ALL Disney World News from 2022 D23 Expo!
A lot was announced or revealed for Walt Disney World during the 2022 D23 Expo. For all of the most important news, we’ve already shared dedicated posts containing details plus our commentary with speculation about what went unsaid.
However, there’s a lot that we have yet to tackle. During his ~90 minute “A Boundless Future: Disney Parks, Experiences and Products” presentation, Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro bounced from topic to topic, covering a lot of ground.
Unfortunately, a lot of this was superficial ground. Some nebulous projects received disproportionate attention, whereas other major projects weren’t even mentioned. With that said, rather than long posts for each brief announcement, I’ll do a quick round-up here of everything covered for Walt Disney World with rapid fire reactions.
Let’s start with Magic Kingdom…
Happily Ever After Returns! – The Disney Parks (etc.) presentation started with a bang, as the popular anthem “Happily Ever After” was performed by Jordan Fisher and Angie Keilhauer to announce the nighttime spectacular’s return to Magic Kingdom.
Always a company to choose its words carefully, D’Amaro (and subsequent press releases) have said that this will be “an updated nighttime spectacular lighting up the skies” at Magic Kingdom in 2023. This language is not accidental, and there are a few reasons why the reimagined Happily Ever After might be called something else and feature all-new projections.
No more specific date was given for the “updated nighttime spectacular” formerly known as Happily Ever After will “light up the skies” at Magic Kingdom, but our expectation is that Happily Ever After will return on or around April 1, 2023.
We’ve added more commentary to our Happily Ever After Returning to Magic Kingdom article for those who are curious about the why of this, but it’s similar sentiment we’ve shared in prior posts about the Florida Project intro and elsewhere.
TRON Lightcycle Run Delayed Until 2023 – I’m not the type of person who boos–I think it’s classless–but if there were one announcement that would’ve garnered it from me, it was this. This was framed as an exciting announcement–that TRON Lightcycle Run is nearing completion, in testing, and looks great.
It’s easy to frame that differently: the cloned roller coaster announced 5 years ago that consists of a canopy and a mostly-empty warehouse could be ready to open by late November or early December 2022, but we’re deliberately holding it back for the next marketing cycle. Oh, and because we cancelled or paused every other project, so there’s literally no other major addition for 2023.
Sorry for the cynicism, but it’s absolutely called for here. And to my credit (?), I’m much less cynical about some of the other “announcements” than most of you!
Hatbox Ghost Coming to Haunted Mansion – Foolish mortals, prepare yourselves for a new happy haunt at the Haunted Mansion. The Hatbox Ghost has heard your calls and will materialize next year. You may recognize this popular character from the attraction at Disneyland Resort in California.
If you’re unfamiliar with the history of this character, here’s a primer. Adding Hatbox Ghost to Haunted Mansion after so many years seems like thinly-veiled fan service, and it probably is. But who cares? the figure is cool, the effect is awesome, and it’s a nice plussing for the attraction. Plus, is it really so bad that there are Imagineers with their finger on the pulse of what the fan community wants who are willing to lovingly embrace the history of the park? I think it takes some serious pessimism to view this as a negative.
With that said, this was a huge deal when it happened for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary and I just don’t see that being the case at Walt Disney World. California had an established history with Hatbox Ghost, rumors swirled for years, and fans had been clamoring for him. This is positive news, but unlikely to resonate in the same way that it did at Disneyland.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Update – Are you ready to head down the bayou? Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will take you along with Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and their friends as they host a party at Tiana’s Place for the people of New Orleans. It’s up to you to help find the missing ingredient when this exciting new attraction opens in late 2024.
Not that you care how the sausage is made, but I totally missed this portion of the presentation. WiFi in the Hall at Anaheim Convention Center was abysmal, so I actually left the room at this point to try improving my connection. Sarah was unimpressed by what was shown–a lot of fanfare for very little of substance.
In addition to this, we have Photos & Video of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Model on the D23 Expo show floor.
Magic Kingdom Expansion – Imagineer Chris Beatty and Walt Disney Animation Studios Chief Creative Officer Jennifer Lee came on stage for what D’Amaro described as an even bigger expansion to Magic Kingdom than New Fantasyland. A lot of other words were used to describe this, including “potential expansion opportunity,” “early concept exploration,” and “special blue-sky brainstorm exploring [of] what’s possible when dreaming big at Disney Parks!”
They revealed that a new area is (potentially) under development for beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. The expansion would (potentially) feature Coco, Encanto, and Disney Villains–or some combination of those properties. It could (potentially) feature other stuff, too.
