Destination D23: LIVE Blog Updates on Future Experiences Coming to Disney Parks Around the World

New details on exciting Disney Parks experiences were announced during today’s Destination D23 event and we shared LIVE updates right here on the Disney Parks Blog! 

Thank you for watching our special weekend LIVE coverage of Destination D23 from Walt Disney World Resort. Keep checking the Disney Park Blog for the latest on all of the stories shared today and more!

And to wrap his presentation, Josh celebrated with a variety of updates on fan-favorite experiences and offerings from Disney parks and cruise ships around the world, including:

• Character dining is serving up fun again at Chef Mickey’s and other dining locations.
• The iconic Dapper Dans Barbershop Quartet is back with their merry melodies. 
• Guests are once again enjoying Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park. 
• The Mariachi Divas have also made their return to Disneyland Resort. 
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is now open at the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT!
• Also at EPCOT, the Taiko Drummers are back in action and Friendship Boats are sailing again. 
• Beignets have returned to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, along with refillable cups.
• “Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage” has returned and it’s as enchanting as ever!
• Halloween was hit at Disneyland Resort with the return of Oogie Boogie Bash! 
• At Hong Kong Disneyland, “Follow Your Dreams” has returned to the castle stage. 
• Couples are saying “I do” at Disney again with the comeback of Disney Fairy Tale Weddings.
• Holiday foods are back, including the frozen salted caramel hot chocolate at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Christmas Cookie Sundaes at Magic Kingdom Park, Peppermint Cheesecake Mousse at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing at EPCOT.
• And yes – Churros are also back! 
• We’re getting the ball rolling at Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular as it returns in December.
• During the celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort, the Electrical Water Pageant is lighting up the night.
•  “A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King” is a must-see at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. 
• Miniature golf is back at Winter Summerland Golf at the Walt Disney World Resort.
• The holiday gingerbread houses have returned to the hotel lobbies at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Epcot’s American Adventure Rotunda!  
• Avengers Assemble! Avengers Campus officially opened this year at the Disneyland Resort.
• The beloved “Candlelight Processional” is back at Disneyland Resort and EPCOT. 
• Holiday cheer has arrived at Disneyland Paris with Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade.
• It’s time to get your lanyards ready – Disney pin trading has returned!
• At Princess Fairy Tale Hall – Princess Tiana is back!
• And around the world, our spectaculars are lighting up the sky again … including “Illuminate! A Nighttime Celebration,” at Shanghai Disneyland.  

Disney Imagineers are working on bringing characters – of all sizes – to life in authentic ways at Disney Parks and right now they’re developing a full-body exoskeleton system they’ve nicknamed “Project EXO.”  It’s still in early concept development and Josh and team shared a glimpse at what the future of Disney Parks may look like!

Also, “World of Color” and “Fantasmic!” are returning to the Disneyland Resort next year, along with the “Main Street Electrical Parade,” which will return in time to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

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BREAKING: The next-generation MagicBand+ wearable technology and “Hey, Disney!” voice assistant, recently announced for Walt Disney World Resort, will be coming to Disneyland Resort in 2022! 

This will mark the first time MagicBand+ will be available at Disneyland Resort to enhance the guest experience with hands-free convenience as it unlocks unique moments of magic for Disneyland Resort guests. Some of the features of MagicBand+ will vary between Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and we’ll share details in the months ahead.  The “Hey, Disney!” voice assistant will work alongside Alexa on Amazon Echo devices and also will begin rolling out to guest rooms across the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort.   

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At Disneyland Resort, the next evolution of Downtown Disney District is being planned with work starting in January 2022. The multi-year project to reimagine Downtown Disney District will include an even broader collection of shopping, dining and entertainment experiences. More details are coming in 2022! 

Josh just shared a new image showing exciting progress being made for the much-anticipated TRON attraction coming to Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort 

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort will take you to a galaxy far, far away for an immersive vacation experience that goes beyond anything Disney has ever created before, inviting you to be the hero of your own Star Wars story beginning March 1, 2022. 

This morning, Josh gave a special sneak peek of lightsaber training in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, where you’ll feel the Force as you train like a Jedi.

