It happened at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Around 12,000 people are gathered for D23, the “Ultimate Disney Fan Event”. They knew that an announcement about future plans was coming, but they didn’t know it would be this big.
Ultimate Fans
Saturday night’s showcase was led by Josh D’Amaro, the chairman of Disney parks, experiences and products.
These are the true, true Disney fans,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “They have a history with us. They have memories of their families being here. They have a passion for our stories, they have a passion for our cast members.”
Covering the World
Disney’s parks and experiences are a priority in the coming years and they are investing the money to prove it.
It is investing $60 billion in its parks around the world, including Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World in Florida, as well as its parks in France, Japan and China.
Upcoming Delights
Amongst the wonders planned, a new land of villains will appear at Disneyland, California.
“Be prepared, you poor unfortunate souls,” said Josh D’Amaro, “It’s going to be a fearless new vision for what a Disney experience can be.”
Doors and Suspended Coaster
A unique door ride is coming to the new Monsters Inc world at Hollywood Studios.
Visitors will be able to ride along with Mike and Sulley in the door factory and will experience the first ever suspended coaster at a Disney park.
Something for the Avengers
There is a lot for Marvel fans too as the Avengers Campus will double in size.
There will be the Avengers Infinity Defense, which will provide travel to all of the different Marvel worlds and there will be the Stark Flight Lab, which will be complete with Robert Downey Jr as Tony Stark.
Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World is not left out of the euphoria.
It is going to get two new attractions based on the _Cars_ movies and these will be at Frontierland.
The Lion King and Frozen
Two of Disney’s most iconic movies will be brought to life in Paris.
The world of _Frozen_ is set to open in 2026 and there will also be a ride from _The Lion King_ which will be accompanied by themed dining and shopping.
Is There a Dark Side?
These announcements come at a time when Disney’s stock has been falling.
A series of badly timed decisions on the film-making side of the business led to a fall in profits over the last few years.
A Good Business Decision?
The investment in rides may be a false move.
Although they are attractive to consumers, they come at a high cost to create and since most visitors don’t pay any extra to take rides, the investment costs take years to pay off. This is not likely to help Diney’s long term financial situation.
