The first full day of panels and presentations at Destination D23 was filled with conversations about all things Disney, along with a lot of news about the parks, cruises, and of course, film and TV.
Among all of the news that Disney shared, I had a few favourites, so read on for some of the biggest highlights.
Watch for more news from the events, and if you’re curious about the Disney Destiny, read my story on the latest villains announcement.
Marvel, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation movie news
Zootopia 2 had the biggest splash of the day with director and Walt Disney Animation Studios head Jared Bush showing off clips, including one of the early scenes in the film that looks incredible. According to Bush, it’s one of the events that will put a strain between Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde.
One scene features the duo pursuing a snake across the city, and Judy perhaps pushes Nick a little too far into trouble. In another scene, we see how they flubbed a chase that puts them in hot water with the chief.
Patrick Warburton was announced to play Mayor Winddancer in the film, and Yvette Nicole Brown, who also helped lead the entertainment presentations, will voice two characters: EMT Otter and Bearoness Bear. The film opens in theatres on November 26, 2025.
Toy Story 5 also had a lot to share during the presentation, and we had a chance to see the opening scene of the film where a whole shipment of Buzz Lightyears wash up on a deserted island and start to plot something together in a very hive-mind sort of way. It was a hilarious scene that makes the most of Buzz’s funniest ticks, while setting the legion of toys up to be the villains this time around. We also got a peek at the design for Lily Pad, a kid’s tablet, and Smarty Pants, a potty training toy that will be voiced by Conan O’Brien. The film is scheduled for release on June 19, 2026.
Pixar also gave a sneak peek at Hoppers, the Avatar-themed animated film about Mabel, a girl who takes control of a robotic beaver to communicate with the animals to save them from a highway that’s threatening the forest. Director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Paradis Grindle presented a scene and footage from the film, showing a hilarious moment where Mabel as the beaver tries to confront the town’s mayor. Piper Curda, the voice of Mabel, and Bobby Moynihan, who voices King George the beaver, joined them on stage to talk about the film. Hoppers will open in theatres on March 6, 2026.
Walt Disney Animation also revealed that their next original film, Hexed, will release on November 25, 2026 and is about a hidden, magical world that’s tied to “weirdness.” Think about those weird teenage years, essentially, and then opening a magical world through it.
Fans at Destination D23 also saw previews for The Mandalorian and Grogu and Avengers: Doomsday, plus the sixth Ice Age film now has a title: Ice Age: Boiling Point. The film will release on February 7, 2027.
Disney Parks overlay and updates
Disney Parks revealed that the Carousel of Progress will go under renovations and improvements to the experience, and the introduction of a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic figure. They didn’t give any other details, and there is no timeline yet, but it will be interesting to see the first real changes to the fan favourite in a number of years. The attraction first debuted at the New York World’s Fair in 1964, and continues to be a fan favourite.
With the release of Tron: Ares coming up on October 10, 2025, both versions of Tron Lightcycle Run at Walt Disney World and Shanghai Disneyland will have a special overlay, including new colours, and featuring music from the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack.
The classic blue and orange colours in the ride will be replaced with red and orange light trails, instead and will launch at Magic Kingdom starting on September 15, and Shanghai Disneyland on September 16.
D23 returns next summer
Anaheim, California will roll out the red carpet once again next summer as D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event returns from August 14 through 16, 2026. Michael Vargo, the head of D23, made the announcement and noted that the events will return to Anaheim Convention Center and the Honda Center. He also said that the D23 team will “continue raising the bar for Disney fans.”
Destination D23 host and Disney Legend Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid, was also invited to become D23’s first ever “FAN-bassador.”
All photos by W. Andrew Powell, except Patrick Warburton image, courtesy of Disney D23, and Tron Lightcycle Run courtesy of Disney Parks Blog.
