Destination D23 took place this past weekend at Walt Disney World and, alongside being a fan celebration of all things Disney, Disney Parks, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel, it also gave a sneek peek at the future.
IGN was in attendance at Destination D23 and we’ve gathered all the biggest moments from the show in one place to ensure you don’t miss a thing, from the Walt Disney Studios Showcase to Walt Disney being added to Disney World’s Carousel of Progress to a detailed look at the inspirations behind Magic Kingdom’s Villains-themed land and much more.
Walt Disney Studios Showcase Was Filled With Toy Story 5, Zootopia 2, The Mandalorian and Grogu, Hexed, and Much More
The Walt Disney Studios Showcase kicked off a weekend of panels at Destination D23, and it was filled with exciting surprises, including Toy Story 5’s intro with an army of High-Tech Buzz Lightyears, the reveal of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Hexed, a clip of The Mandalorian and Grogu where Din Djarin evoked Darth Vader’s iconic scene from Rogue One, and more
Speaking of Toy Story, the clip involved a group of Hi-Tech Edition Buzz Lightyears getting stranded on an island and learning to work together and escape after they see a star that reminds them of Star Command. It was also revealed that Conan O’Brien will be playing a new potty training toy named Smarty Pants. Additionally, Toy Story will be returning to theaters on September 12 and Buzz will once again fly in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Hexed is headed to theaters in November 2026 and “follows an awkward teenage boy and his Type – A mom, who discover that what makes him unusual, might just be magical powers that will turn their lives and a secret world of magic, upside down.”
The Mandalorian and Grogu’s clip featured a scene that, like we mentioned, gave us the same feeling as the one of Darth Vader in Rogue One. We also got a ton of adorable Grogu moments and a scene involving an exploding AT-AT on a snowy planet that shows why this story needs to be told on the big screen.
We learned much more about Pixar’s Hoppers, which follows a girl named Mabel who jumps into the mind of a beaver and has to work with other beavers and animals to stop Mayor Jerry from building a highway that will destroy all the nature and wilderness in his path.
Other highlights included an extended look at Zootopia 2 and Patrick Warburton’s hilarious Mayor Winddancer, a funny message from the set of Avengers: Doomsday, an exciting clip from Tron: Ares, the name of Ice Age: Boiling Plate for the next film in the franchise, a clip of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, and more.
Tron Lightcycle / Run Overlay Will Celebrate Tron: Ares With a Red Overlay and Nine Inch Nails, Tron to be Remastered for the First Time
To celebrate Tron: Ares, Disney Parks’ Tron attractions will be getting a red overlay and original music from Nine Inch Nails. This experience will be added to Disney World’s Tron Lightcycle / Run on September 15 and Shanghai Disney Resort’s Tron Lightcycle Power Run on September 16.
Tron and Tron: Legacy will also be fully remastered in 4K Ultra HD and will be available on digital and Blu-ray SteelBook on September 16.
Dates Revealed for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2026
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will officially return to Anaheim, California, from August 14 through 16 in 2026, and it will once again be a celebration and look forward of all things Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and more.
The news was announced alongside a ton of other big D23 events fans can look forward to in the future and that the main D23 event will once again be held at both the Anaheim Convention Center and the Honda Center.
Disneyland Handcrafted Will Give a Never-Before-Seen Look at the Construction of Disneyland
We Call It Imagineering’s Leslie Iwerks stopped by Destination D23 to drop a new trailer for Disneyland Handcrafted, which documents the construction of Disneyland in a way never seen before. The film will debut on Disney+ and Disney’s YouTube later this winter, but fans can check out a look at the trailer right now.
Walt Disney Is Being Added to Carousel of Progress
Following Walt Disney – A Magical Life at Disneyland, Walt Disney is getting another Audio-Animatronics figure at Disney World’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom.
Walt will now introduce Carousel of Progress in a new scene, and guests will then witness four scenes to see what John, Sarah, Rover, and the rest of the family have been up to over the decades while witnessing the evolution of life in the United States.
Themed Drinks Headed to Disney Destiny Will Have You Feeling Like a Sorcerer Supreme, Pirate, and a Ghost
We got a sneak peek of the new drinks headed to the Disney Destiny, the Disney Cruise Line ship we visited earlier this year in Papenburg, Germany, to learn how it was built, and they look pretty spectacular.
The Mirror Dimension will be an option at the Doctor Strange-themed Sanctum lounge, and it comes in a special glass that reacts to touch and comes with an “electrifying dust that will leave your taste buds tingling.” We also saw a drink being served on a levitating platform, and it was pretty impressive!
Following the opening of Disney World’s Beak and Barrel, Disney Destiny will also be getting a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed bar, but its will be called Cask & Cannon. In the bar, guests can look forward to the Dead Man’s Chest, which comes in a smoky treasure chest and looks to “capture the true spirit of a pirate’s life on the high seas.”
Fans of the Haunted Mansion Parlor aboard the Disney Treasure will also be happy to learn it is returning on the Disney Destiny, but many of the drinks will feature all-new ingredients.
Walt Disney World’s Villains-Themed Land to Utilize ‘Conjured Architecture,’ Inspirations Revealed
We got a wicked tease of the upcoming Villains-themed land at Walt Disney World, including that the team created the term “Conjured Architecture” to describe how they are utilizing “the magical, fluid, and organic appearance of both the animated villains and the Art Nouveau style of construction” to build this new space.
This was all made possible by a research trip to Paris and Barcelona to study Art Nouveau. From Paris, they took with them “the way natural motifs and swirling designs there make nature appear to be ‘cursed’ like magic has frozen it into place.”
For Barcelona, its style was actually called Modernisme, and it has “less natural patterns but gives architecture an otherworldly, unnerving appearance.” May even added that the buildings seem as though they are “melting with subliminal shapes and faces.”
Disneyland Paris’ World of Frozen to Open in Spring 2026 Alongside Walt Disney Studios Park Becoming Disney Adventure World
Disneyland Paris’ World of Frozen will officially open in Spring 2026 alongside the official transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park into Disney Adventure World. We also learned of the milestone of the construction of Elsa’s Ice Palace, and you can check it out in the image above!
These colors were originally chosen to “reflect the Florida sunshine in a way that makes the castle shimmer from every angle.”
Cinderella Castle Getting New Colors That Harken Back to Its Original Look
Fans were delighted to learn that Disney World’s Cinderella Castle is getting a look that is inspired by the “classic and original look of the castle.”
This new paint scheme, which is still being finalized, will feature “grays, creams, blues, and touches of gold aiming to enhance the castle’s architecture.”
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
