D23:Disney Fan Expo 2022 Reactions

D23 2022

Dan: All right. Welcome back to another meeting of the gold key adventurer society. My name is Dan Leonard.

Jeff: Hi, Dan.

Dan: Hi, Jeff. Joining me this week in the studio. Speaking of is Jeff Williams

Jeff: Hi there.

Dan: and Heather straight.

Heather: How's it

Dan: It is our show as always is brought to you by Key to the World Travel.  Key to the World Travel is a full service travel agency, specializing in theme parks, cruising and destinations around the world.

Head to www.keytotheworldtravel.com for more details and a no obligation quote on the vacation of a lifetime.

Jeff: Yeah,

Heather: lifetime.

Jeff: but can you take more than one vacation?

Heather: Mm it's. Allowed.

Jeff: Okay. So it doesn't have to be the only one of your lifetime.

Heather: Mm that's true.

Jeff: Okay.

Dan: no, they'll just all be the greatest vacation of your

Heather: That's

Jeff: that I'm down with

Dan: every single one, every single one. It's that time again, the parties have wrapped the convention floors that have been swept up. The stage lights are dimmed, and now all those Disney stands get to pick apart all the juicy nuggets of news from this year's D 23 fan convention.

Jeff: news nuggets.

Dan: Juicy nos. There's. there's a lot to cover. So let's start,

Heather: So much stuff.

Dan: I've got, I have so many tabs open on my browser right now. I'm afraid I'm gonna break the internet.

Jeff: I just did that. So I don't

Heather: Yeah.

Jeff: it.

Dan: yes, you did. Let's start off. We got not a lot of details on these things but we got a sneak peek of a few things that were on display on the convention floor throughout the weekend. First up, we got to see the, the the dreamer statue Walt Disney dreamer.

Jeff: I love it.

Dan: the I'm all about it.

I'm a little jealous of the people that got to stand right there next to Walt and

Jeff: Do we think that's the actual scale of it? Like it's pretty small.

Dan: I don't know.

Jeff: Walt seems like just life size

Heather: I guess if it's gonna be kinda like the ones like that, Roy and mini he's. Yeah.

Dan: yeah, I think it was meant to be life size, so you could sit next to him

Heather: Yeah. So it's like, it's you're hanging with uncle Walt. I like that.

Jeff: I like it. The other one is life size too, but it's up on the pedestal. The partner statue at magic kingdom feels bigger, but I guess once I saw the other version of it at the studios, it is just life size, but it, it, they make it seem so much bigger with the pedestal and the fencing around it.

Dan: actually with that statue, it is slightly larger than lifes size because Blaine Gibson made it bigger on purpose. This is super nerdy. But I just re-listed to Wal Disney biography at one point, Walt had made a comment to him to Blaine Gibson that he wi he always wished he had been an inch or two taller.

So when he was making the statue, he fulfilled

Jeff: Oh,

Heather: Oh, and made him an inch or two taller. I love that.

Jeff: isn't that cute.

Dan: Yeah.

Heather: There was lots of

Jeff: So if someone ever makes a statue of my penis, it could be another inch or two longer too.

Heather: I'm sure somebody's gonna get right on

Jeff: Yeah, I bet.

Heather: There was a lot of new, new Walt statue news coming out of D 23. They're putting in cool news, statues of uncle Walt everywhere.

Jeff: Mm-hmm.

Dan: super, I'm super jealous of that Hong Kong statute that they've got planned coming to Hong Kong. There's gonna be a a bench on main street with Walt sitting on the park bench with Mickey mouse.

Jeff: I

Heather: of like the Roy and mini one. Yeah. But it's Wal and Mickey. That's what I would like better.

Dan: I would love a chance to sit on that bench. That'd be good.

Jeff: At least we get this on the, I assume it'll be approachable and sit withable at when it's installed at the up kit.

Heather: I think that was the idea.

Dan: Yeah. He is gonna be of sitting on some steps Yeah.

so you can sit down next to him on the.

Jeff: Until they have to put a fencer on it because some talker ruins it for everyone by straddling his face or whatever. Stupid

Heather: Or something

Jeff: And by some talker me, Jeff Williams.

Heather: Maybe don't do that.

Jeff: okay.

Dan: Don't

Heather: Did you think about that?

Dan: besides you'd get a lot more cloud. If you do that with the giant sculpture of graffiti, that's going to be part of Moana journey of water.

Heather: That looks like it's gonna be huge.

Dan: this is

Jeff: 16 feet tall.

Heather: That's pretty big.

Jeff: pretty small for a mountain.

Heather: Okay. That's true.

Dan: in Disney scale, this, I

Jeff: yeah, that's almost, yeah. Two floors

Dan: seeing that sculpture of that statue and the surrounding landscaping and what they're doing with that,

Heather: It looks really cool.

Dan: all about this attraction. I don't even know what it's gonna be yet, but

Jeff: sounds like just a watery walkthrough shade spot to me, lush and pretty.

Dan: I think that, I think this could be special effects and lighting and stuff, but

Heather: Yeah.

Jeff: it'll be cool at night, dear, were you shocked to hear that? They said late 23 for an opening.

Heather: I was a little shocked by that,

Jeff: on guys. It's a water feature.

Heather: I know.

Dan: of, I, I, I assume it's because it's right there next to where theor hall is, and it's more about, they have to get that done,

Jeff: Yeah,

Dan: which

Heather: Yeah, that's fair.

Dan: not nearly as far along on that as they are on Moana. So I think that's where that timeline comes in is just getting the rest of the, that neighborhood ready to

Jeff: getting it show ready. Yeah. It's amazing how slowly they build, but

Dan: Yeah. Considering the speed of hell that that space station hotel is supposed to be ready. Faster than the stuff they're building at Walt Disney world.

Jeff: than the fake space station restaurant at Epcot

Heather: There really wasn't a ton of Walt Disney world news. And I guess I wasn't entirely surprised by that because really all, all the stuff that they announced back in the, at the 2019 expo, a lot of it is still not done. Yeah.

Jeff: Yeah.

Dan: I mean there's a lot of stuff and, and we'll get to it further down the list. There's a lot of small things here and there, small but exciting that it all adds up to a lot more, I think,

Jeff: It is a lot of stuff. It, it, it felt like we don't have that much to

Heather: Announce.

Jeff: we're gonna clarify some things and give some timelines on some things that we already knew about.

Dan: And, and they definitely gave a lot more information about things that are in very early stages of planning

Heather: Yes.

Dan: tend to. But we'll definitely get to that, cuz I think that's gonna be the biggest part of our conversation. They did announce a lot of interesting meat and greets coming up, including what I believe is the very first land based solely around a meat and greet experience.

 Did you catch that at dis at Disney, California adventure?

Jeff: Fran. Mm-hmm. yes.

Dan: Whaf into San Fran. Soia

Heather: I love that.

Dan: yeah. Oh, it was great. It it's a perfect fit right next to Pixar pier.

Jeff: and do we think that San Fran, so bridge is gonna be the bridge going over into the heads, into Pixar town there?

Heather: Yeah.

Jeff: that's the only bridge right there. Are they just gonna put a faux bridge behind the buildings or something?

Dan: Oh, I don't know.

Jeff: Yeah,

Dan: I don't,

Heather: yeah, that's a good question. I, I need to look at that area and

Jeff: like a bridge that goes from the main part. That's like fisherman's Wharf. Now. It goes across there into where lamplight lounge is and picks our pier starts.

