ULTIMATE Guide to the 2022 D23 Expo!

The time has FINALLY come — we’re live from Disney’s D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center!

©D23

This SOLD OUT event promises a TON of Disney announcements, exclusive panels, entertainment, merchandise, and more. We’re bringing you along with us to see everything the 2022 D23 Expo has to offer — let’s check it all out!

General Expo News

This sold-out event is taking place all weekend long from September 9th to 11th, and we’re here to check it all out and bring you the biggest news and announcements! This event is one of the biggest Disney events (if not THE biggest) and we’ve been waiting for this day to come for quite some time.

And, even though this year’s Expo is sold out — you can still catch some of the most popular panels streaming live.

©D23

We’ve got you covered when it comes to everything you WON’T see on the livestream, though!

Learn how you can live stream the D23 Expo here.

Panels

We might be the MOST excited about all the panels, as that’s when Disney usually makes some pretty stellar announcements.

Disney Legends Ceremony

The whole thing kicked off with the Disney 100 Celebration and Opening Ceremony featuring the newest class of Disney Legends.

©Disney

During that opening ceremony we got to see Mickey Mouse and friends…but there was something different. Mickey and Minnie were dressed in platinum outfits for the 100th Anniversary! Is this something we could see in the parks? We’ll have to wait and see.

Platinum Outfits

We also got a pretty stellar performance from some Disney on Broadway actors!

After the initial festivities, we got to hear from Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO, about…SURPRISE! An expansion coming to Disneyland’s Avengers Campus in California.

Avengers Campus is expanding!

We also got to hear about a unique gift that’ll be available for D23 Gold members in 2023.

Then, we got to the ceremony itself.

Idina Menzel

During that time, multiple celebrities and Disney employees were awarded the honor of being named “Disney Legends.”

Patrick Dempsey

It was truly a star-studded ceremony!

Click Here to See Which Celebrities Were in Attendance!

The Simpsons

On Friday, we also got to check out a panel dedicated to The Simpsons. During this presentation, show creators discussed what it’s like to make the popular series, as well as what fans can expect coming soon. There will be two Halloween specials this year, including one where Kristy features as “Krusto” the clown.

©Disney

We’re also expecting a new short featuring Lisa with Disney villains, as well as a new special that will be “a love letter to classic Simpsons.”

The Simpsons ©Disney

There’s going to be plenty of new content soon!

Disney and Marvel Games Showcase

The Disney and Marvel Game Showcase was a highlight for video game fans. During the event, multiple new games were announced and details were shared about things like Toy Story Adventure, Disney Illusion Island, TRON: Identity, MARVEL World of Heroes…

…Marvel Snap, and more!

Other Panels

There will also be multiple different panels dedicated to allllll things Marvel, and we’re hoping to hear some especially exciting announcements from these.

©Marvel

We’re also looking forward to announcements from Lucasfilm and more projects being worked on by Walt Disney Studios!

These panels are taking place all weekend long and we’ll be making our way to the best ones, so be sure to stay tuned to AllEars because we’ll be updating this page with all the details and news you need to know!

Show Floor

There’s even more to check out on the D23 Show Floor, which is full of different exhibits and displays dedicated to everything from video games to the Disney+ Innovation Lounge to behind-the-scenes looks at Disney parks projects at the Wonderful World of Dreams Pavilion.

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Guests can even partake in immersive experiences dedicated to the “Journey Into Storytelling” that feature different interactive elements that promise to be full of “photo and video activations along with gamification.”

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Plus, the Twisted-Wonderland booth will teach guests all about this new game and will be complete with photo ops, giveaways, and more. And if you’re a Disney history buff, you can catch an exhibit full of unique items from over the years.

We hit up that Disney history exhibit on Thursday night during a media event. It’s called “Step in Time” and it’s presented by the Walt Disney Archives. There, you can find old movie props…

The carousel horse from ‘Mary Poppins’

…costumes from hit films and TV shows…

This is an ICONIC wardrobe.

…and even some original props from Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom! We spotted the terrifying attic bride on display here.

Haunted Mansion props

There are also specific sections of the exhibit dedicated to Lucasfilm and TRON, so make sure to stop by in the next few days if you get the chance!

