36. D23 Announcements (More Magic!)

[00:00:00] Hey there, everyone. Welcome in to a new episode of the Moms Behind the Magic, but this is not just any episode. I am so excited to be here today with Katie. I am your host, Allie, and today we are doing something so fun. This is called More Magic, brought to you by the Moms Behind the Magic. Every Thursday, we are going to be bringing you a More Magic episode. These episodes are going to be bite-sized, easy to consume, easy for you to absorb while you are on a shortcake.

[00:00:30] Commute, putting away a load of laundry, whatever it is, however you listen, you're getting an extra dose on Thursdays. This kind of content will change and evolve. Maybe we're going to talk about something that's new and relevant right now. Maybe we're going to talk about something that's not quite as evergreen as the stuff we always talk about. Whatever it is, we're excited to bring it to you and have a new platform to keep you Disney-informed for all of your trip planning. Today, of course, we are covering Disney's D23,

[00:00:58] the fan convention that every Disney lover looks forward to, but if you are maybe a first-time planner or you're just falling down your Disney rabbit hole, maybe you don't know about D23 or what it is or why it matters. We have got you covered. We watched it together live, the big Horizons reveal show, and we had some feelings about it, which we can talk about up front. We had a lot of feelings about it.

[00:01:23] We did, which we can talk about up front here, but we're going to break down all of the announcements that were brought to you from D23, but we're going to do it in a way that makes it easy for you, our M&Ms, to understand as it relates to the trip you are planning. So we've got it really organized for you so that you can understand, take the information, do with it what you need, and then come join us in Facebook to react. Because like I said, I think we have a lot of feelings. Are you excited about this, Katie? I'm excited.

[00:01:52] There has been a lot of mixed reactions online to the 2026 D23 event with everything. But I do think it's going to be so great to hear from M&Ms on Facebook and on Instagram, to hear what your reactions were to the news. And I'm excited to dig in. Yeah. And, you know, I don't like to be a negative person by any means. And I don't want this episode to be negative because we have a lot of things to talk about that are exciting and great. Right?

[00:02:21] And this is sort of a reference guide. This whole episode is kind of a reference guide of what's changing at Disney World, Disneyland, and Disney Cruise Line primarily. And then organized in a way that actually matters for the trip that you're planning. So I'm excited about all of that and to kind of talk about it. But I have to say that I was a little underwhelmed by the D23 conference this year just in terms of, you know, two years ago. Was it two years ago? Help me understand the timeline here.

[00:02:50] Was it two years ago that we heard about villains and monsters? Was that two years ago? The 20... Yes. The 2024 D23 was this massive, here's all this news. We're adding a villains park. We're adding cars. Like there was all this huge news for the U.S. parks. Right. And the 2026 D23 was kind of like, we're going to give you maybe a tidbit more about that. So I can sum it up in one really good way. I do think the international parks, which we're not going to focus on a ton today,

[00:03:19] we will shed a little bit of light on what's happening because we want to cover everything. But we're not going to dig deep into that because it's not super relevant to the trip planning most of our M&Ms are listening to. However, if you want to plan a trip to those places, by all means, come into our communities and let's talk. They got some exciting announcements. They being the international parks. Yep. The worst moment in the entire D23 reveal show happened when they announced the title for Villains Land, which we have all been slangly, is slangly a word?

[00:03:49] We have all been slangly calling Villains Land for two years. And the announcement is literally, here's the name, Villains Land. I was like, wait, is this a joke? Villains Land. I was like, is this a joke? This is the announcement. Are you being pumped? At the end, we have that. Yeah, let's kind of dive in here so our M&Ms can hear what's happening and we'll say how we felt. We'll kind of add some of the commentary that our other co-hosts added as we were watching along together at midnight. And we had a lot to say.

[00:04:18] Let's start first with what's happening now. What is the most relevant thing to the trip you are planning? And that is Millennium Falcon, Smuggler's Run, and Fortnite, right? By Fortnite. Yes. By Fortnite, yeah. Happening at Disneyland and in Hollywood Studios. Tell us what that is. Because you're the gamer of the group. Yeah. I am the gamer of the group. I'm actually, I tell you what, I'm not a Fortnite player, but this announcement makes me want to go play Fortnite now. Yeah? Right.