Most Walt Disney World fans have viewed this with a lot of skepticism, pessimism, and downright dismissiveness. Honestly, I do not blame you. Current leadership has not exactly done right by Walt Disney World fans in the last few years. It’s been a rough era, and this flurry of news feels very much at odds with our recent lived experiences. You have no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt and I’m not trying to convince you otherwise.
With that said, I am also not nearly as cynical about this as you all. After originally publishing Magic Kingdom Expansion: Coco, Encanto & Villains Lands Revealed, I went back and added a lot more commentary. So you might consider re-reading that if you saw it shortly after it was posted.
Or not. If you simply don’t buy that this “announcement” has any meat to it and don’t want to set yourself up for disappointment, just forget it ever happened. (Actually, you might want to wait to re-read our article regardless, as I’ve had a lot more thoughts since revising the article, and probably should do a standalone piece.)
With the blue sky daydreamin’ session wrapped up, let’s turn to EPCOT, which is (hopefully) filling up the Giant Dirt Pit with concrete details…and literal concrete.
The Transformation of EPCOT Continues – The multi-year transformation of EPCOT will soon reach another major milestone with the completion of the World Celebration neighborhood in late 2023.
With lush, green space plus the opening of Communicore Hall and Communicore Plaza, this central location in the park will be the new home for festivals. It will also be home to Dreamers Point, a new area where you can view the new Walt Disney statue called “Walt the Dreamer.”
If I can get Sarah’s approval for some questionable jokes, we’ll have an article about “Walt the Dreamer” later this week. Don’t hold your breath…or maybe do if you’re around Walt while he’s “dreaming.”
Moana’s Journey of Water Opens in Late 2023 – Over in World Nature, the EPCOT neighborhood dedicated to understanding and preserving the natural world, Disney announced that Journey of Water Inspired by Moana will also open in late 2023.
The new exploration trail will allow guests to learn about the story of water on our planet. As you may have seen through Moana’s bond with the ocean, water has a mind of its own, and you’ll get to interact with it throughout this attraction.
As covered elsewhere, a towering Te Fiti is a surprise last-minute addition to the attraction.
Figment Meet & Greet Coming to EPCOT! – Imagination has always been a core theme at EPCOT, with attractions and experiences that push the boundaries. There’s one key character who always comes to mind when we think about imagination, and he’s coming to life in a whole new way by the end of next year. That’s right, you’ll be able to meet Figment in person at EPCOT again.
As is tradition, we overanalyze this meet & greet and what it could mean for the future of Figment, Dreamfinder, and Journey into Imagination in our commentary to the announcement. (It should be noted that the photo of us above is from 2007. I have aged like cottage cheese and Sarah is like a fine wine.)
One thing not discussed in our commentary is that the timeline for this is “by the end” of 2023. The way that’s worded, it could be any day between today and December 31, 2022. However, that would not be the word choice if the intent were to open this anytime soon. I know staffing shortages are still impacting character appearances, but this isn’t that. It’s very odd to me that a simple meet & greet needs such a lengthy timeline. Then again, you still cannot meet Mirabel at Walt Disney World, which is absolutely ludicrous.
New EPCOT Nighttime Spectacular Replacing Harmonious – Looking ahead to the future and the celebration of the Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary, there’s a new nighttime spectacular is in the works for EPCOT. The new show is currently in development and will debut in late 2023. In the words of Disney, it’ll carry on the park’s legacy of “inspiring nighttime entertainment that unites guests around World Showcase Lagoon.”
Like Disney Enchantment being retired so soon, we think there’s much more to this announcement than meets the eye. The original intent was not for Harmonious to have a limited run for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. It was intended to be EPCOT’s answer to World of Color. We have some thoughts about Harmonious being replaced so soon.
Outside of Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, only one other park at Walt Disney World was discussed–and only in the vaguest way…
Dinoland Expansion at Animal Kingdom – As discussed above, Josh D’Amaro invited Chris Beatty and Jennifer Lee on stage to discuss early concept explorations. They actually started with Dinoland USA at Animal Kingdom, and potential expansion opportunities and creative “what if” ideas. Options here included a Zootopia Metropolis and Moana Mini-Area, which discuss in separate articles.
Same skepticism and commentary applies here as with the Magic Kingdom. The only distinction I’ll make is that something is definitely happening here. To my knowledge, there are questions of scope, scale, and (maybe?) substance…but this is intended as Walt Disney World’s next large-scale development.
