Disney Rumors for August 2023
With another D23 event approaching fast, park strategists must make some bold decisions soon.
In this month’s Disney Rumors, we’ll evaluate what’s happening with some long-standing rumors.
The Abandoned Part of Tomorrowland
I’m taking these alphabetically rather than in order of precedence. So, please don’t think the first topic merits priority.
In reality, the opposite is true. Disney recently completed the transformation of Tomorrowland’s skyline as part of a multi-year project.
Once Tron Lightcycle / Run opened, Magic Kingdom ostensibly closed up shop on this side of the park.
Now, that park’s future projects likely head west, but one lingering question remains.
Whatever happened to the abandoned Stitch’s Great Escape attraction?
In recent months, Disney has used that space as a pop-up store for the Tron roller coaster.
(David Roark, photographer)
Before then, this space sometimes hosted Stitch character greetings, including the legendary Elvis Stitch special engagement.
That’s nice and all, but…come on! Two different attractions have resided in this building, and one of them was exceptional!
Yes, the Stitch attraction signified a huge step down – and I say that as the spouse of a Stitch fanatic who agrees.
Disney seemingly recognized this fact and shuttered the attraction with the intent to replace it with something.
Photo: Disney
For several years now, we’ve all heard the rumor that a Wreck-It Ralph experience was coming.
That idea is so old that it came before Ralph Breaks the Internet, which came out five years ago. If Disney wanted that attraction, it’d exist already.
So, we’ve got a virtually abandoned ride building on the walking path from Cinderella Castle to Tomorrowland. It makes zero sense.
Could Disney announce a ride experience here in September? Sadly, I suspect the answer is no, but it’s something that frankly needs to happen.
The Moana vs. Zootopia Debate
Here’s a fascinating story to track.
After 25 years of broken promises, Disney’s Animal Kingdom should finally expand for the first time in a few years…or the second time if you count Pandora – The World of Avatar.
Since Disney was using that space already, I personally don’t, but that’s tangential to the point.
Something is likely going behind DinoLand, U.S.A. on that side of the park. At least, that’s been the scuttlebutt.
However, Disney is currently facing financial uncertainty, which has been a recurring issue since March 2020.
For this reason, some believe that a compromise is in the offing…and not one you’ll love.
According to this rumor, Disney won’t build Moana and Zootopia themed lands/attractions at the park, at least not right now.
Instead, Animal Kingdom would replace DinoLand U.S.A. with something more popular soon. Afterward, it’d build out the area.
Credit: D23
In that scenario, a horse race ensues between Moana and Zootopia for which IP Disney adds first.
That race matters because, well, we’re still waiting for Beastly Kingdom after 25 years.
Photo: Disney
Whichever IP loses the battle for first isn’t just last. It may not ever exist at Animal Kingdom.
For my part, I’ve heard that Disney still intends to add both, but we also watched Imagineers stretch themselves thin at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Photo: Disney
The multiple constructions at Toy Story Land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, and The Great Movie Ride building forced repeated design trade-offs.
That memory probably lingers at Disney and could lead to a choice between Moana and Zootopia rather than both.
Photo: Disney
In that scenario, I suspect the winner depends on which IP can do the best with The Boneyard’s space and a re-theme of DINOSAUR’s ride carts.
Which one is that? I honestly don’t know. (Sorry.)
Spaceship Earth Refurbishment
Much of what I said earlier about Tomorrowland applies here as well.
As I type this, Disney has started cast member preview scheduling for Journey of Water | Inspired by Moana.
In other words, that stunning water attraction, the centerpiece of EPCOT’s modernization, is nearly ready for primetime.
When that happens, EPCOT will have completed the MANY-year overhaul of the former Future World.
The Disney100 schedule suggests that all the other accouterments are on schedule for this feat as well. So, it’s happening!
However, these changes come with a sizable asterisk. Disney has promised a couple of things at EPCOT that we may never get.
For starters, the Mary Poppins attraction at EPCOT apparently died with Bob Chapek’s Disney career.
The former CEO was the primary proponent of that proposal.
Second, Disney announced that it would completely revamp the entirety of Spaceship Earth.
The attraction would alter its structure to tell a more cohesive story rather than a series of historical events.
As quite possibly the biggest fan of Spaceship Earth in the world — I’ve even read the R. Buckminster Fuller book, which isn’t easy! – this news left me conflicted.
In hindsight, I stressed over nothing because we’re still awaiting the proposed changes from…2019.
Whenever Disney announces a refurbishment of Spaceship Earth, people speculate whether this is the start of the reboot.
Photo: Christy Weinberg
However, NOTHING suggests that the previously promised changes are in the offing.
When pressed on the subject, Disney insiders state that the plan remains for the new version of Spaceship Earth.
Photo: Disney
The reality is that this ride is the most challenging one at EPCOT to close since it’s the park’s lifeblood.
I suspect that if Disney does change Spaceship Earth, the plans will be stripped down and executed quickly.
A World Showcase Ride…or Pavilion?
Photo: D23
Finally, with Destination D23 roughly five weeks away, it’s time to return to that annual discussion about EPCOT expansion.
A few years ago, D23 attendants reported that they’d seen schematics for a Brazil pavilion at the World Showcase.
Photo: Disney
Around that time, someone claiming to work with Disney indicated that the company was hiring Brazilians to work at the pavilion.
We will never really know how much of that was accurate versus bunk, but it’s also something that has happened for decades now.
As marvelous as the World Showcase is, its last “new” pavilion opened during the Ronald Reagan administration.
Anyone born after June 1988 wasn’t even alive the last time the World Showcase expanded.
Similarly, Disney hadn’t added a new ride here in…well, the same length of time.
Yes, Disney re-themed existing attractions at the Mexico and Norway pavilions, but this half of the park lacked anything new for more than 30 years.
Given this fact, I think it’s fair to say that few people fully appreciate what a big deal Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is.
Still, even after all the recent changes at EPCOT, I think we’d all agree that the World Showcase could use another new pavilion or two.
World Showcase Lagoon
Also, in a perfect world, we’d expect any new pavilion to come with a ride or, at the very least, an attraction.
The World Showcase definitely possesses the free space for such expansion. Could we get it at D23?
Again, I’m not expecting this to happen. But I’ll be thrilled if Disney proves me wrong.
Photo: MickeyBlog
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