2019 D23 Expo Announcements

This past weekend was the D23 Expo in California. As always, there were some very exciting announcements! Without further delays let’s jump right in to what’s new.

*Note all photos in this post are from Disney*

Parks, Resorts, and Cruises

Cruises:

• Disney has announced their 5^th cruise ship, which will be called The Disney Wish. The ships stern will feature Rapunzel. It will be delivered in late 2021 and set sail starting in January 2022. Guest will be able to sail to the Bahamas and even enjoy a new port of call on the island of Eleuthera at Lighthouse Point.

Resorts:

• Disney has shared more news on the highly anticipated Star Wars hotel. The hotel will be called Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. This is going to be a one of a kind vacation experience. Guests will sign up for a two night stay on a “glamorous starship” named The Halcyon and interact with characters to become active participants in a story.  This is for both children and adults. It will allow guests to use a lightsaber to face off against a training remote like a real Jedi. It sounds like a really cool and interactive experience!

• Reflections: This will be a new lakeside resort, possibly a Disney Vacation Club Resort, inspired by nature.

Parks

Walt Disney World:

• Disney Genie: This is a new app to help guests enhance the way they plan for their trips to Walt Disney World. This is planned to debut in late 2020. It is supposed to make planning easier and more fun. It will provide customized itineraries based on guests wants and needs. You will even be able to tell the Genie what you want to experience and it will evaluate your options and present you with a day’s itinerary.

•  EPCOT Updates
  • New nighttime show – replacing the temporary nighttime show Epcot Forever, a new show called HarmoniUS will be taking over. According to Disney this will be “the largest show ever created for a Disney Park”. The show will “celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over.”

• The world showcase will add a Mary Poppins themed attraction in the United Kingdom pavilion. It will be a new neighborhood in the pavilion called Cherry Tree Lane.

• France Pavilion – France is getting some new additions with the “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along” coming in January of 2020, along with the much anticipated new ride “Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure” which will open in summer of 2020.
• A new film will be debuting in the Canada pavilion in January of 2020 called “Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360”
• The China pavilion will also be debuting a new film called “Wondrous China” filmed in a 360-degree digital format it will take guests on a journey across China.
  • Future World Overhaul
    • Future World is no more; it is being split into three different lands. The lands will be known as “World Discovery”, “World Celebration”, and “World Nature”. Some buildings will be demolished, while others, like Mouse Gears and Electric Umbrella will be remodeled.
    • Spaceship Earth will be getting a remodel. The storyline will change to focus on technology and uniting humanity. It will link the story to “Dreamers Point” where guests will exit the attraction. Dreamers Point will host the first statue of Walt Disney in Epcot and it will be the first statue in any Disney Park of Walt Disney sitting down.
    • At the end of World Celebration will be a festival center building that has three levels. It will offer great views of the world showcase and will be an ideal spot to watch the nighttime shows.
    • Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana – will be a walk through attraction found in World Nature that allows guests to interact with magical living water the way Moana does.
    • A new film Awesome Planet will debut in The Land Pavilion in January 2020.
    •  Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be the first attraction in Epcot that explores other worlds. It will feature new innovations that rotate the roller coaster 360 degrees and the first reverse launch of a Disney coaster.
    • PLAY! Pavilion in World Discovery will be opening in time for the 50^th anniversary of Walt Disney World.
    • World Discovery will also be expanding the Mission: SPACE pavilion.  The new restaurant, Space 220, will be opening this upcoming winter. The restaurant seems really awesome, it will be a panoramic view of a space station and it will include day and night views of Earth from space. I personally can’t wait to try this.
    • Overall I am THRILLED to see all of these changes to EPCOT it is one of my favorite parks and it was due for some updates. I think this is going to be fantastic.
  • Disneyland California/Disneyland Paris:
    • Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will be coming to Mickey’s Toontown in 2022. The attraction will be placed in the “El Capitoon Theater” at Disneyland Park.
    • An all-new parade for The Disneyland Resorts will be coming in spring of 2020 called “Magic Happens”. The parade will “celebrate magic moments from the heart of many Disney stories”. It will take place on Main Street USA in Disneyland Park.
  • Avengers Campus coming to Disney’s California Adventure and Disneyland Paris:
    • Disney’s California Adventure will open in 2020 and later for Disneyland Paris
    • Avengers Campus will feature “Worldwide Engineering Brigade” also known as WEB, which will be a ride through attraction.
    • The campus will also feature Pym Test Kitchen. They will use “Pym Particles” to grow and shrink food at this restaurant.
    • The campus will have an Avengers Headquarters building that will eventually become the entrance for a new E-ticket attraction where you can “fly alongside the Avengers in an epic adventure to Wakanda and beyond! You will team up alongside the Avengers in a battle to save our world against one of the most powerful villains they have ever faced”
    • Disneyland Paris will have a hotel opening next summer called “Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel” that will allow you to continue your Marvel adventure in your room.
  • Hong Kong Disneyland
    • Hong Kong Disneyland will be opening a world of Frozen as part of a multi-year transformation. There will be two attractions including a new coaster called “Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleigh” and “Frozen Ever After”. 
    • The castle in Hong Kong will be transformed into the Castle of Magical Dreams. The castle will draw inspiration from 13 beloved Disney stories featuring princesses and heroines.” It will have new entertainment, including day and nighttime shows, as well as hosting a new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
  • Shanghai Disney Resort
    • The new Zootopia themed land that is coming to Shanghai Disney will have a ton of new merchandise, entertainment, and attractions.  According to Disney the attraction will “blend storytelling and state-of-the-art technology.”