Given that Zootopia was mentioned and Indiana Jones/archeology was not, my guess is that the company has at least narrowed their options. (It also wouldn’t surprise me if the Coco and Encanto plans are flexible on location, and adaptable to either kingdom park. But that’s just a guess.)
That should about cover it in terms of the 2022 D23 Expo announcements we haven’t covered elsewhere in stand-alone posts. This is a lot of announcements–more than I expected–but it’s also a lot that’s devoid of substance. Another thing that surprised me was a lack of specifics for things we know are happening. I expected new concept art for EPCOT, a date for Fantasmic, and other more detailed information about projects on the horizon between now and 2023. These were glossed over almost entirely for a lot of pie-in-the-sky stuff.
As with the last D23 Expo, this feels like a ‘throwing a lot of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks’ approach. Don’t be surprised if some of what was mentioned here doesn’t end up coming to fruition, especially the projects that have yet to commence construction. If the economy slows or pent-up demand fizzles out, Disney+ underperforms, or the domestic parks otherwise stumble, we could see a handle of this projects put on ice.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
What are your reactions to the various announcements for Walt Disney World at the 2022 D23 Expo? What has you most and least excited? Anything you’re hoping does not end up coming to fruition? Do you agree or disagree with our assessments? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
“I think it takes some serious pessimism to view this as a negative.”
The key to determining whether this is a successful plussing might depend on what the Hatbox Ghost will replace if anything. In WDW, the infinite staircases of doom replaced giant spiders, and the reworked attic scene basically replaced a bunch of jump scare heads. Even if it’s a great effect that replaces the caretaker and his dog, I’m going to be disappointed.
“throwing a lot of stuff at the wall and seeing what sticks”
Is this a giant fan poll? Which “land” sized idea do you like the best, because we clearly aren’t doing all of these in the near future? Most of these “suggestions” seem like they should be broadly popular, in theme and as attractions, so using superfans as a tiebreaker may make sense.
While the concepts and nebulous open dates are encouraging, I noticed more what was NOT said…..
1. We got an ambiguous open for Tiana, but no when is the closing date of Splash Mountain.
2. We got a Meet and Greet for Figment, but other than a hint nothing about infusing some Figment/Dreamfinder love into the Imagination Pavilion.
3. Nothing….not even a hint at doing anything with either Disneyland’s or WDW’s Tomorrowland. While I love the concepts of the “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” concepts, I would have thought that Tomorrowland would have been a higher priority.
4. Nothing on Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios…not even a hint.
5. Maybe I’m dreaming…can we please address the Disco Yeti? Please!
Unfortunately I think the Disco Yeti is here to say. I believe Imagineering has said the only way to fix it would be to rebuild the entire ride from scratch. The problem is with the concrete base it’s on, which the mountain was built around, so they can’t get in there to repair it without tearing down the mountain, and that just doesn’t seem like an investment they are going to make for an effect you’d see for maybe 3 seconds of the ride.
I agree with you that it’s very odd they said basically nothing about the things they are actively working on and spent most of the presentation talking about exciting things that they repeatedly said may not ever happen.
On a completely different note, I heard that they got rid of the Walt Disney Resort Station that scrolls the daily times and other information while playing nice Disney music. They switched over to smart TVs with Interactive information. What a big bummer.
I am incredibly disappointed at the lack of announcements regarding Disneyland’s Tomorrowland overhaul. So many rumors are swirling that I had hoped for something concrete.
Back to waiting. D’oh!
Last week or so they announced that DVC lounge for DL’s Tomorrowland in the old Carousel building. If that wasn’t part of the original plans, the Imagineers are going to have to go back to the drawing boards and adjust their plans appropriately. In that case, I’m fine with them intentionally holding back old plans that almost certainly won’t go forward.
Since my Disney fandom is only theme parks (especially original theme park IP) and Disney animated movies and shorts from Walt’s era, the only positive D23 announcements for me were Figment M&G, the new Duffy Disney+ show, and replacing Harmonious and Enchantment night shows. For every other announcement, I was indifferent or cringed.
I think the next few years will be fascinating for theme park fans in Orlando. Wizarding World might have been an incredible addition to the landscape and the first real competition for Disney, but Epic Universe could be a real game changer. With 3 parks and an amazing water park, Universal will now almost be a full week destination and not just ”an extra added-on day” to a Disney vacation anymore.
