Full Schedule Released for 2025 Destination D23 at Disney World, But No Parks Panel?!
This year’s Destination D23 event will be held in Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World. With the countdown to the off-year event officially on, the company has released the full schedule for DD23, with one notable omission: there’s no parks panel?! (Updated August 13, 2025.)
As quick background, this year’s event is known as “Destination D23: A Journey Around the Worlds of Disney.” Unlike the flagship D23 Expo that’s held in Anaheim, Destination D23 (or DD23) is held at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida,
The one-of-a-kind Destination D23 event will bring together the biggest Disney fans for a multi-day experience on August 29, 30, and 31, 2025. New this year, Destination D23 will take place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, providing a larger venue with increased capacity–making Destination D23 bigger than ever before.
On Saturday, August 30, and Sunday, August 31, ticketed Destination D23 guests can enjoy a full slate of over 25 specially curated presentations from across the company, including Walt Disney Studios, Disney Entertainment Television, Walt Disney Archives, and Disney Experiences (otherwise known as Disney Parks & Resorts, which is what this blog concerns).
This programming will feature the creatives and talent behind popular films and series, Imagineers, archivists, and Disney Legends, providing exclusive access and behind-the-scenes looks at fan-favorite entertainment and experiences. As you might’ve noticed from the above, Destination D23 runs from Friday, August 29 through Sunday, August 31, 2025. However, the actual programming and presentations are only on Saturday and Sunday.
D23 Shopping Spree, an exclusive shopping experience, will be available to Destination D23 attendees starting Friday, August 29 and run throughout the weekend. Here are the details about D23 Shopping Spree:
Here are the shopping opportunities during the 2025 Destination D23:
- The Walt Disney Company Store is back on the East Coast! At this location, D23 Gold Members will have access to official Destination D23 merchandise along with new D23 Member-exclusive items and other unique merchandise from TWDC Store. Please note that limited-edition trading pins for this event will be offered to attendees exclusively through a Random Selection Process (RSP) opportunity.**
- Mickey’s of Glendale. The Walt Disney Imagineering campus store returns to the event with a pop-up shop featuring selections of specialty merchandise! Trading pins for this event will be offered to attendees through a RSP opportunity.**
- Disney Studio Store Hollywood. For the first time, the magic of Tinseltown is coming to Florida for Destination D23! The Disney Studio Store Hollywood will have a pop-up location at this year’s event that will feature new apparel, accessories and pins! Limited-edition trading pins for this event will be offered to attendees through an RSP opportunity.**
- Ink & Paint Marketplace. Returning to Destination D23, the Ink & Paint Marketplace will feature an assortment from fan favorite brands and friends of Disney including Lug, and more!
Here’s the full schedule for Saturday & Sunday:
The most noteworthy aspect of this schedule for readers of this blog is going to be the lack of a traditional ‘Parks Panel.’
For reference, “A Celebration of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” was the marquee presentation at the 2023 Destination D23. It was the presentation by Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Imagineering President Bruce Vaughn, who were joined on stage by a variety of other Imagineers, Muppets, Figment and others to announce the following:
- Test Track 3.0
- Country Bear Musical Jamboree
- Beak & Barrel (Pirates Tavern)
- Soarin’ Over California’s Return
- Tropical Americas Reveal
- Zootopia: Better Zoogether
There were also some opening dates, name reveals, and recalibration of expectations about things like Beyond Big Thunder at Magic Kingdom. The event was basically a good mix of ‘singles and doubles’ announcements, the reintroduction of Bruce Vaughn, course-correction, and laying the groundwork for the following year’s D23 Expo.
That Parks Panel occupied the exact same time slot of the 75-minute Walt Disney Studios Showcase.
The good news is that there are other spots in the schedule that could feature announcements for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, etc., with the Studios Showcase, Villains: Icons of Evil, and Part of Our World panels all being logical fits. However, there appears to be no dedicated D’Amaro and Vaughn presentation. To the contrary, we do not expect to see either of them at Destination D23. That’s a big blow in terms of the likelihood of major news.
