D23 Expo, the biennial meeting of The Official Disney Fan Club, concluded this weekend at the Anaheim Convention Center. Major announcements were made for Disney parks worldwide.
Star Wars lands under construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland are opening in 2019. The Walt Disney Parks and Resorts pavilion “A Galaxy of Stories” provided a first-ever look at who will inhabit the land. The name for the land, coast to coast, is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Read all about it in Jim Hill’s article for the Huffington Post. Disneyland’s Star Wars land will open first.
WALT DISNEY WORLD
An immersive Star Wars hotel is in the works for Walt Disney World. Check it out and start saving now. We expect the bill for the multi-day adventure (2 nights) to be about $2,500 for a family of four.
A new DVC property, Disney Riviera Resort, is slated to open in 2019. This is Disney’s 15th Vacation Club property.
Walt Disney World Resort is getting a gondola transportation system. Read more information about the Disney Skyliner and the new Uber-like Minnie Vans here.
Magic Kingdom
1. The TRON Lightcycle Power Run roller coaster was announced for Tomorrowland. The ride will not replace the Tomorrowland Speedway attraction. The attraction will be built in an area next to Space Mountain.
2. A new theater, inspired by Kansas City’s Willis Wood Theater, is set to debut on Main Street.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
1. Toy Story Land: Disney confirmed that the 11-acre Toy Story Land, the first new land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in more than 20 years, will open in the summer of 2018. Here is what we know about the rides.
2. Star Wars land: The name of the new land is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The land will open in 2019, with the Disneyland version of the land opening first. Read more about it in Jim Hill’s article for the Huffington Post.
3. The Great Movie Ride will close for a complete makeover on August 13, 2017. The attraction will reopen as Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. The new ride will be based on the new Mickey Mouse shorts that can be seen currently on the Disney Channel.
Epcot
1. Ratatouille, a 3-D dark ride that uses trackless vehicles, was announced for the France Pavilion. The ride is based on the 2007 Disney-Pixar animated film Ratatouille. Read our scoop about it.
2. A Guardians of the Galaxy thrill ride will replace Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Ellen’s will close August 13, 2017. The attraction is expected to be ready in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary in 2021.
3. Mission: Space, which is scheduled to reopen soon, will have a new green mission.
4. Right next to the Mission: Space attraction, a space-themed table service restaurant is being developed.
4. Epcot will have a new entrance, and Future World is getting a major overhaul. No details were announced.
5. A new movie is in store for the China pavilion.
DISNEYLAND PARKS
Disney California Adventure
1. After Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: BREAKOUT! and “Summer of Heroes,” an immersive Super Heroes Universe is planned for the park. Spiderman and the Avengers will be included in this universe, but no details regarding the size of the Marvel expansion were provided.
2. The Paint the Night Parade is coming to Disney California Adventure.
3. Cars Land will get a seasonal overlay and turn into Haul-O-Ween this fall.
4. By summer 2018 Paradise Pier and Boardwalk will be re-themed Pixar Pier.
Disneyland Park
1. Star Wars land opens in 2019, with no firm date announced. The name of the new land is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Disneyland’s Star Wars land will open prior to the Star Wars land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Read more about the land in Jim Hill’s article for the Huffington Post.
2. The Paint the Night Parade is leaving Disneyland for Disney California Adventure, while Disneyland will be welcoming the Pixar Play Parade. In addition to the parade, Disneyland will also get a Pixar-themed fireworks show.
D23 News for DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Disney will be adding another ship to the fleet. The ship will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany—the same shipyard that is building the two previously announced vessels. By 2023 Disney will have a fleet of seven ships. All three of the new vessels will be powered by liquefied natural gas.
As of November 17th a Beauty and the Beast show, based on the life-action movie, is coming to the Disney Dream.
D23 News for DISNEYLAND PARIS
Disney’s Hotel New York will be transformed into Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel.
Are you excited about all the D23 announcements? We would love to hear from you.
In just a few weeks, our 2018 edition of The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World will be out. We are celebrating with a GIVEWAY.
Enter for a chance to win your copy!