Click Here to See ALL the Details On the “Step in Time” Exhibit!

If you’re a history buff, don’t turn away yet! The other big history-based exhibit at the Expo is called Mickey Mouse One: Walt’s Plane presented by Amazon. Here, you can see Walt Disney’s private airplane…IN PERSON!

Walt’s Plane

We stopped by to check it out on Thursday night as well, and we got an up-close look at some interesting artifacts that used to reside onboard.

Cabin Chair

There is all kinds of memorabilia to see, including the instrument panel that used to reside next to Walt’s favorite seat — that way he could monitor the flight conditions without having to go to the cockpit.

Instrument Panels

They even have old Pilot Mickey Mouse merchandise on display. How fun!

Pilot Mickey merchandise

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to fly on Walt Disney’s private plane, then this exhibit is for you!

Click Here to See All the Details from the Mickey Mouse One Exhibit!

For those who are fascinated by robotics and the animatronics that Disney uses in the theme parks, the Project Exo exhibit at D23 Expo is a MUST. Here, you can catch up on the last in Disney’s robotic technology, and take a look at the future of what we’ll see in the parks.

Project Exo

The exhibit walks you through the various stages of the building process for these figures, and it was quite interesting!

Click Here to See MORE of the Project Exo Exhibit!

Merchandise

Don’t forget that there is also a TON of exclusive merchandise you can get at the Expo, too! We’ve seen a sneak peek of a few of these collections, but now that we’re here we can check out all the Expo has to offer.

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You can even shop for exclusive Loungefly bags you won’t be able to get anywhere else and check out all the discounts you might be able to snag while you’re shopping to your heart’s content.

©Loungefly

We’re coming up on Disney’s 100th Anniversary and in honor of the occasion, we’re getting NEW Mickey and Minnie ears! The designs were revealed at the Expo on Friday and will be available in limited supply for guests of the Expo to purchase. They’re literally DRIPPING in platinum!

©Disney

Stay tuned for even MORE merchandise announcements and photos.

The BIG News

Chances are you’re following along with us because you want to know what the BIGGEST announcements are from the 2022 D23 Expo. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!

On Thursday night, we got the chance to visit the Disney Parks exhibit on the showroom floor, and BOY is it filled with fun news! First of all, we got a look at the model for the upcoming attraction Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

This retheme of Splash Mountain on both coasts is set to open in 2024, but now we have a look at what to expect from the attraction. It has the same bones as its predecessor, but with some new theming elements to fit the updated storyline.

Sign in front of the ride

We can’t wait to check it out for ourselves!

See More Photos of the Model and Get More Details Here!

And speaking of the ride, we also found out that there will be a BRAND-NEW store and restaurant coming to New Orleans Square in Disneyland! The restaurant is called Tiana’s Palace, inspired by the spot of the same name at the end of the film.

Tiana’s Palace details

The matching store will be called Eudora’s Chic Boutique and will feature some of Tiana’s own home-grown spices. How neat! And you won’t have to wait very long either — the shop opens at Disneyland on September 20th, 2022.

New store!

These additions are really going to amp up New Orleans Square, and we can’t wait to see how it all comes together!

Click Here to Learn More About Tiana’s Palace Restaurant!

In continuing Disneyland news, the Disney Parks exhibit also features a closer look at the reimagining of Mickey’s Toontown! The model of the land shares details on the new ride, attractions, and restaurants that you can expect to find there.

Reimagined ToonTown

We can’t wait to check out Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at the El CapiTOON Theater or visit Cafe Daisy when it opens. It looks like the updated land is going to be a BLAST!

Want to See ALL the ToonTown News? Check Out All the Details Here!

Another big update for Disneyland was the announcement that Avengers Campus will be expanding! The new land will now include mentions of the multiverse, as well as a brand new attraction that will “bring guests into battle alongside their favorite Super Heroes.”

Avengers Campus is expanding!

We were told more details would come during Sunday’s Parks panel.

Click Here for More Info on the Avengers Campus Expansion!

And finally, the time has come for the panel, A Boundless Future: Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products. Take a deep breath, because we’re about to throw a lot your way!