While I don’t think it’s necessary to have a Parks Panel at Destination D23–to the contrary, we’ve been warning readers to adjust their expectations downward for months–the lack of standalone Walt Disney World panels is nevertheless a bit surprising. It looks like we’ll have to take our 2025 Destination D23 Wish List and dramatically scale that down for the actual predictions. (On the plus side, at least this should mean we won’t be subjected to anything about Epic Games?!)
Panels Where WDW News Could Be Announced
After releasing the full schedule in list form, D23 has followed up with details of each panel. From that, we have a few presentations where morsels of news could be shared. Here’s a rundown of the official descriptions from Disney, followed by our assessment of the likelihood that announcements come during each:
Walt Disney Studios Showcase: An exclusive look at the movies fans love, and a glimpse into what to look forward to from Disney’s film studios.
Although this will focus first and foremost on films, there’s obvious overlap between the studios and parks given the IP mandate for the latter. Meaning that they could share, for example, a look at Zootopia: Better Zoogether (and an opening date) alongside a preview of the upcoming sequel. That’s just one of many examples.
Creating the Happiest Place on Earth: Join Disney Legend, filmmaker and author, Don Hahn, and acclaimed filmmaker with deep Disney roots, Leslie Iwerks, for a discussion on The Happiest Place on Earth. Together, they’ll explore Walt Disney’s vision and the legacy and nostalgia of Disneyland in honor of the resort’s 70th anniversary.
This look back could also include a look forward, with teases about the plans for Coco, Avengers, or even the Eastern Gateway.
What’s Cooking with Disney Eats: Take your seat at the table! We’re cooking up something special and you’re invited to be a part of the live audience in the Disney Eats kitchen. From Mickey bars to Michelin stars, this panel is a foodie experience you won’t want to miss!
This could be a spot for sharing new menus, perhaps for the Bird Cage Bar at Grand Floridian or new locations aboard the Disney Destiny. It also might be an opportunity for breaking some news, potentially about the Grand Floridian Garden View Tea Room’s future use, Monstropolis dining, Pecos Bill overhaul, or another reimagining.
Disney Villains: Icons of Evil: Join Disney Experiences (and some of your favorite troublemakers) for a panel discussion on how Disney Villains experiences come to life around the world. Hear directly from the creative minds behind new projects and attractions, plus enjoy a special Villains-themed medley to kick off Destination D23 day 2.
Given the description, this is very obviously the big one. Imagineers are going to be among the panelists, and they’re discussing Parks & Resorts. One thing to note here before getting too excited about announcements for Villains Land in Magic Kingdom is that villains play an outsized role in the upcoming Disney Destiny.
There’s also the new Villains Unfairly Ever After, and they’ll likely want to highlight the creative process on that. My sincere hope, as far-fetched as it might be, is that the Imagineers explain how this show is a playtest for Villains Land, and it will be retired when the land opens. Maybe Muppets Courtyard news will come out of the Icons of Evil panel?!
Personally, I’d be surprised if there’s a deep dive on Villains Land with major announcements. I do think we’ll hear some smaller news about the upcoming land, but it won’t be comprehensive. That expansion is still pretty far off, and the big news for it strikes me as better suited for the 2026 D23 Expo. I’d love to be wrong.
Beyond the Spires: An Insider look at Disney Castles: Think you know everything about Disney castles? Think again! Join Imagineers as they peel back the plaster and pixie dust to share behind-the-scenes details and little-known facts from castles across the globe. Along the way, they’ll share the global inspirations, design challenges, and maybe even a few surprises that stretch beyond the spires.
The description teases “a few surprises,” hence its inclusion here. The obvious money would be on a reveal of the castle for Disneyland Abu Dhabi, but I’m skeptical design is that far along (or that this would be the venue for such an announcement). Instead, I will wishcast my personal favorite pick: Cinderella Castle Dream Lights returning!
