News Destination D23 2023

[WaltsTreasureChest]

People are so desperate to have Eisner back in the parks again, that they are bringing Soarin' Over California back.

Soarin over California, new Indy ride coming back, I mean we’re getting there

 

[TheMaxRebo]

The line to meet Figment is HUGE…!
He is here with us in World Showplace….getting his groove on.

Here are a couple of shots I snapped from the sidelines…just now.

View attachment 742018View attachment 742019

Time lapse of the line

 

[YouMakeTheWorldGoRound]

The “exciting announcements” were so pathetic, I’m honestly surprised they didn’t announce the return of Captain EO and the Main Street Electrical Parade to really send the crowd into a frenzy.

Tell me about it! Imagine bringing back that overblown, outclassed, worn out, nostalgia bait of empty flashiness and trotting its archaic shell back into the park.

And I guess bringing EO back would be weird too

 

[Figments Friend]

Figment partied with us right until the end…!

Here is a photo I snapped when he came up onstage at the end of the night at the D23 Party at Epcot.

This was to give everyone still hanging around after the conclusion of the World Showcase party a chance to get a picture of him.
A lot of folks missed out on the meet and greet, so this was a nice consolation prize for those just wanting to get a good close look at him.

I have a nice video clip of him dancing to the original ‘One Little Spark’ song…might share at another time.

 

[celluloid]

Soarin over California, new Indy ride coming back, I mean we’re getting there

Dont forget Barker Bird and Test Track back to more of a dark ride than projection ride.

 

[Figments Friend]

Time lapse of the line

To answer the question posed, the line was gigantic and snaked around the interior of the building.
It was difficult to find the end!

-

 

[doctornick]

I was not referring to increasing current capacity utilization, have they announced any incremental new attractions that would increase today’s current capacity?

The Encanto attraction will be an increase over currently since PW no longer exists (and PW has pretty crappy capacity anyway).

And if the build some animal enclosures in this new S America land, that would at least be “more to do”.

Oh and I guess the newly announced Moana M&G is technically something additional. And in terms of general park space, the Pirates bar will be something additional as it uses space currently shuttered.

 

[WaltsTreasureChest]

Dont forget Barker Bird and Test Track back to more of a dark ride than projection ride.

I’m just waiting for the inevitable announcement of Eisner coming back

 

[TTA94]

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

Wish you meant parades but you had said it’s to early for that. Hopeing “to early” means their not ready to announce summer 2024 plans yet and not a year or more out?
I would have thought since they don’t have much going on next year it would have been a good time plus to go along with TBA opening at MK.

 

[Figments Friend]

Another shot I snapped of my purple pal while he was hanging out with us stragglers at the end of the night.

As much as I am somewhat disappointed this is just Figzilla 2.0, I have to say I DO like the new version much better.
An attempt was made to actually capture the look of the original Animatronic version I know and love.
‘Cutified’ Figment never really did much for me…but this look reminds me of the original.

 

[Figments Friend]

And speaking of animatronics, here are a few snapshots I took at the display that was set up in a small room at the event.
I was for some reason expecting a larger room with more in it, but what was here was worth seeing for this avid animatronics fan.

First, one of the old Sun Bonnets, Bubbles.
I am assuming this is the one originally used at Disneyland.

Now a couple more, showing the famous Anacon along with a more modern control system.

 

[Figments Friend]

This is great! But why? Temporary?

That was my impression, yeah, just a limited engagement.
There was no specific statement as to why it was being done.

-

 

[brb1006]

And speaking of animatronics, here are a few snapshots I took at the display that was set up in a small room at the event.
I was for some reason expecting a larger room with more in it, but what was here was worth seeing for this avid animatronics fan.

First, one of the old Sun Bonnets, Bubbles.
I am assuming this is the one originally used at Disneyland.
View attachment 742040View attachment 742041

Now a couple more, showing the famous Anacon along with a more modern control system.

View attachment 742042View attachment 742043

I didn't know The Sun Bonnet trio had names until now.

 

[brb1006]

Hey @Figments Friend finally found the photo from inside the "Les Chefs de France" restaurant showing Marie against the window towards the Ramy AA from the early 2010s.

I honestly wish Marie would someday return to doing meet and greets at Epcot's France Pavillion.

 

[Figments Friend]

I saw somewhere else it was this one:
View attachment 741931
I'm guessing they didn't sell too well honestly.

Yeah, this is it!

I thought this was an event exclusive, but noticed them in one of the shops over at Epcot tonight.

People were snatching these off of the convention room chairs and hauling multiple ones away.
The event staff placed one on each chair before the National Geographic related panel ( why not the Epcot one, I will always be puzzled by..).
So the idea was, each attendee would get one when seated at the panel.

Well, as you can image with about 65% of the people there solely there to buy merch and resell it….these dissapeared quick.
It was a real problem the staff was trying to address once they figured out what was going on…. but i still saw a lot of attendees haul off bags full of them.
A shame, as I noticed not everyone ended up being able to get one.

-

 

[Figments Friend]

And now a complaint….
Need to vent about what was a little perplexing about the evening.

So at tonight’s Epcot after party for the D23 attendees, they put on a nice party for us.
Big bash in the World Showcase building, after hours access to three Attractions in Future World…er…I mean World Celebration, and food and goodies galore.
Good stuff, a lot of fun.

However…
Once the midnight event concluded for the night, they only provided transportation to the Contemporary and the Grand Floridian….NONE of the other Resorts.
Um, yeah……
This was a problem.
How were all of these attendees like your fellow dragon here supposed to get back to their Resort hotel when the Disney bus service is done for the night?


They noted in the event information that folks can just grab a Uber or hire a Minnie Van…but some of us aren’t able to do this and many attendees were left potentially ‘stranded’ at the Park and very confused.
I was lucky as my cohort in D23 adventure this weekend was able to call a cab for us.
If I was on my own, I would have literally been stranded there.

I would think that if the D23 folks were planning on this after hours event for attendees they would have arranged some type of adequate transport back to the various Disney Resort hotels.
I can’t be the only one at the event that was not staying at the Contemp or Grand Flo!

-

 

[celluloid]

I can’t be the only one at the event that was not staying at the Contemp or Grand Flo!

"Sure, some possibly stayed at The Four Seasons"-Bob and Josh.

But seriously, thanks for reporting things here.

 

[montyz81]

What is up with updates to SSE and Journey into Imagination? I saw nothing about those.

 

[Squishy]

What is up with updates to SSE and Journey into Imagination? I saw nothing about those.

No money, Epcot is just another half promised half finished overhaul like DHS.

 

[aladdin2007]

What is up with updates to SSE and Journey into Imagination? I saw nothing about those.

nowhere in the cards anytime soon that we know of. I think they have no intention of touching imagination. Its going to take someone with a vision (which doesn't exist anymore in twdc), a new ceo, or a sponsor.