Heather: yeah,

Dan: The concept art definitely shows that that bridge and it's not behind the scenery, it's across the water. So if you look at the

Heather: let me see if I can oh

Jeff: Yeah, doesn't that seem like

Heather: that does seem like where that is.

Dan: Yeah. So how cool would that be with those pagoda towers

Jeff: Yeah, it looks really, really cool,

Dan: Yeah. So they're gonna take that, that area, which is already that's really just restaurants and, and shop space. They're going to have a big hero, six meet and greet area, as well as shopping in restaurants, all themed to the big hero, six San

Jeff: which I love that movie.

Heather: I do too.

Dan: oh

Jeff: haven't seen the bay max show or whatever's out now.

Dan: Neither have I, for some reason my kids aren't aren't super into that. I, they might not

Heather: I thought that was just a great movie. I loved it. And we had Baymax meet and greet at Walt Disney world until that whole, I don't think that building even exists anymore, then it just completely torn down.

Dan: Where was he

Heather: it was in the same building as

Jeff: One man's dream. He was in there. Wasn't he?

Heather: oh, he was in there for a while, but he was also in that building where they, during where the, the light lab thing was during food and wine,

Jeff: Oh yeah. That

Heather: was back in there for a while.

Jeff: behind the Coca-Cola thing, that hallway where Maria would, or Marie rather from Arisa cats would meet back there. And

Dan: Mm-hmm yeah,

Jeff: that's always a weird building anyway,

Dan: yeah.

Jeff: but this should look really cool. And I hope they have more than just Baymax cuz the other characters from big Euro six were cool too.

Heather: Yeah, absolutely.

Dan: see them in their super

Jeff: Yeah.

Dan: That'd be cool. I, they could, even with the way that they've been doing those bigger meet and greet areas where it's a set and

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: a little bit of a show piece to

Jeff: Mm-hmm

Dan: there could be some pretty cool interaction with those characters.

Jeff: a big arrival, like my old favorites, the what are the power Rangers used to come riding out and do a whole thing before they'd split up and you go meet 'em all. That was awesome.

Dan: too, the ninja turtles rolled in on the pizza wagon and then they kicked some shell before signing.

Jeff: Yeah. I never saw that. I would like to have seen that.

Dan: it was amazing. It was, it was the greatest thing that Disney ever did and it wasn't even their IP. Another another, we've got a couple more meet and greets out at Disneyland to talk about first up man, Mando and grok

Jeff: How cool does that

Heather: that looks really cool.

Dan: That little grow go animatronic. So it's is Mando with, with his, with his messenger bag and, and there's a tiny little grow goo in the messenger

Heather: It's kid with him.

yes,

Dan: and it's totally animatronic and it looks amazing. There's a really great spoiler VI or not spoil teaser video that they threw up with him in the middle of the the marketplace

Jeff: They should really have Mando go to BTU on this next season.

Heather: Yeah,

Dan: yeah, yeah, but the, yeah there's, there's, there's things you could do on about two. It, it doesn't at all fit into the timeline of the land as it stands,

Heather: it's a little too. Mandos a little too early for, what's supposed to be there because Mando and Ray shouldn't be in Galaxy's edge

 But

Dan: yeah

 Look.

Jeff: Oh, yeah. Mando takes place right after the original star wars films.

Heather: Yeah.

Dan: yes. Directly after, but, but Mando could still have a storyline and adventure on BTU black Spire outpost. Ogas OGA of Ogas Cantina. She's not just a can running the Cantina. She's the local crime boss on planet.

Heather: Mm-hmm yeah, that's true.

Dan: could be

Jeff: I was actually, I was shocked on all the star wars shows. They haven't done that. Why not just go ahead and tie in BTU. So it makes any sense to

Dan: Yeah, they've really kept it to just, they've just kept that to novels and comic books at this point. But, but yeah, he'll be it's it's no November of this year, 2022, they will be in Disneyland

Jeff: think it's like a publicized thing that's controlled by another guy like they've done before, like with push and some of those others, cause it looks like he's moving around and re responding. and, and man's hands are free, so he's not controlling it.

Dan: Yeah, I didn't see. I missed on the feed when he came out at the expo, I just saw the, the teaser video of him actually in black Spire outpost. So

Jeff: Hmm.

Dan: I didn't see how they interacted there, but it's possible. Or they do, he could have tiny little micro buttons in his gloves or something that trigger different

Jeff: Yeah, that's true

Heather: Oh, yeah. Good point.

Dan: on their rifles.

So who

Heather: Oh, is that where their little, their controls are? Spoiler alert.

Dan: Yeah,

Heather: Ah,

Dan: pretty sure as far as I can tell, I can't think of where else it would be that they're controlling what they say, but

Heather: peeling

Jeff: were just free balling.

Dan: Parting the kimono, as some might say it's less exciting, less awesome character meet and greet. Jeff, you got some feelings about that Holt costume.

Heather: Oh

Jeff: I, this exoskeleton project I had literally just seen it like two or three days before D 23 and I thought immediately thought, oh, Hulk, this could be Hulk or Thanos. Cuz they're bigger fellas. They brought Hulk out and because I don't know if they're afraid to make a rubbery looking creature suit or whatever, but they've got him in the, in the time travel thing, aint man type suit with his helmet.

He looks so stupid.

Dan: Yeah. The only way you can tell it's Hulk is the green hands and a little bit of his face behind the visor. So this is, this is part of project exo, which they actually, they. It was back when they gave us that first look at the Spider-Man flying free flying animatronic. They also showed off this project exo, which is this really cool exoskeleton puppet system.

That's like the, those Walker Stomper suits from Pandora, but meant to be able to have larger characters

Jeff: so there's a guy inside and then he moves his hands and fingers and whatever. And the long arms and tall legs look to scale. Like he's a big guy. It's a really cool system. It would be great for Shrek or whatever, but that's not Disney

Dan: It should be let's work on getting Shrek over

Jeff: Yeah. But it would work for a lot of big things solely would be cool like

Dan: solely a

Heather: Oh yeah.

Jeff: Yeah. Wow. Yeah.

Dan: a

Heather: Oh,

Dan: from star

Jeff: but I guess it would go best with furry stuff and they were afraid of. Because he just wear his pants and no shirt, typically. I, I guess they couldn't make him rubbery to suit. So they got him in a full like ant man looking suit, like from the Aven Avengers movie, where they go time traveling.

And then the helmet, that's just just nothing about this says Hulk

Heather: It doesn't, it's just, he's got green hands and that's pretty much it and his feet,

Jeff: looks like an man with green hands,

Dan: they, they could have made 'em smart Hulk and, and put 'em in a, in a nice button down

Heather: Oh, yes.

Jeff: and a lab coat, but then his face would show, I guess they couldn't.

Dan: been a little less lame than, than this,

Jeff: Anyway, I think the technology's there. I just, I wish they had, but apparently he's a very temporary thing. And then they're gonna open the ride little feature Thanos. So I'm betting king Thanos is who comes next.

Dan: probably.

Heather: yeah. Good thought. I bet. You're right.

Dan: Oh, one last meet and greet. They announced that figment is going to be returning to Epcot,

Jeff: excited about.

Heather: Yes.

Dan: year, 2023. It'll be cool to see what he looks like. It'll be cool to see maybe what kind of update they might do to his pavilion for where he meets.

Jeff: saw some clips from different stuff. I don't know. In what context they showed it at D 23, but they showed them working on new character design maquettes for figment.

Dan: oh, cool.

Jeff: I don't know if this is gonna be a new updated figment or the figment we know and love or what

Dan: They use him for so

Jeff: and if they're changing him, what is that for?

