Everything You Need to Know from the D23 Expo 2024

D3 Expo 2024 - Disney announcement

This August, we got to experience the ultimate Disney fan event, the D23 Expo 2024. This event takes place every two years and is the launchpad for all kinds of Disney-related news and announcements. Because D23 is Disney’s official fan club, it offers a glimpse into the company and what it’s planning for the next couple of years. 

In 2024, Disney had a lot to unveil, especially for fans of the theme parks and cruises. If you love to book Disney vacations, this year was all about what you can expect in 2025 and beyond. Here’s a breakdown of all the big news and how it could improve your travel plans in the coming years.

Major Announcements from D23 Expo 2024

 

Four New Cruise Ships for Disney Cruise Lines

Disney cruises have always been known as a family-friendly way to travel on the high seas and explore exotic destinations. However, there are only five ships in the Disney fleet as of 2024, meaning the options are relatively limited. But, by 2031, Disney should have 13 cruise ships traveling across the globe, thanks to the announcement of four more liners coming to the fleet (another four were already in production before D23). 

While these new ships won’t be coming online until 2027 at the earliest, the announcer, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, did offer some tantalizing insights into what we could expect in the next year. One of the ships slated for kickoff in 2025 is Disney Hercules, which will feature characters and shows based on the Disney movie. 

However, the Disney Treasure will set sail before 2024 is even finished, and it features the cast of Moana. D’Amaro also told the crowd that the Moana live show features a 15-foot puppet of the volcanic creature Te Ka, which is the largest puppet Disney has put onto a cruise ship. “I’ve had a chance to see this in person, and it is stunning,” he remarked. 

Monsters Inc. Comes to Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World

If you’ve been to Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, you know it’s the unofficial home for all Pixar movies and characters, from Toy Story to Elemental. At D23, we discovered that Hollywood Studios is about to become even more Pixar-ified. 

Monsters Inc. Land was announced at D23 Expo 2024 and will feature buildings and scenery from the original 2001 film. Now, humans are wandering around the monster’s universe, helping provide free, clean energy in the form of laughter. You can also interact with Monsters Inc. characters like Mike and Sully (Billy Crystal was part of the announcement).

But the biggest moment of this announcement was when D’Amaro said there would be a ride that feels like you’re riding the doors in the Monsters Inc. factory. Any fan of the film understands how incredible this news is, especially when D’Amaro said it would be a suspended roller coaster where a claw grabs your “door” and takes you on a whirlwind adventure. We’re sure this ride will have the longest lines at the park for years after it opens. 

D23 Expo 2024 - New Disney cruise ships

Two New Attractions From Cars to Hit the Magic Kingdom

Although Hollywood Studios has most of the Pixar action, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will be welcoming two characters from the movie Cars. Lightning McQueen and Mater will hop over to Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom, and they’re bringing a couple of exciting rides with them. 

First, there’ll be a thrilling rally race through mountains and geysers as guests try to beat each other to the finish line. Second, there will be a more kid-friendly ride so little ones can experience the excitement without getting tossed around (too much). Both of these rides are slated to come in early 2025, but there’s no official open date yet. 

It’s the Villain’s Time to Shine With Villain’s Land at Disneyland

For far too long, the heroes have dominated the Disneyland and Walt Disney World experience. In 2025, that will all change with the arrival of Villain’s Land. According to Josh D’Amaro, in this land, “happily ever after may feel like just a distant dream.” There aren’t too many details about this new section, only that it will feature two major attractions, along with dining and shopping (a la Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge). Also, the land will likely feature more classic Disney villains like Captain Hook, Maleficent, Cruella, and more. 

The Animal Kingdom at WDW is Expanding in a Magical Way

The Animal Kingdom is set to expand and change wildly in 2025. Inspired by the South American world of Encanto, D’Amaro announced a new addition to the Kingdom: Tropical Americas (aka Pueblo Esperanza). This new section will span 11 acres and feature many Encanto-themed elements, including a hand-carved carousel and a massive water fountain in the center. 

However, Mirabel and the Madrigals aren’t the only ones coming to the Animal Kingdom in a big way. Indiana Jones is also along for the ride, in that he is getting a brand-new ride set among South American jungle ruins. The Tropical Americas will feature two new rides: the first centered around Indy exploring an ancient Mayan temple, and the second featuring the Casita (and Madrigals) from Encanto. 

