Rumor D23 2024 WDW Rumors, Predictions & Discussion

[SirLink]

I suspect:

DHS loses Animation Courtyard or Muppets/Star Tours
I suspect MK loses a chunk of ROA and TSI
I suspect DCA loses Hollywoodland and possibly GRR
DAK is losing Dinosaur land

There was nothing announced that would replace GRR though

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Speaking of OG concepts, I get the sense that the cars ride is sort of going for the western River expedition vibe - but modernized (like a road trip). I’m interested to see how it ultimately turns out.

Do you mean Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland? Because I can *kinda* maybe see that, but nothing remotely like WRE.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Based on announcements and timelines, 2026 looks to be a stale year with the only thing next year is the light parade and test track

Each park should have had a different expansion planned already underway with something new opening every year.

 

[aladdin2007]

I suspect:

DHS loses Animation Courtyard or Muppets/Star Tours
I suspect MK loses a chunk of ROA and TSI
I suspect DCA loses Hollywoodland and possibly GRR
DAK is losing Dinosaur land

makes the most sense.

hoping its that and not a total loss pave over, couple different ways they can go with it.

 

[Loose Pebble]

Do we know why they called it horizons yet?

Maybe there's someone in WDI or D23 who just really enjoys trolling us

 

[𝐌𝖆𝖓 𝖎𝖓 𝐖𝖊𝖇]

not sure thats correct

No one knows, because Josh was purposefully vague on the details. Wonder why?

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

Maybe there's someone in WDI or D23 who just really enjoys trolling us

After the "fix the yeti" crap they pulled (even through the filter of Deadpool), there can be no doubt of that.

 

[Loose Pebble]

After the "fix the yeti" crap they pulled (even through the filter of Deadpool), there can be no doubt of that.

I'm still scarred from D23 2022 when they kept using words like tomorrow and the future and then there was no DL tomorrowland update
Same with the figment meet and greet

 

[Carnotaurus Understudy]

If after announcing so much new and exciting content your main concern is about a joke in connection with one single animatronic that is cost prohibitive to fix, you are 100% the target of this joke, and it is still making me laugh this morning even with the lack of sleep

Nah, not my main concern. I just thought it was annoying that they glibly referenced one of the most infamous broken theme park effects of all time without offering a fix. Shame on me for briefly hoping for a nice thing, I guess?

 

[ManicMillennial]

I suspect:

DHS loses Animation Courtyard or Muppets/Star Tours
I suspect MK loses a chunk of ROA and TSI
I suspect DCA loses Hollywoodland and possibly GRR
DAK is losing Dinosaur land

Those are solid possibilities but for now Dinoland is the only one we definitely know we are losing which isn’t a huge loss imo and really I don’t see anything listed that isn’t worth losing in place of what will take it’s place.

 

[csmat99]

Montstropolis he said early next year. Cars he said dirt was already moving. He didn't say anything for villains.

They said villains ground was already broke on it.

 

[Fox&Hound]

What are talking about less replacements? The only actual addition will be Villains. Cars is likely replacing Rivers and Tom Sawyer Island. Tropical Americas is replacing Dinoland. Monsters is likely replacing Muppets and Star Tours.

Seriously? If Cars replaces TSI that no one visits or Tropical Americas replaces an area most view as a joke- then yes it is an expansion. People can argue all they want about location or IP choice but this whole argument about “it’s not a net gain cause it just replaces another ride” despite the fact that no one rides/enjoys the original is so ludicrous and ignorant. I can’t….

 

[SplashJacket]

Based on announcements and timelines, 2026 looks to be a stale year with the only thing next year is the light parade and test track

Each park should have had a different expansion planned already underway with something new opening every year.

They announced a lot of openings for 2025, 2027, 2028, and 2029.

Like a lot a lot. Only openings, if I’m remembering correctly were Frozen and the DAW lagoon.

I expect some smaller stop-gap things to fill that void.

 

[GhostHost1000]

They announced a lot of openings for 2025, 2027, 2028, and 2029.

