Thomas Mazloum on his first D23 as chairman: the Yeti, Figment and Villains Land drew the loudest cheers
After his first D23 as Disney Experiences Chairman, Thomas Mazloum told the Disney Parks Blog which announcements hit hardest in the room: the reanimated Yeti at Expedition Everest, the return of Figment, Dreamfinder and a refreshed Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, and Magic Kingdom's Villains Land. He framed all of it as Disney answering its most loyal fans directly.
Thomas Mazloum just finished his first D23 as Chairman of Disney Experiences, and in a post-event interview with the Disney Parks Blog he named the moments that landed hardest with fans: the reanimation of the Yeti at Expedition Everest, the return of Figment, Dreamfinder and an updated Spaceship Earth at EPCOT, and the first-ever Villains Land coming to Magic Kingdom. His throughline was blunt for a Disney executive: the company heard the fan complaints, and these projects are the response.
Key Details
- Who: Thomas Mazloum, Chairman of Disney Experiences, a nearly 30-year Disney veteran
- Where: D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, at the Horizons: A Carousel of Progress showcase
- Biggest reactions: The Yeti's reanimation at Expedition Everest, Figment and Dreamfinder's EPCOT return, Spaceship Earth updates
- Walt Disney World firsts: Villains Land at Magic Kingdom and an Encanto attraction at Animal Kingdom
- Source: https://disneyparksblog.com/disney-experiences/thomas-mazloum-first-d23
The announcements fans reacted to most
Asked what got the biggest reaction in the room, Mazloum pointed straight at the projects Walt Disney World regulars have spent years asking about. "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," he said. The Yeti at Disney's Animal Kingdom has famously stood frozen in "B-mode" for most of Expedition Everest's existence, and Figment's original ride partner Dreamfinder has been absent since 1998, so both lines were aimed directly at longtime fans.
"Figment and the Yeti may not be household names to every Disney guest, but they are certainly favorites among our most loyal fans," Mazloum added. "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."
Villains Land and the other firsts
On what excites him most for the years ahead, Mazloum led with Magic Kingdom's Villains Land, Disney's first land built around its rogues gallery. "This is our first Villains Land. It's such a bold, different concept. Our villains are some of the most iconic characters. And what our Imagineers and Live Entertainment teams are building toward is going to feel nightmarishly magical, in the best way," he said. He also called out first-ever attractions for Coco and Encanto and Disney's first attraction based on The Lion King. For Walt Disney World guests, the Encanto project is headed to Disney's Animal Kingdom, while the Coco ride and Lion King attraction are being built at Disney's other resorts.
He argued these story-first attractions pull double duty: "their stories are beloved to our returning guests, and they will certainly bring in new guests who may have never been to a Disney park before."
A chairman's view of the fan event
Mazloum described the role itself as a childhood dream realized, with a portfolio that runs from the parks to the fleet, including "flying with the Na'vi in Orlando" and "sailing with Captains Mickey and Minnie on one of our ships." The stage moments were not his favorite part of the weekend, though. "Being on stage was incredible, but honestly my favorite part was just walking the expo floor, talking to people one-on-one about why they love Disney," he said.
The standard he says Disney is chasing
Asked how Disney keeps its experiences exceptional as it grows, Mazloum went back to his own start. "I still remember sitting in my Disney Traditions orientation class almost 30 years ago, a little nervous about living up to the reputation of this company and everything it's capable of. That feeling hasn't really left me... it's just turned into motivation." He closed by crediting cast members, crew and Imagineers: "Guests visit us the first time for the stories they want to be part of and the characters they love, but they come back time and again, generation after generation, because of how our Cast makes them feel."
What this means for Walt Disney World guests
The interview reads as a statement of priorities. The projects Mazloum chose to spotlight, the Yeti fix, the Imagination pavilion reunion, Spaceship Earth's refresh and Villains Land, are the exact items Walt Disney World fans have pushed hardest for. None of them carries an opening date yet, but the chairman putting them at the top of his own list is the clearest signal so far of where the resort's next few years are pointed.