News D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 in Anaheim

[HMF]

I am hoping something I actually approve of is announced and it isn't going to cause me any further grief as the last one did.

 

[BrianLo]

I really don’t think this D23 requires much other than flushing out projects; as we still have a robust pipeline through end of decade. Another event to follow in 2028.

Something for Epcot, something for Disneyland and a night show for DAK would be all I feel they really need. A weak announcement cycle by historical standards, but a lot on top of an already significant project array. Everything else would be nice and I’m don’t oppose to them going beyond Villains and Avatar, but it really doesn’t seem necessary. So I don’t think they will.

I won’t guess too much internationally, though avatar seems inevitable for DAW.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I won’t guess too much internationally, though avatar seems inevitable for DAW.

I was about to say, but maybe they want to wait for 2028 until after Lion King is (nearly?) done

They other thing they could announce for the park is an Avengers Campus expansion if that's in the cards and is talked about at the same time updates are given for the current construction in DCA

 

[BrianLo]

I was about to say, but maybe they want to wait for 2028 until after Lion King is (nearly?) done

They other thing they could announce for the park is an Avengers Campus expansion if that's in the cards and is talked about at the same time updates are given for the current construction in DCA

Avatar has twice been a snap Iger announcement outside of the D23 framework. I kind of see our thrice repeat when this movie does super well in France. So I’d even hedge the possibility of next quarters conference call.

Pandora seems to be one of his legacy things and he doesn’t have a lot longer to lay his stake.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Avatar has twice been a snap Iger announcement outside of the D23 framework. I kind of see our thrice repeat when this movie does super well in France. So I’d even hedge the possibility of next quarters conference call.

How close is that to the March 29 opening of the current expansion?

 

[BrianLo]

How close is that to the March 29 opening of the current expansion?

Early February. Interesting point, there’s a few ways an announcement could come before this event.

 

[vikescaper]

any way to early predictions wants or rumors for d23 now that its almost 2026?

I would like to see updates on the projects announce at D23 2024 (Cars, Villains, Tropical Americas, Monsters Inc.). Since 2026 is 6 years from 2032 and EPCOT’s 50th, I could see something being announced for EPCOT. My wishes are Imagination and SSE. I would love for a new country to be announced and maybe a new nighttime show.

 

[HMF]

I could see something being announced for EPCOT. My wishes are Imagination and SSE.

Those are my wishes as well though I would worry a bit about the second one.

 

[Gremlin Gus]

any way to early predictions wants or rumors for d23 now that its almost 2026?

For my predictions (for WDW):

Animal Kingdom
- New nighttime show and confirmation of the park staying open later
- Encanto ride details including name drop for the ride, new concept art, and maybe showing off an animatronic for it
- Indiana Jones ride details including name drop for the ride, new concept art, and maybe showing off an animatronic for it
- Tropical Americas opening date revealed

Magic Kingdom:
- More Piston Peak news and what that second smaller attraction is
- Villainsland new concept art that shows the layout of the land
- Maybe announcement of bringing Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as a meet and greet since it's his 100th anniversary in 2027?

Hollywood Studios:
- News on what that show will be replacing Muppetvision 3D and in general more Montropolis land news including maybe opening year/date

EPCOT:
- Figment cope
- WoL getting demolished and replaced with an Inside Out attraction?
- Maybe a new World Showcase country? idk

Predictions for Disneyland Anaheim:
- Coco ride details
- Disneyland Forwards reveal of what will be going in it (Probably would be revealed much later but if I had to guess, decent chances it'll be lands for Encanto, Zootopia, and Wakanda, Frozen could replace one of the three IP's I mentioned, but I could see Tangled and Peter Pan getting in there as well)
- Avengers Campus news

 

[HMF]

- WoL getting demolished and replaced with an Inside Out attraction?

Why bother demolishing it? Inside out is literally the spiritual successor to the original WOL. It doesn't require a whole new building. EPCOT has a pretty bad record of tearing down buildings and then building inferior replacements on the same ground.

 

[jah4955]

Why bother demolishing it? Inside out is literally the spiritual successor to the original WOL. It doesn't require a whole new building. EPCOT has a pretty bad record of tearing down buildings and then building inferior replacements on the same ground.

(history of major EPCOT demo):

• Horizons with Space (warehouse building with weak facade & attraction that seemed "passe" not long after opening.
• Fountain of Nations with...ugh...?
• Lagoonside Mexican eatery replacement with a bigger one ((seemed to be a capacity thing? Never went to either old or new...I just know there's now less of a view.)
• Outdoor American Adventure Theater with quasi-Indoor American Adventure Theater (always hate losing lagoon-view)
• Communicore West (jury still technically out on "Moana" half b/c I haven't been, but the fact that Communicore Hall has been universally-panned tells me I won't like that part either (at best).

