Destination D23 Announcements

 

This past weekend, Disney hosted their bi-annual Destination D23 convention in Orlando.  This is a bi-annual event because it alternates with the larger D23 in Anaheim.  Usually D23 proper is where most of the big parks announcements (among other things) are announced, where Destination events tend to be smaller, fan focused historical presentations.

This was NOT true two years ago, and that fact, combined with an especially huge D23 event last year had many fans thinking that we were in store for more major announcements, regardless of the year or name of the event.  But as the event approached, people noted that there wasn't even a Disney Parks panel listed, so many bloggers and those in the know were warning fans to lower their expectations, as it looked like nothing major would be announced.

That prediction turned out to be true - this was the least "news heavy" D23 or related event that I can remember covering.  This was understandable, given that all of the major things announced last year are either just getting underway or are still in the planning stages.  Disney's focus should be on these items, not drumming up interest in things that would take place even further into the future than Villains Land or Tropical Americas.

Still, I found myself underwhelmed at what we did get this weekend.  I was hoping for some more clarity in terms of time frames for existing projects, or at least some kind of sub-announcements, like the names of certain lands or artwork for the coming attractions.  Instead we got very little that can even be considered "news" this year, but I figured it still warranted a post anyway.  So without further ado ...

Tron: Ares Ride Overlay Coming to Tron Lightcycle Run:

With a new movie coming out, the Tron attraction at Magic Kingdom will start featuring a new color scheme starting September 15.  Replacing the blue and orange lights will be red and orange, to fit with the new color palette for the upcoming film.  The ride will also feature music by Nine Inch Nails, who provide the soundtrack to the films.

This isn't exactly huge news, but I do like it.  Disney is often slow to react to their upcoming releases (at least at Walt Disney World - Disneyland is better for this) so it's nice to see that "synergy" that they're always touting.  Tron Lightcycle Run is a great visual attraction, and can be seen from anywhere in Tomorrowland.  Temporarily updating the color of the canopy to red will be striking and certainly call more attention to the ride (not that it needs it, as it is the top wait time in Magic Kingdom daily).

New Color Palette Announced for Cinderella Castle:

Speaking of colors, I guess that was the theme of this year's event.  Cinderella Castle, the iconic feature that you can see as you turn down Main Street USA at Magic Kingdom is getting a new color palette.  Well, "new" is subjective, as this seems to be like the old, classic look that was on display for many years.  Disney says that it will feature grays, creams, blues and touches of gold.

Ever since the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World (and really, the 70th Anniversary of Cinderella slightly before that), Cinderella Castle has had a more "modern" look, with a rose gold/pink palette near the top and a more royal blue on the bottom.  Based on the preliminary artwork (shown here), this new color scheme will be a lot more like what had been there up until that point.  I had gotten used to the new colors and it grew on me - I'm resistant to change, so I probably didn't love it immediately but it was fitting for the anniversary celebration and beyond.

But the classic look was classic for a reason, and I'm happy to see the castle go back to its previous color scheme.  The white and blue color is what most people probably think of when they envision the castle, and now we'll be getting back to that, and it will likely be better than ever, since the old castle had faded a bit in the unrelenting Florida sun.

No timeframe was announced here, which I found a bit odd.  When the last change happened, Disney started working on this right away, which was then interrupted by Covid soon after it began.  But Disney was very proud of the fact that they didn't have a lot of construction equipment or even scrims up during the day and I think/hope that will be the case again.  It's one thing for the train station to have a scrim up; it's something else entirely when people are trying to take a picture in front of the most photographed icon in the world.  Hopefully it's done both quickly and in the off hours, where it will have minimal impact to guests.  Otherwise, there's no negative here.

Walt Disney Audio Animatronic to be Added to Carousel of Progress:

Every year, there's always at least one announcement that comes out of nowhere (at least for the average Disney fan) and this year, this was it.  Disney announced that there will be a new Walt Disney Audio Animatronic figure added to the Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom.  No timeframe was listed for this one either, as of now.

The first thing I thought of when I saw this was the new Walt Disney figure at Disneyland, as part of Walt Disney - A Magical Life.  I had the pleasure of seeing this in person recently and overall it is quite impressive.  Maybe Imagineering was emboldened by this and decided to bring Walt to Magic Kingdom - the attraction is officially called "Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress", after all.

For many of the same reasons why I was excited about the new figure in Disneyland, I love this for Walt Disney World.  As the older generations die out (or stop traveling to the theme parks), Walt's legacy gets further and further away.  It's great that new generations will be able to see (and hear from) Walt - it helps keep him name at the forefront, when these parks truly all came from his ideas.

It appears that the new figure will go in the first slot in the Carousel of Progress, which right now is just a logo and a voiceover.  Some tweaks may need to be made but it seems like it would slot well right in here.  Carousel of Progress is a true "Walt" attraction, and his inclusion here makes a lot of sense.  I hope that they don't mess with the rest of the attraction, as it is a classic as is; only the last scene would really need any "updating" and it wasn't that long ago that they made some minor tweaks (such as the wardrobes of the characters) so I doubt much else, if anything, changes here.

The only concern I have with the Walt Animatronic itself is that the face in the Disneyland version is not quite right, and has been the subject of some internet ridicule.  I'm hoping that Imagineering realized this and said "challenge accepted."  There's every reason to think that version 2.0 of Walt will be even better than the original (Animatronic I mean, not Walt the human).  Hopefully this means that the Carousel of Progress is here to stay for many years.  My belief has always been that these old school attractions should remain largely untouched as a nod to the past.