Are they, is

 Gonna be

Heather: good thought

Dan: He needs a ride.

Heather: does

Jeff: do an update of the original dream finder and figment thing, but that, that feels less and less likely they don't typically go backwards. But I say that before a different piece of news.

Heather: about going backwards.

Jeff: Yeah.

Heather: This is something a lot of people are gonna be excited about happily ever after is back, baby.

Jeff: They said that. And then when they put out the official tweet, they said the Anthem is back in an all new updated show. So it feels like it's not the exact same show, but they're gonna use that theme song.

Dan: Okay.

Jeff: I don't know. It's, they're purposely being vague, I reckon, but

Dan: And that's the same thing about, I just noticed going through the notes today, all the headlines and all the talk about harmonious said. Harmonious is going away. If you look at what specifically was actually said, it's going to be replaced with the show for the hundredth anniversary of the Walt Disney company.

So does that mean that after the hundredth anniversary celebration is over, is harmonious coming back? We don't know yet. And we don't know what that

Jeff: I.

Dan: show is gonna look like.

Jeff: love harmonious.

Heather: I do too. I think it's an excellent show. No.

Jeff: if they're gonna replace it, they should pull those barges out. That everybody hates, cuz I'm willing to have the barges there just because I love harmonious. I love the idea of it and the, the music from all the different countries. It's such a neat idea. It's IP, but it's still all the countries and being harmonious.

I GU I like the whole message of it. A lot of people didn't, but I couldn't stand that disenchantment or whatever their new magic

Heather: Just enchantment

Dan: I, I have a hard time believing that they spent so much money developing and building those freaking barges that they're gonna just rip them out after a

Jeff: Yeah. Honestly, they do such cool stuff. I don't really care. I'm not there to look at the vistas across the lake. I'm not looking at that. I'm looking at the pavilions, everyone cries about it.

Dan: It bothered me at first, but it did not take long for it to just become part of the background. And I ignore it

Jeff: Yeah, it just looks like Woodstock 99 out there in the water. It's fine.

Dan: Yeah, I've, I, I have a feeling that whatever takes its place is going to be temporary and that it's just going to use the same show tech. It's just gonna be different music and different, different videos being just projected.

Jeff: That's what I bet too. Cause they used the, they brought back that Epcot forever. They brought that thing in and used the barges for that temporarily and then launched harmonious. So I bet it'll be something like

Dan: I wish I could have seen Epcot forever. They need,

Jeff: I liked it.

Dan: it'd be nice if they could maybe rotate through some things,

Jeff: Mm-hmm

Dan: you know, they got all these shows, rotate them.

Jeff: seems like they do that a little bit more at Disneyland they'll run wishes and then bring back an old show and bring back the thunder in the night or

Heather: Yeah.

Jeff: they do more of that. It.

Heather: I was a little bit surprised by the happily ever after announcement because they had finally just added all of those Walt elements. to enchantment. So I, I, it was a little shocking, but and at the same time, not

Dan: those were specific to the anniversary celebrations. So it would be nice if they had been there for the full anniversary

Heather: whole anniversary.

Jeff: earlier.

Dan: They only had an entire year when nobody was there to whatever. Let's see a few more things from around the world.

 I've been seeing some stuff in recent weeks and they talk more about it at D 23 about Disneyland Paris is getting this tangled ride and a promenade area around it. And they shared some art about

Heather: That park needed it.

Jeff: the ride, vehicles looked just like her boat from

Heather: Mm-hmm

Jeff: scene. Really pretty.

Dan: from what I understand, I think it's gonna be basically like the TEAC cups, but you're sitting in her boats

Heather: Yes. That's what it looked like.

Dan: And you're gonna be under a canopy. So you've got the lanterns and you're in the boats. You're going to be,

Heather: Yeah. And, and Josh tomorrow specifically said it was a, an attraction for the entire family. So no, not a thrill ride. Yeah.

Jeff: If they did a canopy over it and did projections though, it'd be really pretty

Dan: yeah, no, I, I,

Heather: and the lanterns

Dan: I wonder if it's gonna be less like TEAC cups where you are spinning crazy. I wonder if it's gonna be more like Luigi's Luigi's whatever you call it, where

Heather: are the dancing cars.

Jeff: Oh yeah. And it could go to the music and

Dan: sense as a matter of fact.

Jeff: that would be really good.

Heather: would be very good. And that park needed the promenade, the Walt Disney studios. It, it, it had some cool attractions, but it was so lacking. And the walking into the park was kind of a, a let down, you walked through this big. Lame building. That's supposed to be a sound stage, which that part makes sense, but

Jeff: you immediately are walked into a food court,

Heather: yes.

And then you get out the other side and there's just, no, you just gotta pick a path and go a direction. And there was nothing grand or, yeah, this looks so much better. And I missed that. They canceled Galaxy's edge for Disneyland Paris. They asked it a while ago at somehow I

Jeff: I didn't know they had either.

Heather: Yeah.

So they are still, they're doing Erindale and they're replacing Galaxy's edge with something that we don't know what it is yet.

Jeff: it because everyone thought Galaxy's edge kinda sucks.

Heather: I don't know. Maybe they are getting a, they have their own whole Avengers campus, and a lot of that is done,

Jeff: Yep.

Heather: but they initially announced Avenger campus. Erindale and Galaxy's edge. And now what will that be? I saw some speculation.

Jeff: getting Zootopia too, like the other Asian

Heather: That is one of the, the, one of the rumors. And there's really nothing concrete out there. Let's see. What was the other rumor for that area? Was, oh, the a lion king area or an avatar type land like Pandora.

Dan: I think Pandora's played

Heather: Yeah, I do too.

Dan: see them going for it. Did you see that they're having a prequel to the live action lion

Jeff: Yeah.

Heather: Yes.

Dan: the lion king?

Heather: O.

Jeff: I never watched that lion.

Dan: I don't think many people did.

Jeff: I think it was a pretty okay hit, but it just, it looked, it looked too realistic. Like I don't mind the live action idea but they weren't an anthropomorphic enough. They just looked like a regular lion standing there talking. It was like the lion from the lion witch in wardrobe.

Just that's not fun

Heather: No,

Dan: no,

Heather: definitely not.

Dan: Yeah. So that's, that's DLP

Heather: Yeah. They're getting, they're getting a lot of love, which that I love Disneyland Paris. It needed

Jeff: at Disneyland park itself is great, but that the Hollywood studio,

Heather: The Walt Disney studios.

Jeff: over there was,

Heather: It's

Jeff: they took the studio idea too far when they built it with it's all sound stagey and ugly looking.

Heather: And it's getting a big, beautiful lake area that they could do some kind of nighttime spectacular on. They haven't announced anything.

They're gutting. The Disneyland hotel, it's not gonna reopen until 20, 24. So I will not be

Jeff: it was beautiful, but it was indefinite need of some interior work.

Heather: Yeah, but when Disney was not a majority owner the Euro Disney company, just, they were trying to milk it for all the money they could get and not reinvesting in the park. It was run down. It just really was. And so much stuff needed to be updated. And I'm so thrilled that Disney is doing that and it's gonna be spectacular.

I'm I'm gonna go back in 24 when the Disneyland hotel is done. And a lot of the Walt Disney stuff, studio stuff is done. And I can't wait to see it

Jeff: Late 24. Probably a good time to go.

Dan: seems like late is generally,

Heather: Lots of late stuff. Yeah.

Dan: Yeah. Let's take a look real quick. Before we hop over to Disneyland Anaheim and what Disney world let's take a look at the cruise line, cuz there was a couple of exciting announcements,

Heather: announcement.

