Disney’s D23 Expo 2013 took over the Anaheim Convention Center one year ago this weekend. Tens of thousands of Disney fans gathered in the monstrous venue to peek into Disney’s future films and theme park creations, as well as to reflect on the company’s inspired history of brands and products. We at Geeks of Doom brought you live coverage of the event that included videos, previews of upcoming movies, and tours of exhibits.

Much has changed since the event, in terms of how certain properties evolved. This Disney In Depth reflects on the D23 Expo, based on what worked best, what deemed disappointing and how next year’s event can be even better.

Today Walt Disney Pictures announced new premiere dates for several of their important future releases, including two from their blockbuster CGI animation division Pixar.

The fishy sequel Finding Dory was originally supposed to open on November 25, 2015. It has been pushed back to June 17, 2016. Dory’s old release slot has instead been given to the studio’s next original feature The Good Dinosaur, which has been delayed a year-and-a-half from its original May 30, 2014 date. Stepping into that opening slot will be Maleficent, an alternate take on the story of Sleeping Beauty told from the perspective of the story’s villain, played by Angelina Jolie. The movie will be released in 3D.

Earlier this week, reports of Pixar pulling Bob Peterson off directing The Good Dinosaur surfaced. He was notably absent at both the animation presentation and The Good Dinosaur panel at D23, leaving some wondering if there was trouble between the two parties.

Well, it isn’t so much trouble, but more of just a shift in direction. The LA Times confirms the news of Peterson’s departure from the project. However, the director, who was the voice of Roz in Monsters, Inc, will remains a part of the Pixar family. The film’s directorial duties will go to the Pixar Brain Trust, which consists of: John Lasseter, Lee Unkrich, Mark Andrews, and Pete Sohn, the latter of whom had originally been co-director with Peterson.

“This is the biggest ‘what if?’ ever,” John Lasseter said today at the Animation panel at this year’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA, in describing Disney/Pixar’s animated feature The Good Dinosaur. Most Pixar films start off with big questions, he said, and The Good Dinosaur is no exception. Footage was shown, and details about the characters and who’d be voicing them were announced.

The main character is Arlo the Apatosaurus, as voiced by Lucas Neff. Other characters in the film include members of Arlo’s family: John Lithgow as Poppa, Frances McDormand as Momma, Bill Hader as older brother Forrest, Neil Patrick Harris as brother Cliff, Judy Greer as sister Ivy, and then there’s Neff as Arlo. Hader, Greer and Neff came out onto the stage, having just met one another.

Pixar had been regarded as a studio who could produce high quality original films. Then they dipped their toes into sequels, and for all the sequels they have made, only one can be considered the worst of not only the sequels, but of Pixar’s entire library itself. While Monsters University is definitely a step in the right direction for the studio, after two softball films – Cars 2 and Brave, the film itself is a prequel.

But for fans who are worried that the studio is straying away from original content, Ed Catmull, the President of Pixar, said that the studio is hoping to do an original movie every single year, and sequels every other year.