MASSIVE Disney Parks Announcements Expected Next Month, Our Predictions For What’s Coming

Disney is expected to make transformative announcements about future expansions at their theme parks around the world in just a few weeks. The announcements will come at D23, an every two years event that's like Comic-Con for all things Disney.

This year the expectations are higher than ever for the Disney Parks division to deliver with big news that will provide more information on what Disney will build with the $60 billion investment planned for parks and resorts. They have already indicated that Walt Disney World will receive a big chunk of this as will Disneyland with the approval of DisneylandForward.

These predictions are based on my years of experience attending D23 and following the theme parks. Below I'll gauge the likelihood of certain announcements and provide general predictions.

D23 Expo Theme Park Predictions

The last two D23 Expos and the most recent Destination D23, give us good context for what we can expect this year. In 2019, then Parks Chairman Bob Chapek presented a sweeping set of announcements including new additions for EPCOT. Then came the pandemic theme park closures and a big pause on Disney's theme park investments. That D23 Expo presentation in 2019 left a bad taste in the mouths of fans and Disney executives because fans continued to clamor for the things announced and executives realized that they had presented things on a further time horizon that ended up being canceled.

In the first D23 Expo back from the pandemic in 2022, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro wanted to say a lot but there wasn't enough locked in for him to announce. During that presentation, he acknowledged how covid brought Disney Parks to a halting stop. He teased a big future for Walt Disney World during the “Blue Sky” session that demonstrated that Disney was thinking big but confused many fans and media outlets about what had actually been announced. He tossed out big ideas for the expansion of Walt Disney World with areas Beyond Big Thunder Mountain and expansions to Animal Kingdom without concrete details.

Between the 2022 D23 Expo and the Destination D23 event, Disney CEO Bob Iger returned and there was a complete reshuffling of projects and leadership at Imagineering. Iger is known to be far more hands on with storytelling and brings a perspective to theme park expansion planning. That led into the Destination D23 event which teed Josh D'Amaro up to reveal a little bit more but still not give any hard details. At that event, he locked in the structure of the Animal Kingdom expansion but now 11 months on from that we still haven't seen any rides closed or big progress beyond the filing of permits.

What Can We Expect For This Year's D23?

At D23 2024 Disney is poised to make a major statement about the future of the Disney Parks and The Walt Disney Company as a whole. Disney hopes that a big round of spending on theme park expansion can shift the narrative on Wall Street and drive further investor interest in Disney. From everything I am hearing, senior leadership at the company really wants to make a major splash with the news.

As fans, we look forward to seeing what Disney will announce for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. We acknowledge that the Universal vs Disney narrative is blown out of proportion and that both being good is a great thing for all, but there is some sense of Disney needing to “respond” to the major new Epic Universe theme park expansion that's about to open. In fact, we just predicted that Universal may attempt to one-up Disney's news by announcing Epic Universe's opening date in the weeks leading up to D23 during the Olympics to “steal” mainstream media coverage.

So, with that stage set. Let's jump into a look at the likely and perhaps more far-fetched announcements for D23 this year.

Disney Cruise Line Announcements

Disney will continue to focus on Disney Cruise Line with announcements as they have made comments about how a sizable chunk of the $60 billion being invested into the Disney theme parks will go towards expanding the Disney Cruise Line fleet.

The Disney Treasure ship receives the most focus. That ship launches later this year and will be home to a Haunted Mansion Bar and more areas based on popular Disney theme park characters.

I don't anticipate that there will be much more than a passing mention of the Disney Adventure because that ship is headed to the Asian market. The Disney Destiny will receive more big reveals but not a ton because they'll keep the focus on the Disney Treasure due to its upcoming launch date and the need to fill sailings.

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International Disney Park Announcements

The D23 Expo is hit and miss for international theme park news. Often the biggest news comes on a time table that is dictated by the regional peculiarities of local media and government. There are always additional details for big expansions and typically a “tour” looking at the highlights of each destination around the world to emphasize the global nature of the business.

I'll avoid speculating about international Disney parks news. It has been super exciting to cover the $2 billion expansion that added Tangled, Frozen, and Peter Pan and the new Frozen land at Hong Kong Disneyland that opened in the last year.

I would expect some big news out of Disneyland Paris. There had been plans by Disney to build a Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge land there but those seem largely scrapped now. Some have also suggested a Lion King-themed land could be announced.

Disney World Expected Announcements

Now, let's dive into the most interesting aspects of this prediction article – Disney World and Disneyland!

