Disney Said It Was for Kids. D23 Said Otherwise.

BY SSEGAWA HUZAIRU IBRAHIM/ Wednesday, 19th August 2026

Let me say this before anyone starts rolling their eyes: I said what I said. Disney may have built an empire on talking animals, singing princesses, magical castles and characters who somehow survive impossible amounts of trauma while breaking into song but if you think Disney is just for kids, D23 has a message for you: sit down. We have announcements. Because Disney did not come to D23 to play.

First on the list: Frozen 3. Yes. Frozen 3. And as someone who has watched Frozen and Frozen 2 and will defend both as absolute cinema, I am already seated. The visuals look stunning, the animation is beautiful, and somehow Disney has decided that we are finally getting something many fans have been waiting for: Anna and Kristoff’s wedding.But naturally, Disney couldn’t just give us a wedding and let everybody be happy.No.There is a new female villain, and apparently she has ice powers of her own, putting her directly into Elsa’s territory. She is also sending mysterious signals through the Northern Lights, which immediately raises the most important question: WHO IS SHE?

Because at this point, I don’t simply want to watch Frozen 3. I need answers. Why does she have these powers? What does she want? What is her connection to Elsa? And why are the Northern Lights suddenly giving us cryptic messages like Disney has entered its thriller era? If you want to know more, go watch that trailer, because apparently Disney has decided that curiosity is our problem now.

And then came Zootopia 3.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The announcement itself was already enough to send fans into celebration, but Disney apparently wanted to be dramatic about it. The number three was revealed using the claws of an Eagle, because apparently even a title card needs lore.

If you weren’t satisfied with Zootopia and Zootopia 2, tighten your seatbelts. Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are coming back, and this time they might knock off our bunny ears, fox noses and whatever dignity we had left. Zootopia has always been more than cute animals running around a colourful city. Beneath the fur and jokes, the franchise knows how to talk about society, prejudice, stereotypes and the ridiculousness of human behaviour except we’re watching animals do it.

Then Disney pulled another classic out of the vault: The Incredibles are coming back.

Yep. We’re going back to the Parr family.

Elastigirl. Mr. Incredible. Violet. Dash. Jack-Jack. The family that made superhero parenting look significantly more stressful than saving the world is returning for another adventure. And honestly, after all these years, I’m ready to see what kind of chaos this family is about to create.

But Disney wasn’t finished emotionally attacking us.

Coco 2.Coco.

The movie that gave us music, family, memory, Mexican heritage and an entire emotional crisis in one beautifully animated package is heading back to the world of the dead. We even got a glimpse of what the sequel is going to look like, and if the first movie’s combination of colour, culture and storytelling is anything to go by, we might want to prepare ourselves.Because who didn’t love Coco? The songs. The atmosphere. The Mexican traditions. The Land of the Dead looking like someone poured an entire rainbow into a city. It was beautiful. If you somehow felt that one trip to the afterlife wasn’t enough, Disney apparently agrees.

And then came the princesses.D23 gave us appearances from some of the women who have brought Disney’s most iconic princesses to life, including Brandy, Halle Bailey and other familiar faces from Disney’s princess universe. It was the kind of moment that reminds you just how enormous Disney’s cultural footprint actually is.

There was only one problem.

Emma Watson, Naomi Scott and lily james weren’t there.And yes, we noticed.

Seeing princeses represented without our famous faces felt like having the enchanted rose without the petals. Maybe the festival still has more surprises coming, so I’m not completely closing the door. But for now? Disappointing.

Then KATSEYE walked onto that stage and decided to remind everyone that they can actually SING.Their performance of the Megara song from Hercules was one of those moments where you stop scrolling, stop talking and simply listen. Their harmonies were gorgeous. Their voices blended together with that almost effortless quality where individual singers disappear into something bigger. Four members took the stage, and while Manon and Sophia were absent, the performance still managed to feel powerful.And suddenly I’m thinking:

Disney, are you seeing this?

Because if Disney ever decides to make a live-action Hercules, the Muses need to be taken seriously. And after hearing KATSEYE bring that song to life, I have a very simple message:

Welcome to the Muses.

And just when we thought Disney had finished feeding us nostalgia, they gave us another glimpse at something that could be spectacular: the live-action Rapunzel.And trust me when I say this:It is going to EAT.

The glimpse was beautiful. There is something about seeing Rapunzel brought into a live-action world that makes the whole thing suddenly feel real. The long hair thoughsome funs were just ungrateful, the fantasy, the visual atmosphere Disney appears to understand exactly what people are expecting from this story.

And that is what makes D23 so dangerous.

You can laugh at Disney. You can call it childish. You can say you’ve outgrown cartoons. You can pretend you don’t care about princesses, talking animals, superheroes or magical kingdoms.

But then Disney announces Frozen 3, Zootopia 3, another Incredibles, Coco 2, a live-action Rapunzel, brings the princesses together and puts KATSEYE on a stage singing Hercules.

Suddenly, you’re twelve again.And honestly?

I don’t see the problem.Disney knows nostalgia is a weapon. It knows exactly which childhood memories to pull out of the vault, polish until they sparkle, and throw back at us.

And judging by what D23 just showed us, the mouse is not slowing down anytime soon.

So yes, call it children’s entertainment.

I’ll be watching.I said what I said.

Keep your eyes open cause Disney has just started