Hello, and welcome to Dateline Disney World! We were lucky to attend Destination D at the Walt Disney World Resort last weekend and have lots of photos and news to share. The event theme was Mickey Mouse, as he turned 90 years old on Sunday. But there were also some big reveals from Bob Chapek about Star Wars land and future attractions. We have lots of photos and things to talk about, so let’s get started!
We are back at Disney’s contemporary resort for the first official day of @DisneyD23 #DestinationD pic.twitter.com/lwvaCIeoYy
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 17, 2018
Welcome to Destination D at the Contemporary
Let’s head inside
There was a featured exhibit at the event, Mickey’s Magical Kingdoms, which included original artwork, artifacts, and information about attractions from all over the Disney Parks around the world. The selections were carefully chosen from the Walt Disney Archives specifically to showcase Mickey’s evolution from his beginnings to the mouse we know today.
There was also a lot of Mickey merchandise from years past. . .
Bob Chapek Keynote at Destination D Revealed New Details
Bob Chapek, Chairman of Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products opened up the event with some exciting announcements. Some of the highlights include:
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is the official title of the attraction.
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 17, 2018
- Illuminations will be retired after the summer of 2019. In the interim between shows, there will be a limited-time experience called “Epcot Forever” that will be themed to classic Epcot music featuring an array of dazzling special effects
- The new, revamped Illuminations is “a celebration of Disney music around the world”, and will include intellectual properties, such as Moana, the Lion King, etc
- The Disney Skyliner system will open in Fall of 2019
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in fall 2019
- The names of the two attractions at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge are “Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run” and “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance”
- John Williams composed original music specifically for Galaxy’s Edge
- The China Circlevision show at Epcot is being updated, and O’Canada will be updated with new video footage as well.
- A new singalong show with Beauty and the Beast will be added to the France pavilion and will alternate performances with Impressions de France
- The new hotel being built on the old River Country site is named “Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Lodge”
Star Wars hotel is onboard a starship. Bob compared it to a cruise. pic.twitter.com/aLh5nBLtBl
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 17, 2018
What are you most looking forward to from the Destination D announcements (choose up to 3 items)?
Shopping!
It wouldn’t be a Disney event without the opportunity to buy something. And this event has some really cool stuff from the store for Imagineers.
Did you see an item above you can’t live without? I really couldn’t afford to buy as much as I did. Passholder problems. LOL.
Panels and Opportunities
Of course, much of the weekend was taken up with panels and other opportunities.
Here for some panels! @DisneyD23 #DestinationD pic.twitter.com/s4VsDhZtp2
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 18, 2018
First panel is Mickey’s Lost Adventures! #DestinationD pic.twitter.com/etOPILqt5b
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 18, 2018
We just watched the voices of Mickey and Goofy read a script from Mickey’s Candy Mine, an old radio spot. #DestinationD
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 18, 2018
The whistles from the boat in Steamboat Willie are being used for the locomotive whistle in Runaway Railway. #DestinationD
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 18, 2018
#DestinationD pic.twitter.com/K4kyJeIwMB
— MiceChat (@MiceChat) November 18, 2018
Those are the highlights from a really exciting weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort. If you haven’t been to a Destination D, it sort of flips the idea of the D23 Expo inside out. Instead of you lining up to see the panels and exhibits, at Destination D you stay in place and they bring most everything to you. It’s a really great experience for the Disney super-nerds . . . like me. If you follow our Twitter, you saw much of this live on our page – there’s still more on our Twitter that we haven’t posted here.
What do you think of the Destination D exhibits? What are your thoughts on all the major announcements? Have you attended a Destination D? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading everyone, we’ll see you again real soon!
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