Thanks to all of you for your responses. Your passion, energy and affection for our parks and resorts is the reason we do what we do so I appreciate your feedback. I know many of you were hoping for announcements regarding new projects from Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, especially at Walt Disney World Resort, so I wanted to take a moment to address those comments.
The projects we’ve already announced represent the largest period of growth ever in Disney Parks’ history. We’re working hard to create new and exciting experiences for our guests around the world and while the timing isn’t always right to announce another big project, we like to use opportunities like the D23 Expo to update fans like you on the great progress we’re making. We have several incredible projects currently in the works and look forward to sharing more information with all of you in the weeks and months ahead, including new details regarding Downtown Disney in Florida.
Greetings from the D23 Expo! Earlier today I shared the Anaheim Convention Center stage with Disneyland President George Kalogridis and some of our senior Imagineers for a behind-the-scenes look at several of the incredible projects currently underway at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. As many of you know, we are in the middle of the largest expansion period in our history so while we didn’t have time to talk about everything, we were able to update some of our biggest fans with the latest news from Walt Disney World, Shanghai Disney Resort, Aulani and Disneyland Resort.
For the D23 members who were able to attend the show, I want to thank you for the incredibly warm welcome that our team received. If you weren’t able to make it, we hope you enjoy the highlights from the presentation posted here on the Disney Parks blog.
Comments
Tom, I too would like you thank you for responding to the comments here. You really deserve credit for that.
I would also like to say that I am very intrigued by the teases you gave concerning the Disneyland Resort.
And I CANNOT WAIT for Cars Land! 😀
I was quite disappointed with the Parks & Resorts presentation. There was an extreme lack of announcements. I understand that Parks & Resorts is currently under a large development (not sure if it’s the “largest” as multiple parks have been built within one year of each other in the past), but that doesn’t mean smaller projects couldn’t have been announced. Magic Kingdom’s entertainment is getting very old, and with increasing number of return visitors, this issue needs to be handled. I wasn’t looking for any big “attraction” announcements, but maybe a new parade? Firework show? Even a Fantasmic! refurb would have been great.
I did enjoy hearing from Joe Rhode, as Aulani looks spectacular. Bob Weiss sharing some details on Shanghai’s Enchanted Storybook Castle was great as well.
Tom, I would also like to thank you for taking the time to respond to the comments on this blog post and for understanding that many of us Disney fan are very passionate about the Walt Disney Company and it’s founder. I know that you are an incredibly busy man and it truely means a lot that these concerns are being heard and responed to by the right people!
That being said, I must also join in asking that if the reopening of the Adventurers Club is not already in the plans for Downtown Disney, then please strongly consider adding it. It would be the latest in the very welcome trend of resurrecting classsic attractions at Walt Disney World that already include “The Main Street Electrical Parade”, “Captain EO” and “Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room”. With references to the Adventurers Club appearing around the world: “Trader Sams” at Disneyland; “Aunty’s Beach House” at the Aluani Resort; “The Society of Explorers and Adventurers” at Tokyo Disney SEA and “Mystic Point” at Hong Kong Disneyland. Please let the next beloved attraction to return to Walt Disney World as a 40th anniversary gift be the Adventurers Club. Kungaloosh!
While I agree with most that I was disapointed by the lack of big announcements, I have to give Tom credit for addressing our concerns. Keep up the good work.
Thank you Tom for listening to our feedback. It is nice to know someone listens and isn’t afraid to respond to criticism. I’m eagerly awaiting the updates to come for WDW.
Tom, thank you very much for addressing our comments. I’m pleased to see you care what the fans think and that you are well aware of our concerns and plan to act on them. I am very impressed you took the time to come here and address what we had to say. I hope you stay truer to your word.
I look forward to a Great, Big, Beautiful Tomorrow at Walt Disney World!
Thanks again.
I’m a Disneyland AP and fan, and I was surprised at how the only new stuff announced is coming to Anaheim. And even the stuff announced for DCA and Disneyland (as neat as it is!) was already leaked previously on the Internet.
I had a total blast at D23 Expo, but I think the planners forgot that big conventions like this absolutely need to be the place and time to announce big new concepts. That’s what people expect of D23 Expo, especially when the top execs take the stage in front of thousands of fans. We’ll look forward to your presentation at 2013 D23 Expo, Mr. Staggs!
Can we have the Adventurer’s Club back, please? and maybe Mannequin’s. But, priority is Adventurer’s Club because that place was AWESOME and UNIQUE.
The support for the Adventurer’s Club is clearly wide and deep. After three years, fans still gather to celebrate this wonderful past Disney experience. I hope that while you gather and plan new attractions, that you will seriously consider reopening this fabulous venue, in some form or fashion. Thank you for all you do.
Thanks for the update Tom and acknowledging our disappointment regarding Pleasure Island. Hopefully an upcoming announcement will be cause for Hooplah! Kungaloosh!
I just wanted to say how impressive it is that you (Tom) came and directly addressed the dissapointment that many of us WDW fans felt concerning lack of news from D23. There is a lot of issues out here on the East Coast and it is good to know that we are not being forgotten. With that being said Kungaloosh.
Mr. Staggs and all the senior Imagineers at the Parks and Resorts presentation, thank you for all that you do! The presenation was very enjoyable, and the updates on(especially New Fantasyland) were great to hear. Many were disappointed afterwards with the lack of new announcements, and I’ll admit I was a little bummed out, but I realized that in the next year, we’d most likely hear some new, wonderful things! So I’m not worried..it’s Disney…they are the best at what they do, and they know exactly what they’re doing!
