Episode Details

Everything New for Disney Parks and Resorts from D23 Expo 2022

So What's Next for Disney Parks?

You won't believe what's coming behind Big Thunder Mountain at Walt Disney World

This is Disney's Blue Sky sneak peak of what's coming down the road for Disney Parks. This portion of the D23 Expo had the biggest cheer of anything announced in 2022.

First though, Josh D'Amaro announced what's happening with Dinoland at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park. It has been languishing and looks forgotten so the announcement of a big transformation coming was welcome. Zootopia and Moana will share the space currently occupied by Dinoland. 

But the biggest news of all...

 
Disney Villains are Finally Getting a Place to Call their Own

Magic Kingdom will feature new frontiers and it's all hiding on the other side of BTM. The little town of Santa Cecilia will come to life as Coco gets a Magic Kingdom presence. And if you do want to talk about Bruno, you're in luck because you may be able to walk right into the Madrigal's casita. But all is not fun and flowers in this new land...as what if the Disney villains took up residence there as well...beyond Big Thunder Mountain.

This was presented as conceptual and would likely be 10 years down the road, but Disney would not share it in this way if it weren't going to happen. Big news for Walt Disney World and Magic Kingdom.

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There's More Coming to Walt Disney World

A new nighttime show for EPCOT will debut in late 2023 to kick-off the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Company.

Moana's Journey of Water and the rest of the World Celebration area at EPCOT will open in late 2023. So we'll have to bear with those construction walls for another year it seems.

Figment is returning in a brand new form for a meet and greet at EPCOT. That will be in place by the end of 2023.

In Magic Kingdom, the perennial favorite Hatbox Ghost will materialize once again in the Haunted Mansion.

And we now know that Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom will debut in Spring 2023. We were hoping it would be sooner, but apparently they are working on finishing touches right now. No specific date, just "spring." 

Finally, in 2023, a new version of  Happily Ever After will return as part of a new Magic Kingdom nighttime show. This received a good amount of applause.

 
What's New and Coming to Disneyland Resort

The DVC Villas at Disneyland Hotel will be called the Villas at Disneyland Hotel. How creative.

On October 16, 2023 Disney 100 kicks-off and it promises to be the biggest celebration ever for Disney.

Under the theme of a Boundless Future the following announcements were made:

The Mandalorian and Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) will be onsite starting in Mid November 2022 at Disneyland Galaxy's Edge

Over at the Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Park, Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, noted "we're just getting started." A new giant Hulk will be at Avengers Campus in California "next week." 

Plus, they're bringing the Multiverse to Avengers Campus. Disney is expanding the campus to include a new attraction. In the new attraction you will battle alongside all the Avengers against all the foes from anywhere. You will fight King Thanos. This is a new Thanos -- a Thanos who won. And the Avengers are not too happy about that and you have to help them. More news to come.

Also new to Disney California Adventure, they are reimagining Pacific Wharf into San Fransokyo from Big Hero Six. You'll be able to meet Baymax there. 

Finally, they are reimagining Paradise Pier Hotel, as it will become Pi