Tropical Americas

Will it be announced? Highly likely

The DinoLand USA area of Disney's Animal Kingdom is going to be fully rethemed into a Tropical Americas-themed land.

During the Destination D23 event last year and subsequent media appearances, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D'Amaro all but confirmed that this will feature Encanto and Indiana Jones and likely also Coco.

We have heard very promising things that DINOSAUR attraction will become a version of Indiana Jones Adventure that is on par or even better than the Disneyland version of that ride. This is thrilling news and something that I have been pulling for ever since I went on DINOSAUR for the first time. The DINOSAUR ride uses the same ride system as the Indiana Jones rides at Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

Walt Disney Imagineering shared a post on Instagram recently that looked at the research trip to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula to study the culture, art and the archeology of the Mayans. On screen, they showed models that appeared to confirm both the Encanto addition and Indiana Jones ride addition. While touring Imagineering, I also saw a look at concept artwork for a carousel coming to the land that appeared to be from Coco.

We will get more details and hopefully even some concept artwork inside the attractions.

Beyond Big Thunder Mountain

Will it be announced? Highly likely

We also know that an expansion is coming to Magic Kingdom on the plots of land beyond Big Thunder Mountain. This event could make clear which stories will be told on these plots of land.

I anticipate that during the presentation we'll get at least one expansion locked in for this area and announced. We likely won't get the full area flushed out as it works well for them to remain flexible here to lean into future film successes in the parks. Disney CEO Bob Iger said as much when he spoke to us at Walt Disney Imagineering.

The lead Disney Imagineer for Walt Disney World compared the scale of this expansion to the addition of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

Previously Disney teased Coco, Encanto, and a villains area for this expansion. That was during the previous Blue Sky session and before Encanto (and potentially Coco) were proposed for Animal Kingdom.

The villains area announcement was one of the biggest applause lines last D23 Expo – perhaps only behind the announcement of Porto's at Downtown Disney – and it is kind of in line with the new Dark Universe offering coming to Universal's Epic Universe.

There are also rumors of an expansion off of Adventureland that would bring an even stronger presence of Moana to the parks. I am all for this and the streaming data from 2023 bears out that Moana is a franchise with staying power.

Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster Retheme

Will it be announced? Hopefully. They can never quite agree on what this should be.

Retheming Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster has made lists like this for years because it is such a perfect blank canvas for armchair Imagineers to add their favorite intellectual property. Whether this gets rethemed completely into something like a Marvel roller coaster, as it did at Disneyland Paris, or a new musical artist comes here, this ride is the perfect stop-gap before bigger expansions open. Disney needs some big marketable events for next year and the year after to fill the gaps before the next big expansions can come online.

Someone floated making it Taylor Swift-themed which is an expensive idea because the royalties for the use of the music would be astronomical however it would be leaning into that fan base and drive literal global coverage of an opening. Disney also just did the deal with her to stream the Eras Tour concert on Disney Plus. I am a fan of this idea. We know that other properties including the Muppets have been considered for this also and would be a great addition.

Inside Out 2 vs Figment

Will it be announced? We will see some sort of Inside Out 2 mention in the presentation.

It is pretty clear that after the runaway success of Inside Out 2 at the box office this summer we are going to see even more of this franchise. For years there have been rumors that the Imagination Pavilion could be transformed into an Inside Out attraction. The success of the movie gives further support to anyone internally pushing for that or some Inside Out addition at the parks.

On the other hand, we have never felt closer to a potential Figment redo to restore the original beloved ride. Disney clearly has seen the fervor of fans who love the original ride as they have sold out popcorn buckets, created a meet and greet that opened to big fan appeal, and shared cryptic TikTok videos featuring the character visiting Walt Disney Imagineering.

Now though, we'll have to see if they choose to cater to the Figment-loving super fans or the broader population who loved seeing the emotions in Inside Out 2.

Drone Show

Will it be announced? Highly likely that this happens, not sure that it makes it into presentation.

The “Dreams That Soar” drone show at Disney Springs is our highlight of all the new offerings at Disney World this summer. The show really dazzles and crowds have responded very well to it.

I believe that we'll see some version of a drone show introduced to one of the Disney World theme parks very soon. Entertainment might not quite warrant an announcement at D23, but because this has been so well received it is kind of a pat on the back and announcement at the same time. Everyone loves those!

At Disneyland Paris, there was also an incredible version of the show built as a tribute to Main Street Electrical Parade. It would be awesome to see a show like that or even a real nighttime parade announced for Magic Kingdom.

