D23 2024 Disneyland Rumors, Predictions & Discussion

[mickEblu]

You just scrambled every single senior executive's mind in Burbank, Glendale, Anaheim and Orlando with that comment.

Why do you need shade structures? Your plaid vest guide whisks you in through the exit of anything you want to see or go on.

Why do you need cool-off areas? Your plaid vest guide already reserved folding chairs and assigned seats at all the parades and water shows and fireworks and theater performances you want to see.

What stress and complexity? You have people to monitor and manage the App for you, while your plaid vest guide charms your kids, holds your wife's shopping bags, and keeps everyone happy and entertained.

And what about that free valet parking for your car at the Grand Californian? How's that for service and convenience!

If you are a Disney executive at the Vice President or above level, the people who actually make the decisions and guide the operational present and future of these theme parks, your complimentary visit to the parks once or twice per year couldn't be more pleasant and relaxing and simple.

So what are you peasants who actually pay to get in complaining about?!

Lol. All valid points but this reminds me, for the price people pay for those VIP tour guides its a little ridiculous that they re waiting in the same LL line as the people who paid $20 for Genie +. Shouldn't it include some sort of from of the line service?

 

[Streetway]

As for D23, over in another thread I just remembered that the Hyperion Theater is still sitting there empty and abandoned.

Not a peep about a new show in development anywhere. If they don't announce a new show for it coming in 2025 at D23 Expo, then I believe the Hyperion Theater has already been earmarked for being torn down and removed.

For whatever reason, TDA just can't or won't commit the resources needed to host a daily show in that huge 2,000 seat theater. They may have decided that sort of large-scale theater entertainment just can't be justified in Anaheim any longer.

And even the Fantasyland Theater in Disneyland is under-utilized and now just hosts a Pixar character DJ kiddy party for two more weeks as part of Pixar Fest.

If they don't announce major stage shows coming back to DCA and/or Disneyland, I think it's safe to say that form of entertainment no longer pencils out in California's business climate, and the theater facilities are being identified for removal.

Sucks to see Disneyland management fall like that. Crazy how they used to be seen as “the best” at everything.

 

[SuddenStorm]

Lol. All valid points but this reminds me, for the price people pay for those VIP tour guides its a little ridiculous that they re waiting in the same LL line as the people who paid $20 for Genie +. Shouldn't it include some sort of from of the line service?

I've never understood the personal tour guides. I've been in line next to them a few times and always felt like it'd be weird as a family to have an employee hanging around with you all day, including on the rides.

And more often than not, they don't even seem that engaged or entertaining and are sometimes a bit annoying. Like if it was someone well versed in Disneyland History (if that's what the group wants) and who was just a generally fun person to talk to, it could be good. But that isn't always the case.

 

[mickEblu]

I've never understood the personal tour guides. I've been in line next to them a few times and always felt like it'd be weird as a family to have an employee hanging around with you all day, including on the rides.

And more often than not, they don't even seem that engaged or entertaining and are sometimes a bit annoying. Like if it was someone well versed in Disneyland History (if that's what the group wants) and who was just a generally fun person to talk to, it could be good. But that isn't always the case.

Yeah, not for me. If I had that kind of expendable income I'd rather pay for a true front of the line pass, no guide.

 

[TTA94]

Anyone think they may announce details for Hong Kong’s 20th Anniversary? We already know a new day parade is coming, or rather the return of a day parade since the pandemic that killed Flights of Fantasy.

 

[britain]

Hello? Anyone here?

So either all leaks have been clamped down on as we enter the homestretch.

Or insiders are not talking because they want us to be pleasantly surprised…

Or insiders are not talking because they themselves are disappointed.

 

[TP2000]

Hello? Anyone here?

So either all leaks have been clamped down on as we enter the homestretch.

Or insiders are not talking because they want us to be pleasantly surprised…

Or insiders are not talking because they themselves are disappointed.

Thank you, I just looked at the calendar and thought the exact same thing. Where the heck is everybody?!?

This thing starts 7 days from now, next Friday. Where is the hype? The excitement? The rumors?

Or are all the Disney fans solely focused right now on partying through the last weekend of Pixar Fest?

 

[mickEblu]

Hello? Anyone here?

So either all leaks have been clamped down on as we enter the homestretch.

Or insiders are not talking because they want us to be pleasantly surprised…

Or insiders are not talking because they themselves are disappointed.