That’s about it. Perhaps there will be a quick hit or two for the international parks at the Disney Around the World interludes, but keep in mind that those are each 5 minutes long. As a general matter, it’s unlikely that the 2025 Destination D23 is going to be a high-volume news event.
Additional DD23 Commentary
Back when the schedule was first teased months ago, we pointed out how Disney was sending mixed signals with the Destination D23 announcements to date. When we heard that they were moving the event to Coronado Springs Resort in order for it to be bigger than ever before, our expectation was that Destination D23 was becoming the D23 Expo: Walt Disney World Edition.
That would make sense after last year’s D23 Expo exploded in size last year and was even more popular than ever, selling out more tickets and faster than ever before. And against all odds, it was also the best-run D23 Expo ever! (Not a high bar.) That plus the new venue pointed to a similar transformation for Destination D23. Not so fast.
However, the press release with a schedule outline from back in April signaled something very different, and far less newsy. In light of this, what was announced and the conspicuous omissions, plus what we’ve heard through the grapevine, was wrote back then that it was now our expectation that the 2025 Destination D23 will not be an announcement-heavy event.
Here’s what else we wrote back in April:
Basically, Disney “shot its shot” with a blockbuster D23 Expo last year, and there won’t be much in the way of big reveals or bombshell news at the 2025 Destination D23. Instead, we should expect new concept art about projects that are already underway, somewhat akin to what was revealed at D23 Brazil or the recent SXSW.
Along with this, we’d also expect more ‘singles and doubles’ news for Walt Disney World, specifically. Think smaller scale news like minor entertainment, lounges, ride reimaginings & enhancements–that type of thing. Examples of this would include more details about the new Audio Animatronics coming to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, enhancements to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Test Track (if it hasn’t reopened by that point), and maybe a yet-unannounced reimagining (Spaceship Earth?).
I would not expect any bombshell announcements of brand-new attractions or full-scale redevelopments. Meaning no Lion King or Moana rides for the kingdom parks, and nothing for Animation Courtyard. Although I would love to believe otherwise, I’d also bet that a reimagining of Journey into Imagination is “too big” for the 2025 Destination D23. It would be brilliant to make that announcement to the home crowd at Walt Disney World, but my gut says 2025 is too early. Maybe 2027 will finally be our year.
On a positive note, we did get a surprise announcement for Animation Courtyard last month and Test Track has already opened, so at least there’s that. There are also a few opportunities for morsels of news within the other presentations at Destination D23. It’s probably also worth pointing out that there’s another Walt Disney World-centric event on the horizon where more announcements might occur.
Nevertheless, we had hoped that–even in the absence of new announcements–Destination D23 would be leveraged as an opportunity for expanding upon existing plans and previous announcements. There are a lot of projects that got announced at last year’s D23 Expo with fairly hazy details. It would’ve been nice to hear specifics about the Magic of Disney Animation, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Monstropolis, and Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run feat. Baby Yoda–and that’s just the DHS projects!
What we were really hoping for was a presentation on the Piston Peak Cars Land slated for Frontierland in Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney Imagineering shared new details about this a few months ago, and that put a lot of fans’ minds at ease. With the water in the Rivers of America now being drained, it would’ve been nice for a meatier presentation on Piston Peak. But there’s nowhere in the schedule where that, or really anything listed above, would be a logical fit.
As we wrote previously, this will be a return to normal for Destination D/23. Or, it would be if the presentations were actually about Walt Disney World instead of…a bunch of things that aren’t Walt Disney World.
This event started out as a history-oriented event (and was called D23’s Destination D) that was absolutely awesome for geeks like us. Destination D/23 had maybe 1-2 newsy items per year, and was mostly hearing gritty old dudes talk about the creation of the Vacation Kingdom of the World, the challenges they overcame to achieve success, and how they just got stuff done.
It wasn’t until 2018 that Destination D23 really became the off-year Expo, and even then, the biggest news was the names of the attractions in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Everything else was updates, opening seasons, or returning/limited time entertainment. That’s literally it. Destination D23 really went mainstream in 2023, with what I’d argue was a bigger slate of announcements than during the 2022 D23 Expo.
