Now that the dust has settled on the 2022 edition of the D23 Expo, fans are certainly buzzing about the future of Disney parks. Happily Ever After is coming back to the Magic Kingdom, an Avengers ride is set for Disneyland, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in 2024. However, many were left with more questions than answers after this year’s D23 Expo, and rumors are swirling about what Disney left out of their presentation (and what some of those bizarre non-announcements could mean as well).
1. Splash Mountain will still close sometime in 2022
Many were expecting Disney to announce a closing date for Splash Mountain at this year’s D23 Expo as part of their big unveiling of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. And even though we did get a few new details about the new attraction, Disney didn’t say anything about the closure of the still-standing Splash Mountain. However, though it wasn’t announced at D23 Expo, it seems likely that this attraction will still close at some point this year, as Disney has confirmed that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open in 2024, and Disney will need time to transform the former Splash Mountain into this bnew attraction.
2. The “Beyond Thunder Mountain” presentation was just market research
One of the most bizarre moments of this years D23 Expo came at the end of the Parks panel, where chairman Josh D’Amaro announced that there could be something “beyond Thunder Mountain”, which has been a long-rumored expansion area at the Magic Kingdom.
Among the ideas floated were a land based on Coco, a recreation of the Casa Madrigal from Encanto, or even a land populated by villains. What was truly strange about this presentation was that Disney didn’t concretely announce anything for this expansion, and these were only presented as “ideas” for the future of Magic Kingdom.
So why were they even mentioned at all? Well, it may have been to see how fans reacted to the ideas and gauge interest in real-time and on social media to the various ideas so that Disney could proceed to work on the more popular ones at a later date. Will these ideas ever happen at the Magic Kingdom? Maybe. But we wouldn’t hold our breath.
3. TRON Lightcycle Run is being held back because Walt Disney World doesn’t have anything for 2023
It’s hard to believe that TRON Lightcycle Run has been under construction for five years, and while the attraction seems like it is close to being finished (it has been testing over the past few weeks during park hours at the Magic Kingdom), Disney surprised fans at the D23 Expo by announcing that this attraction would not be coming online until Spring 2023.
While at first glance it may seem strange that Disney isn’t opening this presumably finished attraction for another six months (or more), rumors suggest that without any other “big” attractions opening next year, Disney needed a sizable draw to get guests back to the park after its 50th-anniversary celebration concludes next year, and TRON Lightcycle Run might just be the attraction to do that.
4. Walt Disney World Railroad will re-open in 2023
Though Disney did not confirm it at the D23 Expo, it seems likely that with TRON Lightcycle Run officially opening next year, that the long-closed Walt Disney World Railroad, which initially closed in 2018, will open alongside this new attraction in spring 2023. It seems strange that Disney did not confirm this opening, but hopefully those who have been missing riding the rails for the last five years will finally be able to ride this fan-favorite attraction once again next year.
5. EPCOT Forever could be coming back
Disney confirmed that Harmonious, EPCOT’s new nighttime spectacular which debuted in 2021 as part of the resort’s 50th anniversary will be replaced by an all-new night time show. However, what exactly that show will be remains to be seen and some have theorized that interim show EPCOT Forever, which was introduced following the close of IllumiNations in 2019, could be gearing up for a return.
While Disney could conceivably have a new show ready to go by the time Harmonious is retired, given the speed with which this show is getting pulled from the entertainment lineup, it seems likely that Disney will bring back the smaller EPCOT Forever, which doesn’t require much set-up to serve as an interim nighttime spectacular once Harmonious finishes its run.
6. Disney is still considering some kind of bundled membership package for super-fans
Earlier this month the Wall Street Journal published a report that seemed to indicate that Disney was pursuing the idea of some kind of bundled membership program similar to Amazon Prime that would package streaming, parks and merchandise offerings together with free shipping benefits, streaming and other perks. Reportedly, internally this service is even being called “Disney Prime.”Though news about this offering was not mentioned at D23 Expo, it seems likely that Disney is still working on it, and perhaps we’ll know more next year about this new Disney bundle.
7. The Play! Pavilion has been cancelled
Announced at the last D23 Expo, EPCOT’s PLAY! Pavilion was originally designed to house character meet and greets, interactive experiences, and more. However, with no construction (aside from roof repair) happening at the former Wonders of Life pavilion, and no updates from this year’s D23 Expo, rumors are swirling that this attraction is well and truly dead.
8. Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open for the holiday season
A few weeks ago, Disney posted a short video to TikTok confirming that rehearsals for the returning Fantasmic! nighttime spectacular had begun. And though some may have been hoping that a return date would be announced at the D23 Expo Disney only confirmed via a timeline that Fantasmic! would reopen sometime this year. And unfortunately, this probably means that we likely won’t see the show back for another month or two at least, meaning that Disney is likely targeting the busy holiday season for the return of this beloved nighttime spectacular.