Dan: Yeah.

Jeff: announce the name of the new Disney ship. Their sixth beautiful ship is going to be called the Disney cyst.

Dan: the

Heather: it's it's funny. Yeah, I think, I think you mispronounced the word treasure.

Jeff: the Disney treasure.

Heather: So my question is, is this one gonna sail in the Caribbean because isn't it a little problematic having a ship called the treasure that's slightly pirate themed sailing around the Caribbean, or is that part of the theme?

Dan: I think they, I think they I think they, they embrace it there.

Heather: That's fairly, that's

Jeff: I think treasurer goes right along with the rest of the naming.

Dan: Yeah. The, the theme, the theme of this ship is going to be adventure themed apparently. So it should be right up our alley. The atrium features and Aladdin theme has got the big golden statue of Jasmine and Aladdin on magic carpet. And the, the atrium is all that kind of dark blue and gold color scheme

Jeff: Yeah, it looks a little more dark in general than the,

Dan: Yeah.

Jeff: the wish.

Dan: Yeah. It's kind of like nighttime magic carpet ride vibe inside there,

Jeff: Yeah.

Heather: And with treasure coming online, they announced that they're sending the wonder way down under. Yes.

Jeff: dead Dan and death.

Dan: Coincidentally Jeff was at your nickname in high school.

Heather: I think that it was

Jeff: Yeah, it was just cuz I farted a lot called me the thunder from Dan under.

Heather: And they're gonna be sailing the wonder back to Jeff's childhood stomping grounds, the south Pacific, this, some of the repositioning stops look

Jeff: yeah, that, that 15 day thing that goes from Sydney to Hawaii, that looks amazing all through the stops at Fiji. And

Heather: Tahiti and all sorts of places I want to go to.

Jeff: bet that'll be inexpensive,

Heather: bet. And then they'll be sailing between Australia. It stops in Australia and New Zealand looks pretty cool.

Which makes me wonder what, what they're gonna send to Alaska or, or is this just gonna be like, it's gonna go back and

Jeff: a seasonal thing. They'll probably go, I think they have the smaller ships in Alaska because of those smaller areas they're sailing in. So I don't think they can bring you any of the dream or the fantasy.

Heather: That's a good point. The bigger ships can't get into some of those glacial areas. That's true.

Dan: Yeah.

Heather: But the more ships they bring online, it opens up more places in the world that they can go, which is

Jeff: I noticed they're doing the Hawaiian sailing and it's from Vancouver to Hawaii.

Heather: Oh,

Jeff: And I guess that's how they get around stopping in Ensenada or whatever. Cuz you have to go to a foreign port or leave from a foreign port.

Heather: Mm-hmm

Jeff: they're sailing out of Canadian.

Heather: Hmm, interesting.

Jeff: It seems weird to get all the way up that high north to then go all the way south.

And then

Heather: That's a lot of C days.

Jeff: because they're only going to three islands.

Heather: Mm-hmm

Jeff: Honolulu and Kauai.

Heather: of the other ones

Jeff: Yeah. So three days of that for a 10 night crew that seven sea days.

Heather: we got some more concept art glimpses at lighthouse point.

Dan: The last time we talked about that was the last D 23 expo.

Heather: And they

Jeff: showed

Heather: have done nothing. Yes. And they've done nothing. They showed a little drone footage of Josh Damara standing there. And when it zoomed out there was really nothing. It was just the beach.

Jeff: I saw yesterday a story. It might have been on their own Twitter, but it said they just got approval to begin construction literally yesterday. So between D 23 and when we recorded this, they just

Heather: they finally started and he, Josh Jamara did say

Jeff: years after they announced it.

Heather: we've got a ways to go. And then they cut to him standing on a beach in the Dr. It was a pretty cool drone shot and it pulled way out. And it's absolutely gorgeous, but nothing is there yet,

Jeff: Yeah. Although

Heather: pretty stretch of beach.

Jeff: probably wouldn't take that long to build at that location. because,

Heather: keep most of it beachy.

Jeff: yeah, it's pretty primitive. And I would say building there versus America is probably can move along at a

Heather: But they have to build a pier and dredge a channel and

Jeff: Mm-hmm

Dan: I wonder you mentioned it looks a lot different from the last time. I wonder how much redesign they had to do, because that was,

Jeff: that was Joe roady.

Dan: it was Joe Roddy's last baby. And he is now a spaceman. Oh, he is that's right.

they are sticking with the, that they've dedicated to committed to making it 90% solar

Heather: Mm-hmm . That's cool.

Dan: the idea behind it is it's supposed to be based on stories of The Bahamas or

Heather: Mm-hmm

Jeff: looks a little more adult elegant than Castaway does.

Heather: which makes me think of the wish and the way that it, the whole vibe of that ship is a little more adult

Jeff: little less nineties cheese to

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: yeah. It's, it's definitely not cartoony feeling at all. You're not gonna see those giant steel tanks painted up like

Heather: yes. Like the characters.

Jeff: Yeah,

Dan: point,

Jeff: it looks a little more like some of the other cruise lines islands or private settings, honestly, but I think it'll be lovely and they'll need the space when they got seven chips

Heather: mm-hmm so the treasure is the sixth and then we have one more or two more after the

Jeff: two one more, they were gonna, there was four and they were gonna, and we're, we're adding a ship. No, we're adding two. No, we're gonna do three.

Dan: We got crazy that we got crazy that year. Didn't

Jeff: Yeah, that was like, that was back when Iger was there and he was acting like Oprah, you get a ship and you get a ship.

Dan: Back when the world was innocent and anything was

Jeff: Yeah, that's right.

Heather: I miss those times.

Jeff: in just 14 short years, you'll have it.

Dan: yeah.

Jeff: I'm I'm always excited about a new Disney cruise line. Anything. I love him

Heather: And that treasure is launching 24, correct. Okay.

Dan: Yes. Ma'am

Jeff: and then probably 26 for the

Heather: mm-hmm maybe the next one. Jeff. Maybe you'll get your Disney Cy.

Jeff: knuckle

Dan: oh,

Heather: still hoping the last one is the enchantment, but I'm getting less and less. Sure

Dan: mean, it's on the short list of Disney words,

Heather: yes. exactly.

Dan: that could be like their, their mega cruiser,

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: like the, what what's that giant symphony of the seas or whatever, the

Jeff: No, I think they're all the same Trenton class, all three of the ones are building are the same size.

Dan: yep. Okay. So that's, that's the cruise line. Let's head over to Anaheim. Let's talk about Disneyland a little bit. They shared some concept art showing telling us what they're gonna do about with tune town. And also it sounds Mickey MES runaway railway is gonna be a little bit different from all

Heather: a little different. Yeah.

Jeff: I didn't catch that.

Dan: Yeah. So first of all, they shared what they're doing at tune town and they are revamping the play areas to make them actually fun. bit more actual playground and a little less, just weird cartoon things to look at and pound

Jeff: Yes. As.

Heather: Yeah.

Dan: There's a fun duck pond, splash pad area around Donald DOT's boat.

Heather: like that's boat themed, splash area back in a story of a circus kinda

Dan: Yeah. Yeah. Like a, a version of the Casey Jones splash pad Goofy's play yard is going to he's gonna have more of a playground outside instead of just a weird garden. And inside is some kind of candy

Heather: wacky candy making machine from Goofy's kitchen.

Dan: Yeah. It's like a ball. It's like one of those fantastic ball machines that uses air pressure to shoot balls around and stuff.

Heather: You said balls.

Dan: Goss balls.

