D23 Expo: Recap and Geeking Out

In the Studios...
A Toy Story 3 plot that sounds like it will make me CRY.
A Cars 2 plot that sounds decent and means I might have to see the first one.
A NEW MUPPET MOVIE WRITTEN BY JASON SEGEL!!! And maybe featuring Gonzo, my favorite Muppet! (He is severely underappreciated.)
Concept art from Pixar's next project, The Bear and the Bow - the first Pixar film to feature a female heroine (Reese Witherspoon) and a female director.

In the parks...
A HUGE expansion of Fantasyland featuring more princesses and a Little Mermaid attraction!
An upcoming Star Tours refurb. I'm a big Star Wars fan and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this, as I think the original trilogy is far superior to the silly new movies.




Oh, and did I mention Johnny Depp showed up in full Jack Sparrow mode? Though honestly, I'd be just as (if not more) excited to see the Imagineering legends presentation featuring X Atencio, Marty Sklar, and Alice Davis, among others.

D23 Expo: Ariel's Adventure

So I really really really really really really wish I could be at the D23 expo in Anaheim this weekend - but alas, I cannot. I was pretty busy yesterday, so I've just started to follow what was going on there. A DisBoards/LJ friend brought this to my attention:

"Fans of Disney's animated classic, The Little Mermaid, will journey under the sea to meet Ariel and her friends on an exciting new musical adventure. This new attraction will take guests through beautifully rendered scenes featuring classic songs from the popular animated feature. The attraction will be part of the expanded Fantasyland that was announced at the D23 Expo on Saturday by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo."

OMG YAAAAAAAY!!! I wonder if the attraction will bear any resemblance to the one they featured on the Platnium Edition DVD release of The Little Mermaid. Also, if you enlarge the picture, you'll notice that the concept art has two lines - one for Ariel's Adventure, and one for her grotto. So maybe it'll incorporate elements of the old 20,000 Leagues attraction. We shall see!

I may post more about the Expo soon, or just do my second info post. I will be updating a LOT for like three days, and then it will get less frequent as I will FINALLY leave for Kalamazoo on Wednesday! (Yup - haven't even started yet!)