Two years ago, at the last D23 Expo, now known as the Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney stood on stage and made us a lot of promises. A Villains Land at Magic Kingdom. Cars replacing boats in Frontierland. An entire Monsters Inc. neighborhood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Indiana Jones and Encanto at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. And new rides built around Coco, Avatar, the Avengers, The Lion King, and Spider-Man all over the world, which was part of a roughly sixty billion dollar, ten year plan to supercharge the parks. It landed nearly fifty announcements in a single night

And here’s the thing about promises: eventually you have to keep them.

Right out of the gate, I’m going to start by saying that I believe this year’s D23, the Ultimate Disney Fan Event, is not about the next avalanche of brand new lands or huge new announcements nobody sees coming. Although I’ve been wrong before, and will be again this year. This year is about proof. What are we actually going to ride? When is it going to open? What’s real? What’s changed? And what quietly may be slipping away when nobody was looking?

So today we’re going to go park by park, resort by resort, all the way around the world, and I’m going to tell you exactly what I think Disney announces at D23, from the near certain, to the very possible, to the wild cards that could bring the house down. And a few things I’m sure I am way off on, but are fun to dream and speculate about anyway.

Welcome Home

Hello, my friend, and welcome to WDW Radio, your guide to Disney parks and experiences around the world. I’m your host and your friend, Lou Mongello, and this is episode number 876. Whether this is your first time listening or you’ve been together with me for more than twenty years since the very beginning, welcome back, and more importantly, welcome home. I am so glad and grateful that you are here.

Before we dive right in, a couple of quick things. If you want to talk about all things D23, or Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars with a passionate, friendly, family-friendly community, I invite you to please come join us over in the WDW Radio Clubhouse at WDWRadio.com/Clubhouse. And wherever and whenever you’re listening, please come connect with me on social. I am @LuMongello on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

And when all this D23 talk gets you dreaming about your next trip to the Disney magic, or on the Disney Magic, do what I do and let the team over at Mouse Fan Travel take care of everything for you, because their concierge-level planning costs you absolutely nothing and makes the whole thing effortless. You can find them over at MouseFanTravel.com.

And in addition to talking to you about my predictions about D23, don’t forget that I and WDW Radio are going to be at D23 on the show floor, live and in person, at the WDW Radio booth. I’ll tell you exactly how, and where, and when, and why you can join the fun, either on the show floor at D23 or virtually. Stay tuned to the end of the segment and I’ll share how you can join the fun right from the comfort of your own home or phone.

But for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio show.

The Lay of the Land

So let’s talk D23. It is almost here, even though two years ago this seemed like it was so far away. As we’ve been counting down the excitement, for me personally, a little bit of the stress and the pressure, because we’ve been invited back onto the show floor. But more on that later.

Before we get into the predictions themselves, I want to give you a little bit of the lay of the land, because I think with something this big, how the whole weekend is built is going to tell us a lot about what to expect. The really big event for us, as primarily Disney parks fans, is the Disney Experiences Showcase, officially titled Horizons: A Disney Experiences Showcase, which is happening on Saturday, August 15th at 7pm Pacific, 10pm Eastern, at the Honda Center in Anaheim. I love, love, love the fact that they’ve moved over to that bigger, better venue.

The entire D23, the Ultimate Disney Fan Event, runs from the 14th through the 16th. And if you are a Disney parks fan, there’s actually a bonus day. There’s D23 Day at Disneyland kicking things off on Thursday, August 13th.

Here’s a bit of a pro tip. With so much of the attention going to the Saturday night showcase, be sure to keep an eye out if you are there on the show floor, because the Imagineering pavilion this year, called Imagineering Horizons, is going to be the biggest one they have ever done. If you remember back two years ago, they held the models back until the last day and the crowds went absolutely cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. I don’t think they’re going to do that again this year, which I think means we could actually get some real news out of that booth even before the Saturday showcase begins.

And I think there are a few things that make this year different up on that stage. Because for the first time ever, the parks presentation has a celebrity host in Neil Patrick Harris. And the sense, and sort of the feeling, that I’m getting is that, not just because he is going to be a celebrity host as opposed to having an executive host, this feels more like a conversation that is going to be guided by somebody who we know is already not just somebody who we’ve seen up on the big and small screen, but is a huge Disney fan himself. He’s going to guide these conversations from and with the Imagineers, and the storytellers, and the artists who are actually building all of the things we’re going to hear about.

And I think it is fascinating and fitting that the entire show is themed to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. You may or may not know, Horizons was really sort of meant to be a sequel to that attraction. And just put a pin in that, because I think it’s going to matter more than you might realize.

Again, there’s been that changing of the guard since the last D23 Expo. Back in March, Josh D’Amaro moved up to become CEO of the entire Walt Disney Company. Thomas Mazloum stepped into his role as Chairman of Disney Experiences. So I think Mazloum is probably the guy we’re going to most likely see steering the parks presentations.

Setting Expectations

I think right out of the gate, there’s one expectation that I feel, and I sort of want to set, as I go into my specific predictions and thoughts about what might be coming.

The last D23 Expo, back in 2024, which seems like forever ago, gave us nearly fifty different announcements. You might not remember all of them, but that’s what we got. And I don’t think this year is going to try and match, or certainly not exceed, that number. And that’s okay. This is going to be a less-is-more year. The theme is not going to be groundbreaking. It’s not going to be these massive surprise announcements. It is not going to be a fifth gate. It’s going to be follow-through. And I think necessary follow-through. Because honestly, if Disney nails that, it could be even more satisfying than some of the blue-sky fire hose that we got last time and at other past Expos.

So I want to get into what I think, or expect, and maybe even hope and wish, might be coming this year. And I want to lay the very important groundwork, and expectations, and rules right before I dive in.

Nothing that I say do I have any prior knowledge of. None of this is confirmed unless Disney has already revealed something about the underlying project. Some of this, I think, are some of our logical expectations for some of the things that we already know are under construction. Some are coming from reports and maybe some construction clues. Some is pure prediction, which I will let you know as we go through. I think I’m going to try and take a couple of bold swings, and have a little bit of a personal wish list, and I’ll tell you which is which as we go through.

I want to keep your, and I think my, expectations realistic. But again, never, ever underestimate Disney’s love of a huge surprise. I always say, every single year when I do these shows, the thing that I’m expecting the most, the thing I’m excited for most, is the thing that I have no idea is coming. That’s what makes D23, I’ll keep calling it Expo just for ease of use, that’s what makes Expo, and this event, and this weekend so very special.

Magic Kingdom

So let’s start where really the biggest transformation in Walt Disney World’s park history is happening, and that is over in Magic Kingdom.

Villains Land: The Name and the Tone

It makes sense to begin with the one thing that everybody, I think, is talking about, and the one somehow we still know the least bit about, and it’s Villains Land. Two years after that initial announcement, there are still two big questions that are wide open, and I think we’re going to actually get answered. One: what is the land actually going to be called? I think it’s important. And two: what’s the tone? Because I think the second question might be the single most important creative decision Disney has to make here.

So let’s take the name first, because I actually have a theory on this one. Disney, all of us, keep calling this Villains Land. I do not believe at all that this is going to be the final name. We don’t call Galaxy’s Edge “Star Wars Land.” We don’t call Pandora “Avatar Land.” Maybe you do, and that’s fine. But I think Disney wants and needs a name that feels like a real place inside of a story.

This is where I’m sort of going to plant my flag. Because I think the name for this land is going to be rooted in a specific character and storyline. I think the name is going to be rooted in Maleficent. And the one name that I would put up on my prediction board is going to be The Forbidden Kingdom, with the Forbidden Mountain as the central landmark.

Now, I have to point out one potential hurdle and/or caveat to this name. And it’s not in Fantasyland, it’s not even in Magic Kingdom, it’s in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Because Expedition Everest’s full official name is Expedition Everest: Legend of, you guessed it, the Forbidden Mountain. So my Forbidden Mountain sort of exists already as a park landmark, and that could be a problem for my prediction, or even my supporting argument for it. Do I think Disney would likely avoid reusing it? Probably. But stranger things have happened. And while they might not call the attraction the Forbidden Mountain, I don’t think it forecloses Disney from calling the land the Forbidden Kingdom.