Jeff: Yeah, I guess they're, they're like the pandemic. So let's add a bunch of buttons and handles and switches

Heather: time to start touching stuff again. You guys

Jeff: putting their booger covered hands all over everyth.

Heather: it's what little kids wanna do and you know what, that's how they build their immune system. So I'm all for it.

Jeff: I, I, I like it, it, it looks kinda like the kind of

Heather: lick things.

Jeff: in the cues for a while. And the, the Dumbo play thing

Dan: Speaking of cue is the cue for Mickey and Mickey's runaway railway. You're going to be walking through the theater and it's

Heather: Wait, did you say Mickey and Mickey? Is there something we need to know about this one?

Dan: Mickey and may.

Jeff: is this part of the woke agenda.

Dan: Is that crazy California liberal lifestyle. going woke, go broke. No Mickey and mini's run away railway. This, this queue area is going to, you're gonna be walking through set pieces that are like highlights from Mickey's

Heather: Yes. There's like a Steamboat Willy play area. It looks real cool.

Dan: The plane from playing

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: Uh, it looks like there's some sort of special effect. That's going to incorporate the sourcers apprentice

Heather: I like that they, they don't have to stick with the Chinese theater theme so they could go a little, a different direction for it.

Dan: Yeah.

Jeff: it's good to have a differentiator

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: Yeah.

Jeff: so they're not carbon copies.

Heather: and of course, theirs will be cooler than ours because that is the way ours. What I I don't live in Orlando. It's the park that I get to more often.

Dan: I, I, it doesn't mention it in this particular article that we're looking at, but I did see that they mentioned that not only is the queue different, but that the ride storyline is going to be slightly changed to fit in the setting of two town

Heather: not maybe not a crazy picnic that it could mean it's a different short then. That's cool.

Dan: so I don't know how different it's gonna be, but they did say there will be some differences to set it apart from the Hollywood studios version. So that's really cool. And makes me want to go go to Disneyland

Jeff: Is that all in that new concept art for Mickey's tune tone link. I didn't see.

Dan: the first three pictures are the cue for runaway rail.

Jeff: Oh, what's this like disco thing.

Dan: Because that's from part of his life. The fir on the far left is his Bob crotchet desk from Mickey's Christmas, Carol.

Jeff: Oh yeah. Yeah. I got

Dan: And then that dance floor is from mouse size. then

Heather: Mouse or size

Dan: Mickey Mickey disco album, which I actually just bought the picture disk version of,

Jeff: You are one pathetic loser.

Dan: Aww. I also got the picture disk of the soundtrack for Mickey's Christmas, Carol, my favorite, my favorite version of a,

Heather: That is my favorite. A Christmas Carol.

Jeff: better. Now I can see this.

Dan: Yeah. It's It's the many faces of Mickey, the mouse. I love it,

yeah. It's it's like a museum of Mickey, which is

Heather: which I love

Dan: Mickey needs, Mickey

Heather: is my favorite.

Dan: that kind of presence in the parks.

Heather: That's right.

Dan: really cool. Let's

Heather: Did you see the, that they're officially renaming the paradise PI hotel

Dan: Yeah. The Pixar pier

Heather: hotel.

Dan: right. Yes. Yeah. Pixar pier already exists inside the

Heather: It does. And they're putting in the they're theming. The, the pool area is gonna be finding Nemo themed

Jeff: hold up though. It was the paradise pier hotel when paradise pier was inside the park. So that's, I that's why one would think it should have been

Heather: yes. And I think it would've been absolutely fine to be Pixar pier hotel, but it is Pixar place and the, actually the pool area they're completely redoing the pool deck and it does look really cool. The, the slide is, looks like a crushes coaster kind of thing. And there's like a little splash pad. It's pretty cool.

Jeff: That that hotel needed some love

Dan: Yeah.

Heather: does.

Dan: It cuz it, yeah, it was.

Jeff: it's actually is a great location. It just never, it always felt like a, like a Sheraton or something.

Dan: It

Heather: they, they didn't really do much other than slap a paint job

Jeff: And wasn't it like an originally an Asian brand of a

Heather: it was

Jeff: So all the ceilings are low that's what's weird. I don't know if that's an Asian design thing or cuz they're short. I don't know what was the deal with that?

Dan: It's like drop ceilings and just

Jeff: yeah,

Dan: in

Jeff: the lobby looked like a lobby of one of the hotels in the like over there by Disney Springs or whatever, like the bee hotel

Heather: Mm-hmm

Jeff: looked like a.

Heather: and they're completely redoing the lobby too. So that's great.

Dan: yeah.

Jeff: That's good. It's an awesome location. You can walk right across

Heather: Yeah. Now that they have that new entrance, that's just for those folks. That's really great.

Jeff: yeah.

Dan: makes it into a hotel that I would actually

Jeff: Yeah,

Dan: quote to somebody that wants to go to Disneyland now.

Heather: we didn't really hear much about the Disneyland hotel villas any kind of opening date or anything more on that. Just we know they're plugin

Jeff: absent was that whole Disneyland forward thing.

Dan: mm-hmm oh yeah. That whole we're gonna take every inch of available land

Jeff: Yeah, but I guess the more I started looking back into that, what that was, that was like a blue sky. Look, what we could do. If you would allow this tax thing we need,

Heather: A hundred percent and guess what they did not do

Dan: there

Jeff: that tax.

Dan: a there was a lot of fighting about that that went on right after they announced that didn't they

Heather: Yeah. They had plans for the hotel they had already.

Jeff: Remember they closed a bunch of things in downtown Disney were gonna expand that. And then they dropped the tax incentives incentive. So they were like, okay, fine. But we could build all of this. If you would just go back to this tax thing we want. And I guess that didn't pass, cuz you never heard about it again, but that website is actually still up disney.com or disneyland.com.

It's all still there.

Dan: who knows someday down the line, those blue sky things don't go away. That is true.

for a stick around for a very long time before they happen. We already talked a little bit about the Avengers campus change. They're putting in that multiverse based attraction there instead of the Quin

Heather: mm-hmm and we have a whole new celebration coming to Disneyland next year, as it is 100, I can't even believe that 100 years of the Walt Disney company Walton, Roy founded it in 1923. So it's time for a hundred years of wonder is what they're calling the celebration.

Dan: the platinum celebration.

Heather: celebration.

Dan: Should we talk for a second about how many's stripping with excitement?

Heather: my, I cannot.

Dan: when we were out and she got that, but she didn't see the picture of the hat. Have you seen the

Jeff: Oh yeah, the, yeah, she's dripping. All right.

Heather: Wow.

Jeff: there was a, there was an article about this hundredth thing that says mini is dripping with excitement about the hundredth

Heather: and then the ears and the ear hat is dripping

Jeff: looks like platinum dripping off your,

Heather: it's supposed to be platinum dripping, but that's not what it looks

Jeff: it looks a little Gizzy.

Heather: it's gross.

Dan: knew exactly what

Jeff: Yeah, somebody thirsty was delight. Designing ears.

Heather: Yes.

Dan: Yeah.

Heather: then that copy, I cannot believe that got

Dan: Yeah. How did that get past? How did that get approved?

Heather: Many is dripping. That was as far as I got, and that link that you sent me and I just lost it.

It was cracking up and didn't

Jeff: I laughed so hard. Tears ran down my leg.

Heather: Dan says no, no, no. Keep scrolling and look at the picture. Ew.

Dan: It's even better that way. Yeah. Kids go ask your parents what we're talking about.