Walt Disney World Resort will also welcome Make-A-Wish children and their families as some of the very first guests to experience a Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage. 

BREAKING: Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open to guests in summer 2022 in EPCOT as part of the Walt Disney World Resort 50^th Anniversary celebration!

Debuting in the newly renamed World Discovery neighborhood of EPCOT, this family-thrill coaster attraction will match the scale and adventure of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, inviting guests on an intergalactic chase through time and space. It will feature the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster and will be one of the longest fully enclosed coasters in the world.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will feature Academy Award-nominated actress Glenn Close reprising her role as Nova Prime, the Xandarian leader and commander of the Nova Corps.

As part of the historic transformation of EPCOT, teams have been reimagining the front of the park and the entry experience for guests. In the future, there will be a new location near Spaceship Earth called Dreamers Point with a spectacular view of the park and a new statue of Walt Disney! Disney Imagineers are now working to bring this new statue to life.    

Josh also shared the name of a new quick-service restaurant, Connections Café and Eatery, debuting in the World Celebration neighborhood of EPCOT as part of the park’s ongoing transformation.

Attention fans of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers!  The first book in an all-new middle grade adventure series, “Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coat” by international best-selling author Julie Kagawa will be available wherever books are sold in April 2022 from Disney Publishing Worldwide. 

The series will explore the Society of Explorers and Adventurers lore behind beloved Disney Parks characters, attractions, interconnected stories and more across Disney theme parks, resorts and cruise ships. 

Imagineers are bringing new magic to the Disneyland Hotel!  

Imagineers are hard at work infusing the new resort property with elements that bring Disney storytelling to life, all inspired by characters and stories from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ classic films. There will be a newly-designed pool and recreation area, along with a variety of room types and the ability to explore the magic steps away at the Disneyland Resort.

At Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland park, Imagineers are working to reimagine the land with some all-new experiences for families and young children that will feature new play experiences, as well as open, grassy spaces to enjoy in 2023! 

When the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, the Disney Wish, sets sail for the first time this summer, families will discover a new world created especially for them. 

The Disney Wish will premiere two new stage shows in the Walt Disney Theatre, including “Disney The Little Mermaid,” an original Broadway-style reimagining of the Walt Disney Animation Studios classic with a modern and innovative take on a young woman learning the power of her voice. The show will feature dazzling special effects, innovative theatrical design, artistic choreography, and a reimagined script and score that will surprise and delight guests of all ages. “Disney Seas the Adventure” will follow Goofy as he discovers his own inner captain with the help of Captain Minnie and an all-star cast of Disney and Pixar characters.   

At Shanghai Disney Resort, we’re celebrating the park’s 5th anniversary during its “Year of Magical Surprises” and work is progressing on a Zootopia-themed land – the first-ever land themed to “Zootopia.” Josh shared new footage of the new Audio-Animatronic figures, including Yax the yak! 

A new, themed port called Fantasy Springs is coming to Tokyo DisneySea and exciting aerial video footage just shared at Destination D23 shows how expansive it will be when completed. Fantasy Springs will be the park’s eighth and largest port when it opens about two years from now. 

In Hong Kong, Disney Imagineers are busy bringing a new “Frozen”-themed area to life that includes two special thrill rides. Josh just shared a look at how the area is taking shape.   

The 30^th Anniversary Celebration at Disneyland Paris will begin March 6 featuring dazzling shows, entertainment, décor along Main Street, U.S.A. and new costumes for Mickey Mouse and pals, making the resort shine brighter than ever.

A new, limited time show will debut at the Castle Hub, and Disneyland Paris is bringing back classic shows and parades, including “Disney Stars of Parade” and “Disney Illuminations” for the celebration. 

Also, at Disneyland Paris, Avengers Campus will open next summer as part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration!  Earth’s Mightiest Heroes will assemble for the next chapter of the Global Avengers initiative and offer incredible new experiences for Super Hero fans, right on the heels of the opening of Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel earlier this year.

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro just kicked off his Connections: A Look at the Future of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products presentation and he’s beginning with a behind-the-curtain peek at work underway on projects around the world!