Fixing Star Wars

Will it be announced? People are talking about Disney's failure around the Star Wars Hotel. There's no reason that they can't own that mistake and relaunch.

We have said multiple times that there was a HUGE mistake made with Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. By creating a rigid timeline that the land has to stick with and cutting out the classic trilogy characters, Disney greatly reduced their total addressable fandom for that land. There are plenty of people who might not connect with the new Rey and Kylo Ren stories but who love Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader. Disney knows this as they see the demand for the Star Wars Nites classic characters.

As I mentioned in the Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster section, Disneyland and Walt Disney World both need stopgap interesting announcements that can be turned around quickly to drive demand. Relaunching Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge with fan-favorite characters from across timelines would do this.

What Could Disney Do to Fix Star Wars?

Let's scrap the mundane hunt for batteries that the Millennium Falcon currently sends us on and instead let guests be dispatched to help Luke blow up the Death Star. This would be something that wouldn't take that long to install that would immediately shoot that ride up our favorites list. Then you would have one ride representing the new stories in Rise of the Resistance and another ride taking guests into their favorite original trilogy. Also, the land needs music throughout to make it feel like a true Disney Park. The Avengers score from Alan Silvestri goes a long way to cover up for any shortcomings of Avengers Campus.

While they are at it they should announce that the Star Wars Jedi Training Academy is coming back and perhaps some form of Star Wars Weekends too. This would get massive applause and drive the kind of demand that was expected when the land opened in the first place.

Let's get Darth Vader on stage and break this timeline nonsense which is preventing the Disney theme parks from benefiting from the full “Star Wars” effect that they should get to take advantage of.

Using this Star Wars section which would impact both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, let's transition there.

Disneyland Announcements

Tiana's Bayou Adventure Opening Date

Will it be announced? Highly likely

It will be a great sign if we already have the Tiana's Bayou Adventure opening date for Disneyland before this presentation or if it isn't mentioned at all beyond the recap of openings this year. That would demonstrate that the PR team working on the presentation is focusing on even bigger news and announcements than the opening dates that are right around the corner. I made the same comments earlier this year when the name of the newest cruise ship was released without much fanfare when previously that theme reveal got a big section of the expo presentation. Of course, it could also mean that the ride is behind schedule for Disneyland, but I would still take it as a good sign if they don't mention the opening.

That said, we could get the Tiana's Bayou Adventure opening date announced. We discuss more about the likely Disneyland opening date for Tiana's Bayou Adventure here.

Avatar Land Expansion

Will it be announced? Highly likely

Disney CEO Bob Iger has referenced the Avatar project for Disneyland multiple times. It is clear that he personally believes in that intellectual property and wants to have it featured prominently in the expansion especially as they prepare to release even more Avatar movies.

We have broken down what this Avatar “experience” will look like and where it could go when we talked about what Disneyland will likely build first in the new DisneylandForward expansion. We will also hear some sort of general overview of the expansion and celebration of the approval from Anaheim.

This could be the boat ride that appears to be detailed in the concept artwork or some version of Flight of Passage from Disney World or both.

This is an announcement I am very confident will be made during the presentation. Many of you have commented that you would be more excited about a classic Disney Animation story as the basis for an expansion so I am curious to see how the room reacts to Avatar plans.

Avengers Campus E-Ticket Attraction

Will it be announced? Highly likely

We have now been waiting on Phase 2 of Avengers Campus for over five years. Of course, the pandemic was happening right in the middle of that, but this concept has truly been dragged out.

Last year at Destination D23 we heard more details on the new attraction that features King Thanos and saw a look at the ride vehicle so we know that at that point it was still on track. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a big shakeup of what this ride is since there has been no visible work completed in the parks and the Marvel Cinematic Universe direction seems to be drifting.

Recently Disney also teased a Black Panther presence as a themed expansion for Disneyland so perhaps that will come back into the story for this attraction.

Animated Movie / Frozen-Themed Expansion

Will it be announced? Not sure. We have been thinking about this one for awhile.

This one is completely unsubstantiated and just based on my own hunch that Disneyland will need to add in a large expansion that leans into some of their classic animated or princess characters at the parks. There were also clues just before the last D23 Expo that work was being planned for the area between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland. Part of this is desire is also based on the comments from you that I mentioned above. Of late we have gotten Star Wars, Marvel, and now Avatar set as priorities for the parks. I expect and hope that we get some sort of core “Disney”, Fantasyland, expansion announced.