Heather: They're getting two new nighttime spectaculars no mention of any kind of nighttime parade anywhere,

Jeff: Yeah. Not at world or land. No, they're getting a, a new firework show called wondrous journeys and they're gonna have an updated world of color world of color

world of, yeah. And it's on the 100 thing, yes,

it's as sentimental and wonderful as their 60th

Heather: I hope so. That

Jeff: show was fantastic.

Heather: That,

Dan: of color kind of sets the benchmark really for it's where they do some of their best work. As far as

Heather: yes. And instead of doing something like that at Epcot, we got ugly barges,

Dan: yeah.

Jeff: Yeah. I don't know why they couldn't have just put those rise and shine platform O sprinklers, but I guess we already have that at fantastic. I don't know

Heather: I don't

Dan: and they, they put it in at, at universal. So maybe they didn't wanna be accused of copying universal

Jeff: ever accused Disney of copying

Heather: no

Dan: Yeah. I love universal, but.

 Yeah, new fireworks knew. I, the song for the fireworks, I was not overwhelmed by, at

Heather: is what I would say. Yeah.

Jeff: I remembered and tuned into the thing right. When they were like, and here's these lame singers, I was like, oh, it was,

Dan: laid bag. You know what it reminds, it reminds me of that song that they use for marketing for for adventures by Disney, that I'm gonna race you to the fence song.

Jeff: I do love that

Heather: I love. I do like that. Yeah.

Dan: kind of like millennial, Neo folk

Jeff: Yeah. It was kinda worldy, kinda a little bit of Afro Cuban sound

Heather: that's what I will give the 50th. Those two songs for the 50th were excellent. That was the best part of enchantment was the songs I liked them. I liked them.

Jeff: Yeah. They were fine.

Dan: need, they just, instead of

Heather: You are the magic. Come on. It was wonderful.

Jeff: the call.

Heather: Yes, that was also good.

Dan: big and celebratory

Jeff: Yeah, they, it's not as en anthemic as they usually go forward. It's just you are the magic and you are whatever, this one's just yeah, we're singing.

Dan: I already forgot what

Jeff: I, I already forgot what it's called. I'm like

Dan: But, but they are gonna have much like the, all the gold statues around Walt Disney world for the 50th. They're

Jeff: be dripping

Heather: Are they gonna be dripping with platinum?

Dan: the whole Park's gonna be dripping with platinum.

Jeff: It'll be either dripping or just hardened

Heather: And they're, they're finally getting magic bands. We don't have a date, but magic bands are finally coming to Disneyland. We buried the lead on that one,

Dan: Are they getting all of them or just the

Heather: but I believe they're just getting magic band

Jeff: They're gonna jump straight to the $50 one day. And why would they get the regular one?

Heather: 39 99, Jeff.

Jeff: excuse me.

Dan: The plain colored ones are 29 I

Heather: that's true,

Dan: sale? Yeah,

Heather: but they're lame.

Dan: That's right. New character costumes that are gonna be platinum for the hundredth anniversary. Hopefully.

Jeff: They look a lot like the 60th Disneyland ones.

Heather: Mm-hmm they do.

Dan: diamonds and platinums similar in color, as long as it's not freaking iridescent.

I can't

Heather: I'm tired of iridescent.

Dan: have to hear the word iridescent

Jeff: like ear. I get it. I'm just now getting that.

Dan: cuz Mickey's a mouse. Get it. yeah.

Jeff: I had not realized that for 15 months.

Dan: yeah. That's all the biggest news outta Disneyland. I, I think, I think the lack of a nighttime parade is just dealing with crowds, that form

Heather: yeah, I'm

Jeff: getting a Coco something,

Heather: mm-hmm mm-hmm

Jeff: Oh, yeah.

Heather: it's Coco is gonna be part of the

Jeff: Oh, just part of that world of color thing. Yeah.

Heather: Coco and then Canto.

Dan: Yes. Uh we'll we'll get to those in a, in a couple of minutes while

Heather: the most exciting thing that is coming to Disney world, the most exciting thing they announced at D 23 is the hip box ghost.

Jeff: Yeah. I was shocked. They didn't already do that 10 years ago or five when they put him back in the Disneyland.

Heather: Head box ghost is coming to the haunted mansion next year.

Jeff: So what do we think? Are they gonna just plug him in there or are they gonna get rid of the hatchet lady? Whatever her name

Dan: no, they'll

Heather: Hmm.

Dan: did at Disneyland. They'll carve out a corner of the attic right after,

Heather: I bet. You're right.

Dan: stance. Cause where you, where he falls at Disneyland, it's technically outside on the balcony knee right after you, but does the.

around to

Jeff: Does the Disney land one have the little lady, the ax lady.

Heather: Mm-hmm yeah, she's there.

Jeff: I get confused with the differences. I know it doesn't have the MCs or stair room.

Heather: Right?

Jeff: know, but I like 'em all.

Dan: is the pianist is upstairs at Disneyland instead of

Heather: only upstairs.

Jeff: right? He he's a 12 inch penis.

Dan: Really six. Jeff, come on five and a half.

Heather: What you think is 12. Hmm.

Jeff: one sixth scale penis.

Dan: yeah. Yeah. So half Fox goes is coming to high mansion. I'm excited about that.

Heather: Hey, we got, we got proven, right? We knew it. We called it. They're holding Tron until the spring until the 50th celebration ends.

Jeff: He just fully was like, yeah, it's done, but we're

Heather: Yep. I wrote it. It's real cool. You guys, but you don't get to ride

Jeff: But why I pay for the pavement and landscaping till spring, if we don't have to, they're trying to limp through this fiscal year and then

Heather: Yes. It's I,

Jeff: in

Heather: we set it. They're not gonna open it until after the 50th celebration ends. We called it. That's what's happening. That's what's up.

Jeff: Yeah. There's, there's no reason to,

Dan: some, some cool glittery pavement underneath it.

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: like, Ooh,

Heather: gonna mean Remy's Tuy adventure sat there for months, but that was because of COVID.

Jeff: but I wonder if in the meantime, could they go ahead and open the train

Heather: Yeah, we didn't hear a thing about the train.

Dan: Yeah. But they've been doing a lot of moving around of engines and

Jeff: and things?

Dan: The, the,

Jeff: Oh, the getting ready train. Ready? You.

Dan: They were retraining train crews, retraining the train

Heather: What is a retraining? It, oh, I got you. Reeducating. The train operators

Jeff: opportunity for the engineers.

Heather: got it. Okay.

Dan: engineers recently within the last few weeks I

Jeff: speaking of railroads, you know what I really hoped and thought they would be announcing was some new train cars for the old monorail.

Heather: Oh, yes.

Dan: gonna do that.

Jeff: literally are falling out of that thing.

Heather: Yes.

Jeff: The door came off more than

Dan: are, and people are still riding it. So where's

Jeff: this is an issue,

Dan: until we stop riding it. They're not

Jeff: I guess I just am shocked. They don't want why not one at a time, one, one per year for five years to replace.

'em all.

Heather: Yep.

Dan: they've they're setting record profits. They don't have to do that. Just replace the damn trades. You got the money.

Heather: speaking of record pro profits, it was nice to hear Josh tomorrow. out loud, know, we've come through COVID we had all of this time where we we were losing money, we couldn't have our parks open. We were stalled. But now we are in a period where we're going back to developing and back to set spending money and new stuff is coming and that's, that was fantastic and fun to hear.

I was hoping for more cool, actual concrete announcements this time, especially for Disney world, we didn't get that, but we did get some sneak peaks at stuff. That's pretty damn exciting. That looks like it's going to be coming.

Dan: Yeah.