I know Disney as a brand will always have the edge, but they need a plan, they need a vision for the future and while I’m sure they have a lot of discussions about it, none of that was felt during the presentation, no sense of urgency (not panic, but a certain drive).
“Who knows what’s possible ?!” is not really exciting. We know what’s possible Mr D’Amaro; the competition is currently showing us what’s possible!
I’m sure they’ll figure something out, and people will still visit, but for the first time, the overconfidence and the place holder speeches might not be enough. They need a clear vision and ironically, not just pretty dreams.
It is very odd but predictable given Bob’s record thus far. He clearly stated that they don’t really care much for the die hard fans with annual passes and are more concerned about the family from Kansas that comes once every 5 years. If that is the case, then why bother with Disney Vacation Club? Scrap it altogether. While not perfect, Universal has used the last year to own Disney in Florida in every way imaginable. And Disney’s response? A wait and see or cat and mouse game. Disney appears to be waiting to see what properties are coming to Universal’s existing Florida parks and what Epic Universe will have. Then Disney will respond with some half baked plan and try to beat Universal to the gate. Such a shame. We need to see new management revitalize the Imagineering program. They need to address the issues with break downs ASAP. You can only go so far with that before the whole operation is in jeopardy. Even that Kansas family will only put up with so much. If they come only once every 5 years and half the parks are broken . . ..
100 percent agree Mike
You wrote: “He clearly stated that they don’t really care much for the die hard fans with annual passes and are more concerned about the family from Kansas that comes once every 5 years.”
False. He didn’t say that. Here – word for word – is what he said in the Hollywood Reporter:
“We love all our fans equally. We love the superfans, obviously. But we also like the fans that don’t have the same expression of their fandom. We want to make sure that our superfans who love to come with annual passes and use [the parks] as their personal playground — we love that. We celebrate that. But at the same time, we’ve got to make sure that there’s room in the park for the family from Denver that comes once every five years. We didn’t have a reservation system and we didn’t control the number of annual passes we distributed and frankly, the annual pass as a value was so great that people were literally coming all the time and the accessibility of the park was unlimited to them, and that family from Denver would get to the park and not be let in. That doesn’t seem like a real balanced proposition. I guess it’s possible that the superfans look at that as a disadvantaging of the way they consume the park, but we’ve got to make sure that not only are we heeding the needs of our superfans, but we’re heeding the needs of everyone who travels from across the country one time every five years. We have a real high-class problem: We have much more demand than there is supply. What we will not bend on is giving somebody a less than stellar experience in the parks because we jammed too many people in there. If we’re going to have that foundational rule, you have to start balancing who you let in. … Our ticket prices and constraints we put on how often people can come and when they come is a direct reflection of demand. When is it too much? Demand will tell us when it’s too much.”
“They need to address the issues with break downs ASAP.”
That’s actually more of a Universal problem than a WDW problem, though. https://touringplans.com/blog/dont-forget-downtime-at-universal/
I am shocked that their was nothing in Hollywood. It’s almost like the skipped the sheet that said when Fantasia is coming back,
I really hope they reconsider the red mud on the Splash Mountain redo. Bayous do not have red mud. Seriously, how much can some paint cost? Get it right!
The big statue in the Moana pavilion looks like she is… going to the bathroom. It isn’t great placement.
Thank you so much for a great post Tom!
. What I am hearing is a whole lot of nothing and well’s, from Disney. I don’t know why I expected anything more from cheapec or Josh, I have no idea what I was thinking. I guess at the minimum they were going to open the railroad what happened to that? And no date for Tron ?unacceptable. No mention of fixing big thunder mountains Yeti, no information regarding maintenance issues, no mention of mass dissatisfaction with Genie plus or park reservations.
They stayed away from all of the hot points good for you Josh! way to go!
Tron was announced to open spring of 2023. When would you guess that to be? March? April?
I mean, yeah, this is a lot of nothing. Incompetency is the status quo with Chapek’s tenure. I’m not going to hold my breath on any of this. They milk us dry and give us nothing that we want.
Thanks for all these updates. I may be naive, but nearly all of these (potential) additions/changes sound fantastic to me.
I’m not a D23 person, but this year’s parks news seems more… frenetic? I hope that’s a sign of good, big energy and not empty promises.
I’ve been reading your updates, and also watched some footage. It does seem like Disney maybe set a record for saying the most without saying anything. I’m really curious to see what comes of all the nonsense they built for Harmonious. If they really are scrapping that…wow. That’s a lot of money they could have put into something. Hope you guys had fun, and got to enjoy some of California.