[00:04:45] Because I was really excited whenever Smuggler's Run had the update and we knew that we were, you know, getting more stuff happening in the engineer seat and everything. And this is adding to that. So basically, you're going to log into Fortnite and you can play Smuggler's Gambit, which is like an island that you can choose to go play on. And you'll play with the characters that are on the ride, on the attraction at Hollywood Studios. As you are playing in the game, it will unlock things for you to do whenever you ride the ride.

[00:05:14] It's like bonus content. It is a very innovative new idea to cross video games that a lot of adult gamers, I am not personally, you know, the most I do now is if I get my old N64 out and play Mario with my, you know, Mario Kart with my brother. Or I play Madden with my son. And outside of that, you know, I'm not really gaming much, but there are a lot of people that do, including you.

[00:05:36] And this idea of crossing amusement parks, theme parks, and attractions with popular games that people enjoy and you bring them into reality. You know, that's the whole idea with, I know this isn't Disney relative, but the whole idea behind something like Nintendo World that's happening at a competitor park. You know, bringing those things to life. Yeah. That is a huge draw. So if we're going to be doing this, if this is an exploration into doing this on another level, I'm here for it. I think this was a really good announcement.

[00:06:06] I think this is a solid gain. I am not a Fortnite player. I hope that it doesn't change things in any way that make it less enticing for somebody like me who is there for the Star Wars element and the traditional attraction itself. I don't think it will interfere in that way. I think this will be very fun for gamers and I don't think it's going to matter much for those of us that aren't. So I think this is a win. And again, I look at it more of an exploration into what's to come. That is happening pretty imminently, right? That's been happening.

[00:06:35] Yeah, it's been happening since, yes, now, right now as we're recording, right? So this is not something you have to wait on. This is bonus content that you get, you know, once back on your gaming. So I think this is a cool thing for anybody that's into Fortnite, that games, and you can experience that now. No waiting. Yep, I'm excited to go do it. That is the singular exciting right now announcement. That's it.

[00:06:59] The next thing I think is really important for M&Ms to know, especially because I know a lot of you listening are in that I just booked my trip and now I'm ready to learn. But some of you are in that early I'm ready to plan phase. I'm not sure when to go. So here are some really important things that if you're thinking of a trip in the next year or so, here are some real dates. So like 2027. Yes. Here are some real dates that you may want to plan around. The number one, Monstropolis is partially opening. Okay?

[00:07:27] This is what we learned that at Hollywood Studios we're getting a partial kind of soft opening, I would say, of Monstropolis. Right? This is the new Monsters, Inc. themed land. We got confirmation. We knew some of this, but we got real confirmation that we are going to have themed dining with Harryhausen's. I'm excited about that. I, we need good food in Hollywood Studios. A sushi monster themed attraction restaurant. I'm all about it. I think this is a great win. I hope it's good. Theme park sushi.

[00:07:56] Like that sounds like it could go really bad. But I hope it's really good. I have high hopes. And I do think that there will be audio animatronics in there. And I'm, I'm looking forward to it. They gave us a little sneak peek that we'll see the octopus monster in a restaurant. So we'll see how that plays out. Yeah. Yeah. So that should be really good. I bet reservations for that will be difficult. So keep your eye on when those open for your ADRs for specifically 2027. Shops will be open. Entertainment, a new show, Welcome to Monstropolis, which is inside the Glob Theater.

[00:08:25] That will be opening in 2027 as well. So you will get this partial immersion into the new land, which is awesome. However, the new door coaster itself, which is going to be the highlight of Monsters Inc. land of Monstropolis. That's not, that's not opening up. We have no date on that. We have no idea when we can expect that, but not probably 2027. So we're getting everything but the headliner in 2027.

[00:08:53] But I tell you what, that Monsters Inc. Coaster sounds incredible. Do you want to talk a little bit more about that? So this is going to be like a launch, but not a forward launch from what I hear. It's going to be zero to, what was it, 40 feet in the air in four seconds? 40 feet in the air. And then you launch from there. In like four seconds. And then you launch from there. And so I cannot wait. I'm a little worried. The concept art looks like the train itself might be a little small.

