2013 D23 Expo: Your Predictions

[TP2000]

I predict there won't even BE an Expo in 2013.

March, 2013, Anaheim Convention Center. Be there!

But that's far enough away that they can cancel the whole D23 concept this winter and not be in any sort of legal trouble or owe people money over the next Expo.

I only went to the Expo for a few hours Sunday afternoon. And while I had a blast, and would happily shell out 50 bucks for another afternoon in '13, there were clearly things they needed to fix.

Obviously attendance was way up this year compared to '09. They sold out of Expo tickets entirely on Saturday, and the local media were reporting over 40,000 people showed up over the weekend and exceeded Disney's expectations. But the crowd control and venue capacities simply must be expanded. They need to get Disneyland's crowd control department to come across the street and staff the movement of people around that massive convention center. They had a gazillion "D23 Expo Staff" in red t-shirts everywhere, but these were staffers from Burbank offices and were woefully inadequate at acting as good hosts/hostesses like Disneyland CM's can do with big crowds.

Most people wearing a red D23 t-shirt looked like a deer caught in the headlights as 5,000 people an hour descended the banks of escalators down from the second floor theaters to the exhibit halls.

And that whole Disney Living pavilion needs a far more cohesive theme and appearance and staging. WDI puts all other Disney divisions to shame with their amazing pavilions, and this years Carousel of Projects didn't disappoint. The consumer products folks really need to step it up and put on a better show, instead of just staging a messy swap meet of products in their section of Exhibit Hall A.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

Sadly, last week's D23 Expo left a lot to be desired for those of us wanting updates, additions to WDW. But, in a time of economic turmoil, lower travel levels, the public overall cutting back, and already a lot of $$$ being used toward FLE, I cannot be too harsh toward the House of Mouse for this decision.

But...with that being said, "there's a great big beautiful tomorrow!", as the song so beautifully puts it. Before you know it, 2013 will be upon us, and we will once again be in the midst of yet another D23 Expo. So my question is this: What do you think we will learn (as far as WDW additions are concerned) from the D23 Expo of 2013?

Here are a few of my predictions:
-What will be added to the former PI clubs/buildings
-Possible new E-ticket(s) for DAK DHS which are both in need.
-Possible update/replacement for U.O.E. at Epcot

I do not expect much mentioned for MK, as FLE will be fresh & new at that point.

What does everyone else predict?

A massive drop in ticket sales and attendance for the event itself.
A lot of previews on Disneyland Shanghai, some announcements for DL, some projects elsewhere (Hongkong?), some movie stuff.
Nothing decisive for WDW, perhaps a new resort (moderate?), some changes in DTD, VERY minor stuff in one park or two. (not in the range of new restrooms but not more than shops)

And a lot of disappointment.

Perhaps the next D23 will also be the last and not due to an alien invasion, an asteroid or WW III but genuine disappointment.

 

[baymenxpac]

geez, there's a lot of gloom and doom in this thread for an expo that's still 19 months away from happening. i, too, wanted something more than what we got at D23 this year, but a lot can happen over the better part of two years. i'm not saying it will, but i do think there's a lot of extreme pessimism parading under the guise of realism.

not to mention, didn't i see a rumor in a different thread that uni has internal projections for completion of phase two of potter sometime in 2014? that could push disney to announce something. again, not saying they will, but i think we need to temper our negativity as well as our expectations.

 

[TP2000]

Al Lutz has a great interview up today at Miceage with Disney's official "Disney Geek" guy (AKA Jeffrey Epstein) from D23, answering a lot of the concerns people had with lines and logistics from this Expo. It's a must read for anyone interested in D23 Expo, and the next one in Anaheim in '13!

That said, for those who have never been to D23 Expo, it's important to remember that neither D23 nor the D23 Expo is dedicated solely to Disney Parks & Resorts. D23 Expo is an event for the entire Disney company. They sold out tickets to the event on Saturday, the day after the big Friday theme park events were held, because Saturday was dedicated to the Walt Disney Studios and Feature Animation. There is more interest in the Studios than there are the theme parks, of which WDW is just one part of them.


It's completely understandable that WDW would be the biggest interest amongst us posters here on this site. Why else would we all be here today? :lol: But as far as D23 Expo is concerned, Walt Disney World is just one small portion of one single element of the entire purpose of the Expo.

It's not the Walt Disney World Expo Oddly Held 3,000 Miles Away In Anaheim.

And it's not Salute To All Disney Theme Parks Expo But Mostly Walt Disney World.

It's an Expo for all things Disney, which also happens to include some theme park property out in Florida. :wave:

 

[TropicalFig8]

My dream is for an Imagination overhaul.

But in reality,probably something to do with Shanghai.

 

[bearboysnc]

I predict Disney will figure out how to squeeze more profit from less expenditure and make it sound like a good idea.

 

[_Scar]

Because the 2011 D23 barely announced anything new aside from maybe a movie and the meet and greet thing @ Disneyland (lol), I think it will always be looked at as sort of a waste to fans. Sure it might have been fun for the people who went, but it's unheard of when a convention (especially one that focuses on one Company) doesn't announce projects. Unheard of. It was like one giant Disney commercial for fans.

