Just My Opinion: The 2026 D23 Fan Event
Now that the D23 dust has settled (pixie dust, that is), I decided to write an opinion piece about the weekend’s events and announcements. I’ll mainly focus on news about the Walt Disney World parks, but will also touch on movies and the cruise line. FYI: Since I don’t have any pictures from D23, I’ll just share some of my favorite WDW pics.
Let’s quickly start with a brief history of D23 for those of you who are asking (like my husband) what is D23? The D23 Expo (D for Disney, 23 for the year Walt opened his studios) was launched by the Disney company 17 years ago as the “Official Community for Disney Fans.” Membership fees range from $0 to $329 (at the time of this publication), with each membership level bringing increased perks and “free” swag. Disney held its first D23 Expo in Anaheim in 2009 and it has since grown to being the premiere, mega Disney fan weekend event. The Expo (held every two years) was eventually renamed D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. It is where fans flock to hear announcements from the Disney company about the parks, media, and cruise lines. The convention has immersive exhibits, various panels and presentations, and what I hear are some awesome shopping opportunities. D23 should not be confused with the smaller, perhaps a little less exciting, Destination D event held in Florida during the D23 off-years.
At the last D23, two years ago, Disney made up for some pretty disappointing previous expos by announcing major additions and upgrades to their parks, especially in Florida. New lands were announced, such as a villains Land, a Cars land, Monstropolis, and Tropical Americas. Disney also announced major upgrades to the parks in California and a significant increase to the Disney Cruise Line fleet. Just like the birth of a baby makes one forget about the pain of labor, these announcements erased the years of D23 disappointment and lack of follow-through by the company, as well as years of watching park attractions age, break down, and generally decline.
So, the 2024 D23 was certainly going to be a tough act for Disney to follow this year. Fans recognized that, since many of the new additions announced in 2024 are still currently under construction (with most not slated to open until 2028 and beyond), it was unlikely any BIG announcement would be made this year. What was hoped for, though, were more details about the new lands, a sense of where the company is going, and some smaller announcements to entice fans to visit the parks in 2027. I am happy to say that this year’s D23 did not disappoint, not only because of what was announced, but mostly because of the event’s underlying tone, which delighted me to no end. Read on…
To begin, much of this year’s expo was livestreamed (this was a first) on the Disney+ streaming platform. I hope Disney continues this practice. Every year, those of us unable to attend in-person have to wait several days for our favorite bloggers or podcasters to describe the happenings. What is NEVER captured adequately is the mood or energy in the room. This year, what a blast to be able to experience that buzz and excitement firsthand, and to pick up on the unspoken nuances of the event!
Also for the first time, Disney had a trusted celebrity fan, Neil Patrick Harris host the parks panel (the main panel at D23), which this year was entitled Horizons: A Carousel of Progress. The panel event began with Neil Patrick Harris performing a song about animatronics, that was hilarious—full of inside Disney jokes that only a Disney adult would get. But most importantly, I loved how the content of the song made it crystal clear to us that Disney is very aware of the Disney fan chatter, including our annoyances and criticisms (I’m talking the Hat Box Ghost which belongs AFTER Madame Leota as Neil Patrick so eloquently pointed out). To me, this revelation was the most important take away from the entire D23 event. Let me elaborate. The past ten years have been tough for Disney fans. We’ve felt betrayed, ignored, uncared for, and yes, taken advantage of. Because we are so devoted, they pushed the limits of our relationship, asking for more and more, while not giving in return and even callously withholding their love by removing services we had enjoyed for decades. Just like a Disney villain, they appeared to be more concerned about their own financial needs and less about treating us like the “guests” or “friends” they always said we were. So, when the Neil Patrick Harris song made it clear that they hear us, I felt hope for the first time in a long time.
