D23 Expo 2019 - News & Speculation

[belloq87]

I personally don't think Consumer Products should've been shoved into the panel, but they needed to highlight some consumer products thing for the panel to make sense.

I think it should be an entirely separate panel in future years. I believe it used to be before being folded in with Parks & Resorts.

 

[k_peek_2000]

The panel was called "Parks, Experiences and Products"...... so what did people expect? With that said it was an incredibly tone-deaf choice and Disney doesn't understand its fans at all.

The weird thing is that I feel like the Target announcement would have make for a better "secret company project" announcement than a Day at Disney and a day at Disney should have been incorporated with the parks panel since it's directly parks related. Switch the two and the complaining would have been halfed.

 

[GadgetGuru]

The panel was called "Parks, Experiences and Products"...... so what did people expect? With that said it was an incredibly tone-deaf choice and Disney doesn't understand its fans at all.

The weird thing is that I feel like the Target announcement would have make for a better "secret company project" announcement than a Day at Disney and a day at Disney should have been incorporated with the parks panel since it's directly parks related. Switch the two and the complaining would have been halfed.

The secret project was a complete debacle. Disney shouldn’t have put anything on their website ahead of time.

Target would’ve been even worse than the documentary series imo

 

[GadgetGuru]

Sorry for the double post!

We don't have a better place to post this, but the list of Target stores is out.

Seems like a pretty random list.

 

[Nick]

I think we all may have missed it somehow, but part of that Target announcement was that a Target is coming to WDW. They sort of snuck it in and moved on. I assume it’ll go to Flamingo Crossings.

 

[Alicia]

I think we all may have missed it somehow, but part of that Target announcement was that a Target is coming to WDW. They sort of snuck it in and moved on. I assume it’ll go to Flamingo Crossings.

I thought the said a new Target was being built NEAR Walt Disney World.

 

[faceleg]

From CNBC: "In expanding its tie-up with Disney, Target will also be opening a small-format store right near the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, in 2021, the companies said."

 

[Tobias]

Now that another D23 Expo has come and gone, this one felt off. The Disney+ panel was a major stand-out, but it was honestly the only one. For the others...

IMO, Disney is doing this event wrong. They're only doing one major panel per day, but to me it should be like this:
- Marvel Studios
- Animation Panel
- Disney Live Action/Lucasfilm/20th Century FOX
- Disney+/Hulu
- Parks

Either way, they aren't taking advantage of this event like they truly could.

…a clear misstep for this year was merging certain things into one panel, such as Marvel/Live Action and the Animation studios. It felt like they didn't have time to talk about -anything- as they had to squeeze in the next announcement. They need to go back to giving the Animation Studios their own panel, so they can really dive into the upcoming films to get everyone hyped.

As for ops, one didn't have to look far to see the "consistent inconsistencies" from security, lines and ops. From chutes getting merged and mixed up (leading to major line cuts over people who waited longer), to a snack counter in a major holding pen being rung up by one cashier, to people getting a different answer from three different line ops. It's just a mess, and it doesn't help any matter when staff members were overheard saying "It only took 3 days" to get things right. Considering the event is 3 days, that's quite frankly unacceptable for a big fan convention. An as always, what they learned is tossed out the window in the next couple years when they start back up again.

 

[SeventyOne]

The Target part made total sense to me. Consumer Products was part of the presentation and the Target announcement was the only consumer products thing they talked about. Everything else was Parks.

I personally don't think Consumer Products should've been shoved into the panel, but they needed to highlight some consumer products thing for the panel to make sense.

This isn't a board meeting to meet SEC requirements. This is a voluntary event where your whales pay big bucks to be there. If I was dumb enough to pay, I'd expect all killer, no filler.

 

[faceleg]

This isn't a board meeting to meet SEC requirements. This is a voluntary event where your whales pay big bucks to be there. If I was dumb enough to pay, I'd expect all killer, no filler.

Honestly, they should have made the Target part of the like exhibition floor and kept all the park announcements/reveals for the presentation. Or make the con longer and do 2 separate panels

 

[Andysol]

As for your UOR comparison, well we both know Universal plays things closer to the chest and I would bet good money we have several new attractions opening before the last one on the Disney list opens (let alone the whole new park thing).

Disagree. Everything on that disney list will be open basically by the time JPRA opens. The only exceptions likely being Epcot Spine/SSE/Moana and Mary Poppins. But those should be done by spring 2022 for Epcot’s 40th.

Gate 3 certainly won’t be in that timeframe, and I don’t know what other project you think universal will have by late 2022, but they’d need to start in the next 6 months. They’ll likely have something, but I wouldn’t expect anything on the scale of JP or Hagrid’s.