[00:09:19] I think I counted 12 seats is what I counted in the concept art. Yeah, okay. That is not verified. I didn't count that, so I'm glad you caught it. Yeah. That's not verified information or anything by any means. But I think this is going to be maybe, this may become the best ride at Disney World. It's so unique. And there's nothing like it. And let's be real. There's no other roller coaster in the world where you are loaded and then it lifts you up to the track. Like this is totally new.

[00:09:48] And I think we've known since Monsters, Inc. was even a thing. You know, we, I know my wife and I have made the comment, this should be a roller coaster. This is such an obvious choice for a coaster. So it's going to knock, they're going to knock it out of the park. They're going to take their time. It's not opening. So if you're a person that plans and you want to wait for things, I know our advice is never, you're going to get part of Monstropolis in 27, but you're not going to get that headliner. So, you know, expect construction walls in the area. Treat it as like a bonus that you get in there a little early, but not really the main event in 2027.

[00:10:18] Okay. Some other 2027 things that you may want to plan around. Carousel of Progress, the new version coming to Magic Kingdom. It will debut late spring 2027 and it will star Jamie Lee Curtis and Bryan Cranston. Now, before you weigh in, because I know we need your take, Jamie Lee Curtis, huge fan. Love her. I think she fits. Also, Bryan Cranston, I am a huge fan. Come on, Breaking Bad. Come on. Like, this is everything.

[00:10:45] I'm into it, but I'm not a Carousel of Progress purist either. This year was, you know, a Carousel of Progress. So that was the thing that was carrying us through the Horizons panel and through the show. And I just kept feeling more nervous every time because I'm like, oh, please, I'm trusting you so much with this thing that I love. Yeah. And whenever they said Jamie Lee Curtis, I was like, I'm on board for that. That sounds great. And then they said Bryan Cranston. No shade to Bryan Cranston. He is an incredible actor. He's going to be great. A hundred percent.

[00:11:14] He's going to be great. But I was really rooting for Tom Hanks. I wanted Tom Hanks to have that role. No. So. Yeah. Again, as not a Carousel of Progress purist. I am fine with this. I look forward to it. I don't think a lot of people are probably planning their trip around this relaunch, especially because anybody that loves it is going to be more like you and is going to be hesitant. But. Yeah. We're thinking spring of 2027. So it's a quick turnaround as well. I'm nervous because the timeline is so short and they're redoing the entire ride.

[00:11:44] I'm also a little nervous about Walter White voicing my optimism for the future. Yeah. We'll see what happens there. But we'll see. I think it's going to be fun. We'll see. Okay. Animal Kingdom has some great 2027 stuff. This was the stuff I was most excited about. We have two things. This is exciting. Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto, which is an Encanto ride with the original cast returning. And El Carousel de los Animalitos, which is a Disney slash Pixar animal carousel.

[00:12:14] We don't have much information about the type of carousel. We as a podcast team talked. We're curious. Could it possibly be a fun trackless carousel or will it be a traditional circular carousel like you see in Magic Kingdom? Yeah, that will be interesting. I'm not sure. But we are going to have 22 hand carved animals, including characters that we love from movies that we love. That alone should be really, really fun. I mean, a carousel in of itself, not the most exciting of announcements.

[00:12:41] But I do think fitting for the new area and then selecting the animal that you love from your movie. Animal Kingdom needs more no height requirement rides. And we're getting two. So this is huge. Have you looked at the hand carved animals that they've shown us? They've shown us like 22 at this point. Yes. Timon has like a raccoon tail. What's going on with Timon? I look forward to seeing these in their full iterations and when we get to actually do it. We'll see. I'm excited.

[00:13:11] Antonio's Fiesta de Encanto. This is the cream of the crop. This is the one. I cannot wait. This is a no height requirement ride through the casita themed around Antonio's gift day. It is a trackless ride like Remy and has more than 50 animals throughout the attraction. This is everything. What a perfect fit for Animal Kingdom. Talking to the animals, being able to bring Encanto IP into the parks. It's going to be beautiful. It's going to be great. I'm going to love it.

[00:13:41] I'm already there for it. A hundred percent. I think it's a really perfect fit. And my family is really excited to ride through casita. I think it's going to be so much fun. We cannot wait. Yes. So those are all of the 2027 announcements for Disney World. Sadly. That's it. That's the imminently coming 2027 stuff. Disneyland. We've got Disneyland. Remember Dreams Come True, the fireworks, returning to Disneyland with refreshed projections starting in February of 2027.

