News Destination D23 2025

[TheMaxRebo]

Come on my guy, you can't just take those four words out. They are promising hearing from those people behind upcoming stuff, not announcements of anything new.

That's my point - they delivered on the letter of the law of what was provided but combined with the tone of all the promotion I can understand why people were anticipating more

 

[Figments Friend]

I like that this thing felt rag tag in the right ways compared to the Expo.

I also enjoyed this aspect the one time I attended a couple of years ago.
The smaller scale and ‘less is more’ presentation appealed to me when compared to the massive chaos and unnessesary complexity that is the mega D23 Expo.

-

 

[prberk]

Yes, I agree @Figments Friend . The smaller WDW D23 event (at least two years ago when we were both there) felt more like a true fan convention than the Expo has been recently.
And I also feel that they are more fun like that, as a fan convention, with things to explore with wonder and time, rather than a huge press conference where the crowds ignore the small things in breathless anticipation of the next big announcement.

 

[Kamikaze]

That's my point - they delivered on the letter of the law of what was provided but combined with the tone of all the promotion I can understand why people were anticipating more

No, you completely changed the meaning of the sentence. They didn't promise anything new, just hearing from people behind the upcoming projects. You pulled out those words out of context trying to make it say something they weren't saying.

 

[DisneyHead123]

They didn't promise anything new, just hearing from people behind the upcoming projects. You pulled out those words out of context trying to make it say something they weren't saying.

I guess my thinking is - they’re not someone trying to win a contract dispute with a neighbor based on the technical meaning of language. Disney is a media company and it’s part of their job to set expectations with marketing. If something clearly leads to widespread misinterpretation, probably better to change it next time.

I don’t think it’s any huge thing in the grand scheme of things. I also lean towards the idea that they cut an announcement last minute.

 

[flyerjab]

I have been a Disney fan since first visiting WDW in 2009 as an adult. I can safely say I have never attended either of these events so I can’t really express a good opinion here.

I will say that somewhere, though, I heard that Bruce Vaughn wants to back off a bit from putting early concept art out into the public. Probably because it’s, you know, concept and not the actual final product. I honestly can’t blame him. With social media these days, one piece of concept art goes out and it gets dissected online by a ton of bloggers and YouTubers like a cadaver in a gross anatomy course. I watch Hey Bricky at times and I saw his video on the concept art for Villians Land. He dove into that one piece of concept art in ways I didn’t think were possible. It was like watching Harrison Ford as Deckard analyze that photo in that scene from Blade Runner. It just builds up false expectations since concept art has absolutely no budget.

I think it’s better for the company to add a bit more secrecy and anticipation into this process. Keep things in back of the curtain a bit longer. Social media has ruined a bit of the magic. I love what Vaughn has been doing since his return: getting former Imagineers back, starting the Illusions Lab again, giving more direction to projects, the Imagineering YouTube channel, etc. Let him cook as Walter White would say, then show us a more finished product. And give us more Herb Roman style concept art. It will at least give us something to chew on until more concrete stuff is released.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

No, you completely changed the meaning of the sentence. They didn't promise anything new, just hearing from people behind the upcoming projects. You pulled out those words out of context trying to make it say something they weren't saying.

Yes, on purpose/knowingly did that - obviously you are not understanding what I was doing so I will move on

 

[Kamikaze]

Yes, on purpose/knowingly did that - obviously you are not understanding what I was doing so I will move on

But your explanation is the exact opposite of that.

 

[Kamikaze]

I guess my thinking is - they’re not someone trying to win a contract dispute with a neighbor based on the technical meaning of language. Disney is a media company and it’s part of their job to set expectations with marketing. If something clearly leads to widespread misinterpretation, probably better to change it next time.

I don’t think it’s any huge thing in the grand scheme of things. I also lean towards the idea that they cut an announcement last minute.

Reading 'hear from the people behind new projects' and interpreting it as 'they're going to announce new projects' is a YOU problem, not a Disney problem.

They cut nothing. We got more than I expected.

 

[DisneyHead123]

Reading 'hear from the people behind new projects' and interpreting it as 'they're going to announce new projects' is a YOU problem, not a Disney problem.

They cut nothing. We got more than I expected.

