[Cinderella castle at night with fireworks; Photo credit: Pexels]

This past week, Disney announced countless new movies set to be released along with new theme park ride concepts at Disney D23 Expo 2024.

The Disney D23 Expo is an event where Disney fans gather to hear about the latest stories and innovations from Disney World.

At this year’s event, attendees learned about the creation and release dates for several upcoming films, including Frozen 3, Incredibles 3, Toy Story 5, Moana 2, Snow White, and a live-action version of Lilo & Stitch, among others.

In a special moment, the voice actors of Moana and Maui, Auliʻi Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson, respectively, treated fans to a live performance as part of the announcement for Moana 2.

As for the rides, AllEars reported that the Avengers Campus will double in size with an addition of two more rides and other attractions coming into Disneyland include Walt Disney: A Magical Life, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

However, the audience expressed mixed reactions to the announcements.

While some sections of the online community welcomed the news of more movies and attractions, others criticized Disney for continuing to extend existing franchises without offering new, original stories.

A high school student who wished to remain anonymous, commented, “I’m really excited about the new movies. Personally, the trailer of Moana 2 seemed so interesting as Moana now has a younger sister.”

Victoria Avila, a 9th grader expressed, “I am so excited and ready for Moana 2 to come out.

Moana 1 was already a motivational and inspirational movie especially for us as females. The trailer already gives a good opening of what is to come, and I can’t imagine what the movie is going to bring!”

She added, “ I think Toy Story 5 will also be inspirational. The image they shared showed toddlers and teengers on screens instead of playing with toys, which reflects real-life issues today. I believe many people, especially parents, will find this message compelling.”

Despite the enthusiasm, some voiced concerns over certain projects.

Another high schooler, who also chose to remain anonymous, remarked, “To be honest, I haven’t had that much hope towards Disney lately, but I do think I will watch it right away once it is released. I’m a little curious about Moana 2 as well.”

Lastly, an anonymous middle schooler shared, “I wonder if it was really necessary to make Toy Story 5. It feels like they’re continuing the series too long. But the attractions sound really nice.”

As demonstrated above, the audience’s reactions were both positive and negative.

Ultimately, fans will have to wait for the release of these movies and attractions to see how they turn out.