Let’s start with the mountain, because I think it’s really the strongest clue that we have. Forbidden Mountain is already Maleficent’s home in Sleeping Beauty. It is this very dark, brooding, glooming place where she gathers her power. And every piece of concept art that we’ve seen so far leans hard on this massive mountain and the dragon imagery. To me, that tells me that the peak of this mountain is going to be the icon of the land, like the central weenie, and most likely the home of what is going to be the signature attraction, which we know is going to be a coaster.

But I don’t know if they name the entire land the Forbidden Mountain. It doesn’t make any sense, right? Because it makes it feel like it’s only about Maleficent. But if you call it the Forbidden Kingdom, it keeps her and the mountain at the center, but leaves room for the entire roster of wonderful villains that we love to love, or love to hate. Evil Queen, Hades, Ursula, Jafar, Captain Hook, Cruella, Dr. Facilier. The mountain towers over everything, and the kingdom is the realm that forms around it.

This way, with the name Forbidden Kingdom, you get the best of all worlds. And the name is critical, because there has to be a backstory around it. I think that’s going to be the important part that’s going to tie all of this together. Like, why does this land exist here? Why does this land exist within the realm of the Magic Kingdom? Was Maleficent banished to the Forbidden Mountain on the edge of this wonderful, very bright, familiar fairy tale kingdom? Is there some sort of portal between the Magic Kingdom and the Forbidden Kingdom that, well, maybe even tears open multiple portals between the Magic Kingdom and the Forbidden Mountain, and some of the other realms of other villains’ worlds?

I’m probably way off. There are much smarter, more creative Imagineers and storytellers who are coming up with something like that. But I think there is going to be this very important backstory that’s going to become very clear, so it explains the how, and the why, and the where of this location.

And it explains Disney’s own phrase, which is “conjured architecture,” which I love. Because these buildings aren’t constructed by the villains who have plans and have their construction crews go out and build these different realms. They are conjured by spells, and they come up out of the ground. And that’s why there’s thorns, and stone, and all of these different styles. Because all of these different villains’ worlds are getting yanked into this same place, however and whichever way the Imagineers and storytellers decide to do that.

I think it solves a difficult problem that the land could potentially have, which is: how do you put all of these sometimes wildly different villains in a single place without it feeling random, without it, so it feels connected? So the way I figure they have to do this is, they’re not sort of born here or created there. They’re somehow summoned here, or like I said, there’s these portals in between those worlds.

And that’s why it fits in Magic Kingdom specifically. That’s why this land belongs here, and not someplace over like Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but because this is like the dark mirror of Fantasyland. Fantasyland is where the hero stories are all about reaching that happily ever after. Forbidden Kingdom is what happens and lies just past that ending. It’s where the villains retreated, or regrouped, or decided to write their own chapters of their own stories themselves. It is the kingdom on the other side of the fairy tale.

I think there can, and if I’m correct will, be this amazing reveal of how they do this in the Honda Center, which is such a huge theatrical venue. We saw it last year just how different the feeling and the vibe was versus being in the Anaheim Convention Center arena. Lighting, and sound, and pyro, and different types of effects that can be used in that location. It is this beautiful, blank, potentially dark canvas that Disney announces and reveals and shows some of the storylines and additional details.

Because I think, in addition to the backstory, there’s also a question creatively of tone. Again, this can’t be this very dark, legit scary type of place, because it is Magic Kingdom. It is this family-friendly place where families are supposed to be able to go and have fun together. So how do you balance the dark and scary villains, whether it’s a Maleficent or a Chernabog, with the funny villains, the Captain Hooks, so it works for everybody in the family?

We’ve heard a variety of different rumors and speculations. That it’s going to be darker, maybe it is going to be a little bit more edgier. Or is it going to be that softer, more family-friendly tone? I think that’s a very interesting, very delicate tightrope that Disney and Imagineering has to sort of walk on. Because it can’t be so dark that families are like, “no, this isn’t for me, I don’t like the dark scary stuff, my kids are too young.” But it also can’t be so bright and whimsical that the villains sort of lose a little bit of their teeth and their bite. It’s got to somehow be just a little bit dangerous and dark, but also fun at the same time.

Villains Land: The Attractions

Now, as for the attractions themselves. If you are like me, you have probably stared at that intentionally vague concept art probably way longer than we should have been able to. But we can sort of glean from that a couple of different things. We know that this is going to be, as Disney calls it, this “fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be,” without sort of giving us any details.

But if you look at the artwork, and there’s a couple of different sections, there are some not-so-secret clues that there is going to be something that looks a lot like a roller coaster track. And this is where, as you start to put these pieces together and you look at things like the spiky briars around some of the mountains, this is why all signs seem to point really to Maleficent. And this is it. This is going to be the big E-ticket attraction, which I think is really obviously going to be inspired by that Bald Mountain, or even Fire Mountain, concept that Disney was working on back in the late nineties, even early two thousands, for Fantasyland. Although there were also some rumors of it possibly going into Adventureland, but I think Fantasyland was really going to be where this mountain was going to be.

I won’t get too far into it. I think I talked about this in much more detail back on show 632, where we discussed some unrealized Walt Disney World attractions of the Disney Decade. It was actually a two-parter. Part one was 632, second part was 633. But like I said, I’ve sort of planted my flag that this is going to be a Maleficent-themed coaster. I just think the concept art very clearly tells that story.

But I think I also have to address what I’ve been seeing and getting asked about a lot as we are getting closer to D23. There are some rumors and reporting going on online that what was originally planned for Villains Land has been completely reimagined, and really flipped on its head, even in terms of the concept art. And forget what you’ve seen already. This is not going to be this dark Maleficent coaster. Instead, it’s going to be something that’s a lot more family-friendly, like a Slinky Dog Dash, with lower height requirements, and a lot more brighter. And it’s not going to be Maleficent at all. It’s going to be The Emperor’s New Groove, and it’s going to be Yzma and Kronk taking you down into the lab.

I don’t foresee that. If anything, maybe it is an addition to the land as opposed to a replacement for this attraction and look and feel and overall vibe of what Villains Land, or at least a section of Villains Land, is probably going to be.

There have also been rumors of different dining options, a possible third attraction, a Hades dinner show, a prix fixe restaurant with Pain and Panic, a lot of other villains walking around. It makes me think back to some of the early ideas and concepts for almost like an Adventurers Club type dining experience that was planned for Tomorrowland, where, I still call the Tomorrowland noodle station the Tomorrowland Terrace, was supposed to be. That’s why there is that dome on top of that building, because it was supposed to be the Explorers Club. Again, I’ve talked about this on past shows as well.

But these are the details, these are the gaps we are going to get. And while these may or may not be accurate, or however close to accurate, what we may be seeing, and maybe what is sort of fueling some of these rumors, is that maybe Disney wants to make sure people understand that Villains Land is going to be this fun, very family-friendly place as well. So maybe you have the E-ticket Maleficent roller coaster, maybe you have something that is a little more accessible and family-friendly. Maybe it is an Adventurous New Groove. Maybe it’s some sort of water ride, or a boat ride, or whatever it might be.

This is part of the fun of the mystery. Because all we know is that Disney said there’s two attractions, dining, and shopping. Everything past that is pure speculation and part of the rumor mill. And I think this is it, this is part of the fun. Like watching to see how much of what we think, or know, or speculate actually turns out to be real.

So I would expect concept art, maybe a pre-viz ride-through of some of the areas, and certainly in the Imagineering booth I would have to expect we’re going to see a model, a piece of a model, more detail. I think that is going to be the theme, not just of Villains Land, but as I said at the beginning, the overall D23 as a whole. This is going to make some of those blurry images, literal and sort of metaphorical blurry images of what we sort of know is coming, a lot more clear, and filled in with a lot more very, very exciting details.

Frontierland and Piston Peak

And to that point, and really in the same vein, let’s cross over to Frontierland and Piston Peak, the Cars land area that is replacing Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America.

I understand losing Rivers of America is still a very, very sore subject for a lot of people, and I get it. But here’s what, and I’ve talked about this a lot when this announcement came out and I didn’t want to rehash that, but here’s what’s making me not just comfortable with it, but excited about it. This is not going to be this big, barren, gray parking lot with Cars characters. This is where my trust and confidence, based on what I’ve seen in the past from Imagineering, what they’ve done in other places around the country and around the world, this is going to be a national park. I think it’s going to be a national park first, and then the characters and theming and attractions built onto and into that.

So it is going to be this blend of Radiator Springs and Grizzly Peak, which sort of the first thing it made me think of over at Disney California Adventure, all put within the confines of this beautiful, classic American national park that feels like it belongs in a land called Frontierland. And there’s going to be the rock work, and the waterfalls, we know we want the water element, and the kinetic elements that they bring with the rivers, and the geysers, and mud pits, and mountains.

