All The Huge Announcements Made At Disney's Destination D23 2023
By BLAKE TAYLOR
Every two years, the official Disney fan club, D23, hosts Destination D23, a convention at Walt Disney World that shows the world what Disney is working on.
Imagineers are considering completely overhauling a huge chunk of Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World into a land inspired by "Encanto" and "Indiana Jones."
Animal Kingdom
Bruce Vaughn, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, shared some concept artwork for a proposed "tropical Americas" project that may replace DinoLand U.S.A.
If followed through, the casita from "Encanto" will reside on the former spot of the Primeval Whirl roller coaster, and an "Indiana Jones" temple attraction will replace Dinosaur.
Host Josh D'Amaro and Vaughn mentioned Magic Kingdom expansion, using the term "beyond Big Thunder" in their description, but remained mum on specific stories.
Beyond Big Thunder
Vaughn mentioned, "the possibility of adding attractions, restaurants, shows; you dream it, we're thinking about it." The official Disney Parks Blog hinted it would be massive.
As a Magic Kingdom staple since 1971, the troupe of Audio-Animatronics bears, The Country Bear Jamboree, will be updated sometime in 2024.
Country Bear Jamboree
Chris Beatty, creative portfolio executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, revealed the revue will become The Country Bear Musical Jamboree and sing familiar Disney songs.
D'Amaro and Vaughn confirmed that a "Zootopia" show would open at Disney's Animal Kingdom, replacing Pixar's "A Bug's Life," although exact details are a work in progress.
Zootopia
The team's "current concept" involves "visiting the different biomes you only glimpse in the film." D'Amaro and Vaughn did not provide a timetable for the new "Zootopia" show.
If no Disney trip is complete for you without meeting characters, there are a few new and old friends coming, including Moana, Asha from "Wish," and Figment.
EPCOT Characters
Figment, the purple dragon from EPCOT's Journey Into Imagination ride, is back after over a decade. You can find Figment daily in ImageWorks, inside the Imagination! Pavilion.