I feel the term “You Problem” makes no sense in the context of company-consumer relationships. Their job is literally to sell you something. Like if I decide I don’t want to buy Halloween Twix because they’re green, I guess the Mars company could yell “Well that’s a you problem!!” and they wouldn’t technically be wrong, but it seems an odd response from someone whose entire job is to sell candy.

(Note - absurd scenario given for the sake of example. Only a monster wouldn’t eat Twix.)

 

[Kamikaze]

I feel the term “You Problem” makes no sense in the context of company-consumer relationships. Their job is literally to sell you something. Like if I decide I don’t want to buy Halloween Twix because they’re green, I guess the Mars company could yell “Well that’s a you problem!!” and they wouldn’t technically be wrong, but it seems an odd response from someone whose entire job is to sell candy.

(Note - absurd scenario given for the sake of example. Only a monster wouldn’t eat Twix.)

If the package says 'This Twix is green' and you buy it and complain that the Twix isn't both green and has nuts, that's a you problem.

Thats more akin to what happened here than your example.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

But your explanation is the exact opposite of that.

No it wasn't - put perhaps I wasn't doing a good job being explicit (which does relates to my point) .... let's try this

The tone of their messaging was that this was the biggest Destination ever ... which was also messaging for the Ultimate Fan experience last year when a lot of news came out.

A good amount of news came out in Destination D23 2023 so now pushing the narrative this is the biggest one ever, not unreasonable to think even more news may come out this time

They wind up not having a Parks panel but *do* have one for Villains - which is the one project in WDW have haven't gotten news or updated concept art, and then include the explicit words "new projects and attractions" - I don't think it is crazy to think how a guest could infer - or in this case, misinterpret - what was to come.

As I have said, D23 fulfilled what they said to the letter of the law but in the tone of the messaging I don't think they properly set/lowered expectations so can understand how some people are feeling - that is all

I was in attendance, I thought it was a great event overall - the Studios panel was great and way more than I expected, the talent they had for the performance was unbelievable, some really fun panels with people from the Archives, etc. ...

 

[TheMaxRebo]

If the package says 'This Twix is green' and you buy it and complain that the Twix isn't both green and has nuts, that's a you problem.

Thats more akin to what happened here than your example.

Might be more that they market it as being green and the most extreme version ever ... and you get it is it is kinda green which, I guess, technically makes it the most extreme ever, but doesn't match the tone of the marketing/messaging so you feel deflated - but they tell you that is a "you problem" for having raised expectations

 

[DisneyHead123]

If the package says 'This Twix is green' and you buy it and complain that the Twix isn't both green and has nuts, that's a you problem.

Thats more akin to what happened here than your example.

If for some reason there was significant confusion and a majority of customers called to complain, do you think Twix marketing would do nothing, satisfied in the knowledge that it must be user error? Or do you think they would find out where the confusion was coming from and modify the packaging?

I guess I see Disney more as a business, albeit a beloved business. If you see them more as a hobbyist organization or something like that in this particular situation, ok, that’s another point of view. I’m not trying to excoriate them or something, honestly I’m not particularly bothered by the situation. I do think it was confusing though.

 

[ManicMillennial]

Having taken a day to calmly look at the weekend as a whole I say that the majority of the event was really fun and probably one of the better Destination D23 years I can recall. (although having never been to the others in person that probably isn’t for me to say) That being said I do feel like the description and hype for the villain’s panel was misleading, they had to know that people would be looking at that very closely wanting more information about the land but still chose not to say much about it which would have been fine hand it not been included in the list of panels to keep an eye on for parks related news.

I will take ownership in my part of the problem by admitting I should have done ila better job of keeping my expectations in check for a destination event but that doesn’t clear Disney of any wrongdoing in the situation.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Having taken a day to calmly look at the weekend as a whole I say that the majority of the event was really fun and probably one of the better Destination D23 years I can recall. (although having never been to the others in person that probably isn’t for me to say) That being said I do feel like the description and hype for the villain’s panel was misleading, they had to know that people would be looking at that very closely wanting more information about the land but still chose not to say much about it which would have been fine hand it not been included in the list of panels to keep an eye on for parks related news.

I will take ownership in my part of the problem by admitting I should have done ila better job of keeping my expectations in check for a destination event but that doesn’t clear Disney of any wrongdoing in the situation.