 

[SparkyGiraffe]

No Expo at all. Instead D23 fans will get a free "I hugged Duffy the Disney Bear!" sticker......with a $2 purchase.

 

[Skipper Dan]

I predict there won't even BE an Expo in 2013.

Obviously, you weren't there this year.

 

[Captain Chaos]

An expo in 2013, if there is one... well, I predict no announcements, Tom Staggs won't be as boring as he was this year, and insomniacs won't have a tool to help them fall asleep during the parks presentation... as for what announcements there will be??? Nothing for the cash cow that is WDW...

Set your expecations low, real low... that way, it will be extreemly hard to become disappointed if nothing new or big is announced, and if they do decide to roll out a big gun, then we can be pleasantly surprised...

 

[MKCP 1985]

It does seem there will be a D23 Expo in 2013. When the D23 expo was originally announced for 2011, it was anticipated to be an annual occurrence. Crowd response didn't meet expectations for 2011, so they skipped 2012 and announced for 2013, cutting back the scope of the expo, from what I've read. Happily, the ticket sales for the recently completed expo were a success - selling out a couple of days, and an announcement was made during the expo that 2013 was a "go."

That said, it is likely true that it is too early now to predict specific projects being announced for Walt Disney World at the Expo as opposed to through other means (Annual meeting, press conferences, etc.)

What I do expect, though, is that there will never be a major announcement for the Downtown Disney area at a D23 expo. Downtown Disney is not "big" enough to garner the spotlight of the major expo showcasing all aspects of the Walt Disney Company empire.

 

[WDWFigment]

I think Shanghai will be a big focus of 2013. As for what WDW-related will be discussed? I think that's impossible to say at this point.

 

[Prototype82]

Elements from Del Toro's Haunted Mansion being incorporated into the ride, as Del Toro's mentioned the possibly of such...Maybe. Probably not. I have a bad feeling AK and Epcot won't get the announcements they're in desperate need of.

 

[Scuttle]

I expect the 2013 D23 to have updates on Shanghai Disneyland.

Snow White Mine Coaster will be talked about for WDW for 2013 D23 since it will not open before 2014. It is really too early for predicting anything else at this time.

What a joke that the mine train won't open until 2014! I mean really? Even if it isn't started until fall of 2012 why should t take over a year and a half to build!? So frustrating. I predict the potter swatters to be announced for AK and possibly studios.

 

[EpcotCenter82]

Any chance that the next D23 expo will be held at WDW? I'm on the east coast and would like to attend one but I doubt I'd ever travel to California.:hammer:

 

[wedenterprises]

As for announcements, who knows. The focus will be on movies again I'm sure.

I expect 2013 to be just as crowded but with more merchandise opportunities and more "opportunities" to shell out cash.

a) ticket prices will probably go up
b) more merch catering to the die hards, MoG will be back, possibly even a WDS store
c) Opportunities to buy Disney DVDs and get them signed
d) some sort of expansion of the sorcerer package. Maybe a guaranteed seats for certain panels program. A "WDI program" and a "Pixar" program?
e) hopefully all the WDI stuff in the arena as one giant 3 hour presentation.
f) see (e) but for pixar panels
g) more slutty princess costumes

Personally I had a blast, but not being able to get into all the panels I wanted to see is a fundamental problem.

 

[TP2000]

Any chance that the next D23 expo will be held at WDW? I'm on the east coast and would like to attend one but I doubt I'd ever travel to California.:hammer:

There's not really any chance they'll move D23 Expo to WDW. There's not enough room on WDW property to hold it, even if they took up the entire space in multiple conference facilities around property and split it into smaller exhibits in various locations; Contemporary conference center, Saratoga Springs conference center, Boardwalk, Grand Floridian, Swan & Dolphin, etc.

They could obviously hold D23 Expo at its current size in the Orlando Convention Center on I-Drive, but then you've got the logistics of getting tens of thousands of people per day to and from WDW property on fleets of buses, and Disney would be loathe to let those folks off property or make the I-Drive convention hotels grab the business.

Even with those big obstacles to having it at WDW, you've got the logistics and huge expense of flying out all that equipment and supplies and hundreds of Burbank and Glendale employees. It would never happen, thinking realistically.

For the same reasons why D23 will stay in SoCal, they've never held a big movie premeire at WDW. Disneyland has hosted the last four Pirates movie premieres to huge success, but they've never attempted to do anything like that at WDW.

The next D23 Expo was announced for March, 2013 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

By the way... Hello! I lived in the Palmetto State for several years and was just emailing some old friends there and making fun of them for their reaction to the earthquake. :lol:

 

[asianway]

Any chance that the next D23 expo will be held at WDW? I'm on the east coast and would like to attend one but I doubt I'd ever travel to California.:hammer:

CA operates the better parks you should consider a trip

 

[Fractal514]

I don't mind stupid. Heck, I was a big poster on the Imagineering board for a bit. But, I can't stand this "Don't get excited, cause then y ou'll just be ed and dissapointed." attitude.

 

[TropicalFig8]

I don't mind stupid. Heck, I was a big poster on the Imagineering board for a bit. But, I can't stand this "Don't get excited, cause then y ou'll just be ed and dissapointed." attitude.

People can be so negative. :brick: