Every year, two weeks before the official start of the event, San Diego Comic-Con starts to reveal their schedule. This year, D23 decided it would also be the day that they reveal their entire schedule. This strategy is a bit different than prior years where each business unit would unveil their plans one-by-one. With the RSP opening on Monday, time had run out and we got the whole slate all in one dump. Let’s take a look at what we can determine from what was announced.
Disney Experiences
According to the D23 website, here is a description of the Disney Experiences Showcase:
Accompanied by a special lineup of musical numbers, surprise appearances, and a few familiar faces, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro will host this exciting showcase, woven together by the theme of music. Throughout the show, fans can expect updates on new and highly anticipated projects across Disney Experiences, along with new ways for generations of fans to connect with their favorite Disney stories.
The Parks Blog has a slightly different description.
Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, will take place on Saturday, August 10th at the Honda Center. Josh D’Amaro will welcome fans as he takes the stage with surprise stars and special guests for a live celebration of the music and creativity that power our stories and — of course — news and updates about projects in development around the world. The future is bright for Disney Experiences and this can’t-miss showcase will show fans what’s on the horizon and beyond.
The poster, which I am sure is being hyper analyzed by Disney fans across the globe, does give some additional insight. Conductor Mickey supports that the presentation will be themed around music. What may be surprising is that the name and Spaceship Earth’s central positioning may cause some to believe that there will be significant EPCOT news, while the conventional wisdom is that the bulk of the news will be about the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But perhaps this just means we will get a killer production number of “New Horizons.”
As an aside, I am sure Josh D’Amaro does not even know that this column exists…. But just in case…. Walt Disney did not say “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It.” Do not attribute that great quote to him. Also, referencing Robot Butlers is a requirement of anything Disney with the word Horizons in it.
But let’s face it, after an underwhelming Destination D23 and 2022 D23 Expo, this is the last shot Josh has to show that he views the Disney Experiences business as one focused on growth. Disney has committed to growth initiatives, but Disney fans' patience has run out, and we need tangible proof of what we can expect in the next 2 to 4 years. Both descriptions are vague as to the breadth of what will be announced. This is a good call to not raise expectations, but $60 billion is a lot to spend. Let’s find out what that money is going to bring us.
Stay at the Convention Center?
Being at the Honda Center allows folks to know their seat and access to the three biggest presentations of the whole event. While there are outstanding logistics questions, this will hopefully be a win for attendees. For those that didn’t get Honda Center tickets, or may elect to avoid the transportation quandary, the schedule shows some great late afternoon offerings that may be easier to get into due to many folks heading down Ball Road.
Making a Goofy Movie, Disney Princess Concert, Stay Tuned: Your Watching Disney Channel, and Memories of the Sherman Brothers are some of the highlights that may cause you to stay at the Anaheim Convention Center. This brings home that the expansion of the event is a win as no one can do everything, but the more there is to do, the more everyone gets to do. But this is not rocket science — when it comes to Disney experiences, the more there is, the better it is for everyone. That is why we are looking at things like DisneylandForward and “Beyond Big Thunder.”
Personal Highlights:
Here are some of the presentations I am personally hoping to catch:
Friday:
Music of Marvel Studios
Disneyland Foods – Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Saturday:
Disney at the ‘64-’65 New York World’s Fair
Marvel Animation Sneak Peek
Celebrating 50 Years of Wolverine
Sunday:
Designing the MCU
Jolly Holiday: A D23 Musical Celebration of Richard M. Sherman
We will have a lot more to say as we head closer to the D23 event. If you want, you can catch Rebekah and me breaking down the schedule in this video.
Quick Hits
- As we mentioned, San Diego Comic Con also revealed their schedule for their Thursday panels. You can catch the Disney themed panels here.
- Alien: Romulus tickets went on sale. Remember,in space… noone can hear you scream.
- Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of Shelly Duvall.
6 Things to Watch For Tomorrow
- Descendants: Rise of Red will debut on Disney+.
- ESPN’s coverage of Wimbledon continues with the Men’s Semifinal
- Disney Channel and Disney Junior feature an episode of Ariel where King Triton declares Happy Crabby Day as a day off for all crabs, so Sebastian must try to relax.
- On a new episode of BUNK’D: Learning the Ropes, Parker and Victoria teach Bill how to dance.
- ESPN+ will have PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of the Genesis Scottish Open
- ESPN+ will also feature the New York Yankees at the Baltimore Orioles
There won’t be a column tomorrow, but I will be back Sunday evening as we look forward to another exciting week in the worlds of Disney.