Lingering Questions from D23

Disney fans will remain on a contact high for months after the 2024 D23 Expo.

Josh D’Amaro and his team finally gave the people what we wanted, a massive batch of confirmed updates.

Photo: Disney

We know that Avengers Campus will double its number of attractions, while Disney California Adventure adds two additional rides.

Themed lands for Monsters, Inc. and Disney Villains are in the offing as well, and Frontierland will add a Cars Neighborhood.

So, we have plenty of answers in the aftermath of Disney’s popular fan event.

But lingering questions from D23 remain as well. Let’s quickly discuss some of the big ones.

Where Will Monstropolis Go?

D23

Let’s start with the biggest mystery, the one I was initially surprised Disney didn’t answer immediately.

We all later learned why, as The Wrap has reported on a story that I’d heard.

Photo: Disney

The rationale for keeping this one quiet has proven as simple as Disney not settling on a location yet. In fact, there’s a secret battle over it.

When Disney revealed the renderings for the proposed Monstropolis, some of them seemingly conflicted. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Monsters INC Movie Poster

First, we know that Monstropolis is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and let’s just take a moment to celebrate that!

The characters from Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University will gain a permanent home at Disney’s most intimate theme park.

Monsters, Inc. Land

Alas, Monstropolis must go somewhere. If you’ve ever looked at a Hollywood Studios map, you realize something has got to give.

Odds are good (but not certain) that Disney will re-theme a current space to introduce Monstropolis.

While there is one undeveloped plot close to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, it’d take a while to develop.

So, the belief is that Monstropolis will go in one of two other places, both of which qualify as valuable real estate.

Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Park planners appear to have narrowed their options to Grand Avenue, including the current Muppets Courtyard space, or Animation Courtyard.

Throughout 2024, the rumor mill has suggested that Disney will reinvigorate Animation Courtyard with either Monstropolis or Disney Villains.

Photo: Disney

Weirdly, there’s a chance that neither of these things happen now. Disney may be saving Animation Courtyard for something else.

I view this space as the cleanest solution for Monstropolis, but I don’t get a vote here.

Photo: Disney

Instead, Disney had reportedly decided to close Muppet*Vision 3D and use all that unpopular space — but holy ground — for Monstropolis.

Let me be clear that nobody would miss PizzeRizzo. The presence of The Muppets, on the other hand… Yeah, that’s gonna be a thing.

Photo: Disney

Alas, some of the photos on display on day three of D23 at least broached this possibility. However, The Wrap indicates that Disney grew nervous.

So, the company has reconsidered due to the outrage many of us would express over losing Muppet*Vision 3D. Please don’t do this, Disney!

When Will Disney Landlock Rivers of America?

Tomorrowland Entry Sign

For the longest time, Magic Kingdom has featured copious amounts of construction walls.

The reinvention of Tomorrowland took twice as long as anticipated due to the pandemic.

(Olga Thompson, Photographer)

Then, the other side of the park waited for the arrival of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

So, we’d all hoped to receive a bit of a respite from construction. But now we’re weirdly happy that we won’t.

(Olga Thompson, Photographer)

Disney will breathe new life into the flagging Frontierland by adding a new Cars theme.

While this statement may prove inaccurate, I’m currently viewing the construction as a new Disney Neighborhood of sorts.

Disney

Disney won’t want for Magic Kingdom’s Cars area to appear vastly inferior to Radiator Springs at Disney California Adventure.

Don’t underestimate the level of detail of this transition. It’ll be like an entirely new experience in a few years.

Credit: Disney

As part of that transformation, Disney will fill in part of the waters of the Rivers of America, thereby landlocking the area.

Fans want to know when this will happen because it signals the end of Tom Sawyer Island and possibly even the Liberty Square Riverboat.

The answer depends on how much of the Rivers of America Disney fills in and whether it has a plan to modify the boat’s path.

As strange as this sounds, just to be safe, you should view the Rivers of America boat rides as high priorities during upcoming Disney visits.

How Will Disney Fill the Tom Sawyer Island Void?

I’m skipping the nostalgia for today. Otherwise, I’d be too torn up over the potential loss of Muppet*Vision 3D.

So, let’s just ditch the emotion and call Tom Sawyer Island what it is: glorified babysitting.

Photo: Disney

For generations now, tired parents have herded their kids on the island and hoped that it didn’t turn into Lord of the Flies.

Families need that area to burn off their children’s energy, as parents recuperate during a hectic park visit.

Now, we’re about to lose that, which leads to a logical question.

Will the new Cars Neighborhood at Frontierland include a similar play area?

Photo: IRFAN KHAN/LOS ANGELES TIMES/GETTY IMAGES

I’ve heard nothing suggesting that possibility, but the idea has a certain degree of merit.

Disney could feasibly construct something akin to the interactive spots at Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park.

Credit: Disney

In recent years, Disney has prioritized hangout areas when it develops new locations.

An interactive play section makes sense in the spot where Tom Sawyer Island once was.

Why Didn’t Epcot Get Anything New?

To a certain extent, this question answers itself in two different ways.

Still, I’m seeing it a lot online. So, let’s address the oddity from the parks panel.

Disney owns and operates six theme parks in the United States. Five of them announced new attractions.

EPCOT was the only one that didn’t, even if you didn’t notice. Here’s the scorecard:

• Animal Kingdom – Encanto and Indiana Jones rides
• Disney California Adventure – Avatar, Coco, Avengers Campus
• Disneyland Park – Walt Disney – A Magical Life
• Hollywood Studios – Monstropolis
• Magic Kingdom – Cars Neighborhood, Villians Land

Photo: Disney

We could add some asterisks here for things like the Tropical Americas, which Disney had technically already announced.

However, the Encanto dark ride was still something previously unconfirmed.

Photo: Disney

Similarly, the Walt Disney show, while new, isn’t a standalone attraction. So, it may come with an asterisk to some.

At EPCOT, Disney DID confirm the timeline on Test Track 3.0, but there’s an argument about whether that should even count.

Test Track in Epcot

Park officials would argue that is an entirely new ride, just as Frozen Ever After and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure were.

If you disagree, then EPCOT is lacking any big announcements. I wonder why that surprises anyone, though.

Barely two months ago, park officials proudly stated that the reinvention of EPCOT had been completed.

Disney is happy with this project, as it should be. So, nobody really should have expected anything new at EPCOT anyway.

Hollywood Studios entrance

Other theme parks need the attention more, and I am thrilled that DCA and Hollywood Studios will add more soon.

Both those parks need more attractions to make them feel more complete and balanced.

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