[00:14:08] World of Color, bringing World of Color back to a refreshed version of the original show in early 2027. So I guess that means replacing World of Color 1. The OG show is among the best in Disney. So that is some exciting news. And then the Magic Happens Parade at Disneyland, returning daytime parade. First time since 2024. They haven't had a parade like that since 2024. So that's exciting. Those are some good little anchors to Disneyland, you know?

[00:14:36] And if you're thinking about heading out west to the California parks, those are some exciting things to consider for those upcoming trips. Which, you know, 2027 Disneyland isn't even open to book yet as of recording this. So you've got plenty of time to plan around those things. But it's kind of sad that we just have a little bit of nugget of excitement for 2027 with lots of stuff on the horizon for Disney World. But that's, I think, why the D23 announcements in general sort of fell flat. And that's kind of where I stand on that, you know? Yeah.

[00:15:03] To be fair, like we had such big, big announcements in 2024 that I don't know that they could have kept up with us feeling so much momentum in 2026. Yeah. Exactly. I wish we got more than we did. Yeah. So the farther out things, the good for the someday trip goals, you know, you're really going to have to wait a while if you're waiting on these things. But to know that we learned about it at D23, the Stark Fight Lab, first of all, Flight Lab, excuse me. Flight Lab. Yeah, Flight Lab.

[00:15:31] My family and I just started the Marvel Universe. Okay. We started with the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies, which are out of order. But of course, that's where we started because Brand New Day is in theaters. We are so hooked. We went to the theater. We saw Brand New Day. We loved it. But first, we binged all three of the Tom Holland Spider-Mans at home. So we're just gently learning. You know, Becky's dog is named Stark. I didn't even know what that meant until now. Okay. This is how new I am to the Marvelverse.

[00:15:58] So I am now excited to go back and dig into these. And by 2028, we will have fallen down that rabbit hole much more successfully to really know what the Stark Flight Lab is. It's going to Disney's California Adventure and the Avengers Campus as well as the Avengers Infinity Defense. These are both things coming to Disneyland California Adventure in 2028. One is an Iron Man themed flight training attraction. That sounds super cool. Probably similar to like Soarin' or Flight of Passage, I would assume.

[00:16:28] And then the new recruit mission attraction with returning Marvel stars like Hawkeye, Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man. So by the way, where is Tom Holland in Spider-Man? I guess I need to learn more about the Avengers to know where he is. But the rest of it sounds really cool. That's, but again, that's Disneyland and that's 2028. Yes. I'm really excited. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is fantastic. I'm so excited that we're getting more development that's happening in that area, even if it is all the way over in Disneyland. Yeah.

[00:16:58] So. Okay. We'll see. The following things have no date yet. This is where I got very frustrated. This means do not delay planning a trip around the wait for any of these things. These are confirmed or teased at D23, but Disney gave us no opening timelines. They're just good bucket list items for someday I would like to do this, but do not hold off booking a trip to do them. The reason I'm frustrated is because we already knew about a lot of this. This was two years ago information. So Villain's Land, called Villain's Land, is really exciting.

[00:17:28] That's a huge expansion on the same scale as like Galaxy's Edge, right? It's going to be incredibly immersive in storytelling. It's going to be huge. We did learn the storyline of the land. It's that Disney villains have made an evil wish in the wishing well and they've poisoned the magic throughout the forest and many villains come to claim the wishing well's power and it creates perfect new layers for themselves. And we'll be seeing Cruella de Vil, the evil queen from Snow White, Dr. Facilier, among other

[00:17:55] villains in different portions of this part of the park. There is going to be a Maleficent coaster, which was confirmed. It's a race through the Briarwood atop the mountaintop fortress where you will come face to face with the mistress of evil herself, Maleficent. Plus an evil queen magic mirror dark boat ride in the evil queen's palace. You'll be transported into the mirror realm where you'll be transfixed by countless Disney villains and conjured into the ways that only the magic mirror can do. Both of those sound amazing. One is a coaster.

[00:18:24] One is a non-height requirement. Both are immersive and evil, but just on the right level. I think this is going to be scary and dark and cool, but we don't know when it's coming. We just know that it's called Villain's Land. Yes. I'm very excited for both of these. I do think that coaster is going to be totally incredible and I can't wait. But I also, I have some reservations about us going into the mirror realm with the magic mirror. You know, I love the villains show over at Hollywood Studios right now.