Seems like it’ll be hard not to let down us Disneylanders. We already know about the likeliest big projects coming to DLR in the short term - Pandora and Avengers. So if those are confirmed without a lot of substance it’ll be nice but won’t be a surprise. Especially coming off the last couple Blue Sky style D23 events. On the other hand, if they don’t give any details on those projects or if they look less impressive than the concept art or what we imagined than that will be a let down. Any surprise or dark horse like a Coco dark ride would generate some excitement. “New” Tomorrowland of course would generate a lot of excitement but only if it comes with at least one new ride and/ or the People Mover.

 

[mickEblu]

Thank you, I just looked at the calendar and thought the exact same thing. Where the heck is everybody?!?

This thing starts 7 days from now, next Friday. Where is the hype? The excitement? The rumors?

Or are all the Disney fans solely focused right now on partying through the last weekend of Pixar Fest?

That TBA POV really dampened my excitement for future projects. Maybe it did the same to others? I think this might be a year where we've already heard the majority of the big announcements over the last 6-12 months. Maybe they were a little extra loose lipped out of necessity with Epic Universe getting all the attention?

 

[TP2000]

I'll try to get some excitement going for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event Katella Commute 2024, Presented by Visa...

Here's my final wish list and/or assumptions on what will be announced for Disneyland Resort by Sidekick Tightpants at the Parks Presentation and/or the WDI Pavilion on the show floor, in no particular order, fueled only by a patio lemonade:

• Announcement on a new, and traditionally large, musical show for the Hyperion Theatre for 2025.
• If no mention is made of a new show for the Hyperion, that facility is about to be torn down for park expansion.
• Something announced for the Hollywood Backlot stucco warehouse purgatory; the already announced Avatar Land seemingly the most likely.
• Marvel E Ticket thrill ride teased for "later this decade" for Avenger's Campus, to be placed on empty parking lot south of Mission: Breakout, with vague yet decent artwork shown and a brief overview of the ride system and storyline for that ride.
• Great Moments With Walt And Abe; Dueling Pianos or some type of similar show announced to open in the Opera House as part of the 70th Anniversary festivities.
• Basic overview of 70th Anniversary Party theme, with the obligatory reworked fireworks show.
• Announcement of reworked Fantasmic! and dragon, as part of the 70th Anniversary stuff for '25.
• Still vague, yet at least more informative, sketchy artwork and buzzwords will be used to hype the "potential" or "possibilities" of the DisneylandForward expansion plots west of Disneyland Drive. But those expansion areas won't beging to be used until the 2030's and it will be the 2040's before that land is fully turned into theme park areas.

I doubt Tomorrowland will be mentioned at all, unless they surprise us by putting Avatarland in the Autopia and Sub Lagoon area instead.

I also doubt they'll mention any expansion for Disneyland itself, like Bog Iger hinted at that could go in the norther backstage areas behind Toontown and Star Wars Land. My hunch is that DCA will be the focus for the next new ride or three before Disneyland opens something new around 2030 or later.

 

[TP2000]

That TBA POV really dampened my excitement for future projects? Maybe it did the same to others? I think this might be a year where we've already heard the majority of the big announcements over the last 6-12 months. Maybe they were a little extra loose lipped out of necessity with Epic Universe getting all the attention?

Oh, yeah, Tiana's Bayou Adventure did kill off some fan enthusiasm for future stuff. I forget how impactful that was.

One thing I'm curious about is their transportation plan for moving 20,000 people per day up and down 2 miles of Katella, between the Convention Center and the Honda Center. That should be interesting to see how effectively and efficiently they pull that off, with long queues and loading areas and stuff, especially in the August heat.

 

[mickEblu]

Oh, yeah, Tiana's Bayou Adventure did kill off some fan enthusiasm for future stuff. I forget how impactful that was.

One thing I'm curious about is their transportation plan for moving 20,000 people per day up and down 2 miles of Katella, between the Convention Center and the Honda Center. That should be interesting to see how effectively and efficiently they pull that off, with long queues and loading areas and stuff, especially in the August heat.

I hope they all get stuck at the Honda Center haha. I have a park reservation for this Friday. We’ve been blocked out since early June but enjoying other So Cal attractions. Ever been to the park on a D23 weekend? I’d imagine the evenings might get busy.