The panel kicked off with a huge announcement — the return of Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom! This reveal followed Jordan Fisher’s performance of the show’s song.

You can expect to see the beloved fireworks show return in 2023.

Click Here for More Info on the Return of Happily Ever After

Shortly after, Jon Favreau came on stage to announce the debut of Mandalorian and Grogu in Disneyland. You can find them meeting guests in November.

And they’re not the only new meet and greets coming to the resort! The Incredible Hulk will also be arriving in Avengers Campus.

He will start meeting guests next week.

Check Out More Information About This Meet and Greet

They also revealed a new multiverse ride coming to Avengers Campus! It will provide guests with the chance to join the Marvel superheroes while they battle King Thanos.

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We’ll let you know when we receive more details about this attraction!

Check Out More Information About This Ride

And Pacific Wharf in Disney California Adventure will be rethemed to Big Hero 6! Specifically, the area will be inspired by San Fransokyo.

The NEW Pacific Wharf

And, it will have a meet and greet with Baymax!

Check Out More About This Retheme

Some more concept art was revealed for Disney’s Toontown reimaging!

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The project should finish sometime in early 2023.

Check Out More Concept Art for the Reimagination

Disney also gave us an update on the Paradise Pier Hotel retheme — it will be called Pixar Place Hotel!

©Disney

They confirmed that progress is continuing on the reimagining of this hotel, and we’re extremely excited!

Check Out More About This Information

In addition to the new and upcoming Downtown Disney restaurants Din Tai Fung and Paseo and Centrico, it was announced that Porto’s Bakery is also opening a location.

Porto’s is opening a location at Downtown Disney.

Porto’s will serve salads, soups, sandwiches, and baked goods.

Read more about Porto’s Bakery here!

The Magic Happens Parade is coming back to Disneyland! This parade showcases Sorcerer Mickey along with characters from Coco, Frozen, Moana, and more.

Sorcerer Mickey Float in Magic Happens

Disney did not announce a return date, so stay tuned for more info.

Read more about the Magic Happens Parade here.

Disneyland is also getting two new nighttime spectaculars, with Wonderous Journeys coming to Disneyland Park in January 2023…

Concept art for “Wondrous Journeys,” a nighttime spectacular coming to Disneyland Park in January 2023.

…and World of Color One coming to Disney California Adventure, also in January 2023.

World of Color One is a NEW nighttime spectacular coming to Disney California Adventure in 2023.

Wondrous Journeys will feature a new theme song and World of Color One will have a new story.

Learn more about Disneyland’s new nighttime spectaculars here.

Disney also gave us a closer look at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! We’re so excited to learn more about this retheme.

And you guys, a new ghost will be materializing over at the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom!

HatBox Ghost ©Disney

That’s right — the Hatbox Ghost! He’ll join the happy haunts in 2023.

Check Out More Information About the Hatbox Ghost

There’s also a new nighttime spectacular coming to EPCOT!

It will arrive to the park in 2023 as part of Disney’s 100th Anniversary.

Click Here for More Details About the Nighttime Spectacular

 

And EPCOT fans will be excited to hear about the meet and greet returning to the park.

That’s right — Figment is coming back! He’ll start meeting fans again in late 2023.

Check Out More About the Figment Meet and Greet

And an opening timeline was announced for TRON Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom!

It will open in Spring 2023! We’ll let you know when a specific date is revealed.

Check Out More About This Announcement

We also got an opening timeline for Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana.

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It will be opening sometime in late 2023.

Check Out More About This Announcement

We got a first look at the Frozen-themed promenade in Disneyland Paris, as well as a new Tangled attraction!

We’ll let you know when more details are revealed about these projects.

Check Out More Information About These Projects

Disneyland Paris is also getting a Pixar show, “Pixar: We Belong Together.”

New Monsters, Inc. Show!

It will be part of the grand finale of the park’s 30th Anniversary and will debut next year.

Check Out More About The Pixar Show Coming to Disneyland Paris

And the Disneyland Hotel in Disneyland Paris will also be getting an update!

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Each room will be re-themed with stories inspired by Frozen, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, and more.

