If there was one thing Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum wanted fans to know coming out of D23 2026, it was pretty simple:
Disney is listening.
Following a massive weekend filled with announcements, surprises, and a few moments that absolutely blew the roof off the place, Thomas reflected on his first D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event as Chairman of Disney Experiences — and offered an interesting glimpse into how fan reaction could help shape the future of Disney Parks around the world.
And judging by what we saw at D23, that future is going to be pretty damn exciting.
A Different Kind of First D23
This wasn’t Thomas’ first experience with Disney. Far from it.
He has been with the company for nearly three decades, but D23 2026 marked his first time experiencing the event as Chairman of Disney Experiences.
While standing on stage for Horizons: A Carousel of Progress was obviously a major moment, Thomas said one of his favorite parts of the weekend happened away from the spotlight: walking the show floor and talking directly with Disney fans.
Those conversations mattered.
Thomas emphasized that fans and guests remain at the center of what Disney Experiences creates, and the reaction inside D23 gave Disney leadership a pretty clear indication of what fans are excited about.
And sometimes, what fans want isn’t necessarily something brand new.
Figment. The Yeti. Tomorrowland. Disney Heard You.
Some of the loudest reactions of the entire Disney Experiences showcase came from announcements aimed directly at longtime Disney Parks fans.
Thomas specifically pointed to the reanimation of the Yeti at Expedition Everest, the return of Figment and Dreamfinder, changes coming to Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, and the massive announcement that Tomorrowland at Disneyland is being transformed.
Those announcements might not sound as flashy to the casual guest as building an entirely new theme park land.
To hardcore Disney fans?
They were huge.
Thomas acknowledged that characters like Figment — and even the infamous Expedition Everest Yeti — may not be household names for everyone walking through the gates. But Disney knows exactly how much they mean to its most passionate fans.
His message was clear: they hear us.
The Tomorrowland announcement may be the biggest example.
Rather than simply focusing on Disney’s next massive expansion, Thomas stressed the importance of continuing to invest in the lands and attractions guests already love.
Tomorrowland isn’t just another piece of Disneyland. It’s part of Walt Disney’s original park and represents the optimism, imagination and endless possibilities of the future.
And just like Disneyland itself, Thomas believes it should never stop evolving.
Disney Is Going Big on Things It’s Never Done Before
Of course, nostalgia isn’t the entire game plan.
Disney is also swinging for the fences.
When asked what he’s most excited about following D23, Thomas pointed toward something Disney Experiences has plenty of coming:
Firsts.
Walt Disney World is getting Disney’s first-ever Villains Land, a project Thomas described as a bold and dramatically different concept.
Then there’s Coco, Encanto and The Lion King, all getting their own first-of-their-kind Disney Parks attractions.
That’s a pretty wild lineup.
These aren’t simply new rides based on popular movies. They’re Disney stories that millions of people already have emotional connections with finally getting physical worlds and attractions guests can actually step inside.
For longtime fans, that’s exciting.
For people who may have never considered taking a Disney vacation before, Disney believes those characters and stories could be the reason they finally make the trip.
Nobody Does This Quite Like Disney
Thomas also touched on something that can occasionally get lost underneath construction walls, attraction announcements and endless debates about what’s replacing what.
Disney’s biggest weapon isn’t necessarily an individual ride.
It’s the ability to make fictional worlds real.
One day you’re cruising Route 66 alongside Lightning McQueen and Mater. Somewhere else in the world, guests are stepping into Arendelle, exploring Zootopia, flying through Pandora, entering the world of Beauty and the Beast or sailing aboard a Disney Cruise Line ship with Mickey and Minnie.
As Thomas put it, nobody brings those fantasies into the real world quite like Disney Experiences.
And the next several years are going to put that philosophy to the test in a massive way.
But The Cast Members Are Still the Secret Sauce
For all the billions of dollars Disney is pouring into its parks, resorts and cruise ships, Thomas believes the real heart of Disney Experiences hasn’t changed.
It’s the people.
Cast Members, Crew Members and Imagineers are ultimately the ones responsible for turning those massive ideas into something guests actually remember.
People may initially visit because they love Mickey Mouse, Star Wars, Marvel, Frozen or any number of Disney stories.
But according to Thomas, the reason generations of families continue coming back is how Disney Cast Members make them feel.
That relationship creates something incredibly difficult for any company to manufacture: trust.
And as Disney Experiences enters one of the most aggressive periods of expansion in its history, protecting that trust could be every bit as important as building the next blockbuster attraction.
D23 May Have Told Us More Than We Realized
D23 2026 gave us plenty to freak out about.
Villains Land. Coco. Encanto. The Lion King. Tomorrowland. Figment. Dreamfinder. The Yeti finally getting another shot at terrifying guests the way he was supposed to.
But Thomas’ comments after the event may tell us something even more interesting about where Disney Experiences is heading.
New doesn’t have to mean forgetting the old.
Disney can build massive new worlds while still taking care of the attractions, characters and places generations of fans already love.
That’s a balance Disney hasn’t always gotten right.
If D23 2026 was any indication, Thomas Mazloum and Disney Experiences appear determined to try.
And after hearing thousands of Disney fans lose their minds over Figment, a broken Yeti and the future of a 71-year-old Tomorrowland, Disney should have a pretty good idea of where to start.
Source: Disney Parks Blog
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