We would not be surprised if some sort of Frozen expansion is announced for either Fantasyland or one of the new expansion plots tied to DisneylandForward. Disney mentioned ‘Frozen’ and ‘Zootopia’ as potential future intellectual properties during the rounds of approval processes for DisneylandForward. I would also love to see ‘Tangled’ or another animated movie added here.

Tomorrowland Overhaul

See full Disneyland map here.

Will it be announced? We are dreaming on this one. Nothing points towards this moving forward but I have to mention it because it needs to happen at some point.

Please let us get some news for Tomorrowland. There is so much wasted space in this area that continues to go unused. Space Mountain is a gem that should remain in some form. I love Buzz Lightyear and Star Tours, but these also seem like they could be necessary casualties for a major overhaul.

Think about how much space the old Carousel of Progress building, the old Captain Eo theater, the Tomorrowland Terrace stage, and the Rocket Rods tracks take up. I know that a reimagining of this area will be difficult because imagining a future that can remain interesting for many years is difficult, but there has to be something to do to take advantage of all this space.

Disneyland 70th Announcements – Paint the Night?

Will it be announced? The anniversary will be referenced, the scale of the announcement will vary based on substance

Next summer Disneyland is celebrating its 70th anniversary. Since there is no expansion of substance slated to open next year, we can only assume that Disneyland will lean heavily into this celebration to drive attendance. The actual anniversary date is in July, but the celebration could last all year long.

It could finally be time for the return of the beloved Paint the Night parade which would drive real demand and excitement for Disneyland fans. If I were designing the celebration, I would lean into nostalgia and try to live up to the Disneyland 50th Anniversary celebration which remains the best celebration Disney has ever delivered. My dream line up would be “Remember…Dreams Come True” with the return of the introduction by Julie Andrews (perhaps updated and make her the 70th ambassador again), the return of the dragon to “Fantasmic!”, the original World of Color show, and Paint the Night. That's a summer of entertainment that would drive real attendance.

Overall Presentation Predictions

Looking at the actual presentation coming on August 10, 2024, I have a couple of things that I hope they do that will really demonstrate that they mean business. These will deliver quick wins for Disney.

Shovels in the ground and ride closures!

Disney should break ground on one of the attractions that they announce before the expo so that when they are showing the concept artwork they can say “we mean business”. Get out the shovels and capture photos of a ceremony or even just close the necessary rides – looking at you DINOSAUR and “Tough to Be a Bug” that are still operating today so that they can demonstrate easy, real, progress. Or announce that there will be a groundbreaking for one of the rides immediately after the ceremony. Maybe even make a joke about Imagineers getting to or coming from work at Disneyland and have them come out in their hard hats.

If they are going to be speedy with building new additions, they shouldn't be afraid of poking fun at the glacial pace of some of the pandemic-era projects.

Actual dates when things could be completed and a little bit of fun!

When the new Star Tours was announced way back in 2009, they did a comical bit that Darth Vader was demanding that the new ride open two years ahead of the schedule they first mentioned. It was obviously staged, but well received as fans cheered for the early delivery and smiled at the cringey but heartwarming executive jokes.

I would love to see some things announced at D23 that have a stated opening period immediately and to see them bring a sense of humor to the presentation. Everyone who is thrilled to spend a Saturday night tuning into this is a SUPER fan who knows all of the ins and outs of the parks. They shouldn't be afraid to make inside jokes and bring levity. I thought they did a great job using the Muppets at Destination D23 last summer to achieve this.

Something BIG and out of nowhere

There are plenty more rumors going around including a new resort attached to Magic Kingdom, but I think Disney is going to pull something completely out of left and field and truly WOW the room.

When Bob Iger stood up and announced Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at the D23 Expo the crowd went nuts. Disney was on a run in the late 2010s and the energy was palpable in the room. I don't know that we'll get something of that scale, but I am betting that Josh will have one huge “oh and one more thing” moment that delivers for fans.

Preventing show moments from overshadowing why we are all there

I have heard that with the expanded seats for the D23 Expo some internally at Disney want to make it more of a show with musical numbers and acts rather than “just” Imagineers on stage. So, we can expect that but also hope that someone gets to those people and brings them to their senses to remind them that the fans bought tickets to feel the energy in the room and be there first when big news is announced.

Give us the nerdy and passionate. The songs are fun in between but should not attempt to be the highlight of the show.

This is about the end of my long set of predictions for D23. We will have to wait and see what else could be coming and what to watch for. I am personally VERY optimistic about the news that we'll receive. What do you agree with? Anything that you would add to our set of predictions?

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