Check Out More About This Update Here

Are you ready for some huge land-related news? Disney teased the possibility of Encanto and Coco lands being added to Magic Kingdom. Oh — and did we mention that they added the possibility of a villains-themed land?

©Disney

We’re hoping these expansions actually take place, and we’ll let you know if there’s any movement on this front.

Check Out More Information About These Projects

There’s also the possibility of DinoLand U.S.A. getting rethemed into Zootopia and Moana lands!

Concept Art for potential ‘Zootopia’ or ‘Moana’ Lands ©Disney

They haven’t confirmed the project yet, so it’s only an idea right now.

Check Out More Information About the Potential Project

Shanghai Disney Resort is also getting a Zootopia expansion!

@disneyparks

FIRST LOOK! Officer Clawhauser will greet guests at Zootopia Police Department, the entrance to the new family attraction at Shanghai Disney Resort! @disneyd23 #D23Expo #Disney #DisneyParks #ShanghaiDisney #Zootopia

♬ original sound – Disney Parks

Few details have been released, but we know it’s going to have an insane animatronic of Officer Clawhauser greeting guests!

Check Out More Information About This Expansion

There was also some other international park news, like a look at the World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland, which will open in the second half of 2023…

©Disney

…a new statue of Walt and Mickey for Hong Kong Disneyland…

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…more information about the Fantasy Springs expansion at Tokyo DisneySea (Frozen, Peter Pan, and Tangled)…

…and Tokyo Disneyland’s Space Mountain update, which begins in 2024.

©Disney

And those are all of the big updates for the international parks!

Click Here for More Information About These Expansions

And The Walt Disney Company will celebrate its 100th anniversary with Disney 100 Years of Wonder, which will include special eats and drinks, exclusive merchandise, new experiences, and more — across the globe.

100th Ears

“The heart of the celebration” will take place at Disneyland beginning in late January 2023. Mickey and his pals will also don new platinum celebration costumes!

Read more about Disney 100 Years of Wonder here!

Movie & Series News

We also got PLENTY of movie news at the Celebrate the Magic of Disney and Pixar Panel. To start things off, we got a look at the new Disney Studios logo celebrating 100 years of Disney.

New Walt Disney Studios Logo

We also saw a trailer for Hocus Pocus 2 that featured the new logo!

We also got a new trailer for Disenchanted, introduced by the cast of the film!

Disenchanted Poster

You can watch the new trailer here, with the movie premiering on Disney+ on November 24th.

We also got the FIRST teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid live-action adaptation.

For Pixar, we got a look at the upcoming Win or Lose series coming to Disney+.

This series is set to make its debut in fall 2023.

Read about ALL the Pixar series planned for Disney+

We also got a look at the poster for the upcoming movie Elementals.

©Disney

The movie will premiere in theaters on June 16th, 2023.

Read more about Elementals here

We also got release years for Snow White and Mufasa: The Lion King, both of which will debut in 2024.

©Disney

 

In the first clip from the film, we see Halle Bailey as Ariel singing “Part of Your World”.

Watch the first teaser trailer for The Little Mermaid here

Pixar also confirmed that Inside Out 2 is in the works!

D23 Expo

The movie will focus on Riley as a teenager, with a new set of emotions! But don’t worry — Amy Poehler will be returning as Joy! The movie is slated for summer 2024.

Read more about Inside Out 2 here

We also got our first announcement of Pixar’s upcoming film Elio!

©Pixar

And to wrap up the panel, Disney shared a first look at their upcoming animated film Wish!

©Disney

With a release date of November 2023, the movie will explore how the wishing star came to be. Starring Ariana DeBose as Asha, the movie will feature all new music from Julia Michaels.

©Disney

On Saturday, we attended the Studio Showcase, featuring movie and series news from Marvel, Lucasfilm, and 20th Century Studios. First up, we got a brand-new trailer for the Star Wars show Andor.

©Disney

The show will be premiering on Disney+ on September 21st, with the first three episodes dropping at once.

Click Here to See the Andor Trailer!

After that, Lucasfilm announced that The Bad Batch would be returning for season 2 on January 4th, 2023. They also dropped a trailer for season 2 of the show!

