Destination D23 2025: Biggest Disney Announcements Revealed

Destination D23 2025 opened with a bang as Walt Disney Studios rolled out a massive showcase of upcoming films and surprises that had fans buzzing – though not without controversy. From long-awaited sequels to bold new projects, the presentation was a whirlwind of announcements that revealed Disney’s next big steps across Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and beyond.

Toy Story 5 – Tech Meets Toys

Pixar unveiled the opening sequence of Toy Story 5, arriving June 19, 2026.

The scene introduced Hi-Tech Buzz Lightyears stranded on a remote island after a shipping mishap. These upgraded toys boast digital displays, shiny new designs, and a sense of eerie uniformity as they try to figure out survival. One Buzz looks up to the stars and utters the iconic words, “Star… Command…” before the Toy Story 5 logo fills the sky. The theme this time? Toys grappling with modern technology. Conan O’Brien voices Smarty Pants, a potty-training toy, while Bonnie now owns Lilypad, an iPad-like gadget. Pixar also announced that the original Toy Story returns to theaters September 12, and Buzz Lightyear will soar once more in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The Mandalorian and Grogu – Star Wars on the Big Screen

Lucasfilm screened intense footage from The Mandalorian and Grogu, set for May 22, 2026. Din Djarin takes down Snowtroopers in a chilling Rogue One–style hallway massacre, using flamethrowers, blades, and blasters with ruthless precision. AT-ATs collapse off icy cliffs, while Grogu delivers a mix of adorable antics and surprising Force mastery, even dodging a GONK droid. Cameos included Sigourney Weaver and Zeb, while a mysterious Hutt – possibly played by Jeremy Allen White – loomed large. The footage closed with Grogu munching something that looked suspiciously like popcorn, teasing the film’s mix of grit and levity.

Hexed – Disney Animation’s Magical Family Clash

Arriving Fall 2026, Hexed introduces an awkward teenage boy whose unusual quirks hide magical powers. His Type A mom becomes entangled in a hidden magical world, setting the stage for a chaotic mother-son adventure. Directed by Josie Trinidad and Jason Hand, with Roy Conli and Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster-Jones producing, Hexed promises humor, heart, and a modern twist on Disney’s magical storytelling.

Zootopia 2 – From Honeymoon to Reality

Zootopia 2 (Nov 26, 2025) picks up with Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps as rookie partners in the ZPD. A high-energy chase scene involving an anteater smuggler, a pit viper voiced by Ke Huy Quan, and skeptical fellow officers sets the tone. Patrick Warburton’s Mayor Winddancer – an actor-turned-politician horse – delivered laughs with a tongue-in-cheek catchphrase. But the sequel also goes darker: Judy and Nick become fugitives while trying to protect Gary De’Snake and unravel a conspiracy tied to a deadly book. Director Jared Bush described the chase through Marsh Market as Disney’s most ambitious animated action sequence yet.

Pixar’s Hoppers – Into the Mind of a Beaver

Pixar’s Hoppers (Mar 6, 2026) looks quirky and surreal. Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda) uses experimental tech to inhabit the mind of a beaver, only to discover nature’s brutal rules and a community disrupted by human expansion. Comic yet tragic moments unfold – from awkward predator-prey encounters to a worm cut short mid-speech by a hungry bird. Bobby Moynihan voices King George, who shelters displaced animals, while Jon Hamm’s Mayor Jerry pushes destructive development. With its mix of eco-message and absurd comedy, Hoppers walks the line between satire and heartfelt adventure.

Tron: Ares – Neon Chaos

Tron: Ares (Oct 10, 2025) revealed a chase sequence featuring Jared Leto’s Ares, Greta Lee’s Eve, Jodi Turner-Smith’s Athena, and Evan Peters’ Julian Dillinger. Light Cycles tore through city streets, cutting police cars in half with glowing trails. Eve commandeered Athena’s Light Cycle after a brutal face-off, highlighting the franchise’s signature digital mayhem. Disney also confirmed a Nine Inch Nails–infused update for Tron Lightcycle Run rides, plus full 4K remasters of Tron (1982) and Tron: Legacy.

Other Highlights

• Ice Age: Boiling Point (Feb 5, 2027) will bring Scrat and Baby Scrat back for more prehistoric chaos.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (Dec 5, 2025) showed slapstick snow-clearing gone wrong, destroying Christmas decorations in true Wimpy fashion.
• Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday had no footage, but the Russo brothers teased fans with a comedy skit featuring Paul Rudd interrupting their London work.

Disney may be doubling down on sequels and reboots, but whether audiences will embrace them remains to be seen. For now, Destination D23 proves the company is still betting on nostalgia, spectacle, and a touch of risk-taking magic.