As was predicted by almost everyone, Disney provided details about the ongoing construction at the Florida parks. Starting with the Magic Kingdom, while it’s sad to see Tom Sawyer Island go (though I hadn’t visited it in over 10 years), the description of Piston Peak National Park (the new Cars land) looks so fun for all ages. (BTW, if you are interested in finding out specific details about any of these new attractions, you can look them up but be aware that some descriptions are not spoiler-free). Also, the villains land was given its official name—Villains Land (what else would it be called? It had to follow the pattern: Fantasyland, Adventureland, etc.). Over at Animal Kingdom, the new Encanto ride also looks enjoyable for both adults and kids. And a surprise announcement was that Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios will open in 2027 (though it sounds as though the Door Coaster will be ready later). I’m not a big coaster fan but I am looking forward to dining at Harryhausen’s! Overall, many of the descriptions of the new attractions across the new lands seem to lean toward family attractions—which I feel harkens back to Walt Disney’s original goal for his parks—a place of immersive storytelling that adults and children can enjoy together! In the last decade, I felt there was less of an emphasis on family rides (the ones that are truly enjoyed by families together), so it’s nice to see this change. There’s that hope bubbling up again.
Finally, D23 did not disappoint with some mildly surprising plans to update and refresh four older attractions. I say mildly surprising in that these updates have long been desired (some for over 18 years). First, we got an update on the Carousel of Progress. If you read my opinion piece on the Carousel’s changes, you will know this is a somewhat painful topic for me. But I am happy with the choice of Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston as the voices for Sarah and John.
Next, there a was a surprise at Animal Kingdom. During the opening animatronics song performance when the Yeti made an appearance, I quickly texted my daughter, “OMG, are they going to fix the Yeti???” Yes, yes they are. Now, I’ve never ridden the Mount Everest coaster in Animal Kingdom (I’m too scared), but I have heard tons about the stationary Yeti, so this will be a nice update.
And heading over to EPCOT, there’s Spaceship Earth. In 2019, there were plans to update the iconic attraction, but these were dropped once the pandemic began in 2020. How sad it has been watching this flagship attraction slowly decline. In fact, in the past few years, part of the ride experience was identifying what else was no longer operational on it! So, the announcement that Spaceship Earth will get an update (with an emphasis on the theme of connection instead of communication), was great, as long as they don’t completely change the scenes!
Finally, the biggest news involved Dreamfinder and Figment. Looks like there’s gonna be a revamping of this ride—FINALLY!! This attraction went from one of the most popular original IP in EPCOT to one of the worst attractions! While Figment has remained very popular, and many would say is the mascot of EPCOT, Disney allowed this ride to fade into oblivion. We’ve been asking for years why don’t they just return it to its original glorious form? I heard on a podcast that one reason may have something to do with having to share space with the facility that sanitizes all the 3D glasses used throughout WDW?? Anyway, this was the best news of the weekend, and I hope it doesn’t take too long to get this attraction back to its former splendor.
All of these announcements and the acknowledgement of our pain and cries for a refresh, have instilled a sense of hope that Disney—Walt’s Disney—may be back on track and the future is bright!
Before concluding, I want to quickly comment on the lineup of Disney movies presented as well as news from the Disney Cruise Line. First, it appears there are several original movies coming up and these will be a welcome change from the sequels and live-action remakes (please, enough with the sequels and live-action remakes). I will give the live-action remake of Tangled a chance (since I love Tangled and it sounds as though it is being produced with no AI), but hopefully Disney will see that most of these live action remakes are not big hits. Sequels, on the other hand, have been big box office successes for Disney. So, while I understand Disney that you have to keep the lights on (yeah yeah), at least give us interesting new storylines with these old characters. And while Toy Story 5 was great all around, you don’t have to degrade Woody and Buzz just for their gratuitous appearance in the movie!
Finally, my favorite announcement about the Disney Cruise Line involved the plan to develop a smaller class of ships. The problem with all the big mega cruise ships is that they can’t dock at some lovely, but smaller, ports like St. George, Bermuda. I look forward to hearing about the new and interesting itineraries of this smaller class of ships.
So overall, good job Disney! But here is some homework for Destination D or the next D23. Sounds like the California Tomorrowland is getting some attention, but the “land of tomorrow” in the Magic Kingdom still has 1) an empty space where Stitch used to be, 2) the Monster’s Laugh Floor (which is great—don’t get rid of it but it should be moved to Monstropolis), and 3) the Tomorrowland Speedway... well, enough said.
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