The D23 fan festival coming to Anaheim in August will officially put a bunch of projects on the calendar over the next few years that have only been teased as tantalizing possibilities over the past few years as part of the recently-approved $1.9 billion DisneylandForward plan.
Disney has earmarked $60 billion for theme park investment and the D23 event will reveal how much of that will be flowing into Anaheim.
Where will Disneyland put a shovel in the ground first? What’s coming in 2025, 2026, 2027 and beyond? When will you be able to fly on a Quinjet?
Those answers and more will be revealed during the sold-out D23 event returning to the Anaheim Convention Center on Aug. 9-11 with exhibits, panels, presentations and shopping tied to all things Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars.
Larger nighttime showcases will take place across town at the Honda Center following daytime events at the convention center.
Here are the 12 biggest projects Disneyland could announce during D23:
1) Avatar-themed land
Disney CEO Bob Iger, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro and Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock have all tied a potential Avatar themed land to the approval of DisneylandForward in recent statements.
The most likely location for a West Coast version of World of Pandora would be in the underused Hollywood Land studio backlot at Disney California Adventure. A themed land based on the $2.3 billion box office blockbuster “Avatar: The Way of Water” could even push out into the esplanade between the two parks without creeping into DisneylandForward expansion space.
The Lightstorm Pavilion at D23 will be of special interest this year to fans looking for a preview of the Avatar themed land coming to the Disneyland resort. The walk-though experience inspired by the alien world of Avatar will let visitors “discover the captivating culture of the Na’vi, explore the Bioluminescent Forest and soar through the mountains like a banshee.”
2) Frozen-themed land
Throughout the DisneylandForward process, the Frozen themed lands at Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea and planned for Disneyland Paris have been the most often-mentioned possibility for Anaheim during the DisneylandForward process.
A carbon copy of one of the Frozen lands could easily fit in the parking lots surrounding the Disneyland Hotel and Pixar Place Hotel in the DisneylandForward Westside expansion area.
The “Bringing the Worlds of Disney Animation to Life in Disney Parks” panel at the convention center looks at several recent projects teased as potential DisneylandForward themed lands — including the new World of Frozen lands.
3) More themed lands
The complete buildout of DisneylandForward will take decades and will likely be tackled one project at a time.
What else could be on tap in the DisneylandForward theme park expansion?
Disney executives have teased another eight potential DisneylandForward projects based on Tangled, Peter Pan, Zootopia, Toy Story, Black Panther, Coco, Encanto and Tron as potential expansion projects in Anaheim.
D’Amaro could put a few other projects in the Disneyland pipeline without offering too many specifics when he hosts the “Disney Experiences Showcase” on Aug. 10 at the Honda Center.
4) Marvel E-ticket attraction
Disney has offered sporadic updates on a Marvel E-Ticket ride since the highly-anticipated attraction was first announced at the D23 Expo in 2019 as part of a planned second phase of Avengers Campus.
Disneyland has already built the proverbial “exit through the gift shop” for the attraction and closed the nearby “Doctor Strange: Mysteries of the Mystic Arts” show that could serve as an extended queue for the ride.
The latest iteration of the E-Ticket dark ride would transport riders aboard a world-jumping spaceship to remote worlds and alternate realities throughout the Marvel multiverse.
5) Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration
Disneyland appears to be gearing up for a 70th anniversary celebration in 2025 to rival the yearlong parties for the 50th and 60th anniversaries that brought new or returning parades, fireworks shows and nighttime spectaculars along with themed decor, food and merchandise.
Disneyland cast members kicked off anniversary preparations with a “Road to the 70th” backstage party on July 17 — the Anaheim theme park’s 69th birthday.
When will the 70th anniversary celebration officially start? How long will it last? What’s the theme?
The D23 event would be the logical moment to unveil plans for Disneyland’s big 7-0 birthday party.
6) Eastside parking garage
Parking garages aren’t sexy and they don’t drive attendance — but they are essential if Disneyland plans to attract a lot more visitors over the next few decades. And you can’t start building a garage after the crowds show up. So that work will have to begin sooner rather than later.
The proposed Eastside parking structure would serve northbound arrivals on the I-5 Freeway with up to three proposed walking bridges across Harbor Boulevard connecting to the theme parks.
