New Disney Parks Announcements From D23 Expo

I attended the Disney Parks Panel at D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA. I was live blogging all of the announcements on the latest attractions, food, and nighttime spectaculars coming to Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line around the world! You can find all the latest news here including information about the Epcot Transformation, Avengers Campus, the Mary Poppins ride in Epcot, and more! 

Disney Parks Panel Announcements from D23 Expo!

The lights have gone down and the video montage has begun to make us feel all the feels about Disney Parks, Disney Cruise Line, and Disney magic in our homes. They promise new magic will be unveiled! These are the moments that inspire us every day.

Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products comes on stage.

Chapek says they’re putting more Disney, more Pixar, and more Marvel into our parks. New parades and nighttime shows! More themed hotels!

New Parade!

Magic Happens – celebrates stunning floats and costumes and beloved Disney characters from Moana, Coco, Sleeping Beauty and more! All led by Mickey Mouse and the gang! Mix of classic and new stories! Music by Todrick Hall! Coming to Disneyland Spring 2020!!

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

New ride takes you through Disney shorts. Will open in Disney’s Hollywood Studios next year and in Disneyland 2022 in Toon Town.

International Disney Parks

Zootopia themed and coming to Disneyland Shanghai.

Update to castle in Hong Kong Disneyland!The castle will be called Castle of Magical Dreams. A new daytime show and a nighttime spectacular plus a new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. 

Plus, two exciting attractions are coming to a new, immersive “Frozen”-themed area at the resort! Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs will be a new Frozen coaster in Hong Kong Disneyland.

Walt Disney World

New show in Disney Springs – Cirque du Soleil – about the art of animation! The animated characters will interact with the live performers. The story – Disney characters are central to a daughter of a Disney animator. Sends her on a magical journey of self-discovery. Previews begin on March 20, 2020. Regular show dates start April 17, 2020.

Disney Merchandise with Target Collaboration

Disney Stores will be inside 25 Target stores in October 2019, plus 45 more Target stores by October 2020. Also there will be a Target opening by the Walt Disney World Resort!

Avengers Campus

Coming to Disneyland Paris and Disneyland California Adventure! Created by Comic Book artists and storytellers, including Stan Lee.

More than 300 works of art in the Marvel hotel in Disneyland Paris. Themed rooms like Spider-Man rooms. Opening next summer.

Actual campuses set up by the Avengers to recruit guests. The campuses will interact with each other.

First Spider-Man themed attraction at a Disney park. Pym Test Kitchen – will grow and shrink food. You will also be able to meet Ant-Man and the Wasp!

WEB (Worldwide Engineering Brigade) – organization where young genius inventors gather together. Home of Spider-Man. Test drive of Web Slinger Vehicle where Spidey needs our help. You will also be able to meet Doctor Strange, Black Widow, Star-Lord, Gamora, Groot, Black Panther, Dora Milaje, Loki, and Thor!! 

Disney California Adventure will be home to a new e-ticket attraction, part of Phase 2 development. We’ll step aboard a Quinjet and fly to Wakanda and beyond!! We’ll step up, suit up, and team up against a powerful villain!

Phase 1 of Avengers Campus will open in Anaheim next year!!

Epcot Transformation in Walt Disney World

Guests want more attractions and more shade! Epcot is all about the power of hope, the power of possibility, and the power of wonder. The transformation is about bringing these ideals to life. Brings people of all ages from all over the world to dream.

Unifying Epcot with 4 neighborhoods. World Showcase will continue to celebrate cuisine and cultures.

Where Future World stands, 3 new neighborhoods will spring up. World Nature, World Discovery, and World Celebration.

Spaceship Earth will remain as the park’s grand icon. Will add fountain and greenery.

New Spaceship Earth will focus on storytelling. Many scenes will remain but will add new scenes to reflect the human experience. A new guide will follow a magical light, called the story light. As you exit, you’ll look out at Dreamers Point with an incredible view, including a new statue of Walt Disney.

You’ll see a  Wishing Tree, a story fountain, and a pavilion for live events. 

New Restaurant – Space 2020 will be accepting reservations in December!

New experience will be open in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary – World of Discovery. New play spaces which will include water, and Huey, Dewey, and Louie. Also Wreck-it-Ralph inspired play spaces.

World of Nature will have a Moana-inspired trail.

New Guardians of the Galaxy Ride

Board a Nova Ship. This ride will be a coaster which will feature a reverse launch into space! The name will be Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!

Epcot Pavilions

Canada will get a new film debuting January 2020.

France Pavilion will get a new Beauty and the Beast sing-along film in January 2020. Remy will also be coming in a new attractions – Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. 

Guests will shrink down to the size of Remy. Opening Summer of 2020.

New creperie opening in France. Disney Skyliner opening in a few weeks.

Dick Van Dyke is here! Dying. He’s amazing!

Mary Poppins is coming to Epcot! United Kingdom Pavilion will house a Mary Poppins attraction! Cherry Tree Lane will be a new neighborhood. You will step into #17, home of the Banks family.

New Nighttime Spectaculars

Epcot Forever will debut this November, the new nighttime spectacular. The opening act of a bigger musical celebration. This new show will be called “Harmonious.” This will be the largest nighttime spectacular in Disney’s history and will debut in 2020 in World Showcase Lagoon.

Walt Disney World 50th Celebration

Party will be at each one of the theme parks! Special food, beverage, merchandise, and more. Every moment will be magical.

New Digital Experience – Disney Genie. Customized itineraries for guests. How about a trip around the world at Epcot or a princess-themed day? Just tell Disney Genie what you want, and they’ll look through millions of options to optimize your day. Genie will make reservations and FastPass+ reservations. Will debut late 2020.

New Disney Hotels

Lakeside Lodge will be themed after Disney-natured stories and include Treehouse suites. It will include a table side restaurant inspired by Princess and the Frog.

Star Wars Hotel

Star Wars Galactic Star Cruiser – a 2-night adventure. Guests will board and depart together. Throughout your journey you will interact with the characters, passengers, and crew you meet. Check in at the terminal for your departure day. You’re invited into a launch pod that blasts you into space. 

You’ll spend 2 days and 2 nights on board and see stars out of the windows. You never know who you will encounter and the choices you make impact how your Star Wars journey plays out.

It includes dining experiences and your adventure in Black Spire Outpost. Both kids and adults will get to face off with a training remote while wielding a lightsaber! You’ll be invited to learn about the ship and how to operate different things. These defense skills may come in handy later. Bookings will be available soon, but not yet.

Disney Cruise Line

New Disney Port of Call -Lighthouse Point- in Bahamas on island of Eleuthera. It’s huge and creates a new seaside adventure camp.  It will be very eco-friendly and focus on conservation efforts!

This collaboration is about people, working with Bahamian artists to share this rich, fascinating culture with guests.

The name of the 5th Disney Cruise Line Ship is Disney Wish! There will be a 3-level atrium. It will begin to set sail in January 2022! Rapunzel will be the character of the Disney Wish.

All of these announcements have been amazing! I can’t wait for all of this new magic coming to Disney Parks and Resorts.