Ultimately, if you still haven’t submitted your DD23 Bracket, you might want to remove all of the E-Ticket announcements, most of the singles & doubles, and even the bunts like names of things and opening dates or seasons. With no Parks Panel or appearances by Josh D’Amaro and (presumably) Imagineering heavyweights, it’s safe to expect a fairly muted Destination D23.
I’ll be attending the 2025 Destination D23 once again, and am nevertheless really looking forward to the off-year D23 event. We’ve had a good time at each of the past D23 events at Walt Disney World, dating back to the 2011 Destination D (its name at the time) celebrating Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary. It’s always a fun event, and a nice change-of-pace from the bigger D23 Expo in Anaheim.
Whatever news does end up being shared, you’ll be able to catch here. But you might want to just check the updates all at once on Sunday night or Monday morning, as opposed to clearing your weekend schedule as you can watch for Walt Disney World announcements. Hopefully the biggest ‘news’ coming out of Coronado is not that Toledo is still delicious–but I’ll be monitoring that situation, as well.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Surprised by the lack of a Parks Panel at the 2025 Destination D23? Will you be attending the DD23? If you’ve done the event in the past, would you recommend it to other WDW diehards? Think it’ll feature fewer announcements than the last Destination D23? Thoughts about anything else covered here? If you’re a frequent visitor during this timeframe, what’s your take on crowds, wait times, seasonal offerings, weather, etc? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I’m looking forward to attending and hope for a return to normal for this event. I like the events being different, and if fans finally understand that then those who only buy tickets to be there for announcements will know to wait for Anaheim. That might make it easier for the rest of us who like the nerdy Disney history stuff to continue being able to attend!
How do you think the Walt Disney Studios Showcase will actually go? They’ll walk through their upcoming movies slate and show a lot of things… or is it just a promotion panel for Zootopia 2 and Avatar, where Shakira sings her now song and James Cameron yaps for 20 minutes? :/
There’s no way on earth they’re going to get Shakira or James Cameron to attend this event.
Other than that, I think your expectations are on-point. I would not expect any new-news about the film slate; expect extended trailers and other info that’s already been presented at the summer festivals elsewhere.
I just finished watching “Destinations: Tokyo Disneyland Resort” on Disney + (produced by ABC) and thought they should have a presentation titled “Why does Tokyo Disneyland get all the awesome attractions and parades”. I would love to see the argument how the Magic Kingdom in Orlando gets a Tangled themed restroom and Tokyo Disneyland gets a beautifully themed Tangled attraction.
Because OLC is better at menu selection than Disney, more disciplined about spending, and more focused on theme park management since they don’t also have streaming and a bunch of other unrelated businesses.
That’s the answer in a nutshell (there’s a ton more nuance to it), but it’s not one that anyone at Disney is going to admit during a D23 presentation.
The “argument” is pretty cut and dry: the Oriental Land Company gives Imagineering higher budgets. I once read that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (US Parks) and Pooh’s Hunny Hunt (TDR) rides were in development at the exact same time, but the US rides had a budget of ~$35 million each and the Tokyo ride had a budget of ~$135 million. I visited the Tokyo parks for the first time earlier this year and it is readily apparent they have spent buckets of money on basically everything; the Tangled attraction is actually one of the supporting rides for the Fantasy Springs area!
Per Jared’s point, if I play Devil’s advocate and put on my Disney corporate bean-counter hat, the WDW leadership made an excellent call on the Pooh attraction, in that despite the ride taking wonderful characters and stories and creating an experience that feels cheap, poorly lit, and unenjoyable (I really don’t like it!), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh currently has a 40 minute standby line as I write this. WDW execs knew they could build an inferior ride and throngs of guests would still line up to ride it.
I’m as bitter about this reality as anyone, but some WDW exec probably got a big bonus after making that decision. I give kudos to OLC for going beyond the “bear” minimum and realizing that creating the best possible versions of their parks is the best long term strategy for their audience.