[00:18:51] And the take of that show is you're interacting with the magic mirror and he's, you know, confronting all of these villains for who's treated most unfairly. And you kind of have to buy into that concept. So I'll be interested to see how easy it is to buy into the concept of this ride. I think it's going to be great. I think they're going to do it well. I think it's okay that there's no timeline on the opening because I think really great things take time. So that's two new rides at Magic Kingdom. I think it's funny too.

[00:19:19] We saw like, we saw some of the concept art for the new, you know, ride that's going to be in the mirror realm. And it looks very underworld inspired. It looks like Hercules where you have Hades in the underworld. I don't know. Yeah. We'll see. We get Piston Peak National Park slash Cars Land. We already knew about this. We are getting two new confirmed attractions there, which is the Ridge Run Rally and Miss Fritter's Daredevil spin along.

[00:19:46] So all in all, we have confirmation of four new attractions at Magic Kingdom alone in the coming future. That's going to mess with lightning lanes and single pass rides and all kinds of different things. So stay tuned because there's going to be a lot to come about that. That's all we have from D23. That's it. They did mention in 2024 or maybe since 2024 that there would be sort of like a geyser walking path in the new Piston Peak area. And we didn't get any like new updates on that.

[00:20:14] I think it's going to be kind of similar to Moana Journey of Water, but they didn't say anything about that. They did say that we're going to see like water features and stuff on Ridge Run Rally, which is going to be like a racing coaster. And they said that Miss Fritter's Daredevil spin, spin along is, it's going to be kind of like that attraction that's at Disneyland too. But Miss Fritter is like a bus, right? She's an animatronic the size of a bus. Yeah. Could be cool. We'll see. We've got time. We have Animal Kingdom.

[00:20:42] We know Indiana Jones, the myth of the Jade Serpent is definitely coming and Expedition Everest Yeti restoration is happening. For the Yeti, this was just maintenance that was disguised as an announcement. It's a nice bonus if it happens before your visit. That should not have qualified. This is not something to wait on. This is silly. Indiana Jones, I'm excited to see if this stacks up at all to the Disneyland version of the ride. This is a story of this attraction takes place before the Crystal Skull, where Indiana

[00:21:08] encounters like the ancient artifact that opens the portal to the Mayan underworld. Harrison Ford is still being scanned for the animatronic. So it's really just in the early stages. You know, you got to kind of think of this when my girl that my daughter that just went to sixth grade today when she starts high school, maybe we'll see this. So this is distant future, right? I love that this is a new original indie concept too. If you really love the Indiana Jones, you know, IP and the films, this is going to feel

[00:21:34] classic indie, but it's also a brand new story with the Jade Serpent where we're going to be opening a portal to the Mayan underworld. I'm sensing a theme here. Yeah. Very underworld with the villain's land and this. How about for our magic word today? We'll use underworld for anybody listening. Okay. For Epcot, spaceship Earth story refresh. Womp womp. What a big announcement. The story is being updated for the first time in over 20 years. I guess that's cool.

[00:22:03] If you want your kids to ride the current communication version, soon is safe because they're going to have to close it to do the update. There is no closure date set yet. This new story is going to be the impact of human connection. Of course, that's very relevant to today's society. Be on the lookout for that closure as it could impact your trip. Figment and the Dream Finder reunion. Give me a break. Can we just get rid of Figment? Dream Finder is officially returning to the journey of the imagination alongside Figment. Closing a 27-year gap.

[00:22:31] It was removed in 1999. This was the big closing surprise of D23. No date. No name. More scope confirmed yet. Just Disney hasn't said if it's going to be a full ride overhaul or just a small refresh. No rush to ride the current version. Nothing's closing yet. We know nothing. This is going to be one of those things where they announced it two years ago and now we're just now starting to see the evolution in my opinion. Yeah. I think that people who are diehard Figment lovers are going to be really excited.

[00:23:00] The Dream Finder is coming back. I don't know if Neil Patrick Harris is confirmed to actually be the model for that character. They kind of hinted at it but never really confirmed that. We'll see. But I'm interested for the new Spaceship Earth story. I love Spaceship Earth. I have a shirt that says thank the Phoenicians. Like I love it. Will we be thanking the Phoenicians and the new one that's all about human connection? Who's to say? Yeah. Hollywood Studios, we already said, Monsters Inc. door coaster. We don't know when it's coming.