And I think what we are going to see, again, is this fuller, richer concept art, maybe some pre-viz, those early concept of motion graphics and things that maybe we’ll see from like a guest eye level. If you go back and you see those videos of Walt explaining Pirates of the Caribbean in the early sixties, and how the Imagineers and Walt were showing how they would literally sort of walk through the attraction from a guest’s eye level, I think that’s what we’re going to see. Yes, we’ll get the aerial maps and the big models, but I think when they let us as guests see what we are going to see, the light bulbs are going to turn on for a lot of us, and hopefully allay some of the very understandable fears that I think a lot of people have.

Because I think there needs to be, and Disney understands this, a reassurance to fans that are still nervous. I think they can do that by proving the scale, and the landscaping, and the water, and the views, and the vistas are all really going to be there.

In terms of attractions, we know that the E-ticket rally race is going to be it. I think we’re going to get certainly the name of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see and/or hear Lightning McQueen, and an understanding better of how the ride system works and what it is going to look and feel like. Is it on a track? Do they steer on their own? Is there something that is new and different in this that lets us get the feel of being across rough terrain, as opposed to being on a track like Autopia or Test Track?

And then there’s the mystery of the second attraction, the all-ages attraction. We know almost nothing about it, so I think anything we get, and I think we’re going to get a lot, is going to be a huge bonus. And I think we’ll see and hear from this new original character being built for the queue, which is a park ranger named J. Audubon Woods, which clearly pays homage to Ranger J. Audubon Woodlore, who was the animated park ranger voiced by Bill Thompson in the Humphrey the Bear shorts.

And I think for both of these, for we’ll keep calling it Villains Land for now in case I’m way off base, Villains Land and Piston Peak, I think we’ll also get at least some sort of a ballpark window of when these lands, these attractions, we can put on our timeline and radars.

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Now, we know from Disney that the attraction the entire showcase is themed around is Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, which is set to reopen next year. And I think that theming is a bigger clue than just about the attraction itself. This is clearly not just a small update, and not just adding a Walt Disney figure. I think not only is Disney substantially rebuilding this attraction, but I think it is putting writing on the wall for what else is, or may be, coming to Tomorrowland as a whole.

Our first look at the new Walt Disney animatronic really is the headline. Although we’ve seen this technology in action over in Disneyland in Walt Disney: A Magical Life for the park’s seventieth anniversary. And what I think about the animatronic specifically, because I think this matters here: look, I’ve seen it in person. I think the technology is very, very impressive. But as we know, a lot of people didn’t necessarily feel that instant jolt of “oh my gosh, that is Walt.” I would not be surprised if there were some possible improvements to the animatronic. I think a lot of people will be watching for that. I am very, very happy with what we see in Disneyland, and if that’s the version that we get, I’m very happy with that as well.

We know that the timeline is getting completely reshuffled, so it’s no longer the old turn-of-the-century through present day. It’s now the family starting in 1969 during the moon landing, moving to the eighties at Halloween (I’ve lived through it, I can’t wait), a Y2K New Year’s Eve, and that far-future finale that is not on Earth, but is off planet.

And I think that off-planet ending, again, I’ve talked about this on the show and the live conversations before, I think the off-planet ending is genius, because it solves the problem that this attraction has always had. The quote-unquote “future” scene becomes outdated almost the second that the attraction opens. You cannot outdate “we live on another planet now,” because I’m sure I’m not going to be alive for the times that we live on another planet. But what stays is the important stuff, the stuff that we love, the sense of nostalgia. It’s the family, it’s Rover, it’s Uncle Orville, it’s the great big beautiful tomorrow. And I hope, and I pray, and I believe that Orville is still going to gripe about no privacy at all around this place.

What I do expect to see more of, and really where I’m excited, is not just the concept art, but letting us see some of the props and costumes from the new scenes, maybe a hint at the animatronics, a deeper dive into just what this rebuild is going to be all about. Because people want it and people need it. Because, again, you’re touching and changing something that for a lot of people clearly holds such strong sentiment and nostalgic value to them.

And with every scene being new, there’s such great opportunity here with the new voices. And D23 is the perfect place to roll out maybe who one or more of those voices are going to be. I have to assume it is going to be at least a name that we recognize. And with Neil Patrick Harris hosting, I would not be surprised at all if he does not play some additional role beyond just the host. Is he going to be part of this next iteration of Carousel of Progress? Whether he is a voice, whether he is singing the theme song, we’ll have to wait and see.

Space Mountain and the Future of Tomorrowland

Now, I’ve been saying for years that I believe Tomorrowland has really been the part of Magic Kingdom that is ripe for an update. We clearly are getting it with Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. There have been a lot of rumors, very, very recently, really since the middle of this year, about an update, and not just an update or a repainting of Space Mountain, but a lengthy closure for a full retrack, and new effects, and new trains, and new ride system, and new queue, and new show elements, that could last not just a few months, but a few years, going into 2029. Getting a similar type of refresh, which is not doing what would happen justice, that’s happening overseas.

So people are saying everything from, Space Mountain is going to get the Big Thunder Mountain treatment, which is the new track with the same layout but smoother, better effects, much better reliability, on the opposite end of the ambition spectrum, we’re talking about a modified layout, new coaster technology. Are we going to get the side-by-side seating like in Disneyland? The new starfield effects, new sound system, et cetera.

I have to believe that the exterior mountain is most certainly going to stay the way it is. It is so incredibly iconic, and it was so visionary at the time. Again, the support beams for that structure are on the outside, right? I love seeing that skeleton sort of on the outside of Space Mountain. I don’t think we are going to get the same type of update, and really complete gutting of the attraction building, that is going on over in Tokyo, which would mean demolishing Space Mountain entirely for a from-scratch rebuild.

But what an updated, smoother, more reliable Space Mountain does, and I think there’s, from a business perspective, there’s a lot of justification for it. What does it do? It drives demand for Lightning Lanes. It becomes more reliable. It also gets the park ready for the crowds that Piston Peak and Villains Land are going to bring. It spreads those crowds out. And maybe, just maybe, an update to Space Mountain that is going to run not necessarily in parallel to, but maybe in succession of, an update to Carousel of Progress, could start tying this land in together a little bit better. And suddenly Tomorrowland has this one cohesive story again, as it did back in the nineties.

If you walk through Tomorrowland, if you listen to my Tomorrowland audio guide, which I promise I’m getting up on my audio guide podcast, I have been re-releasing my audio tours completely free as a podcast. You can find it in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. I think I have like three more that I’m going to update and put in there, including but not limited to Tomorrowland. But I do explain what that cohesive story used to be.

And I’m curious to see what, if anything, Disney announces as part of this vision for Tomorrowland. Does this happen on the D23 stage? Does this happen afterwards as sort of a refurbishment date, the same way that Big Thunder Mountain did? Or is this part of what I have been expecting, and again, like I keep saying, if I say it every year, eventually I’ll be right, is this part of a bigger picture and vision of Tomorrowland?

Because maybe Carousel and Space Mountain are not the end of what’s happening there. Because if Space Mountain closes in this sort of a major way, the PeopleMover has to close with it, which now gives you the opportunity to update the PeopleMover as well. Now you can update the show scenes. What do you do with the Progress City model? Do you expand it? Do you change it? Do you add different effects, new vehicles, a lighting package at night?

I think, with every challenge there is great opportunity. So if you step back and look at Tomorrowland now as this whole neighborhood: Buzz Lightyear just got refreshed, Carousel is being transformed, Space Mountain, PeopleMover, TRON is basically brand new. Disney has quietly been reworking most of Tomorrowland without ever calling it a full overhaul.

And I think there’s something that is also very vulnerable that people really are not talking about, and that is that once Monstropolis opens over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with its own monster theater show (I’m getting there, I promise), the Laugh Floor now gets a lot easier and more justifiable to replace, because it’s the lowest-hanging fruit in that land. And you’ve got this old Stitch space, which is basically sitting empty. And the Speedway takes up a lot of real estate.

Disney might not be announcing this sweeping Tomorrowland overhaul in the middle of August in 2026, but all of these things, again, as you start to piece them together and look from a thirty-thousand-foot view, is hard to ignore that this Tomorrowland transformation is absolutely happening. Whether it gets announced at this year’s D23 or one in the future, I think clearly we see a very different future for Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom Quick Notes

A couple of the quick Magic Kingdom notes slash predictions slash rumors.