Perhaps the lower profile of parks is intentional, as we get closer to a transitional time for Disney. Whether he’s being sidelined, or is just too busy being groomed as a future CEO, I guess we’ll find out soon, one way or the other. Assuming Iger actually retires (?!) and doesn’t talk the board into another extension.
When I was at Coronado Springs in a “Casitas” room, the TV’s custom software lagged so bad that it made Josh D’Amato’s speech (as shown at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iq8AdzDHMVg) noticeably stutter from lag. They loaded those TVs up with an inefficient software layer clearly developed in-house, but they also chose cheap bargain basement TVs with motherboards not beefy enough to run that software smoothly. It gave me a bad impression of the attention to detail at the parks division. That’s one tiny thing but there’s a lot more about the parks which is head-scratching. Personally, I’d prefer they choose Dana Walden instead of another parks guy like Bald Bob. If the parks really impressed me I might prefer differently.
“Personally, I’d prefer they choose Dana Walden instead of another parks guy like Bald Bob.”
Wow. I pretty strongly disagree with this. A few things:
1) Bob Chapek was not a parks guy. He was a consumer products guy who found his way to parks. Even as Parks Chairman, he seemed to actively dislike the product.
2) “Actively dislike the product” describes how a lot of Hollywood types view theme parks. I don’t know much about Walden, but that’s not a gamble I’m willing to take.
3) D’Amaro is a parks guy, through and through. This much was evident during his tenure at Disneyland.
I’ve debated writing an opinion piece ‘advocating’ for D’Amaro to be the next CEO, but I’m not sure that’s worth the burn on reader goodwill. While I absolutely do believe that, it’s also fair to point out that D’Amaro hasn’t really accomplished much of anything (yet) during his tenure as Parks Chairman, and fans actively dislike many of the decisions tied to him. Still, I would take him over anyone else in the running simply because he’s a parks guy. The “devil you know” and all that, I guess, but to each their own.
There’s a lot you can point to as fair criticism of D’Amaro, but the TV issue you experienced doesn’t strike me as one of those things. Even if that weren’t well below his pay grade, there’s the reality that TV performance degrades over time. We have a very nice television (IMO), and I’ve started to experience the same issue with its interface.
I’d prefer Dana as well. And she had a great shot until Trump was elected. TWDC will not name a woman to head the company now. Period. And I know a bit about how these decisions are made.
Joshie is getting the job, with DLR prez of the moment, Thomas Mazloum, moving into his position barring something unforeseen like unwanted hugs. The job is his to lose. What I don’t get is why the fan community and people with brains, like Tom, allow themselves to be played by execs who now know exactly what fans (and influencers) want to hear. He is a pretty boy with good breeding (look at his background from childhood to schooling) that can act the part in front of rabid fans at events like D23. On some level he just looks better than Chappie (Lex Luthor?) or even ”the oddly waifish man of anemic personality” (Tom Staggs) that some people feel warm about for reasons I won’t get.
But, hey, Josh could fake tears on a day he fired 30,000 people. Think about that. He has learned the names of people in the fan community with large voices and followings. Hell, he’s even the guy who has decided to give more people in these influencer roles freebies. I’m sure there’s a good reason why the company paid for people like Lou Mongello and Scott Gustin to fly over here to Germany to be a part of a sail out for a cruise ship, right?
Dana is a much more well-rounded person to run a global media behemoth. But let’s go with the guy who can pretend he cares about Figment and the Muppets and knows the top 10 influncers names, likes and dislikes. She understands Hollywood, film making, streaming, linear television etc. It’s a damn shame she will not be given a chance.
Thanks for your reply, Tom. Your points are compelling, and you swung me around to your way of thinking. I also heard on “The Town” podcast today how much many of the “Disney Adults” support Josh D’Amaro, and since they are the real experts, not me, I will defer to your and their expertise. I’m now on #TeamJosh
I’ll have to give that episode of “The Town” a listen. While Belloni is clearly very connected, he also lacks expertise on the parks side of the business–he’s a Hollywood guy. (Here’s a good read on him: https://www.vulture.com/article/matt-belloni-profile-puck-newsletter-town-podcast.html)
I think by the time theme park perspectives filter down to him, they’re outdated or oversimplified. The same thing happens repeatedly in mainstream media or the trades.
