Is Disney Hinting at 11 Huge Theme Park CHANGES? We May Have a Clue!

We’re less than a month away from the PREMIERE event for Disney fans. Yes, the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is taking place from August 9th–11th in Anaheim, CA.

The three-day event will feature a lot of fun events and panels for Disney fans, including seminars, showcases, and exhibitions. We also get a LOT of news from this fan event, including details about upcoming movies, TV shows, and Disney Parks offerings. Well, we just got a hint that this year’s panel about Disney Parks could be the most exciting we’ve seen yet.

Disney recently revealed the full schedule for this year’s D23: The Ultimate Fan Event, including details about the Disney Experiences Showcase on August 10th at 7PM, which will feature a “live musical celebration of Disney storytelling.” But it’s the poster for the panel that has us scratching our heads and looking for clues as to what we might learn during the panel.

First up, the title of the panel certainly got our attention: Horizons. Now, Horizons was an iconic ride that used to be at EPCOT where Mission: SPACE currently sits. Many Disney World old-timers, though, mourn the loss of the ride that used a suspended Omnimover vehicle to take visitors through scenes depicting the future.

Disney obviously chose this title quite deliberately, so are we going to get an announcement about the return of that ride in some way, or might some nods to Horizons be added to EPCOT? Recently, we noticed a Horizons nod inside CommuniCore Hall’s Mickey and Friends meet-and-greet space when it opened.

The robot butler from Horizons in CommuniCore Hall

The next thing we noticed on the poster are several theme park icons, including the Pixar Pal-A-Round in Disney California Adventure. We know Disneyland is planning a MASSIVE expansion, so does that mean we might get some details about some new things coming to California Adventure?

We also see the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We know that DinoLand, U.S.A. is going to be re-themed in that park, so is this a hint that we’ll finally get more details regarding the “Tropical Americas“ update and what that makeover might include?

Other park icons we see include the Earffel Tower at Walt Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris Resort. Disney previously announced a big refurbishment and rebranding for that park, changing the name of the park to Disney Adventure World with its focus being on the different worlds and lands Disney stories take place in. We’ve already learned about the World of Frozen coming to that park, along with a Tangled-themed attraction, a new show, and more. So it’s likely we’ll learn even more about that project.

The Chinese Theatre from Disney’s Hollywood Studios is sorta hiding in the background on the right. Does that mean something new is coming to Hollywood Studios? We can’t imagine what it might be, but we’d love to see a new land come to that park.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at the Chinese Theatre

In the middle is a globe that resembles Spaceship Earth. Although Disney’s huge EPCOT transformation is complete, a few things that were initially announced for that project were tossed aside, including a much-needed update to the ride inside Spaceship Earth. Considering how big this icon is in relation to the others, is this a hint that we might finally get an announcement about that update?

Six castles surround Spaceship Earth, each representing six Disney parks: Magic Kingdom, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Could each of these castles get an update of some kind? Or is this just a hint that Disney will be making announcements for each of these parks?

To the right of the image is what appears to be Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the only non-park icon on the artwork. Considering that everything else related to the parks is BEHIND this mountain, could this be a reference to “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain,” which is a phrase Disney has been using when referencing the upcoming Magic Kingdom expansion? Will we finally get actual details about that expansion and what it will include?

So that’s everything we see that could relate to the parks. The artwork also includes two cruise ships, though. We already know quite a bit about Disney Cruise Line’s upcoming cruise ships, the Disney Treasure and the Disney Adventure. However, Disney recently revealed another new ship that will set sail from Tokyo, which has not been named yet. Could we get more information about that ship and perhaps another one?

Finally, there are fireworks in the image. Does this mean there may be some announcements about new fireworks shows at one or more of the Disney Parks across the world? We don’t expect Happily Ever After in Magic Kingdom to go away anytime soon, but what about the other parks?

So that’s all we can see in the artwork, and maybe we’re reading into things, but Disney has dropped sneaky hints into concept art and artwork before, so we HAVE to look for all the clues. We’ll learn more on August 10th, so you’ll want to check back with AllEars again soon for more.