The D23 Ultimate Disney Fan Event, that we will refer to as the D23 Expo from this point on, is a few short weeks away. Rumors are circulating, predictions are rolling in and Disney is releasing more and more details about the actual event. In the leadup to the 2026 Expo, Wandering in Disney will have several predictions posts coming out before the final one being a culmination of our actual predictions. The first of our predictions posts will be looking at smaller things Disney can announce that would greatly improve the parks!

Until our final predictions post comes out, which will be about a week prior to the D23 Expo, the ones before it will be filled with rumors, some educated (or sourced) guesses, and hopes. This specific post, which won’t include any predictions of major expansion or brand new rides, is a little tougher to (uhh…) predict because Josh D’Amaro and Neil Patrick Harris aren’t going to get on stage at the Parks showcase and announce menu overhauls or how the company is working behind the scenes to make capacity stronger during the holidays. I would love that but I’m guessing the majority of the Honda Center might doze off.

In other words, some of the smaller announcements will be kept for the Disney Parks Blog a few months down the road. Heck, some of these predictions just won’t happen at all! Such is life. But I’m going to try my best to pinpoint some smaller announcements that could, or at least should, happen on August 15th.

All of these predictions posts will span the globe but the majority of the announcements will likely be in the domestic parks. I think Disney Cruise Line will also receive some buzzy news but that’s more outside of my realm so I’ll stick to the parks in these posts! Here are a few smaller announcements that I hope come out of the 2026 D23 Expo.

Daytime Entertainment in Bigger Venues

An alternative title to this header is “Why Do I Miss KiteTails?” The Disney Parks have a substantial amount of space for daytime entertainment that isn’t being used. Some of those spots have been long rumored to hold a show, like the Fantasmic Theatre at Hollywood Studios. Frankly, I don’t see that one happening but I’ll keep my fingers crossed. It’s more likely that we see some of the existing daytime entertainment at DHS replaced than them expanding the offerings at the massive amphitheater.

More likely is a new show in Animal Kingdom’s large theater or a new castle show at Magic Kingdom. Both of these fill the big spaces and have already offered daytime entertainment in the past. In fact, Mickey’s Magical Friendship Fare is still running on the Magic Kingdom stage. It debuted over a decade ago and is due for a replacement.

If I had to place bets, I think it’s more likely that we hear about a nighttime show coming to Animal Kingdom rather than a daytime show. And if I only had to pick one, I’d always go nighttime. But I dream of those glorious kites crashing into the stands, while jet skis zipped around the water. Placing a bigger show here, at least in the cooler months of the year could add to the park’s atmosphere and give some alternative programming to the coming Tropical Americas.

Over at Disneyland Resort, I don’t see anything going in the Hyperion at this point but I’d love to be wrong! It’s more likely that the massive theater is torn down than a show being put inside. While Bluey has called the Fantasyland Theatre home for a few months now, announcing an actual stage show for the space would be a boon.

That’s five different locations that could all house new daytime entertainment. Honestly, I’d take even one of those spaces being put to better use during the day!

Enhancements to Parades

While I think a new parade being announced at D23 Expo is possible (more on that soon), I think the most likely parade announcement is that at least one of the stateside parade receives some pixie dust. Most likely, that comes in the form of another float. Over at Magic Kingdom, Disney Starlight has been a great addition but could really use one more piece or at least some more street performers. Festival of Fantasy is a little long in the tooth at this point so enhancing it would be a nice touch, if it’s not out and replaced.

Disneyland Resort’s parade enhancements could simply be keeping Paint the Night around. The nighttime parade has been running for the resort’s 70th anniversary and is set to end that run before the Expo begins. While it will take a break during the holiday season, announcing that it will return come January or February would be an easy win. Heck, we’d take Magic Happens returning too!

Not all of this will happen but announcing one of those things wouldn’t be shocking and a great addition.

A Disneyland Resort Reservation Cutback

As silly as this might sound, I’m not sure anything would make the Anaheim crowd cheer quite like easing the Disneyland reservation process. With all day park hopping returning to the resort, maybe this is the next fan-friendly step to take.

I’ll be clear, Disneyland Resort will never drop reservations completely. The parks are too busy during certain times of the year and the company likes knowing where guests will be. But, implementing some good to go dates for Annual Passholders is an easy win that’s just sitting right there. As usual, September will likely be a quieter month and a great time to launch this.

Magic Kingdom Dining

We’ll start here with the elephant in the room. There’s something going on beside Haunted Mansion. There’s visual proof of that! Now, this could just be some land clearing, something to do with Piston Peak or they could just be making Tangled Toilet 2.0. But, there’s plenty of reason to believe that a Haunted Mansion Parlor, similar to what we’ve seen on the Disney Destiny and Treasure cruise ships.

That would help in addressing one of Walt Disney World’s biggest problems – Magic Kingdom’s dining scene. Frankly, I’d rather see a full on counter-service restaurant themed to the classic ride than a parlor or bar but we’ll take what we can get! After the mostly successful Beak & Barrel addition, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Imagineering try their hand at another highly atmospheric lounge.

I think dining location details for Piston Peak could also be revealed but I’d love to see something else added to Magic Kingdom. Like I mentioned above, this might be a little too small of a scale to announce at the D23 Expo but it would go a long ways in helping the park.

Opening Dates & Seasons

This one is boring but will most assuredly happen. Dropping opening dates or seasons is an easy way to renew interest in previously announced projects. Plus, I’m sure Disney wants to get fans ready to book trips for the upcoming additions. Technically, these aren’t small wins like the thesis of this post but they also aren’t new announcements so I threw them in here!

We’ve already got a date for The Magic of Disney Animation (September 14th) and I expect some more details about the space to be shared either during the showcase or on the show floor.

Four projects I’ll be keeping an eye on for opening seasons are:

• Tokyo Disneyland’s new Space Mountain
• Animal Kingdom’s Tropical Americas
• California Adventure’s new Marvel attractions
• Monstropolis at Hollywood Studios

There’s reasons to believe or doubt each of these. Space Mountain is the most feasible, thanks to the project nearing completion. The issue here is that Oriental Land Company owns the Tokyo Disney Resort and might want to announce the opening date at a different time. For the record, our guess is April of 2027.

The two Walt Disney World projects could receive dates, with Tropical Americas being the most likely. It’s been said many times that they are shooting for a 2027 opening. I would be very surprised if the land will be ready for summer. Seeing Disney play it conservative and throw out a late 2027 date gives them flexibility while also giving fans a breadcrumb.

Monstropolis is farther along than anticipated so maybe we get an opening season there! This would be a pleasant surprise and could add some real excitement to the upcoming WDW additions. I think this is unlikely but that project is moving very quickly.

Finally, there’s the new rides coming to California Adventure. That includes Avengers: Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab. I think late 2027 is the goal here but it’s a lofty goal! I’ll be listening closely when they share details on if they drop a year here. This might end up being vague.

There are a few hopes and predictions for some of the smaller scale announcements at the 2026 D23 Expo. What do you want to see announced? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Disneyland? Check out our Planning Guide here. Looking for discount tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!