27 major changes for Disney Parks announced at D23 Expo 2019
Disney details more than two dozen new experiences at D23 Expo 2019 today, including new rides, entertainment, hotels, restaurants
Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, led a whirlwind 90 minutes of announcements touching Disney Parks all around the world, including details on the overhaul of Epcot.
We’ll share more details on many of these announcements in the days to come, but for now, here are 27 things we learned from the D23 2019 Parks panel:
1. Disneyland will get a new parade this spring, Magic Happens. The daytime parade will go down Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. and celebrate magical moments from Disney stories, including “Moana,” “Coco,” “Sleeping Beauty” and more – all led by Mickey Mouse and the gang. Read more specifics here.
2. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will be coming to Mickey’s Toontown in 2022. A version at Disney’s Hollywood Studi
3. A “Zootopia”-themed land coming to Shanghai Disney Resort will feature new entertainment, merchandise and dining options that can only be found in the land along with a new major attraction that blends storytelling and state-of-the-art technology.
4. At Hong Kong Disneyland, the castle is being transformed and we now know what it is called – Castle of Magical Dreams. The castle will be unlike any other – drawing inspiration from 13 Disney stories featuring princesses and heroines. It will also be a canvas for new entertainment, including a daytime show and nighttime spectacular and home to a new Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
5. Hong Kong Disneyland is getting a Frozen makeover. As part of the multi-year transformation of Hong Kong Disneyland, guests will be able to visit the new world of “Frozen” and experience two attractions. The first is a new coaster called Wandering Oaken’s Sliding Sleighs where Olaf and
6. The new Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World will have preview open on AptFor the first time, Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios have joined forces with Cirque du Soleil to create a show that combines Disney storytelling and heart with Cirque du Soleil’s signature artistry. Previews will begin March 20, 2020, leading up to the world premiere on April 17.
7. Target and Disney are partnering for a project that will locate 25 Disney stores within select Target stores nationwide on October 4, 2019, with 40 additional locations opening by October 2020.
8. The first Disney ride-through attraction to feature Spider-Man will open at the Avengers Campus in 2020 at Disney California Adventure and later at Disneyland Paris. Avengers Campus will also feature Pym Test Kitchen where Pym Technologies is using the latest innovations to grow and shrink food. You will also get to meet Ant-Man and the Wasp for the first time.
9. A new E-ticket ride is coming to the Disney California Adventure Park’s Avengers Campus. The new ride will have you flying in a Quinjet alongside the Avengers in an epic adventure to Wakanda. No timeframe has been announced on this ride.
10. Epcot’s transformation means the theme park will be divided into four neighborhoods. World Showcase will continue to celebrate the culture, cuisine
11. Spaceship Earth is getting an overhaul, with new scenes reflecting the universal nature of the human experience. A new guide and narration will “focus on the storytelling that brings people together.”
12. A new pavilion at World Celebration will be the home base for Epcot’s festivals. The three-level structure promises a stunning view of World Showcase and an ideal spot to witness the park’s nighttime spectacular. This new world also will have “breathtaking views at Dreamers Point, lush gardens, a wishing tree, an interactive new fountain and a new statue celebrating the legacy of the original dreamer, Walt Disney.”
13. The Guardians of the Galaxy roller-coaster now has a name: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The “thrilling, family-friendly” coaster will launch guests in reverse, and the ride vehicles will rotate.
14. We have a new target for the opening of the space-themed restaurant. Space 220 is now scheduled to open “this winter.”
15. We also have a target for the opening of the PLAY! pavilion. This “interactive metropolis” will open in time for the 50th anniversary of Disney World in October 2021.
16. The Land pavilion’s new movie, “Awesome Planet,” is scheduled to open in January 2020.
17. The World Nature neighborhood will include the first Moana attraction, “Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana,” which will “let guests interact with magical, living water in a beautiful and inspiring setting.”
18. The updated movie for the China pavilion will be called “Wondrous China” and will be presented in a completely seamless 360-degree digital format.
19. The new film at the Canada pavilion, “Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360” will debut in January 2020.
20. Look for the “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along” to open in the France pavilion in January 2020, followed by …
21. The opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in summer 2020.
22. The United Kingdom pavilion is getting a completely new neighborhood: Cherry Tree Lane, which will include the first attraction inspired by Mary Poppins.
23. The successor to Epcot’s Illuminations now has a name: HarmonioUS. It will be the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park and will “celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over.”
24. Finally used to My Disney Experience? Get ready to give it up for Disney Genie, “a revolutionary new digital offering that will enhance the way guests plan for and experience a trip to Walt Disney World Resort.” Scheduled to debut in late 2020, Disney Genie will make planning easier and more fun by providing guests customized itineraries geared to princesses, thrill seekers, foodies, families and more.
25. The Star Wars hotel has a name — Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — and a few more intriguing details. Like a cruise ship, guests will check-in for a two-night adventure. Once onboard the Starship Halcyon, guests will interact with characters and become active participants in stories that unfold around them on their galactic journey. One cool tidbit: both children and adults will have the opportunity to face off against a training remote while wielding a lightsaber like Luke Skywalker did as he was learning to use The Force.
26. Disney’s second Caribbean island is confirmed. The new port of call for cruise line guests which will be located on the breathtaking island of Eleuthera at a place called Lighthouse Point.
27. The Disney Cruise Line’s fifth ship will be called the Disney Wish, and it will set sail beginning in January 2022. Its signature character will be Rapunzel.
