The energy was electric at the D23 Disney Experiences Showcase in Anaheim, California, over the summer. That quickly changed.
At the time, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro was like Oprah Winfrey, famously exclaiming, “You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!” unveiling attraction after attraction coming to Disney parks.
“It was an incredible feeling to stand there up on stage in front of 13,000 people, telling them about all of these ambitious plans,” D’Amaro told USA TODAY. “Feeling that energy come back at me, it just made me want to do even more.”
Squeals, cheers and thunderous applause filled Honda Center like a rock concert as fans learned about a new Villains land at Walt Disney World, the first Coco attraction coming to Disney California Adventure, and more.
But just days later, cries of joy turned into outcries as fans learned that two newly announced Cars-themed attractions would be replacing Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America in Magic Kingdom.
Not long after, fans began worrying about possibly losing Muppet*Vision 3D in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to a newly announced Monsters Inc.-inspired suspended coaster, even though Disney hasn’t confirmed its intended location.
“I love the fact that our fans are speculating and watching every move that we make,” D’Amaro said. “That means they care. That means they’re engaged with us. That means they’re dreaming and hoping the same way that we are.”
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