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Yesterday, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro took the stage to present a vision for “A Boundless Future”. The presentation include surprises and exciting news along with strange detours and confusing moments. I’m here to talk about all of the D23 Expo announcements on this episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast. It’s my off-the-cuff feelings about all the news big and small. I appreciated D’Amaro’s tone, which felt more informal than past events. Even so, certain moments ventured into unexpected territory especially near the end.
The focus of this year’s announcements was the Disneyland Resort, including news that characters like the Hulk plus the Mandalorian and Grogu will arrive soon. Kevin Feige joined D’Amaro to give more details on the Multiverse-themed attraction coming to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure. We also heard from Imagineer Charita Carter and others about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for both U.S. resorts. Walt Disney World received less attention despite the addition of the Hatbox Ghost to the Haunted Mansion and return of Happily Ever After (in some form). Also, Figment is back! Sadly, it’s just a meet-and-greet and not a replacement attraction.
During this podcast, I spend a lot of time covering the “blue sky” section with guests Chris Beatty and Jennifer Lee. They discussed possible replacements of DinoLand, USA with Moana (pictured above) or Zootopia lands. We also learned about a possible expansion beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom. These Coco, Encanto, and Disney Villains areas sound cool, but everyone stressed these are “what if” ideas. That uncertainty made for an uncertain finish to the presentation.
Show Notes: D23 Expo
See how wrong I was in my article on my hopes for the Parks presentation last week.
Listen to my reactions to the news from the 2019 D23 Expo in Episode 80 of the Tomorrow Society Podcast.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts on D23, Dan. I wasn’t able to tune in to the actual announcements so I appreciated the recap. I am very excited for any thing Tiana-related and as fond as I am of the Br’er bunch, I think they can do great things with Princess and the Frog and am glad they are planning shops and eateries beyond the ride. I definitely share in your sadness and disappointment over Disneyland NOT getting the Peoplemover back. I read an article earlier this year that must have been rumor because I thought it was a done deal. Really hoping that park will be able to get that ride gliding through Tomorrowland again one day. And I have mixed feelings about Hatbox Ghost. Traditionally he resides in the attic, doesn’t he? But then that would make him seem like one of Constance’s husbands who has lost his head to her greedy axe. If they hadn’t made Constance look so “normal,” with a realistic human face, then Hattie might fit better up there, but he looks like a dehydrated gremlin and riders may end up feeling more puzzled than anything– like “which husband is he supposed to be,” when I’m not sure he’s any of them. All the husbands in the portraits look normal, so it seems like he’d be a better fit in the graveyard scene. Maybe it’s something only the most devoted Disney fans would ponder! I also liked the way you summed up by saying Disney is not giving us clear enough timelines, or big announcements. I certainly agree with that. It’s sad when the fans are holding our breath, just hoping they don’t screw up the remaining good things in the parks that we love. Thanks for your thoughtful commentary!
Thanks Melanie! I’d heard so much about the PeopleMover returning to Disneyland, and while it was all rumors, it still seemed very likely. If nothing else, Tomorrowland at Disneyland needs serious help, so it made sense they would announce something. It’s discouraging that nothing was said about it, and they focused so much on Disneyland! That’s a good point about the Hatbox Ghost at Walt Disney World’s Mansion; I hadn’t thought of that side of it. I hope they find a way for it to make sense with the story there. My suspicion is that part of the reason they’re adding him is because the Haunted Mansion movie is on the way (with Jared Leto as the Hatbox Ghost). So this may be more of a Johnny Depp in Pirates situation here than something that really fits with the story. I’ll stay optimistic it will all make sense next year when the change is made, hopefully.