Disney’s D23 Expo happened recently and we found out a TON of big news!

We got a new look at Splash Mountain’s makeover, learned about potential expansions and changes in Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, saw some new movie trailers, and even found out that a SUPER popular show is coming back to Disney World. But, with all of the SUPER big announcements, a lot of other big news was overshadowed. So, let’s take a look at some of the other big Disney news from D23 Expo!

Pacific Wharf

Disneyland Resort got a ton of news, including some exciting The Princess and the Frog updates, so you may have missed that a HUGE transformation is coming to Disney California Adventure! All of the Pacific Wharf area will be reimagined to San Fransokyo from Pixar’s Big Hero 6! Take a look at the concept art that was released:

Disney said that this new area will showcase east meeting west and technology meeting tradition. They’re still in the early phases of development, but they did say there will be a lot of places to shop and eat, as well as a Baymax meet-and-greet!

We’ll let you know when we hear more about the new land.

Click here to see more on this reimagining!

New EPCOT Show

EPCOT debuted its current nighttime spectacular — Harmonious — on October 1st, 2021 for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration. But, even though this is a relatively new show, Disney said that a NEW nighttime show will actually be coming to the park!

Yep, it sounds like a new nighttime fireworks spectacular will be replacing Harmonious, but not many details have been released yet by Disney. What we DO know is that this show will debut in late 2023. We’ll keep an eye out for more news!

Click here to learn more about this announcement!

New Movies & Shows

There was a TON of news shared about upcoming Disney movies and shows like The Little Mermaid and Disenchanted, but we want to talk about a few other announcements that are also a big deal! Starting out with Pixar, we learned that Inside Out is getting a SEQUEL!

Inside Out 2 is currently in the works and will show Riley as a teenager dealing with all of those complicated emotions. There will be some new emotions in Riley’s head, and Joy will be a bit confused on how to handle them! Amy Poehler is returning as Joy as well.

In an interview, Amy said that the movie will be about embracing puberty and trying to figure out who you want to be. It is set to be released in theaters June 14, 2024.

Click here to learn more about this sequel!

There was also ANOTHER new Pixar movie announced called ELIO! The movie is about Elio, an 11-year-old boy who finds it “hard enough” just to get to his classes on time, and yet, he somehow becomes the first human to ever make contact with aliens.

Elio can’t seem to figure out how to fit in, and as his mom is working on a project to decode a signal from space, Elio ends up being the one who makes contact with the aliens and is beamed up to space! He then arrives at a sort of intergalactic United Nations of alien species and accidentally becomes the Earth’s ambassador to the universe.

The movie will star America Ferrera as Olga Solis (Elio’s mom) and Yonas Kibreab as Elio! It should come out March 1, 2024.

Click here to learn more about ELIO!

Next, we learned more about Disney Animation Studios’ Iwájú, which is a first-of-its-kind science fiction series coming to Disney+. Disney actually teamed up with Pan-African entertainment company Kugali to create Iwájú and the series will focus on African stories created by African artists.

People working on the series said that it’s a love letter to a city in Nigeria, and it’s meant to show off what makes the city one of the most unique places on Earth. The story will be a coming-of-age story that follows a girl who is a young heiress from the wealthy island, and a poor boy from the mainland.

The series will be available on Disney+ in 2023.

Click here to see more about this series!

Finally, we want to talk about Walt Disney Animation Studios’ new movie Wish! The story is about Asha, who soon finds out that the bigger the wish, the harder the journey. She is put up against one of the most formidable foes in Disney history and makes a plea to the stars for help.

That’s when an actual star gets called down from the sky! The character Star is a cosmic force and a source of boundless energy that can only speak through pantomime.

The movie will also be a musical with a watercolor style made of 3D animation, but also taking inspiration from classic Disney movies. It’s also said to have a lot of Easter eggs!

Ariana DeBose will voice Asha, and the film will release in November 22, 2023.

Click here to learn more about Wish!

New Dining Options in Disneyland

We found out about a new Princess and the Frog restaurant coming to Disneyland Park, but that’s not the only new restaurant the park is getting! There will also be two new dining options over in Mickey’s Toontown. The land is currently under construction and is being reimagined with new park areas, a fountain, and a brand new ride.

The new food spots coming to the land are Good Boy! Grocers and Cafe Daisy. Good Boy! Grocers will be a farmers market roadside stand with grab and go items…

…and Cafe Daisy will be a sidewalk table eatery serving up diner classics. Disney actually combined the previous Daisy’s Diner, Pluto’s Dog House, and Clarabelle’s to make Cafe Daisy into one quick service spot.

The land should reopen sometime in 2023.

Click here to see more about this upcoming land!

Disney Cruise Line Updates

There were also some very exciting Cruise Line updates during D23 Expo! We knew that two more ships are planned to join the fleet in the future, but now we actually have details on one of the ships. Disney announced that the new ship will be called the Disney Treasure and it will have an adventure theme!

The Treasure will have “a brand-new motif unlike anything Disney Cruise Line has done before: the theme of adventure. Inspired by Walt Disney’s love of exploration, this new design concept will pave the way for epic experiences that immerse guests in some of the company’s most legendary stories.”

The main hall will take inspiration from Asia and Africa and pay homage to Agrabah — where Disney’s Aladdin takes place. The character statue in the atrium will be of the Magic Carpet, Aladdin, and Jasmine! The ship is supposed to arrive in 2024.

Disney Cruise Line is also getting a NEW island that will be called Lighthouse Point, and some concept art was shared at the expo! This will be the second Disney Cruise Line destination in The Bahamas, joining Castaway Cay.

The island is located in Eleuthera, and you will able to explore the natural world around you.

Click here to learn more about Lighthouse Point!

For more from D23 Expo, check out what fans wanted to hear at D23 Expo, but didn’t, the FIRST trailer for Marvel’s Secret Invasion, and ALL of the Disney movie and show release dates announced at the expo.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news and updates.

Every Single UPDATE and CHANGE That Disney Announced at the 2022 D23 Expo!

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Which Disney announcement are you the most excited about? Tell us in the comments!

The post 5 BIG News Drops That Were Overshadowed at the D23 Expo first appeared on the disney food blog.