This is all to say that I don’t think the consensus perception of D’Amaro at this point is unequivocal support from Disney Adults. A subset of them, sure. But that group would have supported Chapek for the CEO role back in 2020, and I don’t think that was the wider fan community reaction. If there was a favorability meter for D’Amaro, my guess is that he’d be trending down. Probably not underwater, but lower than one or two years ago.
And just to be clear, even I am not actively enthusiastic about the guy. A lot of the decisions that were clearly his, or made under his watch, have been poor. He has a mixed track record, at best. But even with all of that, I’d rather have a ‘parks person’ who understands and will advocate for investment in theme parks and doesn’t actively dislike the product. Hence the “devil you know” comment!
I’m excited they’re celebrating 25 years of “Emperor’s New Groove” and Kuzkotopia at Typhoon Lagoon that night. Wondering if there’s a minor announcement for Villain’s Land for a coaster with Yzma and Gronk pulling the wrong lever? Pretty please?
Also, any idea if they’ll have any details on DVC Lakeshore Lodge and pics of Animal Kingdom Kidani/Jambo refurbishment?
I don’t see anything in this schedule that would be an opportunity for Lakeshore Lodge news. Maybe at the dedicated WDW event. But it’s also possible that they want Island Tower sales to get to a certain point before revealing more.
The AKL project won’t be covered at any event. Best case scenario there is a photo during the DVC condo association meeting or in the Disney Files magazine.
Thanks Tom. Not related to the text of the post, but I just wanted to drop in here to say that your photo of Coronado Springs, above, is amazing. Your photos are always great, but that one is exceptional. The composition, lighting, everything – outstanding. Really great work! Thanks for sharing your talent with us!
Thanks for the kind words! I actually took that from the upper floor of one of the Casitas while waiting for the fireworks. My goal was fireworks “over” Coronado Springs, but the results were fairly underwhelming. This ‘throwaway’ photo while waiting and testing exposures ended up being the best of the bunch. Funny how that works sometimes!
So not a single update on villans land? Extremely disapointing. In fact downright depressing.
So “Creating the Happiest Place on Earth” is more likely a historical parks panel than a reminder of what’s coming up panel, huh?
That being said, if the 45 minute “What’s Cooking” panel announces the return of the one, true Citrus Swirl, then I’m counting this year as a win.
I’d be completely satisfied if citrus swirl’s return was the only news to come out of this.
Having eaten at Toledo during the AP discount earlier this year, I can confirm it is still delicious. My daughter (who is a digital archivist at FSU) is looking forward to the Disney Archives presentation. Disney Broadway will be a must as well. I’m a big fan of the ENG, too. Never having gone to one of these, I just want to soak it all in.
Even better when it’s 40% off, right?! (As is the case again during DD23 thanks to the DVC discount.)
Good to hear from you, Scott. It’s been a while! Hopefully we cross paths in a couple weeks. If not, enjoy the event!
Honestly…..this whole schedule is a bit underwhelming. Saturday looks way better than Sunday, but even then there’s really 3 or 4 presentations on Saturday that seem really interesting. Sunday looks meh.
While Walt and El Grupo and Disney around the world initially seemed interesting, the fact that they’re stretching both topics over multiple presentations over both days indicates to me the weakness of the entire event and stretches out both topics beyond what would seem to be optimal.
Honestly…..this whole schedule is a bit underwhelming. Saturday looks way better than Sunday, but even then there’s really 3 or 4 presentations on Saturday that seem really interesting. Sunday looks meh.
While Walt and El Grupo and Disney around the world initially seemed interesting, the fact that they’re stretching both topics over multiple presentations over both days indicates to me the weakness of the entire event and stretches out both topics beyond what would seem to be optimal.