Because of the size and scope of this project, it won’t likely be finished until 2027, meaning we’ll be eagerly awaiting updates from D23 Expo 2026. 

Pandora is Coming to Disney’s California Adventure

In 2024, the only way to experience Pandora (from the movie franchise Avatar) is to go to the Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Fortunately, at D23 Expo 2024 we learned that California residents will soon be able to join Jake Sully and the Na’vi as they make their way to the Disney California Adventure theme park. 

However, don’t expect a retread of what you can see at Animal Kingdom. Instead, this new section will be centered around the most recent Avatar film, The Way of Water. So, we’re sure to see a lot of water elements, likely including some seafaring Na’vi and the Tulkun, the whale-like animals from the film. D’Amaro promises that this new world will be immersive and highlight both the beauty and danger of the world of Pandora. 

The Avengers are Suiting Up at California Adventure

Now that Marvel is coming back in a big way, The Avengers are gearing up for expansions across the entire slate of Disney parks. Disney Shanghai, Hong Kong, and California Adventure are all set to improve and expand their Avengers campuses with new rides and attractions. 

For US-based travelers, expect two brand-new adventures based on the exploits of “Earth’s Mightiest Heros.” First, there’ll be a globe-trotting ride that pits guests against the Mad Titan himself, King Thanos. Second, you can discover what it’s like to fly like Iron Man at Stark Flight Lab. Avengers, assemble!

An Official Launch Date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland

It almost seems like an eternity since Splash Mountain was torn down at Disneyland to make way for a Princess and the Frog-inspired reboot: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Although it’s only been a year, there have been a slew of updates and delays, making this ride one of the most heavily-anticipated openings in recent memory. 

Finally, at long last, it’s official: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open for guests on November 15th, 2024, to coincide with the start of the Disneyland Holiday Season. The ride is located at the edge of New Orleans Square. The attraction also spills over into Critter Country, enveloping The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, and the newly renovated Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree. 

California Adventure Welcomes the World of Coco

If you’re a fan of the film Coco, you’ll be delighted to hear that a new Coco-themed ride will be coming to Disney California Adventure. The ride will feature characters and music from the movie, as well as some of the incredible imagery and colors from the Land of the Dead. At D23 Expo 2024, D’Amaro announced that this ride will feature the latest animatronics, which are about as close to life-like as we can get. The attraction is slated for a 2026 opening. 

Nighttime Parades at the Magic Kingdom

When it comes to nighttime parades, many Disney-goers remember the Main Street Electrical Parade, which ran continuously at Disneyland from 1972 to 1996. While the Electrical Parade has been around at different parks since 2001, it’s not officially being retired in favor of a new version, “Disney Starlight.”

This new nighttime attraction will begin at the Magic Kingdom in the summer of 2025, and it will feature characters from Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen, and more. It will also be a mixture of new technology to make the parade as beautiful and magical as possible. 

How to Book Disney Vacations for Less With Boardwalk Travel Agency

Did D23 Expo 2024 make you as excited to visit Disney theme parks as we are? These new developments promise to make every park visit even more unforgettable, and we can’t wait to see them all up close and in person. 

However, you don’t have to break the bank to travel to Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, or Walt Disney World. Instead, as an independent travel agent with Boardwalk Travel, you can get special discounts and offers to make your vacation even more affordable. And we’ll help you get started if you want to learn how to become a Disney travel agent with no experience!

Best of all, travel agents earn commissions on their bookings, so you can get money back after going to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. Plus, if you book your friends and family, you can earn commissions on their trips, too! Signing up with Boardwalk Travel is quick and easy, and you only have to pay a one-time membership fee for lifetime access. 

If you’re a true Disney fan, you can start booking magical vacations for other people and earn enough to pay for more trips! Join our team today and see how Boardwalk Travel can put your Disney plans within reach. 

Leave a Reply

WE'RE HOST AGENCY FOR ALL

Boardwalk Travel agents should always offer travel insurance to each client. It will protect their travel and limit the risk of losing a customer because they were never offered a travel protection plan. Let the client be the one to reject, but every agent should offer it to every client.

7 Reasons to Buy Travel Insurance

Travel insurance isn’t just for expensive vacations. Travel insurance isn’t just for trips overseas. And travel insurance isn’t just for long journeys.