One is about this mystery building going in next to the Haunted Mansion. From what I understand, it’s around four thousand or so square feet. That is not a small space. Rumors and questions have gone to everything from a Haunted Mansion parlor, as we’ve seen on the Disney Treasure and Destiny, to Haunted Mansion-themed restrooms, and everything in between. Is it going to be a restaurant? Is it going to be a lounge? I know nothing.

I can certainly make an argument for having a land-based version of a Haunted Mansion Parlor there. I can also make an argument against having it there. Hi, I’m a recovering attorney. Because, do you want to put something there that is such a huge attractor for a Disney cruise? The Haunted Mansion Parlor in and of itself is such a popular, and I’ve said this in the past and I still believe it, it is arguably, although San Francisco Street is really, really up there as well, one of the best storytelling and themed environment spaces that Imagineering has ever done. So yes, it makes sense for it to go there. But I also don’t want everything everywhere. I like having things and a reason to go. I want to go on a Disney cruise so I can experience the Haunted Mansion Parlor.

Does this bigger footprint give you more opportunity for more space? Possibly. Food? Absolutely. Is this maybe just a bigger portion of the queue? It could be that too. I think there’s more to the story. I have no idea or insight, but I’m very, very curious as a Haunted Mansion fan.

And just before we leave Magic Kingdom, I just seem to have this feeling that the entertainment in Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World, whether it’s this year’s D23 or just comes at another time, might be ready for an addition, an update, a refresh, a new angle, whatever you want to call it. Festival of Fantasy debuted back in 2014, which is crazy. The castle stage show is about a decade old, which I think is a little bit past sort of that usual replacement or refresh cycle. This would be the perfect time and place to reveal maybe a new daytime parade, maybe a new castle show. Those of you who are screaming “Dreamlights,” I hear you, I hear you, I see you, I feel you. I don’t necessarily think that’s going to happen, just because of the time it takes and that changeover period of installing those lights. But is there a new parade? Is there a new cavalcade? We shall see.

EPCOT

In the meantime, let’s move over to EPCOT Center, because I think a lot of people think that EPCOT is the real story this year. Why? Because there’s nothing going on in EPCOT. And I mean that in terms of construction. Test Track refresh is done. The big central transformation is basically wrapped up, although I know some people wished and wanted for more.

But does that quiet make EPCOT the literal single strongest, quietest candidate for a genuine surprise? Is this where we’re going to get the surprise that maybe nobody is thinking about? Or is it the one that everyone, I’m raising my hand, has been talking about for years? Because I think the overhaul of EPCOT that started a number of years ago isn’t over. It might just be getting started.

Figment and the Imagination Pavilion

And I have one word for you, and that word, his name, is of course Figment. And the crowd goes wild. Or mild, because we haven’t heard anything that we’ve been wishing for and hoping for and predicting year over year over year.

Look, the attraction, especially in its current state, doesn’t come close to reflecting just how beloved that little purple dragon still is, generational. And every single year we predict a new Journey Into Imagination. Every time something closes or something changes, or there’s, we think this is it, and then every year we get our little purple hearts broken.

So why do I think this might actually be the year? Because if you look at the stack of evidence, I think this time it’s real. And once again, I know nothing. But even discounting the internet rumors of what a potential new concept might be, what we actually see is that Figment keeps showing up in a lot of places. In behind-the-scenes Imagineering videos. Obviously this huge surge in Figment and Dreamfinder merchandise. There was this new “How Not to Draw Figment” short narrated by Neil Patrick Harris (question mark), who’s now hosting the entire showcase. Figment is featured prominently on the official Horizons pin.

And I think the one that moved the needle for me most is that on his very first earnings call as CEO, Josh D’Amaro, who we know and love, answered two Imagination pavilion questions, which we have to believe are probably screened a little bit in advance. That is not an accident. And I think if you also add in EPCOT’s genuine need for a high-capacity attraction on that side of the park to pull crowds over there, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and there’s a lot of wonderful purple smoke.

But here’s a potential twist. What if it’s not, I don’t want to say just, what if it’s not just an update to Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Dreamfinder? What if, instead of Journey Into Imagination, it’s Journey Into Imagineering? Again, look at the connections we’re seeing, with Figment working for or with Imagineering on the videos.

What if this pavilion is now a celebration of Imagineering itself? Look at what has happened, again, step back over the last number of years, of how we as guests have been treated to so many peeks behind the Imagineering curtain, both in terms of content Disney has put out, by inviting creators, myself included, who have been incredibly honored and privileged to go into Imagineering and share those stories with readers and listeners and viewers. Access to Imagineers, not just on the small screen, but in person, at events where Disney is showcasing not just the technology, not just the process, not just the past, present, and potential future, but the people behind Imagineering.

And look at what you have in that venue. You have this Magic Eye Theater, where you can put different versions of these types of experiences in that theater. You have that entire post-show area. Imagine something like the Imagineering labs that we have on Disney Cruise Line, really meant for younger guests, but something that will appeal to guests of all ages, from kids to teens to tweens to adults and beyond. Imagine being able to have this literal and figurative play area where we can go in and learn about Imagineering from Imagineering.

What if Disney brought, well, for the first time in Walt Disney World, but brought back what they did over at Disney California Adventure with the Blue Sky Cellar? Look, we’re seeing not just Disney letting us not just look behind the velvet rope, but walk behind the velvet rope in terms of experiential types of things. But even in merchandise and stuff that is coming out, Walt Disney Imagineering is not sort of the secret thing that is this mysterious place. It’s now becoming a brand that we can look at, walk into, ask questions. And by giving them this pavilion, this playground to showcase what they do, while still keeping Figment as the heart and soul of it, it plays right into that “how do they do that” content that Disney is already putting out.

Now, the dream, of course, no pun intended, is that they bring back Dreamfinder as the host, possibly reimagined. I don’t care if he’s a real person, an animatronic, a projection. But Dreamfinder and Figment together again, we, I will speak for everyone in the Honda Center and on planet Earth, would lose our collective marbles. And again, Neil Patrick Harris, I just believe, whether you are in Carousel of Progress or you’re the new Dreamfinder, is that why he is hosting? Probably not, but who knows? I just don’t think it is an accident that he is the host of this presentation on the biggest literal and figurative stage at D23. Again, I’m probably way, way off, but it is part of the fun of dreaming and speculating, and even being very wrong on predictions.

And one last thing for this pavilion. If there was a way that we could meet Figment. I loved the old Dreamfinder walk-around holding Figment in his arms. We’ve also had the very tall Figment meet and greet. Being able to have that interaction and connection with Figment himself would melt the internet’s hearts.

The Holotile Floor and Lanny Smoot

And just quickly, going back, speaking of Imagineering and pulling back the curtain on how they do what seems and feels and looks impossible. I keep coming back to, and we’ve seen the videos, we’ve heard the interviews, I’ve had him on the show before, there’s a piece of technology that was jaw-dropping, whether you saw it in person, whether you saw it on a video, whether you saw it at the last D23. And I keep coming back to Disney wanting to show off the practical uses of the Holotile floor.

If you haven’t seen it or heard about it before, it is the invention of Lanny Smoot, who is not just an Imagineer. He is really Disney’s most prolific inventor, with more than one hundred different patents to his name. I met Lanny at Imagineering when I had the incredible privilege of being able to be invited there and see the Holotile floor in person. I actually had him on the show back on show 767. It is a fascinating listen, not because of me, but because of Lanny, called “Inventing the Impossible with Imagineer Lanny Smoot.”

And just to give you a sense of some of the things that Lanny has created. He is the mind behind the floating head of Madame Leota in the Haunted Mansion, the real igniting lightsaber that Rey wielded in the Galaxy’s Edge videos, elements of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, EPCOT’s Journey of Water. And in 2024, he became the very first Imagineer to ever be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and only the second person in Disney history to earn that honor. And the first was Walt Disney.

And the Holotile floor really is his masterpiece. It’s his magnum opus. It is this floor made of hundreds of tiny little spinning discs, and what Disney calls the first multi-person, omnidirectional, expandable treadmill floor, which basically means you can walk on it in any direction forever and never actually go anywhere, or bump into a person or an object next to you. It can move things around, like telekinesis, or the Force. It can drop right into a stage.

