D23 - Parks Recap

After a three-year hiatus, D23 returned to Anaheim, California this past weekend.  The Disney Con event features three-days of appearances and announcements across the various Disney platform
s including streaming, movies, Marvel and Star Wars.  The final day of the expo featured news on coming attractions to the Disney Parks across the globe.  

Expectations were high from Disney fans that bold and new attractions would be announced by Park's Chairman Josh D'Amaro.  Unfortunately, what was announced was not exactly what fans had hoped for.  A sampling of some of the coming attractions include: 

• Tron coming to Magic Kingdom in Spring 2023 
  
• Moana's Journey of Water opening in Epcot in 2023
• Fantasmic coming back to Hollywood Studios - but still no opening date. 
• Dinoland USA to be re-themed to Zootopia/Moana
  
• Happily Ever After returning to Magic Kingdom after the WDW 50th
• New nighttime show at Epcot after the WDW 50th
  
• New themed lands coming to Magic Kingdom behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad 
• New multiverse attraction at Avengers Campus in California Adventure
  

And while some of those changes might be exciting - the biggest teases are also several years into the future from being completed.  It is also important to remember that Blue Sky concept art (Disney speak for "what the Imagineers are thinking about doing) is not just subject to change - it almost certainly will change.  The concept images for Galaxy's Edge and Tiana's Bayou Adventure, while giving fans an idea of what the new attractions will look like, are very different from what was actually built (or in the case of Tiana, is going to be built).  

Were you hoping for updates to Disneyland's Tomorrowland?  Sorry.  How about changes to Journey into Imagination at Epcot?  Nope. Surely the Main Street Electrical Parade is heading to Magic Kingdom to close out the 50th?  Fat chance.    How about that Spaceship Earth refurb or the Mary Poppins attraction in the UK?  Negative.  Surely there was a date for Fantasmic's return to Hollywood Studios?  Uhhhhhh no. 

So what can Disney fans look forward to?  In the immediate future, arguably the best news for diehards is the return of Happily Ever After to Magic Kingdom at the conclusion of the 50th celebration in March.  A new nighttime show will also be coming to Epcot to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company.  Dinoland USA will be re-themed to Zootopia and a Moana themed ride - but details are sparse.  Some new themed lands might be coming to Magic Kingdom behind Big Thunder Mountain - but we are in the early planning phase.  Tron will finally open in the spring of 2023.  And that's about it. 

What did you think of the Disney Parks presentation at D23?  Let us know in the comments.