©Disney+

This animated series was a hit among Star Wars fans during season 1, so we can’t wait for the second round!

Click Here to See the New Bad Batch Trailer!

While we’re on a roll with new Star Wars shows, we have to mention Tales of the Jedi! This new show will tell “two stories of fate” with “one destiny” through familiar characters in the Star Wars universe.

©Disney

Six original shorts will be streaming on October 26th, and we got to see the trailer at the D23 Expo!

Watch the Tales of the Jedi Trailer Here!

Another upcoming Lucasfilm series that’s NOT a Star Wars show is Willow, the sequel to the 1988 movie of the same name. During the panel, Lucasfilm shared a new trailer for the show!

‘Willow’ ©Lucasfilm

The series will stream on Disney+ starting on November 30th. We can’t wait to watch Warwick Davis reprise his role!

Click Here to See the Willow Trailer!

Back to Star Wars, Lucasfilm also dropped the highly-anticipated trailer for the third season of The Mandalorian!

©Disney

If you were a fan of the first two seasons, you can catch the third on Disney+ in 2023. We’re so excited!

Watch The Mandalorian Season 3 Trailer Here!

After that, we got a bunch of big Marvel news! We got to watch the trailer for Marvel’s Halloween special, Werewolf by Night.

©Disney

This new special will release on Disney+ on October 7th.

Click Here to Check Out the Halloween Special Trailer!

One Marvel series we’re really looking forward to is Secret Invasion! It’s streaming on Disney+ in 2023 and we got the trailer during the Marvel panel.

©Marvel

If you’re a fan of Nick Fury, this is a show you don’t want to miss!

Want to See the Secret Invasion Trailer? Click Here!

Another thing that was announced was the confirmation of Don Cheadle’s return for the Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars, coming to Disney+.

Next up, Marvel confirmed the director for Fantastic Four, which will be Matt Shakman.

©Disney/Marvel

The movie is coming to theaters on November 8th, 2024.

Click Here to Get More Details on This Film!

One movie that a lot of fans are gearing up for is The Thunderbolts! And during the D23 Expo, Marvel announced the cast for the film.

©Marvel

Many favorite stars are returning for the movie, including Sebastian Stan and Florence Pugh. It comes to theaters in 2024.

Click Here for the Full Cast!

Also during the presentation, it was announced that Tim Blake Nelson from The Incredible Hulk would be reprising his MCU role in Captain America: New World Order. 

©Marvel

Also, the beloved character Jimmy Woo (played by Randall Park) is returning for Ant-Man: Quantumania! The movie is coming to theaters on February 17th, 2023.

©Marvel

Later in the day, we got a few Disney+ trailers and premiere dates!

We got our first trailer for The Santa Clauses series.

We found out the series will come to the streaming service on November 16th, 2022!

Click here to read more about The Santa Clauses series

We also got a first trailer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Currently, the series does not have an exact premiere date but will be coming out some time in 2023.

Click here to read more about Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Then we got a premiere date and trailer for National Treasure: The Edge of History.

The series will premiere on December 14th, 2022.

Click here to read more about the National Treasure series

We also got a first look at the upcoming Madu, a documentary coming to Disney+.

Disney also shared a premiere date for the upcoming Elton John concert film, which will feature footage from his goodbye tour.

The film will premiere on November 20th, 2022.

Click here to learn more about the Elton John documentary film

Plus, we got a premiere date for Moon Girl on the Disney Channel. It will premiere on both the Disney Channel and Disney+ on February 10th, 2023.

Soon after, we’ll get season two of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, which will come to Disney+ in February 2023.

The animated series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur is releasing on February 10th, 2023

Raven’s Home on Disney Channel has been renewed for a 6th season.

The movie Under Wraps 2 is coming on September 25th, 2022!

And finally, we got a performance from the cast of Zombies 3.

There’s so much to see and do at the D23 Expo and we’re bringing you with us as we check it ALL out. 

We’ll be updating this article all weekend long with the most important announcements, news, photos, videos, and more — so stay tuned and check back for more!

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What are you looking forward to at this year’s D23 Expo? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: We were invited by Disney to attend a media event for the D23 Expo. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.

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