We first saw this back in 2024, and it really looked like this incredible glimpse into the future. And again, this is not about me, but just to sort of convey, again, and it only happened because of you, and you listening, and your support and friendship, that I was invited to Walt Disney Imagineering a couple years ago, and to see it work up close, and hold one of those tiles in my hand, and talk to Lanny, and you understand why “Inventing the Impossible” is the right name for that interview back on 767. Because if you’re a Star Trek: The Next Generation nerd, the holodeck, it’s coming. Between the Holotile floor and the visual screen technology that Imagineering has and is already using, not just for R&D, research and development, but in the movies itself, it all makes perfect sense.

So I bring it up here because I think this entire Imagineering, and really the entire evening at the Honda Center, is being framed around Imagineering pulling back the curtain. And I think the Holotile is exactly that kind of “you have to see it to believe it” technology that Disney loves to tease on that stage. It might not be for a specific attraction, but if there was ever room and an opportunity to show the world what this floor can do, and maybe in a way that we haven’t seen before, a showcase entitled Horizons, is it.

Spaceship Earth

And no matter what happens with or without the Imagination or Imagineering pavilion, I don’t think this is all we’re going to hear about from or about EPCOT. Because the other giant Alucobond golf ball in the room is Spaceship Earth.

Because if you remember, back at D23 2019, Disney announced a major Spaceship Earth overhaul. New storyline, new scenes, new descent, finally the whole thing. And then the pandemic happened, and budgets got slashed, and the project was very quietly shelved. And it’s been sitting on that shelf, maybe moved around to different shelves, ever since.

I think the case and the time to revive that now is perfect. The ride system has not changed, it has not been updated at all since that time. I think EPCOT needs an updated high-capacity attraction, and that Omnimover system is perfect for it, right at the front entrance, which is the first thing you ride as soon as you walk in. This could arguably be the single best “reinvest in the classics” candidate in the entire park. Look at what they did with Test Track. You honor what people love about it, you try your best to weave in the emotion of an earlier version, add the modern technology, make it feel current, make it feel something that is accessible without sort of losing the soul of the attraction itself.

Now, do I absolutely think it is a fait accompli that we get some sort of Spaceship Earth announcement at D23 this year? Not at all. And I think part of it is because it is beloved, and again it’s that same, it’s the Carousel problem, it’s the Test Track problem. Any overhaul that removes those cherished scenes becomes controversial. I say it all the time because it’s true: if you want to make Disney fans lose their mind, tell them that you’re changing something. So while there may be a Spaceship Earth update coming, I don’t know if, if at all, we get any of the details.

Now, we’ve seen in the past, some people like it, some people very much don’t, that there are Parks Blog announcements after D23. I will pause for your reaction. But if they did something there, right, if you make this EPCOT announcement where you’ve got maybe Spaceship Earth and/or Figment, and take that sort of big additional swing at EPCOT, and maybe not even give specific timetables, that is what would make this room erupt.

Other EPCOT Thoughts

Other thoughts about what we may, I don’t want to call these predictions, but what we may or may not see or hear specifically about EPCOT Center.

One is World Celebration. It’s lovely and it’s pleasant, but I still feel like there’s something that might be missing. Especially as a local, not necessarily in the middle of August, but as a local in the fall and the winter, it’s lovely, but is it missing sort of a “wow” moment when you first walk in? Maybe. Can Disney give it one? Possibly. Is it a fountain? Is it new lighting? Is it more kinetic energy? Is there some sort of a centerpiece that pulls everything together? It doesn’t have to be a new attraction, it wouldn’t cost a fortune, but it might change that moment, that feel, when you walk into the park.

Also, again, since 2019, the Wonders of Life entire pavilion has been closed to guests for more than seven years. There have been rumors about Imagineers surveying the property, who knows if that is true, who knows if this is something that you reutilize the existing space, do you demolish this and put something brand new right next to the park’s already most popular attraction? I think, and this has been some of the different rumors that we’ve heard, and I’m not sure where I land on either of these. One is that a permanent festival center exists in there, bigger than like a Communicore Hall. I don’t know if that is the best utilization of very, very prime real estate.

The second rumor, which I don’t know is true, but in my little Baymax-lovin’ heart of hearts: if they brought in a Big Hero 6 San Fransokyo experience, which is perfect, because it does tie into Baymax’s healthcare roots, which goes back to the pavilion’s original health and life theme, with a layer of technology and international world culture on top. Sign me up. I think San Fransokyo Street on the Disney Adventure may even be more impressive than the Haunted Mansion Parlor. I won’t fight you on this, but I love it just so, so much.

We have also heard, for years now, rumors of a new EPCOT-area resort. Obviously there are a cluster of deluxe resorts around the World Showcase and International Gateway. But what EPCOT doesn’t have is a hotel with a dedicated entrance near the front of the park. So imagine that gateway resort right there. Think Grand Californian, if you’ve been to some of the parks overseas, you know of some of the Disneyland resorts and MiraCosta. But picture this in your mind’s eye, don’t close your eyes if you’re driving, picture a resort overlooking the park, being able to see fireworks and Spaceship Earth lit up so beautifully at night, with its own entrance. Again, I’m thinking Fantasy Springs in Tokyo. Easy in and out for festival season. runDisney people would be doing cartwheels. And again, the rumor for years is that there have been multiple sites that Disney has been looking at. Who knows if this is true or not. I do think, and I think the numbers bear out, that Walt Disney World does need, and seems to always need, an additional on-property hotel. And I know that resorts aren’t the things that make people jump up out of their chairs, but this could be the one that does it, because it’s a difference-maker about how you can experience EPCOT.

And purely in the interest of being thorough, I don’t know that I necessarily latch on to either. Certainly not the second one, which is the rumor of the Gran Fiesta Tour being reimagined into a Coco boat ride. I get it, it makes sense. I don’t know if now is the time, now is the best time, for that to happen. And two, the Taylor Swift experience. I admit, I am not a Swifty, or a Swifter, or a Swiffer, or whatever it is, with this Captain EO-like immersive concert experience. While the Disney and Taylor Swift collabs have happened, makes sense, I just don’t see a Taylor Swift experience coming to a Disney park, certainly not in EPCOT, where it might make more sense.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Nice segue is over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, although that’s not what I’m predicting either.

Monstropolis

Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the safest bet on the board, I think, is about Monstropolis, and all of the details that we’ve started to already get. I think a much clearer, brighter, fuller picture is going to be painted.

Again, the story is that Human Day is being celebrated, where Monstropolis welcomes us as humans in for the very first time, which is also an acronym for Humans Understand Monsters Are Nice. And Disney, kudos to you, you are so smart, because there is a fictional Monstropolis newspaper online that you could look at, that points to page eight, column fifteen, which, as you know, is 8/15, August 15th, the date of the showcase. And the two headlines that are sitting right there: one is about local restaurants developing menus, and the other is about rehearsals starting at the Glob Theater. Disney is telling us they are going to reveal dining and the show.

What we already know is that the coaster is going to be this door-vault suspended coaster. We’ve seen the track layout, we’ve seen an animation of the vertical lift. I think next we’re going to get a little bit more detail about the story and the show scenes, maybe the name, maybe a ride vehicle, some additional art, and how those cars move between the doors and the worlds.

But boys and girls, the dining here in Monstropolis is going to be an event. It is going to be epic. It is going to be Harryhausen’s, the fancy sushi spot from the movie, which appears to be a full-service restaurant with the facade recreated right from the film. If they capture that same type of energy and have cool animatronics in there, this could be the new toughest reservation to get, not just at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but maybe the hardest themed dining reservation to get in Walt Disney World.

I think next door, PizzeRizzo is going to be a quick-service location. Again, we’ll get that name, hopefully a theme, maybe it’s monster-pizza flavored. Continuing, look, having a pizza location in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is very, very popular for a variety of reasons.

I think the question that will start to get answered is about the Glob Theater itself. What is replacing MuppetVision 3D? Disney has said it’s a new show, so I do not think, nor do I hope, it is going to be a clone or just sort of moving the Laugh Floor over. This is Disney’s opportunity to honor the original by doing something as fresh, and as fun, and as funny, and as bold, and really as timeless, as MuppetVision 3D was the day that those doors first opened. Obviously Glob is a play on the Globe Theater, so there could be some sort of fun, almost semi-educational, monster-like Shakespeare type thing. But I think a new theater show here does a lot of things. For those of us who are sad about Muppets going away, it also goes back to what I was saying earlier: it makes it a whole lot easier to replace the Laugh Floor over at Magic Kingdom.