WDW has a monstrous lineup the next 2.5 years. Epic Universe will be a thunderous answer to that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Brazil and the AK expansion are planning to be part of the answer to that and announced around the same time Epic Universe releases it’s projected date.
What a time to be alive and healthy enough to ride everything!

Small sour note: that WDW lineup would’ve looked so much better with a MK theater and top notch show.

 

[faceleg]

Don't get me started on the theater. As a theater nerd I'll never not be mad

 

[Tobias]

This isn't a board meeting to meet SEC requirements. This is a voluntary event where your whales pay big bucks to be there. If I was dumb enough to pay, I'd expect all killer, no filler.

Same, not to mention a good chunk of the audience waited in line for who knows how long to be there. So to go through all that and end up seeing a devoted Target ad in a Parks and Resorts panel? That ain't filler, that's a gyp.

 

[wizwit]

While I understand some of the disappointment about the lack of new announcements at this year's D23, it feels worth acknowledging that Disney still has a ton of new rides coming soon.

Within the next few years, WDW will open:
- Rise of the Resistance
- Runaway Railway
- Tron
- Ratatouille
- GotG: Cosmic Rewind
- Cherry Tree Lane & Poppins ride
- Play Pavilion
- Major Epcot spine changes, including SSE update

Comparatively, UOR will open:
- T2 Replacement
- JW Coaster

Disney World is fine.

I think it’s fair to also include Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure as a UOR “coming soon” attraction since Hagrid’s and Runaway Railway both began construction at the about the same time (Fall 2017?). It’s not UOR’s fault that HMCMA construction took about 2 years and Disney MMRR will take closer to 3.

 

[Nathan]

I think it’s fair to also include Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure as a UOR “coming soon” attraction since Hagrid’s and Runaway Railway both began construction at the about the same time (Fall 2017?). It’s not UOR’s fault that HMCMA construction took about 2 years and Disney MMRR will take closer to 3.

I’m a little confused at what your coming at, hagrids has been open for a good while now... especially after runaway railways opens it will have been almost a year. I wouldn’t consider hagrids being a competitor to the upcoming runaway railway attraction in DHS. MMRR also takes longer due to it having a lot of new ride technology and high tech elements and being fully enclosed where as most of hagrids big elements were landscaping/rockwork/ and coaster track which could be conceived faster.

 

[GAcoaster]

I thought the said a new Target was being built NEAR Walt Disney World.

I believe they are referring to the one being built in Regency Village, near the outlets: Google Maps

 

[SeventyOne]

I believe they are referring to the one being built in Regency Village, near the outlets: Google Maps

Press release said a "mini" Target (when of their new urban models) in Flamingo Crossing.

Tho I'm sure if my Regency Village Target ever gets built--was supposed to be open by Christmas, no sign of it--it will have a healthy selection of Disney merch.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Disagree. Everything on that disney list will be open basically by the time JPRA opens. The only exceptions likely being Epcot Spine/SSE/Moana and Mary Poppins. But those should be done by spring 2022 for Epcot’s 40th.

Gate 3 certainly won’t be in that timeframe, and I don’t know what other project you think universal will have by late 2022, but they’d need to start in the next 6 months. They’ll likely have something, but I wouldn’t expect anything on the scale of JP or Hagrid’s.

WDW has a monstrous lineup the next 2.5 years. Epic Universe will be a thunderous answer to that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Brazil and the AK expansion are planning to be part of the answer to that and announced around the same time Epic Universe releases it’s projected date.
What a time to be alive and healthy enough to ride everything!

Small sour note: that WDW lineup would’ve looked so much better with a MK theater and top notch show.

And two of those projects were to be open already and one was totally cancelled.

Disney’s the one playing catch up, not Universal, with their offerings and infrastructure.

 

[Andysol]

Disney’s the one playing catch up, not Universal, with their offerings and infrastructure.

Did I say otherwise? How does that make what I said untrue?

I believe my post was factual and non-biased, was it not?

You, for whatever reason, feel this constant need to act like Universal is your girlfriend whose honor you must defend. It’s strange.
Say it with me: “It’s just a theme park owned by a billion dollar media/cable conglomerate.”

 

[Brian G.]

Did I say otherwise? How does that make what I said untrue?

I believe my post was factual and non-biased, was it not?

You, for whatever reason, feel this constant need to act like Universal is your girlfriend whose honor you must defend. It’s strange.
Say it with me: “It’s just a theme park owned by a billion dollar media/cable conglomerate.”

Can we all agree to disagree without stooping to this?