I am going through the list of announcements and honestly there was a decent amount - it was just different than what we were expecting, at least speaking for myself, which was more updates to existing projects vs some new things (some of which are smaller).

But taking away any expectations we had, getting:
- Update to Carousel of Progress including the addition of the Walt AA
- Tron: Ares overlay to Lightcycle/Run
- Repainting of Cinderella Castle
- World of Frozen in Disney Adventure Park at Disneyland Paris opening timeframe
- Plus getting the new Disneyland: Handcrafted documentary, and some of the smaller updates for cruise line (Dr Facilier, etc) ...

I think that isn't bad for a traditional Destination - plus the Studios panel was a lot more on upcoming films that has typically been at Destination

 

[ManicMillennial]

I am going through the list of announcements and honestly there was a decent amount - it was just different than what we were expecting, at least speaking for myself, which was more updates to existing projects vs some new things (some of which are smaller).

But taking away any expectations we had, getting:
- Update to Carousel of Progress including the addition of the Walt AA
- Tron: Ares overlay to Lightcycle/Run
- Repainting of Cinderella Castle
- World of Frozen in Disney Adventure Park at Disneyland Paris opening timeframe
- Plus getting the new Disneyland: Handcrafted documentary, and some of the smaller updates for cruise line (Dr Facilier, etc) ...

I think that isn't bad for a traditional Destination - plus the Studios panel was a lot more on upcoming films that has typically been at Destination

Absolutely! There really was some good stuff that came out of this years event and if nothing else it has me trying to talk my wife into doing a cruise on Destiny and I have never in my life been interested in going on a cruise before.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Absolutely! There really was some good stuff that came out of this years event and if nothing else it has me trying to talk my wife into doing a cruise on Destiny and I have never in my life been interested in going on a cruise before.

I heard that from several people - they definitely got people interested in that ship!

 

[Kamikaze]

No it wasn't - put perhaps I wasn't doing a good job being explicit (which does relates to my point) .... let's try this

The tone of their messaging was that this was the biggest Destination ever ... which was also messaging for the Ultimate Fan experience last year when a lot of news came out.

A good amount of news came out in Destination D23 2023 so now pushing the narrative this is the biggest one ever, not unreasonable to think even more news may come out this time

But it was. They had extra time and more panels than the other Destination D events.

They wind up not having a Parks panel but *do* have one for Villains - which is the one project in WDW have haven't gotten news or updated concept art, and then include the explicit words "new projects and attractions" - I don't think it is crazy to think how a guest could infer - or in this case, misinterpret - what was to come.

Again, you're still doing the same thing. Yes, it said 'new projects and attractions'. But it said 'hear from the people behind new projects and attractions'. It was one sentence. You're the one misinterpreting the sentence. You can't do what you're doing. That's still your fault, not Disney's.

As I have said, D23 fulfilled what they said to the letter of the law but in the tone of the messaging I don't think they properly set/lowered expectations so can understand how some people are feeling - that is all

I was in attendance, I thought it was a great event overall - the Studios panel was great and way more than I expected, the talent they had for the performance was unbelievable, some really fun panels with people from the Archives, etc. ...

Where did the 'tone of the messaging' promise literally anything for Parks and Resorts?

 

[Kamikaze]

If for some reason there was significant confusion and a majority of customers called to complain, do you think Twix marketing would do nothing, satisfied in the knowledge that it must be user error? Or do you think they would find out where the confusion was coming from and modify the packaging?

The majority of customers aren't complaining here, though. Only the most devoted and deluded few that were expecting things that were never promised. They hyped themselves up to expect things that Disney never mentioned.

I guess I see Disney more as a business, albeit a beloved business. If you see them more as a hobbyist organization or something like that in this particular situation, ok, that’s another point of view. I’m not trying to excoriate them or something, honestly I’m not particularly bothered by the situation. I do think it was confusing though.

I don't know exactly what you're talking about here with calling it a 'hobbyist organization'.

Disney doesn't have to take blame when people read only what they want to read out of a press release and ignore the rest. That's on that person. You can't read half of a sentence like Max Rebo is doing any say 'THEY SAID NEW ATTRACTIONS!!!!111!!'. Thats not fair to anyone.