Galaxy’s Edge

Couple of other quick notes over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I think focus on Galaxy’s Edge. There have been rumors, which I think are very easy and make sense, that some of the Disneyland changes will be coming to Walt Disney World. Original trilogy walk-around characters: Luke, Leia, Vader. The John Williams music, which needs to be added as background music, instead of just the in-world sound. It’s easy, man. That is a layup, and absolutely should happen.

There’s also been rumors, and I think, you know, the hard thing about rumors is you don’t know how much are actual rumors and others are just wishful thinking, is, again, dining related. Because there have been rumors, really since the original plans for Galaxy’s Edge were first revealed, that the planned full-service table restaurant, which at the time was known as the Calicori Club, this sort of underworld speakeasy, might actually finally be happening. Which would also satisfy those of us who miss the Galactic Starcruiser and having that sort of evening-type entertainment show, table-service experience with live performances. It could work well both at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well as over in Disneyland. And let’s be honest, a table-service restaurant themed after Star Wars in Galaxy’s Edge just makes sense, for all the reasons that don’t need to be enumerated here.

There’s also been rumors of a third attraction. I don’t think, if it’s coming, I don’t think it’s coming at this year’s D23. Yes, do I think the room for one exists? Do I think that it’s coming now? Probably not.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

And over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we know that Tropical Americas is targeted for 2027, so it makes sense that we’re going to see a lot of what is really coming, including more than just concept art. I think we’ll get details, I think we’ll get some models, I think we’ll start to get some attraction names.

Encanto and Indiana Jones

I’m very excited about the Encanto ride, because this is an original dark ride, which is something that Disney hasn’t done for one of its animated films in a really long time. And that show building looks enormous. So getting to see what that ride system is going to look and feel like, what’s the name, what are the animatronics going to look like, what’s the color palette going to look like, what are some of those scenes beyond the finale that we’ve already seen going to feel like, and is this going to be an original story, or is it going to be us going through the film itself?

Then there’s the Indiana Jones ride, the one I’m very excited for, replacing Dinosaur, which my son is very not excited for. I think Disney is really going to make it clear that this is going to be a brand new story. This is not going to be Disneyland’s classic. I don’t think it’s going to be one based on any of the films. Please, not Dial of Destiny. So I think we’re going to get the name, I think we’ll get a little bit of a showcase of just what some of those differentiators are going to be, and maybe even what that storyline is going to be. We’ve got this Mayan temple. What is this attraction going to look and feel like? And what is going to be surrounding these attractions as well? And by that I mean dining experiences.

Expedition Everest and a Nighttime Show

Of course, there is the year-over-year rumor that this is the year. Not necessarily that Figment is coming back, but this is the year that Expedition Everest fixes the Yeti. Are there potential indicators? Yeah, there’s a lot of investment being poured into the parks. And in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Joe Rohde may or may not be consulting with Disney again. And with the Tropical Americas opening, it does now have, I think, like I originally thought when Pandora opened that would have been the right time, but now with having Pandora and Tropical Americas open, I think it does sort of afford the opportunity to close such a popular attraction for what is going to be an extensive refurbishment, in order to get inside that mountain and fix that poor, very stiff Yeti.

But what I do think is more likely for this year’s event at D23 is going to be, I think, one of the biggest complaints that people have about Disney’s Animal Kingdom, having experienced it a few different times over the years since the park first opened, is expanding the hours into the nighttime. And I think a nighttime show is exactly what this park wants, I think it’s what the guests want, and I think it’s potentially what this park needs. Some sort of drone-based show at the old Rivers of Light amphitheater, I think, just ticks a lot of boxes.

Walt Disney World has no permanent drone shows. The ones that we have had in the past have been wildly popular. We see them happening overseas. And this venue has been sitting empty for a long, long time. Obviously you can’t have fireworks around the animals. Tropical Americas, I think, is going to justify keeping the park open later. I think this is an easy, huge guest-satisfier, and a big, big, big home run.

Disney Parks Around the World

But wait, there’s more. Because obviously we need to touch on the other Disney parks around the world. I think there’s a lot of action happening and about to happen.

Disney California Adventure

Over in California, at Disney California Adventure, Avengers Campus. Stark Flight Lab and Avengers Infinity Defense are well underway. Again, I think we’ll get the opening window, possibly fingers crossed for late 2027, just in time for the opening of the Avengers: Secret Wars film. And I think any and all details we get for this are going to be monstrous crowd-pleasers. We are all excited, I’m speaking for myself and everyone else who’s excited for Avengers: Doomsday, and Robert Downey Jr., who’s not just obviously tied to Doomsday, but has been tied to these projects as well. I think we’re going to get a lot more detail, as we have with the others, whether it is on screen, or in terms of models, and maybe some of the technology that’s going to be leveraged in this.

We’ll learn more about the Coco boat ride going in behind Incredicoaster on a relatively small footprint, so I’m curious to see how the space, and the turntables, and the levels with this two-story layout are going to look and feel, and what this skeletal cast is going to look like and feel like.

And then, of course, there is the giant big blue Na’vi in the room. And this is the one that I think for Disneyland has the biggest question mark tied to it. Because Disney confirmed Pandora: The World of Avatar for California on a 2023 earnings call, and at D23 in 2024 they showed a model and concept art, and that revealed the boat ride, which would go into the Hollywoodland backlot, taking over Monsters Inc. and PhilharMagic. Hyperion Theater would stay. More importantly, it would not be a direct copy of the Pandora over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as Imagineering would take a little bit of a different approach and focus more on the Way of Water, rather than on the first film.

There’s a lot of conversation around the internet water cooler that it’s delayed and/or canceled (question mark), because the Monsters Inc. ride closure got pushed from early 2026 to 2027, which you can interpret however you like. But I think there’s just a lot of question marks and dominoes that have to fall before Avatar can be built. There needs to be a new transportation hub, and that hub can’t open until a cast member parking lot closes, which happened just a couple of weeks ago. So I think there’s a long line of construction, which might realistically push the opening date back by a few years.

So I think the talk of cancellation is really fan speculation. And it also might be fueled by fan reception. Like, is Avatar the thing that needs to go into Disneyland? Whether you are an Avatar fan or not, whether you’re looking at the Avatar box office as the barometer, Disney has not backed off on this at all. They have given no indication that anything is changing in terms of the Avatar presence across the Disney parks. Again, a lot also is up in the air about Disneyland Forward and what that is going to look and feel like. I think we’ll get more about that on August 15th as well. But I think that, no matter what, it has to at least be acknowledged and give us as guests and fans some indicator of what, if anything, is or may not be happening with Avatar.

And as with anything we’re talking about this week, I want to hear your opinion on any or all of it. But specifically curious about this: whether you are an Avatar or Disneyland fan, would you like to see Avatar come to Disneyland? And if not, what would you like to have come in its place? Again, I’ll share more about this at the end, but if you’re thinking about this right now and want to pull over the car or stop what you’re doing, you can call the voicemail at 407-900-9391, that’s 407-900-WDW1. I’ll play it on the air. I’ll also post this question and this entire conversation over in the Clubhouse at WDWRadio.com/Clubhouse.

Couple other quick Disneyland question marks. Again, also happens to be at Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, there have been rumors for a year that this is going to get its own version of a refresh, an update, starting with maybe, not limited to, a Buzz Lightyear update that’s going to match the one that Magic Kingdom’s got, that has been very, very well received. Will we get some sort of announcement about a permanent use for the old Launch Bay building? And I don’t know which rumor, or which guest desire, is going to go on longer. Is it Figment in EPCOT, or a restored or changed PeopleMover over in Tomorrowland in Disneyland? Even if the old track and bones don’t support it, again, if you want people to laugh and cry, in a good way, and cheer, just say the words “PeopleMover” at some point, or multiple points, in that building on the night of the showcase.

Disney Cruise Line

And of course, let’s take a quick trip around the world, on land and at sea. On the Disney Cruise Line side, we know that the Disney Believe is coming in 2027, and I think we’re going to get multiple meaningful reveals. I think we’re going to get things like the bow and stern characters, and concept art of what that grand hall and atrium is going to look like. What is that statue going to be? What are the stage shows and entertainment options going to look like? Are we going to get another Haunted Mansion Parlor, or are we going to get something different? What are the lounges going to be themed about? What is going to be the overall theme of the ship itself?