[00:23:29] One of the things I was most excited about, the new Coco boat ride coming to California Adventure. No date set. Yes. It was a new dark ride based on Coco set one year after the film with an entrance that features Miguel's great grandfather, Héctor Riviera and his music. And the boat that will carry gas through the land of the dead. That's going to be stunning. I cannot wait. Coco is in my top three of Pixar films. We got the Coco 2 announcement. And it was like six years in the future when we got that announcement.

[00:23:59] That gap is closing now. It's like maybe two or three years away. But the boat ride, probably on par with that, probably going to open around the same time. I'm very excited that this new Coco attraction is coming to California Adventure. But I'm also so salty that it's not coming to Epcot. I really wish that the Fiesta Boat Tour would just transform into this ride. And maybe in the very distant future it will. Who's to say? And then the very last thing that's coming sometime is the Tomorrowland redesign in Disneyland. Land.

[00:24:28] That's pretty cool. But again, we can't even talk about it really because we don't know what's going to happen. New rides maybe. Things to look forward to. But you can't plan around it and it's far in the future. It's going to cause some disruption along the way. It's like an overhaul of the entire land. They did say new attractions, new spaces to dream about tomorrow. I have mixed feelings about this because I love the identity of Tomorrowland is this sort of retro futuristic thing. And we are, it seems like we're leaning into purely futuristic.

[00:24:58] So I'm trusting you Disney Imagineers. So you have your imminent stuff. You have your next year stuff. You have your in the future stuff. Disney Cruise Line had a small awkward section of the D23 announcement. It was very odd. Disney Cruise Line is like my favorite Disney realm. And so I was very disappointed in this. We learned about the Believe, the fourth Wish Class ship, first looks at the Grand Hall. Moana is the signature statue.

[00:25:26] Buzz and Woody are on the stern and Tinkerbell is on the bow. That feels like a very weird kettle of characters. Buzz and Woody, Tinkerbell, and Moana. I just, you can honestly thread any Disney characters together and talk about how their story is Believe. So I, this feels like a ship to me so far that's coming together and doesn't know their own identity. But we will see what happens. I think it's some weird choices, honestly, up front. Yeah, I, I'm not sure how that's going to go. I think it's going to be great. I mean, Disney Cruise Lines, the cruise ships are always incredible.

[00:25:55] But it feels a little bit like whenever you go to the Riviera and you're like, what's the theme here? It's French. I love the Wish Class ships. I've done them all. It's going to be great. I'm going to go on it. The window will probably open soon, if I had to guess. You know, we're looking probably semi-soon to get to book that. Great. Can't wait. But honestly, the announcements did not excite me. We have more Southern California sailings out of San Diego. Those are coming. Disney is going to double the West Coast departures. That's great news if you want to avoid going to Florida or if that's where you live or if

[00:26:24] you're looking for those itineraries. That's some cool information. Those tend to be a little less expensive. So good news all around, but nothing too exciting. They also mentioned in the Disney Cruise Line segment that they're opening a new class of ships that's going to be in between their original smaller ships and the huge Wish Class ships. But that's all they said about it. We're getting a medium in between. But we already knew that. We already knew that. We already had that info. So then I was also frustrated because I was so excited. They're like, come in new? And I was like, no, you already told us that.

[00:26:54] And we already knew it was going to be smaller than the Wish Class. So international things, this is for your Sunday list, which Paris is on. My wife and I are hopefully hitting in November for the first time. I'm very excited. New Disney theme park resorts planned for the Abu Dhabi parks. Very early stages. No dates. That whole situation is probably going to be difficult to access for the everyday M&M listener. Spider-Man Land is coming to Shanghai Disney Resort. Wow. That is so cool. I am so jealous. Oh yeah. No dates yet. I hope Tom Holland is heavily involved.

[00:27:22] Avengers and Stark Expo expansion for Hong Kong. No dates yet for that either. So some cool things coming. I mean, Disneyland Paris already has Arendelle. They're already doing cool things in the international parks that we're not getting. Those are for your Sundays. Okay. That really covers everything. And I really feel like it's flat. I mean, great things for your planning purposes, knowing what's coming, knowing what to plan around and plan for. Just really fast in a list format. I'm going to say this too because I think it's relevant. Some Disney media, movie, TV, and games that are coming.

