A view of Pixar Pier at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim, Calif. The Xavierite
D23 Expo is a bi-annual convention held in Anaheim, Calif., which celebrates the fans of the parks, films, and stories. Most recently, it took place from Aug. 9–11, and did not lack any kind of announcements. Here are the five that I consider best.
- Sequels, Sequels, and More Sequels
Many films were announced at the Expo, and were received with thunderous applause. Among these were “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Toy Story 5,” “and Incredibles 3.” No additional details were revealed for “Incredibles 3,” but concept art and information were revealed for the other films.
“Avatar: Fire and Ash” will explore the Ash people, who have been hinted at to be more violent than other Na’vi peoples. To my surprise, “Toy Story 5” will be about the rise of technology in children’s lives, preventing toys from being played with. I thought that four movies was enough, but this idea is extremely promising to me.
- Disney and Epic Games to Collaborate Further
In February, reports came out that Disney invested $1.5 billion in Epic Games, and particularly the videogame “Fortnite.” At first it was unclear what the objective of this was, since they stated that they wanted to create a universe of entertainment.
However, at D23 it was made obvious that Disney seeks to create experiences similar to that of “Disney Infinity,” which was an attempt at creating a sort of Disney crossover game that ultimately failed. This will start with character outfits from franchises such as “PIXAR,” “Star Wars,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.” A Marvel season of “Fortnite” was also announced, which I have been playing nearly every night since it was released.
Considering that I am a very big fan of “Fortnite,” this is extremely exciting, and I am curious to see what new experiences will be created throughout the coming years.
- Avengers Experiences Coming Worldwide
Deadpool came onto the stage with Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of Disney Parks, to announce his own experiences. Although these were not real, he now appears in Disneyland for a storytelling experience.
Among the announcements made by Chairman D’Amaro were two new rides for the Avengers Campus in California. Avengers: Infinity Defense was previously spoken about, but finally new concept art was revealed. However, Stark Flight Lab was not previously known to be coming. Even more excitingly, Robert Downey Jr. reprised the role of Tony Stark for the ride.
Spider-Man is also getting two rides overseas. At Shanghai Disneyland Resort, the web-slinging hero is getting his own roller coaster. It appears to be a high-speed launch coaster.
As well, it seems that Hong Kong Disneyland is re-theming their variation of the Tower of Terror to be a Spider-Man versus Doc Ock experience. This would not be the first time that a Tower of Terror variation was transformed into a Marvel experience, with Disney California Adventure’s becoming Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout in 2017.
- Tropical Americas to Replace DinoLand at Animal Kingdom
Although this upset many fans, I was beyond ecstatic to hear that DinoLand USA is to become the Tropical Americas. This land is to include an “Indiana Jones” attraction, and the worlds’ first “Encanto” attraction. Not even a week after the announcement was made, I visited DinoLand to say goodbye to Dinosaur, my favorite ride in the Animal Kingdom.
I believe that the new “Indiana Jones” attraction needs to be carefully planned. It cannot be a clone of the one at Disneyland, but also needs to fit into the theming. Perhaps having Indy find traces of a mythological creature would be a good idea.
However, the idea of an “Encanto” ride was genius. The film is universally beloved, and the concept art looks stunning.
- The First Ever Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic is Coming to Disneyland
Although this announcement made fans believe it was an act of disrespect, I see it from another perspective. Disney loved his creations more than anything. He strived to make dreams come true, especially through animatronic figures of his characters.
If he were alive, I believe he would adore the fact that his legacy would now live in the parks forever through an animatronic figure.
Overall, D23 was an extreme success this year. Amazing announcements were made for the parks, film studios, and gaming departments. Although it will not occur again until 2026, fans will remain excited for all to come.