And looking even farther ahead, we know that there’s a new class of ships coming beyond 2027. This is an opportunity here to take a big swing and tease, what are these ships going to look like? So give us sort of an overall look. We know that they’re not going to be the same size as the Wish-class ships. Is there going to be a new destination? Is there going to be a new private island? The fleet is expanding very, very fast, and we see, really I think, with what Disney started, the entire cruise industry is really racing towards these exclusive, company-owned private destinations. There’s a great opportunity here, I think, for Disney to build up additional excitement for what is coming in the short- and long-term future.

Disneyland Paris

Over in Disneyland Paris, they just reinvented an entire park there, so I think there’s a lot that we are going to see for Disney Adventure World. I think the Lion King land is going to get a lot of real coverage, and more importantly, real details about this huge log flume ride. Again, maybe a pre-visualization ride-through, some concept art, maybe some animatronics instead of just models, and maybe a little bit about the storyline as well.

And we know that Disney Adventure World is not done. We know that there is another land coming. So is it going to be the aforementioned Avatar? I think more likely it could be something like Zootopia, which is incredible at Shanghai. Or is it something else entirely? Is it Moana? Is this where a San Fransokyo goes? There’s also a big thirty-fifth anniversary coming up, so I think there’s an opportunity to make some pretty substantial announcements for Disneyland Paris.

The Asia Parks

In the Asia parks, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

Shanghai has a Spider-Man land, yay, with a coaster that is finished. The track is done, we see a giant spider-bot on site, so I think we’re going to start to see ride vehicles, and queue art, and maybe even an opening window. And I think this resort is also in a time of bigger and grander expansion. We know that the Enchanted Star Hotel was announced during the tenth anniversary just a few months ago. That is going to open either late this year, probably early the next. But there have been rumors, really for years, of a second gate. There has been supposedly rumored and leaked artwork, none of which I’ve actually seen. But look, a second gate in Shanghai Disneyland makes absolute sense, and D23 is the time and the place to announce it.

Now, if you listen carefully, I said D23 is a time and place to announce it. I did not say this year’s D23, the Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California. Because Disney has confirmed D23 Asia, the Ultimate Disney Fan Event, coming to Singapore in 2027, which is the first time ever in Southeast Asia. In the past, D23 has held events in Japan in 2013, 2015, and 2018. This one is building on the expansion of those types of events that included Brazil in 2024. We don’t know anything about dates or details, but again, it’s going to be that same type of three days of showcases, and sneak peeks, et cetera.

This is the kind of thing that makes me think they would hold this kind of announcement, and some of the others for Shanghai, for this. Because D23 here in Anaheim is obviously primarily geared towards a domestic American audience, and I think having this brand new Asia-Pacific stage to make this type of massive announcement is the perfect time and place to do it. Because Disney talks about D23 Asia as about meeting fans where they are. So a major Shanghai announcement lands very differently in front of a Singapore audience than I think it would a Honda Center full of people who are, for the most part, coming from the United States. So if we don’t hear anything about Shanghai, specifically a second gate, making this type of announcement in Singapore in 2027 gives you that ability to sort of own that moment in Asia, for the home audience. And I think it just makes sense as really the more obvious landing spot.

And as far as Hong Kong and Tokyo are concerned. The Marvel expansion in Hong Kong is called Stark Expo, which is an extension of their Tomorrowland, which already has the Iron Man Experience and the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Nano Battle. Their new attraction is a Spider-Man one that was unveiled back in 2024 at D23, that replaced their planned Avengers Quinjet E-ticket attraction that quietly got canceled after not really making any progress over a number of years. I dig the storyline here, where Tony Stark invites Peter Parker, who is the newest Stark Industries intern, to show off some of the new inventions at a Stark Expo event. And we finally get to see one of my favorite villains in a Disney Marvel theme park attraction, which is Doc Ock. But we’re also going to see other Marvel characters like Thor, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, alongside Spider-Man. So it’s really become more of a multi-hero Avengers experience than just a Spider-Man attraction.

Tokyo Disney is a bit of a wild card here. Again, we know about the from-the-ground-up Space Mountain part of their Tomorrowland rebuild. The old one closed in July of 2024, so we’ll likely get some more concept art as well as probably some videos. This attraction is going to open probably in spring 2027. Again, are we starting to see a pattern of these Tomorrowlands getting major overhauls and updates, not just here domestically but across the world? Yes, yes we are. Also, there’s going to be a Wreck-It Ralph attraction, which is an interactive shooting dark ride opening in spring 2027, replacing their Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blaster, which closed in October 2024.

Disneyland Abu Dhabi

And I think the really interesting overseas park information, announcements, reveals, is going to be about Disneyland Abu Dhabi, which was announced last year with local partner Miral, with the plans expected to be finalized by the end of this year. And this could be Disney’s opportunity, I think, to make their first sort of creative reveal, whether it is about a land, an attraction, a central icon, whether it is a castle or not, maybe what, if any, Disney IP they’re going to lean into, what it’s going to look like from an Abu Dhabi cultural perspective. But I think we’re going to get something about Abu Dhabi, because showing that progress is continuing to be made, when there’s not anything that we can see visually online, I think is going to be really important here.

The Big Patterns

And from a big pattern sort of overlook or overview, I think there’s a couple of things that bear mentioning.

Free-Roaming Robots

I don’t know how, I don’t know where, I don’t know when, I don’t know what they would look like, but one thing that we’re seeing in the parks are robots. We are seeing these free-roaming audio-animatronic figures that have been popping up relatively quickly. So seeing new ones this year, in any or multiple parks, would not surprise me.

Olaf in Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris is remarkable when you see him in person. I think he makes perfect sense to appear in Norway in Walt Disney World. Seeing what that little snowman can do, on land and on a moving boat, free-roaming on a moving boat, was incredible. Imagine that. But picture him, I’m not saying this is coming, but picture a walk-around Figment like that in EPCOT. Think of some monsters that you might be able to see walking around in Monstropolis.

I think we are just seeing the beginning of a trend that began way back when. Thank you, Lucky the Dinosaur. Thank you, Muppet Mobile Labs, for opening up this pathway to these free-roaming animatronic figures. I think we’re going to start to see more of them in current and existing lands, as well as new lands that we’ve talked about that are currently under construction. So I think I look at the free-roaming robots as sort of an overarching theme.

Reinvesting in the Classics

And I think the other, and I think the biggest one of all, is not about a single attraction. We keep hearing this and seeing this over and over again. It’s about reinvesting in the classics. Look at what has happened very, very successfully recently: Big Thunder Mountain, Country Bear, Buzz Lightyear, Test Track, Millennium Falcon, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Carousel of Progress, the Magic of Disney Animation (don’t even get me started about how much I love what is happening there). The next wave seems to be Space Mountain, Spaceship Earth, the PeopleMover, Journey Into Imagination, Expedition Everest, Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.

Fans, I think this is such a smart strategy. Because from an operational perspective, from Disney’s perspective, it preserves capacity, right? You’re not shutting things down. I think it renews interest in attractions that may have just been there for a long time. It costs much less than building from scratch. But I think, more importantly, Disney understands the feeling that we have as guests. So it honors the history of these attractions that we know and love, and are just sort of our attraction comfort food. But it also prepares them, and us, for the future.

What I’m Not Betting On

And finally, just to keep us grounded, and sort of address the thing that, you know, is being talked about and I get asked about year over year. I am very much not betting on, and I could be wrong, I’m sure I’m wrong about a lot of these things, I do not expect a fifth Walt Disney World theme park to be announced. I don’t expect a brand new land in one of the existing Walt Disney World theme parks to be announced. There’s a lot of things I don’t expect. I don’t expect firm opening dates for a lot of these things that we are talking about, and that’s okay, right? That is not what this event is all about.

So I would not expect a D23 2024-sized fire hose. I would expect this year it’s about Disney proving that it can and will deliver. Names, ride systems, animatronics, the stories, maybe even some general dates that make those promises feel real. And yes, there will be some big headlines. I think there’s going to be a lot of surprises, things I haven’t even, or we probably haven’t even, expected, which is what I love about D23. It’s what I love about this showcase. It’s the unannounced, the un-rumored, if that’s even a word, things.

Do I have more realistic expectations for some things over others? Absolutely. Do I have my own personal wish list for certain things over others? Figment, I’m looking at you, without a doubt. But I think the question isn’t just about what’s the new thing Disney is going to announce. It’s about them sending us home believing that everything that they’ve talked about is not just promised, but funded, and ambitious, and on the way, and getting us excited about those things. That for me is the bar. That’s where anything that we get over that is a bonus, it’s gravy, and I love that, and I’m excited about that.

