It’s hard to believe, but we’re a little over two months away from the long-awaited 2024 D23 Expo, which is happening August 9-11. Though Disney has been tight-lipped as usual about what they will be showing off at this year’s event, more hints have been appearing online about what Disney is planning to announce at this upcoming event.
1.The new Encanto ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be an omnimover-powered dark ride
Encanto’s Casita has long been thought to be an integral part of the upcoming Tropical Americas land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and has already appeared in official concept art. However, fans wondered whether this would be a walk-through attraction, replica or character meet and greet area, as there didn’t seem to be a lot of space for a larger attraction.
Fortunately though, it looks like rumors are now indicating that this new Encanto-based attraction will actually be an omnimover-powered dark ride. X user FiBelleFi recently posted news about the rumor, adding that the ride would buck Disney’s current trend of using trackless technology for dark rides, instead opting for a more old-school approach.
Of course, nothing has been confirmed yet, but this does seem like a logical development for this particular IP-based attraction, which makes its potential announcement in August that much more exciting.
2. Plans for the Magic Kingdom expansion seem to very much still be in flux
Though there have been plenty of rumors and whispers about the Tropical Americas area coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, one area that we are consistently hearing nothing about is the “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain” expansion that Disney teased at the D23 Expo in 2022. According to posters in the WDWMagic Forums, plans may in fact still be coming together, with one poster saying plans for a villains-themed land are “still alive” while others debate ideas about Coco or Toy Story potentially filing in the space behind Frontierland.
Unfortunately, with all this speculation, it seems likely that perhaps Disney themselves haven’t fully decided what they are doing with this area. And with only 8 weeks to go before the big event, that could be a big problem, as many are expecting an update on this project after it was first hinted at two years ago.
One of the stalling factors may have been the budget, as Disney only recently got its $17 billion 20-year investment plan in front of The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), which will be holding a final hearing on the proposal June 12 before a likely approval. With the budget hopefully set in the near future, hopefully Disney can get going on what this expansion may look like and finally announce concrete plans for this much-anticipated expansion!
For those who haven’t marked their calendars yet, Disney should be releasing their plans in full for this new area during their Parks and Experiences panel, which is happening on Saturday, August 10 and will stream live online via Disney’s various social media channels. Until then, we’ll keep you posted on the latest rumors and whispers, right up until the big day!