BUT (I always try to find the positives):

• Most of EPCOT'S "good demos" have been to get rid of things that should have never been....WAND (sorry Marty Sklar) TOMBSTONES (sorry John Hench) AND BARGES (I hope we never know who proposed that!)

AND

• One arguable demo that went towards an overall improvement (though wish we could have kept both): (Kitchen Kaberet/Food Rocks Theather) with Soain' theaters.

As I've said elsewhere (WoL Demo rumor thread), I stopped liking WoL building with dome roof replacement (that supposedly leaks anyway)...I'd be OK with its demo IF it was replaced with a more impressive "classic FW" building look (like ALL original FW buildings)

Maybe bring-back one of the unused concepts (particularly in this image where Space & Seas currently stand)?

 

[Gremlin Gus]

Why bother demolishing it? Inside out is literally the spiritual successor to the original WOL. It doesn't require a whole new building. EPCOT has a pretty bad record of tearing down buildings and then building inferior replacements on the same ground.

Well the thing is, assuming a hypothetical Inside Out attraction is a D or E ticket attraction and not some walk through attraction like the Play Pavilion that was supposed to go to EPCOT, then it's better off they demolish it given the state of the WoL showbuilding

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

I just had a really negative experience with D23 - I was going to go ahead and upgrade to gold with the Black Friday 30% off deal - I fill everything out - it says “s&h TBD” - this is normal on sites so I hit continue and it automatically charges me the full amount with $25 for shipping and handling - which is crazy high.

As far as I can tell - this is an illegal practice - retailers must tell you the total price before they authorize the purchase.

I’ve emailed d23 and I’ll take it up with the credit card if I don’t get a response.

It only took 8 emails for D23 to refund the extra charge. The first 7 just wrote a generic form response - I’m guessing at least half of them were AI responses.

Anyways… I’m a d23 gold member again! Haha. Basically only joined for the book and the extra benefits at the expo.

Side note… it’s 2025 - why doesn’t Disney jist offer free shipping like amazon? Anyways!

 

[HMF]

Most of EPCOT'S "good demos" have been to get rid of things that should have never been....WAND (sorry Marty Sklar) TOMBSTONES (sorry John Hench) AND BARGES (I hope we never know who proposed that!)

The wand would have been okay if it only lasted the duration of the Millenium Celebration as originally intended. The Tombstones could have been a lot worse if Hench was not involved. As for the barges, they weren't short lived enough. Just an awful idea from the start. Of course, if I were in charge ROE would have been updated, not replaced but obviously I am not.

 

[HMF]

Well the thing is, assuming a hypothetical Inside Out attraction is a D or E ticket attraction and not some walk through attraction like the Play Pavilion that was supposed to go to EPCOT, then it's better off they demolish it given the state of the WoL showbuilding

I would be more confident in their decision making if their recent track record particularly with EPCOT wasn't so spotty.

 

[jah4955]

The wand would have been okay if it only lasted the duration of the Millenium Celebration as originally intended. The Tombstones could have been a lot worse if Hench was not involved. As for the barges, they weren't short lived enough. Just an awful idea from the start. Of course, if I were in charge ROE would have been updated, not replaced but obviously I am not.

I almost cried tears of joy seeing the wand removed in 2007...restoring SSE (at least outside) to its timeless glory!

I could have tolerated wand thru 2000 and MGM hat thru 2002 (since Walt was born only days before 1902 started).

But...

....at BEST....

....Both cases always made me feel that A 500 FOOT TALL MICKEY WAS CRAWLING OUT OF THE GROUND TO GET US!

 

[HMF]

I almost cried tears of joy seeing the wand removed in 2007...restoring SSE (at least outside) to its timeless glory!

To be honest I am still not entirely convinced what happened inside was worth the trade, same with losing the hat and the Movie Ride within two years of each other.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

same with losing the hat and the Movie Ride within two years of each other.

I’d definitely keep the hat if we got to keep the movie ride.

I liked the hat as a symbol of the park, it was just in a bad spot :-/

 

[HMF]

I’d definitely keep the hat if we got to keep the movie ride.

I liked the hat as a symbol of the park, it was just in a bad spot :-/

Indeed, we got barely under two years without the hat to continue to enjoy GMR and of course we lost the wand and the Irons version of SSE at the exact same time.

 

[jah4955]

To be honest I am still not entirely convinced what happened inside was worth the trade

ohhh...it wasn't worth the "trade." You've helped convince me that, at least to-date, 1994-2007 was the peak of SSE. From the first time I rode the current version in 2007, I still keep cringing at certain points, and if you cut me some slack from the initial "shock/surprise" of the "new" ending being there in the first place, I never not hated the new ending (especially when contrasted with the magnificence of the 1994 ending)

I just never not hated that wand.

And I may be "all by myself" on this one...but...as "nice" as the new lights are......I still prefer the former nighttime outdoor SSE lighting.

Something about it was most-soothing for me.