Just a few months ago, Josh D’Amaro presented his 5 year vision for Disney Experiences in Anaheim at D23. But as any theme park goer knows, Disney doesn’t just draw a domestic audience. With this in mind, D23 launched a smaller version of their experience in Brazil. D’Amaro took this opportunity to share some of the news that he shared in California with some of the most passionate Disney fans who reside in Brazil and shared the long history Disney has with Brazil stretching back to Walt’s “Good Neighbor” tour. He also pointed out that, when guests from Brazil are visiting the parks, they are not hard to spot with their large groups and matching t-shirts.
While this presentation was not intended to break news, we did get to hear D’Amaro provide some more details about the projects we heard about previously while also sharing some new concept art and details. To start his presentation, he welcomed Walt Disney Imagineering’s Michael Hundgen to discuss the future of Disney Cruise Line. They discussed how they are going to more than double their fleet by 2031, which means they will be all over the world (possibly including Brazil.) D’Amaro and Hundgen took this opportunity to focus on two of the upcoming ships with the Disney Destiny with the Disney Adventure being noticeably absent from discussion.
As we know, the Disney Destiny will be themed around heroes & villains. Hundgen touched on concepts such as the Cruella DeVil piano bar and the Hercules themed stage show, both of which got a rapturous applause. But, while the Disney Destiny is debuting in 2025, in just over a month the Disney Treasure will set sail. Hundgen discussed the Haunted Mansion Parlor before providing more details about the Moana show which will feature a 15 foot Te Kā puppet which D’Amaro described as “huge, stunning, and beautiful.” To celebrate the upcoming show, D’Amaro had the cast of a Moana stage show that is touring Brazil to put on a special performance.
While Hundgen spent several years with Disney Cruise Line, he is now the Executive Portfolio Producer for Walt Disney World, so the spotlight shifted to the most magical place on earth. They started by discussing some of the projects that are coming online in 2025. First up is the reimagining of Test Track. Hundgen described it as a new take that will show us “how the vehicles of today and tomorrow see the world and the road around them.” Also coming to EPCOT is the lounge at Spaceship Earth with its views of World Celebration and the rest of the park.
Speaking of lounges, they moved to the Pirates of the Caribbean location coming to the Magic Kingdom. Hundgen and D’Amaro shared a brand new piece of concept art in addition to the image which was previously shared. Also coming to the Magic Kingdom is the new nighttime parade Disney Starlight. In the spirit of the Moana performance, we got to see a new look at the Moana float for the parade. Hundgen and D’Amaro also briefly touched on the new villains show coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the Zootopia: Better Zoogether 3-D show heading inside the Tree of Life next winter.
They then moved beyond 2025, they stayed with Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the Tropical Americas land. Hundgen reiterated some of the landmarks of the land including a beautiful fountain, magical carousel, and a food hacienda. One side of the house will feature the famous casita from Encanto. Casita will assemble furniture for you to journey through the house before you head to Antonio’s gift ceremony where you will enter an amazing rainforest filled with animals. The other side of the land will feature a brand new Indiana Jones attraction. This experience will be set in an ancient maya temple where Indy has heard rumors of a rare artifact buried deep within the temple and we will join him in the adventure. Construction begins on the 11-acre land next year before opening to guests in 2027.
Heading back to Hollywood Studios, the conversation moved to Monstropolis, and no…. they did not mention where in the park the land will be. They did remind us that the land will be home to Disney’s first suspended coaster which will have you zooming past all of the doors within Monsters Inc. Construction will begin next year, so we should hear more details soon.
Speaking of Pixar, they started discussing the new Cars experiences coming to Frontierland. The first new attraction is an outdoor rally race. You will dodge geysers and splash through the mud. One of the most exciting moments was when they shared footage of a test they did to get a sense of how the offroad adventure is going to feel. The second attraction will be suitable for the smallest guests though the whole family will enjoy it.
Continuing beyond Big Thunder, D’Amaro and Hundgen shared some Disney Lorcana artwork which featured some of the villains that are inspiring the land. The story is that a spell has been cast that summons villains from every realm. The heroes don’t come to save the day and there may not be a happily ever after. The land will feature two major attractions as well as shopping and dining and is described as a “fiendish new vision for Disney Experiences.” They expect to break ground very soon.
Spanning beyond Walt Disney World, D’Amaro discussed some projects such as the work being done to transform Disneyland Paris’s second gate into Disney Adventure World with The World of Frozen and Disney’s first major Lion King attraction. The Disneyland Resort in California is set to open their version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in just a few days while getting set for the park’s 70th anniversary celebration next year. As part of that celebration, the Opera House will feature Walt Disney: A Magical Life with the first audio-animatronic of the man who started it all. At California Adventure, they are working on a new Avatar experience and the new Coco ride which will break ground in 2026.
To discuss the expansion of Avengers Campus, D’Amaro brought out Kevin Feige to rapturous applause. The duo talked about the attractions that have been announced for the land including Stark Flight Lab which Feige called “pretty darn awesome.” You will enter Tony Stark’s flight lab where you will board a two person pod before one of Stark’s robots lifts you up for a ride where you may encounter some of his famous friends. The other attraction is Avengers Infinity Defense where guests will join the Avengers to take on King Thanos and visit Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City. They discussed how Robert Downey Jr. will be reprising his role as Tony Stark for the land. Feige mentioned that they are bringing Downey back in the films as Doctor Doom and as part of that, he really wants to be a part of the parks and even visited Imagineering to test Stark Flight Lab.
Feige stayed on to discuss Disney’s partnership with Epic Games. Marvel has been working with Epic since 2018 and have found it a great way to introduce their characters to new fans. He even shared images of when Galactus destroyed the Fortnite Island with the team making Fantastic Four: First Steps so they could be inspired to get the character “just right.” They also just wrapped up their Absolute Doom season which was the biggest live event in the game this year. The new universe that Disney and Epic are working together will go far beyond any of their previous partnerships. Much like when Disney Cruise Line launched in 1998, this is an expansion of what a Disney Experience can be.
To end the performance, D’Amaro welcomed actress and singer Larissa Manoela to perform “When You Wish Upon a Star” where she was joined by a few Disney friends including Jose Carioca. It was a touching reminder how the magic of Disney transcends boundaries and cultures and no matter your background, the memories made during a visit to a Disney park or ship will last a lifetime.
As evidence of the impact, D’Amaro asked the audience if any of them had done the Disney College Program. He was literally taken back by the response. It was clear that the experience of being a cast member stayed with the participants to the point that they were excited to hear about the future of Disney. I’ll have more to say about the power of D23 Brazil tomorrow, but all of these new experiences are nothing without the cast members that bring them to life each day. As D’Amaro told the former cast members, they are “truly the heart and soul of Disney.”