Heather: We don't know when

Dan: he described it as blue sky, but we are doing this. So it's kind of like take this with a grain of salt, cuz it's going

Jeff: Yeah, I need you to know we're not up here. Daydreaming. We're having serious conversations and design meetings.

Heather: And I think what that means is we, these things, these exciting things we're about to talk about are going to happen, but there's a lot of time between now, when we've just started it and when they actually start to be built, so things could change. Things could

Jeff: turn into a Quin jet ride.

Heather: Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Dan: because when, when they say when, when Disney says blue sky, what they mean is we're, we're at the very beginning of the process and the Imagineers are literally daydreaming.

Jeff: yeah.

Dan: them if money was no object, what would you invent? And what would you do? And then they're like making the, the great outline and then they're going to

Jeff: Then they let ick take a

Heather: but, but these three things that, that he announced as blue sky, early planning phases, I really think are gonna. Big money makers. And they're enough of something that one of 'em is something fans have been begging for, for a long, long time. And they can make a ton of money on and the other two fit into their whole mission of, of diversifying the types of attractions and, and inclusivity.

Yes. That new key

Jeff: enticing their Latin American

Heather: mm-hmm and are based on two properties, two pieces of IP that have been very successful and very profitable. So I think all three of these things are gonna happen. So we're looking at

Dan: let's back up real

Heather: okay. Sure. Yep.

Dan: got two other projects that are slightly less exciting.

Jeff: I think they're exciting.

Dan: they're very exciting, but they're not as cool as magic kingdom. I think animal kingdom, we don't have to. I

Heather: That's true. I forgot. I, I skipped right off. I skipped right over Dino land and Hey, that's something that we've been saying for a long time needs to

Jeff: Dyna land is an embarrassing piece of garbage.

Dan: Yeah. It didn't, their idea was great. It didn't translate to the guests, so it was a

Heather: so they talked about two possibilities for that

Dan: Yeah, Moana and Zootopia both in that area. I don't know if that means we are going to try to fit both of those in there. They totally could. Jeff made a good point on in a discussion with a go, go, go broke type on, on the interweb about the Moana idea.

Jeff: Yeah, you got that land, that, that water area there at the they get to find a suitable show in there. If they just turn that into Moana Villa and do a Moana show and do the whole

Heather: where rivers of light failed and kite tails crashed.

Jeff: right there next to Hawaii. Anyway, so

Heather: Oh, sure. Whatever. And they are building some Zootopia stuff. Is it Shanghai or Hong Kong? I keep getting those two mixed up. They are building some zoo, some Zootopia stuff elsewhere. And it really does fit right there. I think. I'll be honest.

I was hoping for some dragons, but Zootopia makes more sense.

Jeff: yeah, the Pandora took your dragon

Heather: I guess

Jeff: Oh no, you're right. It's Shanghai. Disneyland. It's kidding.

Heather: is getting Zootopia. Yeah.

Dan: yeah. And there's Zootopia looks like it's gonna be phenomenal too. It's like really

Jeff: That there was a clip they showed of an animatronic that officer that's like a Jaguar. I forget what his name

Heather: yes. Claw Houser.

Jeff: looks amazing.

Dan: Yes.

Heather: Zootopia is a, is a great, great movie. And you could do a lot of really fun stuff and Hey, kids love animals, so

Jeff: And these are, they're all anthropomorphic, but animals and it's animal kingdom. So if you had, and it's a lot of furry costumes that can do meat and greets and they could really have one ride, a bunch of meat, Andres, and couple of shops and whatever. And that would, that wouldn't take up that much room

Heather: yeah, that's true.

Jeff: if, especially if they used, if they got rid of the dinosaur ride and did something with that

Heather: Mm-hmm and I I'm, I suspect they probably will. If they get rid of Dyna land or that ride's

Jeff: I don't know what the Rio is gonna be for Zootopia in the Shanghai, but let's see.

Dan: Yeah, I, I haven't seen enough of that. I, I would like to see keeping with the, the somewhat educational nature of animal kingdom. I, I, I wouldn't be surprised if it took you through the different environments of the, the way zoo,

Heather: mm-hmm has different. Yep.

Dan: I'm I'm blinking on the word for

Jeff: Biomes

Dan: Yeah. The different biomes of like the Tundra and the rainforest and stuff and, and, and seeing how they all work. I bet you that's what they're gonna do.

Jeff: Yeah. That would be cool.

Heather: That'd be really cool.

Dan: pretty awesome. And, and I think you're probably going to see some, some dragons at this other project that Heather was

Heather: Yes,

Dan: beyond big thunder

Heather: is what we're calling it. And if Jeff and I actually took some time the other day and went on Google earth to look at the amount of land that they have back beyond big thunder mountain. And it's a lot, it's a lot. This could be a huge expansion of magic kingdom. And he teased that when he, Josh was talking about how new fantasy land was previously, the largest expansion

Jeff: He said that previous and the guy that was on stage, whose name escapes me with Jennifer Lee and Josh tomorrow said he was the head of that project, the new fantasy land project. He said that was until right

Heather: right now, what we're looking at

Jeff: of magic kingdom

Heather: for beyond big thunder. And then the first thing they talked about was Coco and some really great concept art of that, the beautiful square and

Jeff: beautifully with the old, old west and

Heather: And the rock work at big thunder

Jeff: would go right into Mexico, beautifully,

Heather: and then in Canto. And they said that they are specifically dreaming about a, an attraction that is based on the cool house, which would be great.

Jeff: are suggesting that's what's about to happen. The tar

Heather: Mm-hmm I have seen that they

Jeff: if they're already doing it there they'll, that would be easy to transpose into

Heather: Yep. But then I think the, the piece that excited the most people and the, the audience lost their minds. When Josh put up the concept art for this, and it is something that, Hey, we've talked about it before fans have been asking for this for so long, and it's a villains inspired land and it looks,

Dan: it's been It's been a rumor for literally more

Heather: forever. Yeah. I really, I just genuinely do not believe that they would bring this up if it was something that they didn't have concrete plans to do it.

Dan: people wanted too bad. If they brought up the idea of, Hey, maybe we're gonna do it. And then they said, ah, nevermind. We changed your mind. There would be freaking riots.

Heather: And people have pointed out Mary Poppins was dropped and this was like this, I love Mary Poppins and would've loved the cute cherry tree lane back there. This is not the same thing. They can print money with a villain's land.

Dan: they,

Jeff: have a villain thing that looked cool that had the castle tops of all the villain layers and just have walking character meet and greets.

Heather: Yeah.

Jeff: wouldn't even have to put a ride back there for that thing and open up an awesome villain merchandise place. They'd just be back there, printing money.

Heather: of a cool assent coaster or something that you could put back there.

Dan: or just a dark twisted version of fantasy land, build fantasy land, but twisted. So is the villains version of everything, how co or did you, your kids ever played that epic Mickey

Heather: Mm-hmm yep.

Dan: like everything in Mickey's world became dark and evil and you were, you had to turn it nice and bright and happy game, but if it looked like that,

Jeff: was that the one with the paintbrush thing? Yeah.

Heather: it was cool. But this concept art, we saw Cherna bog and Maleficent and it just looks, it looks dark and green and purple and creepy. And I just, the merchandise alone

Dan: And, and that's why I am. I am very, I am more confident in this happening than Mary Poppins I ever was because, because villains is already a huge line for

Jeff: In Mary Poppins too, they started designing that and thinking of it when they thought the sequel was gonna be a huge hit and

Heather: It was not.

Jeff: trilogy and it was not.

Dan: Yeah.

