Josh D’Amaro and Thomas Mazloum Seem to Be Listening to Disney Parks Fans

I think Thomas Mazloum gets us. And by us, I mean diehard Disney fans.

The Chairman of Disney Experiences, fresh off his first D23 Experiences showcase, shared more thoughts about what’s in store for Disney Parks. This is the quote that resonated with me most. It’s long, but worth the read.

“The reactions that I felt most in the room were around the fan-favorite announcements such as the reanimation of the Yeti at Expedition Everest… the return of Figment, Dreamfinder and Spaceship Earth to Epcot, and, of course, the transformation of Tomorrowland in Disneyland.

“Figment and the Yeti may not be household names to every Disney guest, but they are certainly favorites among our most loyal fans. I want them to know that we hear them… and, as a Disney fan myself, I can’t wait to see these characters back in action.

“Tomorrowland shows once more that we are listening, and that we care about our existing lands and attractions as much as the new ones. Tomorrowland is such an important part of Walt’s original theme park. It represents our dreams and aspirations for the future… and like Disneyland itself, it is important that it never stops evolving and improving.”

Before I go any further, I should say that Mazloum isn’t making unilateral decisions here. Josh D’Amaro, Disney’s CEO, and many others have a seat at the table. But in this case, Mazloum is the voice of these park updates, so he’s the one getting the flowers.

Bringing back Dreamfinder

Most EPCOT visitors probably weren’t clamoring for Dreamfinder’s return. Diehard fans absolutely were, including Neil Patrick Harris, host of the Experiences showcase. In fact, he might be Dreamfinder’s biggest fan.

Having Harris emcee the show, knowing full well the rest of us would put two and two together, was genius. But that didn’t stop us from worrying. Late in the showcase, I posted a photo of Figment on social media, trying to will an announcement into existence.

It finally came, but only after Mazloum appeared ready to close the show. Harris interrupted the farewell dressed as Dreamfinder, carrying a Figment plush.

Mazloum didn’t share any particulars about what’s coming, but he did say:

“We are taking a new journey into imagination at EPCOT with Dreamfinder and Figment! I’m so happy to share this news tonight. We know how important this is to you. We’ve heard you, and this is one more way we’re putting you in the center of everything we do.”

Spaceship Earth

Spaceship Earth, the EPCOT attraction, is every bit as beloved. In 2019, Disney announced a massive makeover for the park icon. Then the pandemic wrecked those plans.

As with Figment and Dreamfinder, we don’t know much about what’s coming. But Disney did reveal the new theme: Imagineers will shift the attraction’s focus from human communication to human connection.

Goodbye, Disco Yeti

Over at Animal Kingdom, most Expedition Everest riders probably have no idea anything is wrong with the towering Yeti inside the Forbidden Mountain. They’re too busy recovering from falling backward down a mountain in the dark.

But Disney fans know. In fact, Joe Rohde, Animal Kingdom’s lead designer, learned just how intense we can be in 2017.

US Passport officer looks at my passport, my face, and says,"When are you going to fix that yeti?"

— Joe Rohde (@Joe_Rohde) October 24, 2017

For years, Expedition Everest’s massive Audio-Animatronic has stood motionless. Disney uses a strobe effect to create the illusion of movement. That earned the creature its unofficial nickname: Disco Yeti.

Fixing it is complicated. Otherwise, Disney would have done it years ago. At the 2013 D23 Expo (seven years after the Yeti broke), Rohde explained the problem:

“You have to understand, it’s a giant, complicated machine sitting on top of like, a 46-foot-tall tower in the middle of a finished building. It’s really hard to fix, but we are working on it.”

Thirteen years later, Disney says the fix is finally coming. And they announced it by fully embracing the fan-given nickname. Gloria Gaynor appeared during this year’s D23 Expo to perform her biggest hit, I Will Survive. The song begins with “At first I was afraid, I was petrified.”

I love that Disney owned the ridiculousness of it all.

Updating Disneyland’s Tomorrowland

Then there’s Tomorrowland. Disneyland fans have been waiting years for the land to get the attention it deserves. So how do you immediately get them on board with a transformation? Go back in time.

“Now it’s time to really turn our attention and focus on the original park that Walt built, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Disneyland Resort President Jill Estorino, via Scott Gustin

A poster promoting the update carries the tagline “Yesterday’s Tomorrow, Today,” while Disney says the transformation “will honor the legacy of the original land while reimagining its future.”

Disney is striking all the right notes here. Now bring back the PeopleMover.

These announcements felt different

Here’s what I find most interesting about all four announcements: Disney gave us almost no concrete details. And I kind of love that.

D’Amaro and Mazloum assumed their new roles on March 18, 2026. Five months later, we learned that Dreamfinder is coming back, the Yeti will move again, Spaceship Earth is getting love, and Disneyland’s Tomorrowland is finally being reimagined.

These announcements felt a little early. I take that as a sign that these decisions were made post-Bob Iger. And that’s a good thing. It bodes well for the future.

D’Amaro and Mazloum could’ve played it safe and simply shared details about previously announced projects like Monstropolis, Coco, Villains Land, Avengers Campus, Piston Peak, and Encanto. But they acknowledged fan frustration and came in hot with four things we wanted to hear.

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