← All stories
Global Parks

Disney Reveals Imagineers Presenting at D23 Parks Panel This Saturday

The lineup of creative leaders hints at which projects will get updates during Horizons: A Carousel of Progress, streaming live on Disney+ at 7pm PT on August 15th.

By Jeanpierre Florent · FirstDrop News TeamAug 10, 20263 min read

Disney announced the full lineup of Imagineers joining Neil Patrick Harris for the Disney Parks Horizons panel at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event this Saturday. The roster of creative leaders gives us the first real hint at which projects will get updates during the presentation, which streams live on Disney+ for the first time starting at 7pm PT on August 15th.

Nine Imagineers and creative leaders will participate in the showcase conversations. The format ditches the traditional keynote structure for a more conversational approach, with Harris guiding discussions rather than delivering announcements from a podium.

Disney teased project updates, first looks, new artwork, behind the scenes stories, creative insights, and a closer look at how Disney Experiences' projects are progressing. The company's framing points toward progress reports on projects already announced rather than a slate of entirely new reveals.

Villains Land and Avatar Updates Expected

Caroline May will join the panel as executive creative director for Walt Disney World. May leads the creation of the Disney Villains land at Magic Kingdom, and her presence strongly suggests we'll hear new details about the expansion. Right now all we know is the land will have two attractions, shopping, and dining.

Emily "Emo" O'Brien is a portfolio creative director for Disneyland Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort, currently leading development of the Avatar land at Disney California Adventure. Despite rumors that the land was canceled, Disney recently confirmed it was still in the works. O'Brien's appearance at the panel means we can expect to hear more about the project's status.

Cruise Line and Marvel Expansions

Claire Weiss, principal designer and creative director for Disney Cruise Line, will likely reveal design details and potentially names of upcoming cruise ships. Disney Cruise Line is ahead of schedule, with multiple ship launches being moved earlier than originally planned.

Brent Strong, executive creative director in charge of Marvel projects, could share updates on several different ongoing expansions. That includes the expansion to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, the Avengers Tower of Terror ride at Hong Kong Disneyland, and Spider-Man Land at Shanghai Disneyland.

Walt Disney World Projects in Focus

Chris Beatty and Jason Grandt, both portfolio executive creative directors, are expected to share information about Walt Disney World projects. The photo Disney released of Grandt showed him in front of the Piston Peak National Park construction site at Magic Kingdom, which pretty much confirms we'll hear more about the Cars land.

Other likely updates include Monstropolis at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Tropical Americas at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Both projects were announced at the last D23 and are now moving into active development and construction.

Senior Leadership Rounding Out the Roster

Bruce Vaughn, President and Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering, leads the group of presenters. Ali Rubinstein, Senior Vice President of Global Creative and Development Studios, also joins the lineup along with Michael Hundgen, Vice President Creative for Walt Disney World.

The inclusion of senior leadership alongside project specific creative directors suggests Disney plans to cover both the big picture vision and detailed updates on individual attractions and lands. The conversational format should allow Harris to dig into specifics with the people actually designing these projects.

How to Watch

Horizons: A Carousel of Progress streams live on Disney+ beginning at 7pm PT on Saturday, August 15th. This marks the first time Disney has live streamed a D23 parks presentation, giving fans outside the Honda Center a way to follow along in real time.

The showcase ties directly to Imagineering's largest ever D23 Expo pavilion, which shares the Horizons name and branding. Disney closed its announcement with a pointed line about the projects being discussed: the next chapter of Disney Experiences isn't just being imagined, it's being built.

Written by Jeanpierre Florent, part of the FirstDrop News Team

Jeanpierre is the Southern California based creator behind JPLAND21, a theme park community of more than one million subscribers across YouTube and Instagram. Our reporting is grounded in regular firsthand park visits. More about us

/ More from FirstDrop