News Destination D23 2023

[Jrb1979]

It's pretty obvious with all these blue sky ideas that they don't really have any plans for major additions to WDW any time soon.

 

[TTA94]

It's pretty obvious with all these blue sky ideas that they don't really have any plans for major additions to WDW any time soon.

Agreed. Nothing new the next two years at least except for TBA at MK and what’s opening at Epcot the end of this year.

 

[csmat99]

The only thing that could potentially increase capacity at WDW is the BeyondThunder *Blue Sky* "announcement."

Everything else is a reskin/retheme/redo.

And while I will take any extra capacity they are offering (kind offering something that might happen at some point in maybe the next decade or so?), it is malpractice not to increase capacity at MGM or AK!

I agree but just to have more space won't help with capacity issues. They must have at least two big rides in that area. Or they didn't learn their lesson from Little mermaid.

 

[csmat99]

So they’ve nixed the Zootopia land altogether and sticking a show in to replace its tough to be a Bug? Not sure how that’s going to work.

I’ve heard the track layout is the same as dinosaur but they won’t be able to clone it will they? Doesn’t the Indy ride have a massive hall area with different levels?

Encanto makes sense in this South America area but there was never mention of a ride for that land? So again, a nice update to the area but it doesn’t add capacity.

For behind BTM they are better off making the whole area a Villians land.

I dont doubt that they will be adding the most additions than they have ever done but when it’s all spread out over the international parks too, while more than Epic universal is adding with 1 park, it won’t feel significant enough in WDW whatever they add.

Edit: also I know I am alone in thinking this but I guarantee that Disney are letting the right side of Hollywood studios (animation courtyard, RnR etc) have a slow death for when they will probably get the rights to Marvel in the parks when that whole area will be come an Avengers Campus

They will never get the rights to Avengers unless they want to overpay Comcast 3-4 times over.

 

[DCBaker]

 

[csmat99]

…I’m sure…
That they are wrong.

That is the current conditions. And a rebound right now is not indicated

I think the fact they basically punted again with Blue sky for two major developments does give weight to the fact Iger came back only to stabilize and then sell to Apple. The big question then does Apple want anything to do with the parks or they would just sell them off.

 

[J4546]

They will never get the rights to Avengers unless they want to overpay Comcast 3-4 times over.

I could see a compromise/trade being made with SImpsons IP or other IPs being involved

 

[UNCgolf]

Even if Disney ever does get Marvel rights back in Florida, they probably won't be interested in building an Avengers area. They'll want something newer -- it could still be Marvel if something like X-Men take off, though.

I wouldn't be holding my breath for them to get those Marvel rights, though.

 

[Indy_UK]

They will never get the rights to Avengers unless they want to overpay Comcast 3-4 times over.

Not sure when but Disney will want those rights back

 

[MagicHappens1971]

I think the fact they basically punted again with Blue sky for two major developments does give weight to the fact Iger came back only to stabilize and then sell to Apple. The big question then does Apple want anything to do with the parks or they would just sell them off.

One of my many problems with this whole “theory” is who is going to buy the parks?

 

[doctornick]

I could see a compromise/trade being made with SImpsons IP or other IPs being involved

If there were ever a “deal” for Marvel rights in Florida, I’m certain it would involve sharing the rights to the characters not Uni giving them up. There’s no realistic way that it makes sense for Uni to willingly lose the rights and have to spend a bunch just to retheme the area.

But Uni being willing to share the rights (or at least give Disney access to additional characters) could at least be conceivable even if still unlikely.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

 

[Figments Friend]

View attachment 742440

See, I told ya’all I was meeting up with Josh at Disney Springs to get a few drinks in him to make him talk!

This is how his eyes looked after a few rounds at Jock’s Hanger Bar.
He didn’t share much….even then.



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[Cmdr_Crimson]

View attachment 742440

 

[Figments Friend]

I love having the Muppets but couldn't they have found something for the performers to hide behind?

This.

There was time when Disney strived to ‘preserve the magic’…and having the Muppets’ operators visible during the live stage presentation at the actual event was jarring.
I sat in that room with the event audience and was honestly very surprised they chose not to hide the performers.

For children in the audience this must have been a little confusing….those that believed they were ‘real’ ended up getting a rude awakening.

But then again, even Jim Henson himself had no issues with the puppeteers being visible in certain situations.
Perhaps the D23 folks felt the fan audience would enjoy seeing a ‘behind the scenes’ opportunity to watch the puppeteers in action.
I am thinking this was likely the case…..

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[TTA94]

Interesting some of the things that are not that far away which were still not mentioned today.

Assuming it was anything exciting, wishful thinking one of them was a parade lol, Do you expect us to hear about these things in the coming weeks, months?

 

[Figments Friend]

I looked it up. There's 26 packs of 4 pins for that entire collection at $100 each. They might just be buying the whole series. That's seriously a lot of pins for just single series.

Mickey’s of Glendale Pin Catalog for Destination D23 2023 - Disney Pins Blog

Here is a look at the Mickey’s of Glendale Pin Catalog for Destination D23 2023! Releasing at Walt Disney World.

disneypinsblog.com

You may be right….they may have just purchased the whole collection, each of them.
Bag must have weighed like 60 pounds with all that metal!


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[Figments Friend]

You're a puppeteer, how neat. I took my nephew and niece when they were young to a production of Rudolph at Christmas one year and I thought they had recorded all the voices, but it was the actors doing all of the puppets and voice work. I'll bet you have a lot of fun doing that. And so cool with the original puppets from the Lion King. I've seen the production a few times and were totally enamored by it.

Thanks!
I have built and operated my own puppet characters for over 40 years now….mostly string puppets / marionettes but also some other more complicated types.


‘Legend of The Lion King’ was a very cool show.
Here is a great behind the scenes video shot by a CM back in the day to document how these figures were operated live by various puppeteers.
These were very talented folks, as were the people who built these fabulous puppets based on the Lion King characters.

This video clip also features the puppets that were on display at Destination D, so you can see them in action!
These are amazing creations.

Normally I would not try to ‘ruin the magic’, but since the Show no longer is in production this is a relic of the past that I am glad was documented in this way.





For those not familiar with this staged show that used to be at Magic Kingdom, here is a decent video of the entire show.
This gives you what the audience saw, and once again you can see the hyenas and good ol’ Pumbaa in action!





Here are a couple more photos I snapped at Destination D of these figures, very close up to show the paint detailing.

 

[KikoKea]

So, Stitch area remains empty of a ride, crowd-favorites street entertainers aren't returning, SE clanks along with an embarrassingly dusty descent, Imagination and Seas are but shadows of their former glorious selves, SM rattles too much and the Yeti can't move at all, but don't worry 'cause there's a new bar coming to MK!

 

[Figments Friend]

Holy **** the audience is not having it

Having attended the event, yeah, the audience was a bit meh during several moments.
The Parks panel was kinda meh….but folks sure got happy when that purple dragon bounced out.

Next to Bill Farmers’ rendition of Dreamfinder’s voice, I think that is the loudest I heard the crowd respond during any of the panels that I saw in person.
Jodi Benson received a really nice welcome from the crowd too…

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