Like a lot a lot. Only openings, if I’m remembering correctly were Frozen and the DAW lagoon.

I expect some smaller stop-gap things to fill that void.

My fear is the more time they have to deliver. The more time they have to cut and adjust budgets and plans. It’s happened many times before sadly

 

[SplashJacket]

Seriously? If Cars replaces TSI that no one visits or Tropical Americas replaces an area most view as a joke- then yes it is an expansion. People can argue all they want about location or IP choice but this whole argument about “it’s not a net gain cause it just replaces another ride” despite the fact that no one rides/enjoys the original is so ludicrous and ignorant. I can’t….

Semantics, but not technically true expansion, but I don’t think it matters. I 100%, people complaining that a horrible Hollywood Land, Animation Courtyard, or Chester and Hesters gets replaced is beyond silly, but there’s one important key:

Capacity Expansion TSI and a cars land with multiple rides are not created equally. Animation courtyard and a Monsters Inc land and coaster are not created equally for capacity. An underutilized Dinosaur is not created equally with a slammed Indy. A low capacity wild-mouse coaster is not created equally to a high capacity omnimover.

They’re substantially expanding capacity if they’re not expanding the physical footprint of the parks.

These announcements are such a huge win.

And like you said, having capacity that no one wants to ride isn’t getting the full advantage of that capacity, but more importantly, if I don’t want to ride a ride, I don’t care if it’s high capacity / low wait.

 

[MisterPenguin]

The circumstances around Iger's abrupt departure are still incredibly weird. Feels like something happened there that never surfaced publicly.

Some have speculated that Iger saw the early writing on the wall that things were about to hit the fan with COVID and he wanted to cash in his retirement while he still could.

There's some journalist, I forget who, who's writing a book on the Chapek vs. Iger period. Maybe we'll know more then.

Bob Iger stepped down from his position as CEO on February 25th, 2020. Right as Covid was really starting to tear its way through the US and less than three weeks before lockdowns began. They were being discussed and planned well before they were actually implemented. Iger knew they were coming and jumped ship at the last second to try and avoid a reputation hit, but he made sure to keep his foot in the door and got himself a front-row seat to Chapek's downfall. He remained on as an "advisor" for a long while after (though there were ample business articles that stated he was still effectively CEO in all but name, much to Chapek's displeasaure). Iger then jumped back in after the storm was over.

Bob stayed on for a whole year during the worst part of the pandemic being the shadow-CEO.

I don't understand the narrative of "he bailed at first sight of COVID" when that's demonstrably not true.

Disney "fans": Iger will never leave.

Reality: He already left once. It's possible for him to leave.​

Disney "fans": Iger fled when COVID arrived.

Reality: He stayed on for a year during the worst of it pretty much saying he was still in charge.​

 

[Lilofan]

My fear is the more time they have to deliver. The more time they have to cut and adjust budgets and plans. It’s happened many times before.

Its actually a business method of spreading out openings and like you said build adjust cancel due to company conditions. The whet of the appetite of a number of things in the pipeline is what people will remember and talk about.

 

[Streetway]

Man, this crow were all eating is delicious!

 

[Tha Realest]

There was nothing announced that would replace GRR though

They announced four new attractions to DCA (two in Avengers land, at least one Avatar ride, and Coco). Assuming the Avengers attractions eat into old Hollywood land, that Avatar land has to go somewhere, likewise a big boat ride for Encanto.

It’s possible all that is part of Disneyland forward, but that’s a lot of space to eat up.

 

[GhostHost1000]

It’s actually a business method of spreading out openings and like you said build adjust cancel due to company conditions. The whet of the appetite of a number of things in the pipeline is what people will remember and talk about.

If they were smart about spreading out openings they would have announced some of these things years ago and be opening something major every year.

This is all about the now “need” they have to do something because things are becoming stale and spreading these major projects over a number of years is for accounting purposes only. They could rush all these things if they want. Uni built an entire theme park in the time it takes Disney to build 1 major attraction these days