Because I think what happens year over year at D23 is, we as fans set our wonderfully overly excited expectations, and then when they’re not met, we’re upset or disappointed, when there’s been sort of no indication or promise of that. Listen, I’m a “choose the good” kind of guy, right? I think anything new that we get, any sort of updates we get, is exciting. Remember, there was a time we never got these things. You may be too young to remember, like before D23, before all these things, things just happened. There was no announcements. They’re like, “hey, this attraction is closing in a couple of weeks, and something else is coming, get ready.” So this is a gift, that we get these announcements from Disney, on stage, in person. It is so special to be able to be there and be able to share these things in that room and in the arena. There’s going to be laughter, there’s going to be cheers, there’s going to be cries, and hugs, and high-fives, and I cannot wait to be there and obviously talk more about it after it is all over.

And look, I get it, we all want, and I think we’re going to get, that one surprise. I think we’re going to get that announcement that nobody sees coming. The moment that the lights go down and the music swells up, and something hits the screen, and those of us who are there, or we all just lose our minds all at once, but more importantly together.

What Do You Think?

Now, I want to hear from you. What announcement do you think is most likely? Which one do you want to see? What are you hoping for? What are you dreaming for? What are you expecting? What’s your completely unreasonable swing for the fences? This is the one that I want to happen, prediction. Let me know.

Again, come over to the Clubhouse at WDWRadio.com, we’ll talk about it there in our Facebook group. Come join me this and every Wednesday at 7:30pm Eastern for WDW Radio Live, where we will talk this week before, about D23, about some of our predictions, and certainly after, we will be doing live shows about everything that happened, in addition to podcast recaps. I’ll be recording live at the WDW booth on the show floor after these announcements happen, so we can sort of capture the moments together.

See Me at D23

And as I promised at the top of the show, I am incredibly honored, and privileged, and humbled to have been invited back by Disney onto the show floor, right there at D23, and I would love for you to be part of it with me.

The WDW booth is going to be right at the entrance to Hall D, right across from the Walt Disney Archives booth. And this year we’re doing a few different things at the booth. First, I am bringing the virtual prize wheel to the WDW booth, where every spin wins. Everybody who comes to the WDW booth is going to be able to receive a mystery prize pack that could include Disney, Marvel, Star Wars collectibles, cards, pins, books, backpacks, vintage treasures, and more. Plus you’ll also be entered for a chance to win, maybe more than one, very special grand prize.

We’re also going to be recording live in the booth. I’ll be welcoming some special surprise guests into the booth, sharing some surprises as well. There’s been some things I’ve been working on that I have not revealed as yet, and I’m going to reveal at this year’s D23. And of course, I want the WDW Radio booth to be about you. It is about the people. It is about a place for community to get together, to call a home base, to react to things that are happening on the show floor or in the panels. So if you are going to be there, please come by, spin and win. Everybody who spins wins. So I would love to see, and meet, and chat, and hang out with you there. Let the WDW Radio booth at the entrance to Hall D be your home at D23.

I have more details and a map of our exact location, both on my Instagram as well as in the Clubhouse at WDWRadio.com/Clubhouse. And my Instagram is Instagram.com/LuMongello.

But I understand you might not be able to make it in person to D23 this year. As I have done in years past, I am going to have a live WDW booth cam going all weekend long. This way you can see exactly what is going on, not just in the booth, but on the show floor. More importantly, the booth cam is there because I want you to feel like, not just that you are there with us and a part of D23, but it is a gathering place for you, who might not be able to get together in person, to get together online, to have that real-time conversation with other folks from the community about what we’re seeing, what we’re hearing, what is happening at D23 and on the show floor.

The live stream will be on our WDW Facebook page at Facebook.com/WDWRadio, as well as on our YouTube page at YouTube.com/WDWRadio. To make it easy, just go to D23Live.com, and that will take you to the live feed right on the WDW Radio site.

And that’s it. And I know that was a lot, because there’s going to be a lot, and a lot more, like I said, on the D23 show floor. We didn’t even get to talk about what is happening in the pavilions and in the other panels. But as I said, I also think there’s a lot more that we are going to be treated to and surprised by in the Horizons presentation on Saturday night.

A Birthday Gift for You

But that’s going to do it for this week’s show. If you are in your car, planning a trip of your own, or counting down to D23 right beside me, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for being here. I know that you can spend your time, which is your most valuable commodity, anywhere, and that you chose to spend a little bit of it here with me means more than you know. If this episode got you excited, got you thinking, or just made the wait for D23 a little bit more fun, please do me a favor and share it with somebody who loves this stuff as much as you and I do. Maybe it’s the friend who’s already texting you their own Villains Land theory. That’s how this community and family grows, and how we keep finding one another.

And like I said, I want to hear your predictions. Come join the conversation over in the Clubhouse. Come be part of the live show this Wednesday night, and every Wednesday, on Facebook and YouTube at 7:30pm Eastern. Leave me a message on the voicemail at 407-900-9391, or find me, Lou Mongello, on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, and tell me the one announcement you are praying for, and the one you think is a lock.

And before we go, I have something for you that is a little bit more personal. If you’ve been around me for a long time, you may have heard me say my birthday’s never been a big deal for me. As of the day I’m recording this, August 3rd, my birthday was yesterday, August 2nd. It’s not about me, or the day, or the attention, or the present. It’s not even about the cake, because if you know me, I’m not a sweets guy anyway.

But there is something about birthdays that I’ve always loved, and it came from my dad. Because every year, on his birthday, my dad did the most remarkable thing. He quietly gave gifts to everyone else. And I can still remember walking through Fortunoff at Woodbridge Center Mall in New Jersey, and him buying something for everyone, from the littlest kid to the oldest person at the table. Nobody got left out. It was his birthday, and he spent it by giving, and it gave him the greatest joy in the world.

That has stayed with me my entire life, and honestly, especially after he passed away, it was something that I hope to replicate, and emulate, and really pay forward. And honestly, it’s a big part of why Momentum exists. It’s why I love and want to continue to help others in every way possible.

So this year, on my birthday, I want to do what my dad did. I want to give something to you. So from now through Friday, August 7th at 5pm, I’m giving you the gift of an additional one hundred dollars off the already early-bird discounted price for my Momentum weekend workshop this fall in Walt Disney World. And it’s not just for the workshop ticket. It’s also both your workshop ticket and the optional mastermind seat.

And if you’re not familiar with what Momentum is, it is my intimate, four-day, one-room, fifty-person workshop for creators, and solopreneurs, and entrepreneurs in Walt Disney World, October 15th through the 18th, during the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, with the optional Mastermind day on the 20th. And the goal is not just about giving you more information. It’s about giving you clarity, and helping you make decisions, and building a real plan, and being able to move forward, through me and an incredible lineup of speakers and presentations, and more importantly, interactive workshops.

But there are fewer than 15 seats left. The Mastermind is capped at six people, there’s only, I think, two spots remaining. So if you’ve been waiting for the right time, the right people, and the right push, this is it. Everything you need to know is over at LouMongello.com/Momentum. And like I said, during the birthday offer that runs this week, the extra one hundred dollars off comes off automatically when you register, no extra code is needed. Again, think of this as me, on my birthday, holding the door open for you and inviting you in. And if you have any questions about Momentum, if it’s right for you, shoot me an email, Lou@WDWRadio.com, and I’m happy to help you any way I can.

And when you’re ready to plan that trip, or any trip at all, whether it’s a family vacation, a Disney trip of your own, or to one of our exclusive WDW Radio community adventures, like our VIP experience this October in Disneyland for Oogie Boogie, and our private breakfast in Avengers Campus before the park opens, our group cruise to Alaska aboard the Disney Wonder in 2027, and a number of other things we have going on, you can visit WDWRadio.com/Events, and reach out to our friends over at Mouse Fan Travel. Again, their planning services are completely free, and they take care of every detail, so you can focus on making magic. You can visit them over at MouseFanTravel.com.

Until Next Time

So until next time, until I hopefully see you on the live show this Wednesday, or on the show floor at D23 in just, yikes, about a week or so. Please remember to be kind, choose the good, and be the good. Set an example for others by your words, by your deeds, by your actions, and keep moving forward, just one step at a time. Have an amazing day, and an even better tomorrow. I love and appreciate you. So until next time, see ya.