Again, thank you all working in Imagineering, management, D23, & all of Disney!
Thanks a bunch to Disney!!!
I do NOT expect Disney to announce NEW multi-million dollar expansions EVERY 2 YEARS. That would concern me about the long-term welfare of the company as a whole if that were true.
Thank you again for the great 2011 D23 Expo
Thanks for the update, Tom. The DTD items are already being rumored. Looking forward to the announcements.
…Also, the Walt Disney Studios presentation was phenomenal!!
And everyone, as far as the Parks and Resorts, keep in mind that just because projects have not been announced, doesn’t mean that they aren’t working on new projects.
The Parks and Resorts presentation was not as exciting as the one from 2009. but it was still cool. I was happy to hear that Disneyland’s Plaza Gardens will get a breath of fresh air and some enhancements.
Interesting how people want EPCOT changes. Me, I prefer Future World of old to what there is today. Maybe we can bring back the wonder and awe that attractions like Horizons and original Journey Into Imagination had. Plus, World Showcase has become a glorified international food court.
Pleased with the Magic Kingdom and DCA changes.
I can understand the disappointment, but I feel like some of us tend to ask for too much.
After reading the blog post here about stopping and regrouping on parts of the Hyperion Wharf/PI project, I was really hoping the presentation would contain news on how that was going. When will we hear more? It’s been 3 years now since one of the best attractions on Disney property was closed with promises of wonderful replacements, but the island is still a ghost town.
Looked like a fun time! Where were the Walt Disney World park and resort executives for this part of the presentation? Do they care about D23?
Really? No news concerning Pleasure Island?! No more shops! Can’t you see what the fans have been asking for?!
Dear Disney, I love your parks, I go every year, but yesterday really has me reconsidering. I sincerely hope you take to heart these comments and the lackluster response you got at the parks and resorts presentation. We’re not taking about a few diehard fans(though that catergory should matter to you) we are talking about a huge room filled with dissapointed people that paid a lot to be there. And that’s not even taking into account the hundreds of dissapointed fans that were following online. Here’s hoping you have some tricks up your sleeve for WDW’s 40th or I will remain quite disheartened. I challenge you, suprise us, amaze us, delight us, as I know only you can.
Disappointing. We need expansion at Animal Kingdom and Epcot. Nothing new was announced.
It’s such a waste to have such a prime spot as PI not really in use with no announced plans. It’s basically a walkway inbetween areas. As an avid Disney fan (who made sure she was at PI for a few nights of every visit), it breaks my heart to know places such as the Adventurer’s Club and Comedy Warehouse are no more. They were so beloved. When are we going to hear SOMETHING?
Wasn’t able to attend but, as a retired Central FLorida local, was so much hoping there would be a big announcement (or at least an update) on Pleasure Island/Hyperion Wharf. Was really hoping for the news that Adventurers Club was coming back but almost anything (besides more shopping & dining) would be better than what’s there now.
Dear D23, apparently nothing was learned from 2 years ago. You do not have enough capacity for the sessions, and there is too much overlap. There are more attendees with less to see and smaller venues. Expand session capacity, start & end on time, provide remote viewing areas for sessions, and make all sessions available online for paying D23 Expo attendees to view.
I was there today, spent all days standing in lines and I couldn”t even get in to the Park and Resort presentation. I should have just stay home in Canada and read this blog instead.
I was really disappointed that there were no new announcements. I have never heard of a convention from Comiccon to E3 where they just get on stage and talk about projects that were already announced years ago. They really needed to have at least one surprise new attraction announcement.
Pretty disappointed with the parks & resorts presentation; a lot of what we have already heard two years ago as far as WDW is concerned. Epcot needs updating badly, Studios is still a half day park and Animal Kingdom has so much potential. Magic Kingdom really was great before the expansion and probably needed the work the least when compared to these other parks. We didn’t even get a Pleasure Island/Hyperion Wharf update!
No word at all about what will be done at Pleasure Island? Haven’t you been listening to the Disney fans who want the Adventurers Club and other PI nightclubs reopened?
hmmm i’m just very disapointed with this, I guess there is really nothing to look foward to in epcot, animal kingdom or the studios.
I was a little sad that it wasn’t as much accouterments that i thought it would be but i know that you are working on a TON OF PROJECTS right now so I am ready to hear them very soon but i love what i heard today!!
I’m here!
…and disappointed…
Is Disney really gonna announce nothing for Walt Disney World?
I was really hoping for some news about Animal Kingdom or EPCOT.
I WISH I WAS THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I won’t get there til tomorrow but I read about what you announced and it sounds like exciting and new, but with much-needed respect to Disney’s strong legacy.
And, of course, the usual suspects are complaining about it online already. Hey, that’s how they make their money.
While I’m excited for Shanghai, what’s on the horizon at DCA and Walt Disney World’s Fantasyland, I’m slightly disappointed right now. I was really hoping some of Walt Disney World’s NEEDS would be addressed today by Mr. Staggs.
I’ve been waiting…and nothing has happened. Please-surprise me.
A little anti-climactic after the huge announcements of 2009 but I liked getting the updates of the current projects. Thanks!
Thanks for the great presentations Mr. Staggs.
Needed more Epcot.
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