The Happiest Place on Earth is getting a makeover!
The 2022 D23 Expo inundated Disney fans with a magical amount of news and upcoming projects. Disneyland was a hot topic for much of the expo. Let’s check out some of the things coming to the west coast.
Expansion of Avengers Campus
The Avengers, our intergalactic superheroes, have a dedicated land in Disney California Adventure. Currently, Avengers Campus houses two attractions, some fun food options, and other entertainment to allow guests to Assemble!
Disney will add a third attraction to the land. Guests will go on an epic adventure with the Avengers to battle foes in the multiverse. This attraction will join “Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout” and “Web Slingers: a Spider-Man Adventure” as part of the thrills in the land.
Re-Imagining Pacific Wharf
Pacific Wharf is located in the heart of Disney California Adventure. It currently is themed after the waterfronts of San Francisco and is the home to several eateries. It is located between Avengers Campus and Pixar Pier.
Keeping with the theming of the nearby lands, Pacific Wharf will join the superhero world. The Avengers on one side and the Incredibles to the other will now be neighbors to Baymax and friends of Big Hero 6! Disney will re-imagined this land as San FranSokyo.
Guests can expect a meet and greet with Baymax as well as new food options in this land. Fans are hoping that there will be some fun technology items from The San FranSokyo Institute of Technology to interact with while in the land.
Re-Imagining of Paradise Pier Hotel
In 1984, the Emerald Hotel of Anaheim opened. Disney purchased this hotel in 1995 and renamed it the Disneyland Pacific Hotel. In 2001 when Disney California Adventure opened, the hotel changed its name again to the Paradise Pier Hotel.
This hotel has always had a beachfront and boardwalk theme. However, as announced during the Expo, Disney is renaming and reimagining the hotel. The newly named Pixar Place Hotel will match its new name with a Pixar theme.
As one of the three Disney owned hotels at Disneyland, this update will add some more intellectual property to the hotel trio.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Nothing can stop them now! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened in Walt Disney World in 2020. A sister ride in Disneyland is now slated to open in 2023!
This is the only Mickey Mouse themed attraction at Walt Disney World, and it will be the same for Disneyland. This zany adventure with Conductor Goofy has many fun and adventurous twists and turns that pleases guests of all ages!
Disneyland’s attraction will be located in Mickey’s Toontown, which is being completely reimagined and will open anew to guests in 2023.
Nighttime Shows
Next year, the Disney Company will celebrate its 100 year anniversary. Fittingly, the celebration will be called Disney100. To celebrate, each park at Disneyland Resort will have a new nighttime spectacular show.
Guests will be able to enjoy “World of Color – One” at Disney California Adventure. This show will celebrate storytelling and feature a new song “Start a Wave”.
“Wondrous Journeys” will be at Disneyland Park. The show will use projection technology along Main Street USA, on Sleeping Beauty Castle, as well as on the “it’s a small world” building. The song “It’s Wondrous” will accompany the amazing fireworks display for the show that will celebrate all 60 Walt Disney Animation Studios films.
Guests of Disneyland should be on the look out in 2023 for other special celebration items at The Happiest Place on Earth.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Disney will reimagine Splash Mountain as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Disney executives announced that the new attraction will be set in New Orleans during the years immediately after the end of the movie, “The Princess and the Frog”. Guests will travel with Tiana and Louis down the bayou in search of a missing ingredient for their Carnival party. The attraction updates should be completed by late 2024.
Meet and Greets
Cut to the dramatic entry music. Cue the chills! In mid-November of this year, the Mandalorian and Grogu will voyage to Batuu in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland Park. They will meet with fellow travelers around Black Spire outpost.
Also, Giant Hulk, dressed in his time-traveling Quantum suite from “Avengers: Endgame”, is meeting with guests for a limited time in Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus. Literally, Hulk is a giant in this meet and greet! This is a new “giant character” technology that Disney is employing via Project Exo, which uses a light weight robotic exoskeleton for the cast member to puppet from the inside.
East Coast BONUS!
Here is a quick note about the east coast park. Two beloved characters are making their way to Walt Disney World.
Fan favorite character Figment, the purple creature full of imagination, will return with a meet and greet at EPCOT in 2023. No exact location has yet been announced. The “Journey into Imagination with Figment” attraction is located in the World Nature section of EPCOT and takes guests into a voyage of the senses and imagination.
Additionally, guests touring the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom will see the Hatbox Ghost materialize in 2023. The Hatbox Ghost was part of the original ride in Disneyland but was removed from operation shortly after opening due to several technology issues. It returned in 2015 with an evil grin that more reliably, and as planned, disappeared and reappeared. Fans love the history of the Hatbox Ghost and are excited to see his apparition at the east coast park.
A Happier Happiest Place on Earth
I can’t wait to visit Disneyland in the coming years to check out these changes! What Disneyland announcement from the 2022 D23 Expo are you most excited for?
About the Writer
Hi DizN Friends! My name is Mardanna Soto, aka MarDizNDanna, and I love all things Disney. My family and I love everything about the Disney and Universal Parks! Every trip is unique and so very special.
Contact me for a no obligation quote that will take you to the Magic! °o° I can provide some pixie-dusted planning to get you on your magical vacation! Let’s connect! mardanna@dizncavations.com
