What Are the Latest Updates from D23 for Disney World?
One of the reasons fans of Disney look forward to the D23 Expo is because they get a sneak peek at the latest updates from Walt Disney World. It’s no surprise that the conference is always well-attended. However, if you weren’t able to make it to the D23 Expo, we have all of the latest updates from Disney World right here.
One of the biggest updates for people who want to take a Disney World trip in the future is that Disney World is planning the largest expansion in years. Splash Mountain, which has long been panned as outdated, is being updated to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and will feature characters from The Princess and the Frog.
Immediately behind the new Bayou Adventure ride will be a new addition to the park. While the Walt Disney World Resort hasn’t spelled out exactly what will be in the new land, they did discuss that the park will include themes from Coco and Encanto and a villains area, with all of your favorite Disney villains in view.
Many people were concerned about how the theme parks in Orlando fared during hurricane season, especially after Hurricane Ian. While some of the resort hotels sustained a little damage, the park fared well overall.
Other Updates from Disney World
Many fans have been wondering when the Tron Lightcycle Ride will be available to ride. Luckily, D23 provided a window of time where fans can look forward to getting on the new lightcycle ride, which should be in the first half of 2023, most likely in the spring.
Disney Springs will also be getting some new shops, restaurants, and clothes. The company debuted a 50th-anniversary tie-dye t-shirt to mark the occasion. Also, since Disney has partnered with National Geographic, the company wanted to mark the occasion.
There’s a new Nat Geo shop with all kinds of merchandise for nature lovers. Hollywood Studios, not to be left out, announced another of the latest updates from Walt Disney World: a new barbecue restaurant and the return of a nighttime show favorite, Fantasmic. Disney is also looking for ways to lower the wait times at its most popular ride at Hollywood Studios, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which has an average wait time of nearly four and a half hours!
One bit of sad news for fans of Disney World to report is that the much-anticipated Play Pavilion at Epcot has been shelved for now. At the D23 Expo in 2019, Disney rolled out a change for the Pavilion at FutureWorld. The Play Pavilion was supposed to be an interactive play center with lots of digital and streaming media.
The artists’ digital rendering showed a location much like Wreck-It Ralph, with multiscreen views and opportunities for VR. The pandemic shelved a lot of Disney projects, and it appears now that the company has decided to replace the old pavilion with something new. The initial project was supposed to be ready in time for Disney World’s 50th anniversary, but the company has been rethinking the whole concept.
For now, the Wonders of Life Pavillion will remain, but Disney is sure to try to redo it soon, since the 40th anniversary of Epcot is this year. Usually, Disney redoes the entrances to the parks and other areas throughout the park as part of the anniversary redo, but there is no word yet on when a refurbishing will occur.
It appears Disney may have even more surprises as the year progresses, and we can’t wait to see what the company comes up with for the next D23 Expo in September.
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