Heather: And that, that thing got watered down to a walkthrough of the house. It was not gonna be much of anything.

Dan: wasn't gonna be a it started out as best, like a glorified carousel and got watered out. Villains is nearly as big a brand for them as Disney princesses.

Jeff: Mm-hmm

Dan: I

Heather: yeah. And another

Jeff: a villains meet and greet hall. Like they have the princess hall and fantasy lane

Heather: And another thing that hadn't occurred to me when I was watching this and getting excited about it, and then people on social media were trying to tramp it down. Yes. I was Dan pointed out that the timeline for this, they are going to be needing something to combat epic universe.

It's a it's around the same time. So if Disney's opening

Jeff: universe have? Classic monsters in a whole dark land. So villains is the

Heather: this, if, if they were sitting around thinking, how can we keep our crowds when they open this epic new park? A villain's land would be the first that bill villain's land would be the first thing I'd raise my hand and suggest because

Dan: Look, they countered Harry Potter with avatar.

Heather: mm. Yeah. Yes, I hope so.

Dan: I, I, I would hope so. I think that they learned a lesson there.

Heather: And I hope they do it right. I hope that we aren't five years from, from now or more, hopefully not more, but I hope we're not sitting here talking the same way we did about Galaxy's edge being a little disappointed in missed

Jeff: I think by now, no one gets their hopes up for anything Disney does.

Heather: Yeah.

Jeff: So it would be a pleasant surprise if it comes out good.

Heather: I have my hopes up.

Dan: Yeah,

Heather: I think it could be really cool.

Jeff: Pandora was cool. I, I liked

Heather: I still think it's cool. It's beautiful. Especially at

Jeff: edge. I thought was a big disappointment. And so Avengers campus, I don't

Heather: Yeah, but I'll say this, I had a ton of fun in BTU when it was tied to the star cruiser experience. That morning was great. It was, it was hot as fire. Those, those multiple sons were killing me, but

Jeff: that's probably why.

Heather: Yeah. But I had so much fun and, and part of it is never, prior to that experience, I hadn't really gotten into doing the little missions and skating things and poking around, and that was a lot, it was a lot of fun. So I, I really enjoyed Buttu that day.

Dan: I wonder if there's opportunities to, to have some sort of game with the magic band plus in

Heather: Oh, I think there will be.

Dan: I'm interested, that's one thing I'm interested to see just across the parks, where are they gonna find places? Because people are already let down by the fact that outside of Galaxy's edge, they're worthless.

Heather: They don't do much. They, they make the statues play songs

Jeff: play a song or a sound effect.

Heather: yeah.

Dan: going away in March. So they're going to have to have something else to keep people buying them. So I, I think that they're going to be finding more interactive

Heather: And that's another thing we didn't hear anything about was what they're replacing agent P with in, in the world showcase. And I bet that has something to do with the magic band plus.

Dan: Yeah. And it was originally going to be ducktails, but since that cartoon has ended,

Jeff: Canceled right

Heather: Oh,

Jeff: announced that.

Dan: I'm wondering now that chip and Dale rescue

Heather: oh yeah.

Dan: an Emmy, just what last

Heather: Did you guys, did you guys see it? That movie was so fun.

Jeff: No, I haven't watched it.

Heather: J you, you gotta watch it, Jeff.

Dan: and be totally left down. I haven't seen

Heather: it's it's it's hysterical. I loved it. I've watched it twice, actually.

Dan: I wouldn't be surprised to see that go in there, but the other thing I wanted to say about that that beyond big thunder area is they keep on getting better and better at these fully immersive.

Jeff: Yeah.

Heather: Yeah.

Dan: the more lands they make, the farther they take you out of the real

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: lands.

So can you imagine what walking into these places is going to be like and, and not the villains is gonna be the, the, the pinnacle there, but even walking into cocoa,

Jeff: Oh, beautiful.

Dan: of, of, of that town square at night with the, the marigolds and everything

Heather: those flags

Jeff: Coco is so pretty to look at and I would be so happy about

Heather: So is an Canto really?

Dan: of them. They don't have to put a ride in cocoa, make that town square, put me in eternal night there with the atmosphere and give me a skeleton mariachi band.

Heather: Yes.

Jeff: Yeah. Like the guy that's been at OGI boogie bash, that thing looks so cool.

Dan: Yes. Ernesto de LA Cruz meeting and greeting at boogie bash is amazing. going to have that.

Heather: Ah, yeah.

Dan: he's go. They're going to bring that over to, they have to, if they don't then, then Josh, tomorrow's a Dick. I'm putting this all his

Heather: woo.

Dan: Josh. I'm calling you out.

Jeff: You gotta do it,

Heather: I have faith in him and I honestly,

Jeff: be cool with the way that with projections of the

Heather: yes.

Jeff: and all that stuff growing and the house cracking. And

Heather: Yeah. And like I said, this stuff just is in line with bigger initiatives they have across the company. I just don't see it not happening. I just hope

Jeff: think they announced

Heather: to its

Jeff: pumped and proved their point.

Heather: and I hope that that what I hope, I think it's going to happen. I'm confident it's going to happen. I'm hoping it doesn't happen in a watered down form.

That's that's my hope for this, especially villains and, and just everything the whole beyond big thunder mountain initiative. It needs to be amazing.

Dan: they really can't at this point, afford to water it

Heather: No, and it, yep.

Dan: if they're putting those three we'll those three mini lands or those three lands, too many lands that I think villains will be bigger. Be more of a full size

Heather: Mm-hmm

Dan: up against an entire brand new park at universal.

It has to be, they have to bring it.

Heather: Yeah, cuz I was watching the live stream and there was, he talked about Coco and he talked about in Canto and then he started teasing villains and there was just a split second where I really thought he was gonna talk about a fifth gate all dedicated to villains and I don't think,

Jeff: I think expanding the four parks they've got makes more sense than a fifth gate.

Heather: I agree.

Dan: And especially a villains park makes no sense at all. It's too much. It's too

Heather: That's fair. Yeah.

Dan: It doesn't work a large scale land yet. That works

Heather: back tucked back behind fantasy land. Yeah, absolutely. And let, just take a look at the there's a ton of space back there. There's a lot of, a lot for them to work with. It's not like Disneyland where you gotta knock something down in order to expand.

Jeff: the interstate's right

Heather: Yeah.

Jeff: too.

Dan: Yeah.

Heather: the Florida project while it was, while it was smart. He got a lot of land.

Dan: So

Heather: Fill it, fill it with cool stuff.

Dan: it well, fill it well much fill it up, Josh.

Fuck

Jeff: what she said.

Dan: well with

Jeff: While dripping with excitement.

Dan: yeah, Heather certainly is Jesus I'm quota. Before this goes any farther, I'm gonna say, thanks for hanging out with us again this week, if you wanna see all the exciting developments announced that this year's D23 expo or explore anywhere else around the world, Key to the World Travel has the Anaheim at convention center, full of expert travel planners.

Ready to make your vacation dreams a reality head to www.keytotheworldtravel.com to get started with a no obligation quote.

Don't forget to catch up with our friend, the theme park professor for all the latest theme park news and tips at www.themeparkprofessor.com.

Word of mouth is the best way to help us grow our show. If you have a friend or two who you think would appreciate our special brand of globe trotting, Jack assery, tell them what makes our show so great and send them our way. You can find links to subscribe to the show on your favorite apps and all the latest updates at www.goldkeyadventurers.com. We can't wait to hang out with you again next week.

We'll see real soon.

Heather: Bye. Y.

Jeff: Thank you for the privilege of your time.