[00:27:52] I know Becky's family is so into hitting those Disney movies. When you go on a Disney cruise, they'll play them in the theater when you're on board. So some important cool stuff. Percy Jackson and the Olympians season three coming November 20th of 2026 on Disney Plus. Hexed, the brand new story coming November 25th of 2026. That's going to be Disney animation. Avengers Doomsday is this year, December 18th. That's a Marvel studio film. I'm going to try to really get caught up by that. I would like to be part of the theater going experience. Gato.

[00:28:22] Gato coming March 5th, 2027. That's the new Pixar film. I'm actually very excited. Bluey, the movie. We're getting bluey. August 6th of next year, 2027. That is going to be so exciting. My kids are even going to be like probably too old quote for bluey. I think we're still going to go see it. Everybody loves bluey. Frozen 3. We got a teaser trailer for it. November 24th, 2027. I'm excited for that. Can't go wrong with Frozen. Maybe more than one. So I am excited about Frozen 3.

[00:28:51] Although the teaser trailer did not get me super excited. The new villain. You're going to have to really sell me on her. I wasn't automatically drawn in and super pumped about it. So we'll see. Avengers Secret Wars. Exactly almost to the day a year later than the 2026 movie coming December 27th. I hope to be very fully immersed in Avengers by then. Kingdom Hearts 4, late 2027 window. That's a Disney Square Enix video game. Maybe you know what that is. I don't. That's not really my thing. Yes.

[00:29:20] I love Kingdom Hearts. I got to meet the Kingdom Hearts characters in Disneyland last October. So that's for you. And it was great. So I'm so excited. Ghost Market, 2028 March. Pixar. X-Men reboot. May 5th, 2028. Another Marvel studio. Lilo and Stitch 2. I guess that's an animated continuation. I think it's a live action continuation. Okay. So. Yeah. I'm in either way. I'm into a future story there. Incredibles 3.

[00:29:50] Summer 2028. We're talking so far in the future at this point. Your little kids are going to be big kids at this point. Coco 2. Yeah. We've known about this forever. It's November, 2029. I know. It's coming forever. So Utopia 3, no date announced. Princess Diary 3. The Queen has announced she's not going to be part of that film. So that's kind of womp womp. Vision Quest, no date announced on Disney+. And then Kingdom Hearts the series, no date announced on Disney+.

[00:30:15] So basically in summary, there are only four things from D23 that have real dates that you should factor into your Disney planning. The Tropical America rides, which are targeting 2027. And that's the Encanto and the Carousel. And Monstropolis with a partial opening of 2027. Carousel Progress, spring 2027. Everything else is exciting, but no reason to wait for. You know, you're going to need to go and then go again. The rundown in the coming years, Disney World is getting four new themed lands, eight new rides,

[00:30:44] one new show, and two new restaurants, plus a couple of ride updates. So when you look at it like that, it's very exciting. But because that is such a big undertaking with lands and attractions and food and everything, they announced it all really early. And now they need time to make it come to life, which is, I think, why we didn't get a lot of new. Right? There's not a lot of room for new because there is so much new. I will say my personal highlights from D23 were Lin-Manuel Miranda getting into the Disney Legends and Anne Hathaway. And Anne Hathaway. That was sweet. Alan Tudyk, too.

[00:31:14] Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Fantastic. I think the show did not seem Disney quality to me. I thought it was a really weird. I thought it was a really weird announcement show. And I hope... The Horizon show was kind of... The Horizon show. Yeah. I hope that they... Yeah, yeah. ...better prepare themselves for that event in the next two years. I hope that it just continues to grow and becomes a thing we can stream, but it has more Disney expectations when it comes to the way they pull it off. All right. That's your D23 update straight from us on Moms Behind the Magic.

[00:31:43] Lots to look forward to. Not a lot of certainty yet on dates and everything, but you got a lot to plan for. We can help. Come to the community. Let us know what you are most excited for. Hit the link in today's show notes. That is going to do it for us on this More Magic episode of The Moms Behind the Magic. Until next time, we're sending you fun, love, and joy, and we'll see you real soon.