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Credit: D23We are less than a week away from the D23 Expo, and with Disney usually announcing major park updates at its Saturday night presentations, it’s time to consider what could be coming this year. However, there’s a problem: there is no parks panel this year.
Last year, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro wowed the crowd with major announcements for Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. This year, it’s hard to say where D’Amaro will fit into the presentations.
It also doesn’t help that earlier this week, Disney dropped some updates on rides that are currently being refurbished, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Zootopia: Better Together, and major Hollywood Studios announcements, including an update on the Muppet takeover of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.
In the past, those announcements would have been saved for the D23 Expo, but Disney threw them all out on a random Thursday afternoon. So, what does that leave for D23?
One of the panels is Disney Villains: Icons of Evil. This feels like the perfect place to drop some new details about the Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom. However, don’t expect too much in terms of details.
In this case, as with most of the information you will most likely be getting from D23 this year, it will probably be more concept art for Villains Land, and perhaps a new name. The same goes for Cars Land, Monsters, Inc. Land, and the Tropical America Lands. More concept art, fewer details.
But, will there be something significant we haven’t thought of yet? Perhaps. Maybe after Spaceship Earth closes for its refurbishment later this week, Disney will announce the major overhaul planned before the pandemic. Or maybe, there will be another ride overhaul at EPCOT like Journey Into Imagination with Figment or The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
However, that seems unlikely. This feels more like a minor tweak year than a grand reimagining year.
Last year’s announcements were a response to Epic Universe; this year is about delivering on last year’s promises. Sorry to disappoint, Disney fans, but it feels like this year will be a little boring.
What do you think Disney will announce at this year’s D23 Expo? Let us know in the comments.