The D23 Expo took place August 14-16 in Anaheim, CA and it was a BIG deal this year. I had heard of the expo before and had been curious about it; but never was interested to attend. Then when I was at the Social Media Moms Celebration this past May, Jeffrey Epstein from D23 gave a presentation. The theme of his presentation was “When Did It Start For You?” While I found his presentation interesting, I felt like D23 was going to be a big deal this year. Apparently it was. There were tweets, Facebook posts, Periscopes and video blogs going up everywhere about this year’s D23.
The biggest news is the new addition of Star Wars Land on both the East and West Coast and then the addition of Toy Story Land on the East Coast. The Star Wars and Toy Story Lands will be at Hollywood Studios. Given the recent closings of several attractions at Hollywood Studios it is no surprise that something was going to happen there. If you follow any of the rumors in the Disney community, there has been a lot of chatter about a Star Wars Land coming to Hollywood Studios for a few years now. There was also a rumor that Cars Land would be coming to the East Coast; but I always felt that it belonged in the West Coast to give people a reason to travel out to Disneyland and see all they have to offer.
This is a BIG deal. I have been reading posts on Facebook recently with people showing sections of Anaheim being purchased by Disney. There was talk that it was purchased for a parking garage, to move Disney offices off property from the actual parks to an off-site location.
Star Wars Lands
The plans to bring Star Wars lands to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World is very ambitious. The Star Wars lands will have two signature attractions,. one including the Millennium Falcon and the other that puts guests in the middle of a climatic battle.
What could this mean for the future of runDisney races? I bet there will be some EPIC races to come to runDisney when these 14- acre lands are completed. Imagine that? Two Star Wars lands on each coast, the coast to coast Star Wars race challenges, the MEDALS! It’s going to be so awesome and I have to take part in it!
Toy Story Land
Toy Story Land sounds awesome to me! Toy Story is one of my favorite movies. The new land being built in Hollywood Studios will give guests the perspective of being the size of a toy and explore the world of Andy’s backyard.
Some of the attractions you can look forward to at Toy Story Land will be a family friendly roller coaster incorporating Slinky Dog’s back as part of the coaster, an Alien saucers attraction with the little green aliens taking a spin in their flying saucers, in addition to the already existing Toy Story Mania.
What does this mean for things already existing at Hollywood Studios like The Osborne Lights? Will this be the last year for it? What else will be going away in Hollywood Studios? Stay tuned to the Disney Park Blog and Twitter and my blog for the latest updates and news!