The 17,600-space Eastside garage proposed by Disneyland would have a few hundred more parking spaces than the Mickey & Friends and Pixar Pals garages combined.
The massive Eastside parking structure would be one of the largest garages in the world — eclipsing the one-time record-holding Mickey & Friends garage that would be dwarfed by comparison.
7) Eastside hotel
More visitors also means Disneyland will need more beds. Hotels are like parking garages. It’s better to build them in anticipation of demand — rather than in response to it.
A low-rise hotel on the Toy Story surface parking lot was part of the recently approved DisneylandForward plans.
The Disneyland resort’s current hotel mix is missing budget and luxury options.
Walt Disney World has a trio of Value Resort options — Pop Century, All Star and Art of Animation.
A budget hotel would make sense on the Toy Story lot that is currently just outside the mix of Downtown Disney. But that won’t always be the case once retail and restaurants fill in the parking lot and a PeopleMover, Skyway or some other “themed ride system” connects the current Eastside expansion area to the rest of the Disneyland resort.
Disney pulled the plug in 2021 on a 700-room luxury hotel planned for the Westside of Downtown Disney.
8) Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening date
With the finish line in sight, Disneyland has not yet put an opening date on the transformation of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure after more than a year of construction.
So far, Disneyland hasn’t budged from the rather broad opening date of 2024.
The Anaheim park appears to be about three months behind Florida’s Magic Kingdom — which debuted its version of the “Princess and the Frog” themed ride in late June after an extended soft opening.
That means a late September or early October debut could be in the cards for the Disneyland ride following a series of previews for cast members and annual passholders. A September/October opening seems more appealing than a November/December return for a water ride that promises “You will get wet.”
A “fall 2024” opening date would leave some wiggle room for construction and weather delays without narrowing the window too much. A firmer date would mean the ride is ready to go.
Continuing Critter Country construction could complicate the official reopening date for the larger project.
9) Haunted Mansion additions
The Haunted Mansion has returned in holiday mode after being behind construction walls since January — but work continues on the exterior grounds of the attraction.
The extensive renovation of the outdoor queue area is adding a new accessibility elevator for wheelchair users exiting the ride and a new retail shop at the attraction’s exit.
The non-holiday version of the Haunted Mansion won’t return until January — giving the 999 happy haunts plenty of opportunity to do a bit of redecorating inside the classic dark ride.
Will Walt Disney Imagineering “plus up” a scene or two?
10) Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
Disneyland is dropping $5 million on an extended refurbishment of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln that began in April and will continue until at least September.
Disneyland has filed building permits with the city of Anaheim to replace show elements, lighting, audio and show systems on the landmark audio-animatronic attraction in the Main Street Opera House, according to city records.
The city permit also indicates an existing platform will be replaced, a new turntable will be installed and mechanical, electrical and plumbing work will be performed on the attraction.
Could the audio-animatronic show play a starring role in Disneyland’s 70th anniversary? The Disneyland Opera House served as the centerpiece of the park’s 50th anniversary after an extensive makeover.
11) Downtown Disney steakhouse
Will Steakhouse 55 make a comeback in Downtown Disney?
The clubby and pricey restaurant in the Disneyland Hotel met its demise during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Disneyland has announced a new steakhouse and barbecue concept will take over the former Tortilla Jo’s location in Downtown Disney — without revealing a name, operator or opening date for the restaurant.
Will the steakhouse be run by a celebrity chef, a major restaurant group or Disney? Stay tuned at D23.
12) More Downtown Disney news
D23 may not stop at steakhouses when it comes to tempting your taste buds.
Steady progress continues on construction of the Parkside Market food hall that is set to debut before the end of this year.
Porto’s Bakery is also heading to Downtown Disney — as soon as Earl of Sandwich moves out of the former La Brea Bakery and the building is torn down.
The ESPN Zone has been sitting empty since the luxury hotel project was canceled in 2021.
When will Parkside Market open? When will construction begin on Porto’s? What’s happening with the ESPN Zone? And when will the Earl of Sandwich finally get a permanent home?
D23 will have the answers to many of these questions as Disneyland charts its course for the next few years and decades.
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