney’s parks and experiences enterprise is a high precedence for the corporate, and it has dedicated $60 billion to increase at Disneyland in California, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, its worldwide parks in France, China and Japan, and elsewhere around the globe through its Disney Cruise Line.
Learn on for all the brand new bulletins from the Disney Parks and Experiences Showcase at D23.
A Disney Villains Land Will Come to Magic Kingdom
Villains Land at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park.
Disney Experiences
D’Amaro confirmed {that a} main new land will likely be constructed on the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, a land based mostly on the Disney villains. Particulars are nonetheless slim, however it can embody purchasing, eating and two “main new sights.”
“This land will likely be dwelling to the villains that you already know, and those who you detest,” D’Amaro mentioned, after a efficiency from Descendants villain Rita Ora.
“Be ready, you poor unlucky souls,” he added. “It’s going to be a fearless new imaginative and prescient for what a Disney expertise might be.”
A ‘Monsters, Inc.’ Land Is Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
‘Monsters, Inc.’ experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Experiences
The 2001 Pixar movie Monsters, Inc. will type the spine of a complete land at Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Billy Crystal, who performed Mike Wazowski within the movie, helped introduce the brand new land (“After they confirmed me the character it was simply that one large eye and people large legs, and I assumed, oh my God, it’s CBS strolling!” Crystal quipped on stage).
The land will deliver people into the world of Monstropolis, with a signature experience bringing guests into the door vault alongside Mike and Sully.
“The primary time I noticed Monsters, Inc., all I wished to do was experience on a kind of doorways like Mike and Sulley,” D’Amaro informed the group. “You’ll go into the manufacturing facility and expertise the primary suspended coaster ever in a Disney park. Bear in mind within the film how these claws seize the doorways and hoist them up into the air to take them away? We’re doing that, too. And also you’re going alongside for the experience.”
Avengers Campus in Disneyland Will Double in Measurement With Two New Points of interest (And Robert Downey Jr.)
Stark Flight Lab at California Journey.
Disney Experiences
Disneyland’s Avengers Campus will double in dimension because it will get two new sights, Avengers Infinity Protection and Stark Flight Lab. And Robert Downey Jr. will likely be alongside for the experience.
Through the presentation, D’Amaro shared a photograph of Downey testing one of many experience automobiles alongside Disney CEO Bob Iger, and introduced that the actor would reprise his function as Tony Stark on Stark Flight Lab.
Infinity Protection will see guests journey to completely different worlds from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, together with Wakanda, Asgard, and uh, New York Metropolis, the place they are going to battle Thanos.
Stark Flight Lab will see guests testing out new Stark-made pods.
New ‘Encanto’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ Points of interest Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom
‘Encanto’ experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Disney Experiences
D’Amaro and Disney Imagineering chief inventive director Bruce Vaughn introduced particulars on Tropical Americas, the brand new land that can substitute DinoLand in Animal Kingdom in Orlando.
The 2 sights will likely be based mostly on the Indiana Jones franchise, and on the 2021 movie Encanto, and each will open in 2027 along with Tropical Americas.
The Indiana Jones experience “takes place in an historical Mayan temple that Indy has not too long ago found,” D’Amaro mentioned, warning of an “historical legendary creature” that might throw a wrench within the scenario. He was joined by Ke Huy Quan, who starred in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
As for the Encanto attraction, it can see guests journey via the Casita from the movie on the day that Antonio receives his particular present, culminating in his room, which has turn into a lush rainforest. Alongside the best way, they are going to encounter all of the members of the Madrigal household, maybe together with one which no one talks about (no no no).
Particulars on the New ‘Avatar’ Land Coming to Disney’s California Journey
‘Avatar’ experience at Disney California Journey.
Disney Experiences
D’Amaro and Disney Imagineer Ali Rubinstein formally introduced the upcoming Avatar land will likely be coming to Disney’s California Journey.
Rubinstein mentioned that the brand new land is ready in a brand new location on Pandora (very completely different than the one at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando), impressed by Avatar: The Method of Water and the upcoming Hearth and Ash, in addition to future Avatar movies.
There may even be a brand new Avatar experience, the place company will journey by boat on “an tour in quest of majestic pure wonders that may solely be discovered on Pandora,” Rubinstein mentioned.
Two ‘Automobiles’-Themed Rides Will Come to Frontierland in Magic Kingdom
‘Automobiles’ experience at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park.
Disney Experiences
In a serious bit of reports for Walt Disney World, D’Amaro mentioned {that a} portion of Frontierland in Magic Kingdom will likely be reworked right into a pair of sights based mostly on the Automobiles franchise from Pixar.
One experience will take company off-road, and one other will likely be geared particularly towards households with younger kids.
“The American West has all the time been about retaining your eyes on the horizon … believing in your self, carving your individual path, and striving towards success,” D’Amaro mentioned. “That goes for miners within the mountains, bears from the nation, a princess from the bayou … or a racecar from the massive metropolis.”
A ‘Coco’ Journey Is Coming to Disney’s California Journey
‘Coco’ experience at Disney California Journey.
Disney Experiences
D’Amaro revealed {that a} new experience impressed by the movie Coco will come to Disney’s California Journey, with the groundbreaking set to start in 2026. Particulars are scarce, however D’Amaro mentioned it “drew inspiration from Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean,” with company set to take a journey to the Land of the Lifeless from the movie.
A ‘Lion King’ Journey Is Coming to Disneyland Paris
‘Lion King’ experience at Disneyland Paris.
Disney Experiences
Disney’s second park in France, which is ready to be renamed Disney Journey World, is already getting a brand new Frozen world (D’Amaro says it can open in 2026), and now it can additionally get a experience impressed by the traditional 1994 animated movie The Lion King.
There will likely be themed eating and purchasing, in addition to characters, and the experience will see guests step into the caves to observe Simba as he goes from cub to king. “It can really feel such as you’ve stepped proper into that film,” D’Amaro mentioned.
Disneyland Will Get an Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney
For the primary time, an audio-animatronic model of Walt Disney will come to a Disney park, when Disneyland debuts “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” as a present in 2025.
The present will debut contained in the Essential Avenue Opera Home, and after its preliminary run, the attraction will play in rotation with “Nice Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”
D’Amaro mentioned that creating an animatronic of Walt Disney is “an concept that’s been whispered within the hallowed halls of imagineering for years, possibly even many years now… We’re lastly prepared.”
Roy P. Disney was within the crowd, and D’Amaro mentioned that the Disney household is on board with the brand new present.
