A hyped-up announcement from The Walt Disney Company has left fans across the country disappointed–and even a bit annoyed.
Related: Disney Prepares to Share Massive “Revelation” With Fans in January 2024
Every year, as the excitement of Christmas morning becomes a not-too-distant memory, the thrill of New Year’s Eve quickly follows as we look ahead with great anticipation and hopeful optimism to a new year and all we hope to become, achieve, and experience in a brand-new set of 12 months that present themselves as a welcome blank page on which to rewrite our life stories.
Over the years, one television special has become as much of a mainstay in the American New Year’s Eve celebration as a visit with Santa is in the Christmas celebration that involves young children, and Disney chose to unveil a surprise announcement for fans during that TV show.
Last week, The Walt Disney Company teased an upcoming announcement for fans, but the Mouse House wouldn’t give any details about the announcement except to say that the news would be shared on Sunday, December 31, during the Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve televised event on the ABC television network, during the 11:00 p.m. hour.
A special "Disney surprise" is being teased for 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest' this Sunday on ABC. The "surprise" is expected to air in the 11 p.m. hour. pic.twitter.com/lHz4u86DiL
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) December 29, 2023
The promise of such an announcement likely didn’t convince fans with other plans on New Year’s Eve to scrap those plans and instead stay home, jump into their pajamas, and wait in front of the television with bated breath until the eleventh hour (pun intended), but it’s possible that fans who had heard about the “surprise announcement” were intrigued enough to watch for it.
Sadly, though, the announcement was largely disappointing for fans for two reasons: first, there was very little “news” shared, and second, the news that was shared was received by many as lackluster at best.
In the 11:00 p.m. hour of the Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve event on Sunday evening, fans got to see Mickey and Minnie, and that might have been the highlight for many. As for the hyped-up announcement, there was very little to it. It was simply that The Walt Disney Company has plans to visit cities in the country to ask fans about some of their favorite Disney memories.
On X, formerly Twitter, @DBCPod shared that the “promised surprise” was an “announcement that Disney will be coming to your city to ask about your favorite Disney memories…And to stay tuned.”
So the promised surprise during Dick Clark's Rockin' NYE from Disney was an announcement that Disney will be
coming to your city to ask about your favorite Disney memories … And to stay tuned! That's it #NYEABC #NYE2024 #Disney pic.twitter.com/P76lJhV656— TheDBCPod (@TheDBCPod) January 1, 2024
Fans’ responses to the news seem to convey their disappointment. One user posted a response, saying, “A true ‘blink and you missed it’ moment,” while another user responded with, “Was this a joke?”
Yet another user commented, saying, “I didn’t expect a big announcement, but this was even less of an announcement than I thought it would be,” and another fan responded with, “I tuned in right when he said that; I thought I missed the first part of it. Embarrassing that’s what it was.”
Though it would be exciting to share more details about Disney’s less-than-thrilling news from Sunday evening, there simply isn’t more to share. Hopefully the company will share more details in the coming weeks about its plans, including an itinerary of sorts that details the cities in which Disney will be talking with fans.
Additional information and details about Disney’s 2024 plans will be shared as they become available.