It’s essential to buy travel insurance for every trip, because you never know what might happen when you’re far from home! Every year, 55 million Americans purchase Allianz Travel Insurance to protect them against the most common travel mishaps.

Not sure if you need to insure your trip? Here are the top seven reasons to buy travel insurance.

1. Because you don’t want to lose all your money if you have to cancel your trip.

Even the best-planned trips sometimes have to be canceled. But many travel providers—such as tour operators, cruise lines and airlines—offer minimal or no refunds for last-minute cancellations. If this happens, can you afford to lose all the money you’ve spent on your trip?

One of the best reasons to buy travel insurance is having the protection of trip cancellation benefits. These can reimburse you for prepaid, nonrefundable trip costs when you must cancel for a covered reason. When you get your money back, you can book your vacation for another, brighter day.

What if you need to cancel for a reason that’s not covered? If you think that’s a possibility, consider buying the Cancel Anytime upgrade. Available on our most popular plans, OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier, Cancel Anytime can reimburse 80% of your lost non-refundable trip costs if you cancel your trip for almost any unforeseeable reason your plan does not already cover. That way, you can travel with confidence.

2. Because accidents can—and do—happen while traveling.

Healthy travelers often think they don’t need emergency medical insurance. The truth is, no one’s immune from illness and injury. We receive thousands of calls each year from American Allianz Travel Insurance customers who are experiencing a medical crisis during their trip, such as trauma, broken bones, heart attacks, and strokes. When you have travel insurance, you can contact 24-hour assistance for help in an emergency. Our team of experts can get you the help you need and may even be able to arrange payment in advance for covered emergency medical care.

3. Because your health insurance probably won’t work overseas.

If you get seriously sick or hurt in another country, don’t expect your health insurance card to help. “Many foreign medical facilities and providers require cash payment up front and do not accept U.S. insurance plans. Medicare does not provide coverage outside of the United States,” the U.S. Department of State warns.1 When you have travel insurance with emergency medical and dental benefits, it can pay for losses due to covered medical and dental emergencies that occur during your trip.

4. Because medical evacuations can be really expensive.

If you get seriously sick or badly hurt while traveling overseas, and you need to be taken via helicopter to the nearest high-quality hospital, the cost can be enormous. In some parts of the world, a medical evacuation can potentially cost six figures—and that doesn’t even include the expense of getting you home again.

Travel insurance with emergency medical transportation benefits can pay for you to be transported to the nearest appropriate facility if you suffer a covered illness or injury during your trip and our medical assistance team determines that the local medical facilities are unable to provide appropriate treatment. It can also pay for specialized transportation to bring you home, once your condition is stable.

5. Because travel delays are inevitable.

Airlines’ on-time stats rise and fall from year to year, but on average, around 18% of domestic flights are delayed.3 That’s not even counting the flights that are canceled! That’s why you need travel insurance with travel delay benefits, which can reimburse you for additional accommodation, meals or travel expenses and lost prepaid expenses due to a covered departure delay. You’ll be much happier if you have insurance that can reimburse you for your airport lunch or unexpected extra night in the hotel.

Here’s some even better news: You can get paid $100 per insured person, per day for a covered travel or baggage delay if you have SmartBenefits® (included with the OneTrip Prime and OneTrip Premier plans). You don’t need to provide any receipts—just proof of the delay!

6. Because a missing bag can ruin your trip.

In a recent survey, more than half of travelers said an airline had lost their luggage in the past. Just 34% of them ever got their missing bags back, and 72% said they’d lost an irreplaceable item.

When your suitcase goes AWOL, travel insurance can save the day. Baggage delay benefits can reimburse you for the reasonable additional purchase of essential items during your trip if your baggage is delayed or misdirected by a common carrier for 24 hours or more. Baggage loss/damage benefits can reimburse you for the actual price, actual cash value, repair or replacement of your lost/damaged items—whichever is less—based on the limits in your insurance policy’s letter of confirmation. Just remember: The best place for truly irreplaceable items is in your carry-on luggage, or at home.

7. Because sometimes, even expert travelers need a little help. 

One of the best reasons to buy travel insurance is the peace of mind you get from knowing help’s just a phone call away. When you face a crisis while traveling—a medical emergency, a lost passport, a stolen wallet, a natural disaster, etc.—you can always contact 24-hour assistance. Our U.S.-based team of travel experts will do everything in their power to take care of you and help make things right.