A discrimination complaint related to recent changes in disability DAS accommodations at The Walt Disney Company has advanced to a formal state investigation after mediation efforts did not take place before the deadline. The case involves Disney’s Disability Access...
“Saying goodbye, why is it sad? Makes us remember the good times we had. Much more to say, foolish to try. It’s time for saying goodbye.” This line, sung by the late Richard Hunt in Muppets Take Manhattan accurately depicts the mood of hundreds of fans who flocked to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the closing day of MuppetVision 3D, the final work of legendary Muppet Creator Jim Henson.
When Disney first unveiled plans for an Avatar-themed expansion at Disney California Adventure (DCA), many fans envisioned a sprawling, immersive land akin to Pandora – The World of Avatar at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom. That’s certainly what the original concept art portrayed. However, recent updates reveal a more modest development, repurposing existing space rather than expanding the park’s footprint. It’s yet another example of Disney releasing concept art that essentially amounts to the theme park version of vaporware. How many more times people are ready to be fooled by this has yet to be seen.
This week, the Disney Parks Blog released long-anticipated details about a multi-year expansion effort that will bring new attractions, a major infrastructure overhaul, and the groundwork for further growth in the years ahead. The announcement confirmed a new parking structure and pedestrian bridge on the east side of the resort, a Coco-themed attraction coming to Disney California Adventure, and a new Avatar destination replacing part of Hollywoodland.
But while Disney’s blog post provided a surface-level overview, That Park Place can now share exclusive insider information from sources close to Walt Disney Imagineering and the resort’s architectural planning division. Details that reveal what’s coming, what it will take to get there, and why this phase of Disneyland Forward is more complicated than it seems.
Disney has released updated concept art for the upcoming Cars Land expansion replacing Frontierland’s Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island—but something’s missing. Actually, two somethings.
The race to succeed Bob Iger as Disney CEO just got more focused—and more complicated. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro is now in “pole position” to take over the company’s top job, vaulting ahead of a crowded internal field of Disney CEO candidates that includes Dana Walden, Alan Bergman, and Jimmy Pitaro.
In a striking turn of events, Disney fans are throwing the company’s own words back at it after this week’s announcement that the Rivers of America—including Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle Riverboat—will close permanently at Magic Kingdom on July 6, 2025 in Walt Disney World.
Just as fans were celebrating the long-awaited return of a nighttime parade to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom with “Starlight,” Disney has announced a notable policy shift—one that could significantly affect Annual Passholders hoping to catch the debut.
The clearest sign yet that the future Disney CEO could be Josh D’Amaro didn’t come from a boardroom or an earnings call—but from the afterparty of one of its biggest rivals.
During Netflix’s 2025 upfront presentation, industry insiders spotted an unexpected figure walking the halls: Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences and future Disney CEO hopeful. As Bloomberg reported, D’Amaro’s presence surprised even senior Netflix executives, who had no idea why Disney’s theme park chief would show up to a competitor’s pitch event.
Walt Disney World has quietly updated its Disability Access Service (DAS) program once again, extending its eligibility period to up to one year for qualifying guests. While this longer validity may sound like good news for Annual Passholders, the move does little to address the ongoing criticism surrounding how the service is implemented—and who is now being denied.
As Universal prepares to open its most ambitious theme park yet, Epic Universe, Disney’s top park executive (and future Disney CEO hopeful) Josh D’Amaro is pushing back against concerns over competition, stating that Disney has been “on the offensive” for years in the battle for Orlando tourism dominance. But while Universal is launching a massive new resort with multiple lands and hotels, Walt Disney World has no new attractions scheduled to open in 2025—only closures of longstanding guest favorites.
Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, made headlines this week for expressing supreme confidence in Walt Disney World’s staying power — even in the face of the most ambitious theme park expansion in decades: Universal’s Epic Universe.
But as much as D’Amaro wants to spin the competition as a benefit, reality suggests otherwise. With Universal preparing to shake up the Orlando tourism market in 2025, Disney may be standing at the edge of a cliff while pretending it’s just another ride.
The magic of Disney’s concept art has always come with a grain of pixie dust — and sometimes, a lot more imagination than reality. But according to exclusive That Park Place sources, Disneyland Abu Dhabi may feature one of the biggest concept art divergences in the company’s history.