 

[Parteecia]

"Friday, August 9
3:45 pm-5:00 pm
Premiere Stage
Bringing the Worlds of Disney Animation to Life in Disney Parks

Team members from Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios discuss bringing the worlds of Disney Animation to life in Disney parks around the world, including such projects as World of Frozen (Hong Kong Disneyland), Zootopia (Shanghai Disneyland), Fantasy Springs (Tokyo DisneySea) and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (Magic Kingdom and Disneyland)."

I hope it includes an apologia for TBA.

Random thought: Disney should revert the TBA acronym to its more familiar meaning.

 

[TP2000]

I hope they all get stuck at the Honda Center haha. I have a park reservation for this Friday. We’ve been blocked out since early June but enjoying other So Cal attractions. Ever been to the park on a D23 weekend? I’d imagine the evenings might get busy.

As I remember, that's exactly what happens. I've got the family arriving in a few days, and all of them had absolutely no interest in doing a Disneyland day this year, so I won't be heading up there for D23. I used to just buy a day ticket and slide in there on Sunday to stroll the show floor and gawk at people, and see the WDI Pavilion.

The past few D23 Expo's the WDI Pavilion got progressively less and less impressive each Expo. I hope they return to putting on a unique show and really jazz it up like they used to, instead of just doing what amounts to a slick tradeshow exhibit like you'd find at a Las Vegas dental convention. "New developments from Crest!...."

WDI Exhibit: 2019 D23 Expo

Crest Exhibit: 2019 Dental Convention

At the WDI exhibit, you got to see a model of the Starcruiser Hotel that opened in 2022 and shut down in 2023, and stuff they quickly cancelled and never did for Epcot. But at the Crest exhibit, you get free toothpaste and floss samples and refrigerator magnets and free ballpoint pens, so it's kind of even.

 

[TP2000]

They just HAVE to go really big for this D23 Expo. After the last five years of California closures and Florida cancellations and numerous downgrades all over, they simply can't go into this thing and put on a half-butt show.

Even if they don't return the WDI Pavilion on the show floor to its lavish and entertaining past, the Parks presentation simply MUST deliver the goods for both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World. If Bob Iger and Sidekick Tightpants and whoever else they're gonna drag out there on stage don't know this, then they're even more clueless than we feared.

This can not simply be a "good enough" Expo for the Parks. It must be a home run! I hope Burbank realizes this.

And if they pull some idiotic stunt like Chapek when he brought out the Target dog and then fanboy geeked out all over the Target CEO in front of 10,000 people, I'll never forgive them. Please tell me they learned their lesson!....

 

[BrianLo]

My completely dark horse but really not unrealistic wish list for DLR is another fantasyland dark ride makeover and a new story for the Fantasy faire theatre.

Plus the aforementioned Hyperion. Give me some good 70th entertainment.

If I was really pushing my luck bring back the Galaxy’s edge cuts in some form, because DHS could use it too and both would benefit from a package of things done on a faster timeframe. We already sort of know the big ones in reality.

 

[mickEblu]

My completely dark horse but really not unrealistic wish list for DLR is another fantasyland dark ride makeover and a new story for the Fantasy faire theatre.

Plus the aforementioned Hyperion. Give me some good 70th entertainment.

If I was really pushing my luck bring back the Galaxy’s edge cuts in some form, because DHS could use it too and both would benefit from a package of things done on a faster timeframe. We already sort of know the big ones in reality.

The GE stuff is a good dark horse. Especially some new missions for Smugglers Run. Like a real announcement with descriptions of the new mission(s).

 

[MarvelCharacterNerd]

The results came back today for those trying to get into the non-Honda Center panels, signings and giveaways via lottery at the Event Formerly Known As Expo.

I tried for 0 panels and just 1 signing to try to raise my chances by prioritizing it and still didn't get it.

So I paid an arm and a leg for a 1-day ticket with no panels and no signings. Instead, I'll have the privilege of standing in long lines to try to get into the stores to shop.

#thatssodisney

 

[britain]

The GE stuff is a good dark horse. Especially some new missions for Smugglers Run. Like a real announcement with descriptions of the new mission(s).

Zero Star Wars anything. We’re waiting for the next record-breaking Star Wars film renaissance to define what should be added to the parks. So we’re 3-5 years before that’s even decided upon, 6-8 before opening.

 

[mickEblu]

Zero Star Wars anything. We’re waiting for the next record-breaking Star Wars film renaissance to define what should be added to the parks. So we’re 3-5 years before that’s even decided upon, 6-8 before opening.

A mission with the Mandalorian or one using OT planets/ characters would be a pretty safe bet.