Destination D23 took place last weekend at Walt Disney World. After a historic D23 Expo in 2024, Destination D23 offered smaller announcements and updates on different projects. That isn’t to say there wasn’t stuff to get excited about! A few surprises mixed with some encouraging updates made this year’s WDW heavy announcements an act in reassurance. Imagineering seems to be rolling.

We’ve covered the majority of these announcements. A few smaller items we let slip by us to cover in a post like this. And by post like this I mean the return of the extremely famous (don’t question it) Wandering in Disney Excitement Meter. Or was it hype meter before? Since it’s extremely famous, I’m sure someone else remembers.

Anyway, I’ll be going through the announcements from last weekend and sharing how excited I am about each one on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the most excited. We’ll keep this all relative to the weekend’s announcements and not in the grand scheme of things. Again, Destination D23 largely focused on smaller projects and updates. These super important ratings are based solely on my feelings and how excited I am about them.

Is this all a gimmick for me to recap the weekend and a little blurb about each announcement? I’ll let you be the judge but, proceed with caution, you don’t want to know what happened to the last guy that disrespected the Wandering in Disney Excitement (Hype?) Meter. Let’s get to it, in no particular order.

2026 D23 Expo Dates – 4/10

It’s not that I’m not excited for the 2026 D23 Expo, I am! The event itself is a blast and the expo should include some big updates and fresh news. But I can’t get too over the top over announcing dates for an event that I already knew was happening. I have to pace myself! The 2026 D23 Expo will take place in Anaheim on August 14-16. If you’re interested in the event, we recommend getting tickets as soon as they’re on sale.

Carousel of Progress Update & Walt Disney Animatronic – 10/10

So much for pacing myself! This was the biggest surprise, at least to me, at Destination D23. I’ve long been an advocate for an update to Carousel of Progress and am happy to see that’s coming to Magic Kingdom. More than that, a Walt Disney animatronic will be added to the attraction to introduce it. I’m pleasantly surprised that the company is investing in a legacy theme park attraction over more IP based rides. Details on the actual attraction update are scarce but everything mentioned is promising.

Tron: Ares Overlay Coming to Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom and Shanghai – 5/10

While this might score low on our famous excitement meter, this is the sort of project where there’s no negative! Media marketing for the new Tron movie in October will pave the way for the overlay, which begins on September 15th. The roller coaster will receive some new lighting and we don’t think it will alter the experience all that much. But something a little different is always a welcome addition!

Napa Rose Concept Art – 5/10

The Grand Californian’s signature restaurant is in the midst of a makeover and I’m excited about that! This is one of the best Disney restaurants in the world and it needed a refresh post-COVID. But the news itself in this update wasn’t overly exciting to me, focusing on the outdoor patio that seems nice but not unique. For that, it gets a 5/10. Here’s the news:

The outdoor patio is being thoughtfully enhanced to welcome more guests for al fresco dining. Imagine settling into a comfortable seat surrounded by lush greenery and soft lighting, the California breeze enhancing the flavors of your meal. The space invites you to relax and savor each bite while taking in the beautiful outdoor setting.  

Two new fireplaces will cast a warm, flickering glow across the patio, adding a cozy and inviting touch to the atmosphere. As the sun sets, you can gather around the fire, reflecting on your Disney day and enjoying the ambiance.

Cinderella Castle Makeover at Magic Kingdom – 8/10

We love a new paint job that looks like the old paint job! The most recent Cinderella Castle look at Magic Kingdom grew on me over time but I’m very excited to see the icon go back to the gray, blue and gold. Now bring back Dream Lights to the castle at Christmas time and we are set!

Moana Restaurant Coming to Hong Kong Disneyland – 4/10

Details were very scarce on this announcement so it’s hard to be overly excited. That said, adding a new dining spot to Hong Kong is a good thing. On top of that, a Moana theme is welcome as that’s one of the best Disney animated movies of this century. We might just have to go to Hong Kong to find out more about it.

Disneyland Handcrafted Announcement – 6/10

This theme park based documentary is coming to Disney+ this winter. Leslie Iwerks, who made The Imagineering Story, is the documentarian. Disneyland Handcrafted will explore the park’s roots and how it came to be, using footage from Disney archives and more.

I’m eager to see the project and it should be comfort food to any Disney theme park fan. That excitement is brought down a little bit personally because I’m terrible at finishing TV shows. I just prefer movies! But I’ll somehow find it in me to persevere while watching a few hours of TV.

Architecture Style Revealed for Villains Land – 5/10

It’s another one of those cases where I’m extremely excited for the actual project but the news didn’t blow me away. Not that it was meant to, this was a nice enough small update. I found the architecture mentioned to be a little surprising and exciting. They seem to be doing everything right when it comes to the research for this project. As much as I like seeing photos of Imagineers exploring Europe’s great cities, I have a hard time giving anything above a 5 for it.

Opening Season Announced for World of Frozen in Paris – 9/10

The World of Frozen opening season announcement wasn’t surprising but it’s exciting nonetheless. Disney Adventure World (currently Walt Disney Studios Park) desperately needs some marquee additions and we’ll see that with World of Frozen. Having this being roughly half a year away shows how close we are to the theme park taking a giant step in gaining respectability. We are eager to see the park improve.

What did you think of these Destination D23 announcements? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below. Planning a Disney trip? Check out our Travel Guides to help get you there! This site has discounted tickets for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. If you enjoy what you’re reading here on Wandering in Disney please subscribe to the blog via email or WordPress and like our social media pages. You can find all of those things on the right side of this page. Thank you very much for reading, we appreciate it!