Entertainment

Marvel news:

• The What If…? Series: This is going to be an animated series that takes a look at alternate universes and story lines within the MCU This series can be found on Disney Plus.
• Falcon and The Winter Soldier series announces cast members Emily Vancamp who will reprise her role as Agent Sharon Carter, and Wyatt Russell will be debuting in the MCU as John Walker, who is know to comic fans is U.S. Agent. This will air on Disney Plus in Fall of 2020.
• WandaVision which will air on Disney Plus in Spring of 2021 has added cast members Teyonah Parris, Kat Dennings, Randall Park, and Kathryn Hahn.
• Three new shows are being added to the MCU, with three new heroes: Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.

Star Wars News:

• Star Wars: The Clone Wars will be released on February 2020
• The Cassian Andor series will began filming in 2020
• The first trailer for The Mandalorian was shown at D23 and will be released on Disney Plus November 12 2019.
• Ewan McGregor was confirmed to play Obi-Wan Kenobi for a Disney Plus series

Additional shows:

• Lizzie McGuire Reboot: Hillary Duff will be reprising her role as Lizzie McGuire on Disney Plus, with the original creator returning. The show will follow Lizzie, now in her 30’s, living in New York City. I am not going to lie; I am beyond exited for this one!
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is an interesting concept; it is about the “real” students of East High who are putting on a production of High School Musical. It will be dramatic, and musical, and sounds like a fun show!
• Toy Story Spinoff Forky Asks A Question is a series of shorts that will be premiering November 12, 2019.
• Monsters At Work will be a spinoff short that takes place after Monster’s Inc. when they change from scream technology to laugh technology. A new character, Tylor played by Ben Feldman, will be debuted as a new worker fresh from Monsters University eager to start his career at Monster’s Inc.
• Muppets Now is an unscripted show filled with celebrities. Currently there are very few details on the show.
• Diary of a Female President starring Gina Rodriguez is a show that follows middle schooler Elena as she grows up to become President of the United States. 
• Reality TV Shows Disney Plus will host a selection of reality shows including According to Jeff Goldblum and other variety of celebrity hosted shows.

Film News:

• The Lady and The Tramp live action film will be available on Disney Plus on November 12 2019 and will be using rescue pups for the cast. How can you not love this?
• A list of new Disney Plus movies has been announced:
  • Noelle – featuring Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader will be a Christmas movie that premieres on November 12, 2019.             
  • Stargirl’s – in early 2020 this young adult romance will premiere starring indie musicin Grace Vanderwaal.
  • Timmy Failure: Mistakes were made also airs in early 2020 starring a young boy with his imaginary polar bear, who launches an investigation into his classmate’s deceased hamster.
  • Togo – this is the “untold true story set in the winter of 1925 across the treacherous terrain of the Alaskan tundra” staring Willem Dafoe. In the film he is in charge of turning a mischievous pup into a sled dog.  This will be released in December.

Miscellaneous News:

• Disney and Target are collaborating on a new project that will launch 25 Disney Stores within certain Target stores nationwide starting October 4. By October of 2020 an addition 40 stores will open. It will include a large assortment of merchandise including 100 products that were only available at Disney retail locations.
• Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animations have come together with Cirque du Soleil at Disney Springs to create a new show. The show will combine Cirque du Soleil’s artistry with Disney storytelling to create a unique show. The show will begin previewing on March 20, 2020 with a premiere date of April 17, 2020.

This pretty much sums up the big announcements from D23. Some of these I am extremely excited for! The EPCOT updates sound incredible, a new cruise ship is super exciting, and the films and shows for Disney Plus should be great. I could go on but I want to hear from you! What excites you the most about these announcements? Let me know if the comments.