In less than one month, Kyle and I will be headed to Anaheim for the D23 Expo. This is our first Expo, and the excitement is definitely building! At the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration I had the chance to connect with D23 Spokesperson, Jeffrey Epstein. He and I recently chatted again about what we can expect at the biennial event. Listen to that interview below, it’s so much fun!
If you can’t listen yet though, here are some of the things we’re most looking forward to, in no particular order:
- Disneyland: the Exhibit – 12,000 square feet of Disney Archives gems, celebrating six decades of Walt’s original theme park
- A Goofy Movie 20th Anniversary Reunion – our family really loves this movie. Seeing the stars together will be so much fun!
- the Disney Legends ceremony – 8 new Legends (George Lucas, Danny Elfman, Susan Lucci, Andreas Deja, George Bodenheimer, Eyvind Earle, Julie Casalleto, and Carson Van Osten) will be honored during the special ceremony
- Disney Interactive presentations – longtime Kingdom Hearts fans and a family with increasing interest in Disney Infinity, we can’t wait to see what is announced here, along with trailers and maybe even some sneak peeks
- “Every Story is a Journey” – never-before-seen footage from upcoming Walt Disney Animation and Pixar films, plus surprise announcements and musical performances
- new footage, exciting secrets, and a “larger than life Buzz Lightyear helium balloon” from Pixar to celebrate 20 years of filmmaking... and maybe some Toy Story 4 buzz (pun intended)? We will definitely get some glimpses of Zootopia and Finding Dory, which will be so much fun
- a focus on the new Disney Shorts release, including Feast, Paperman, and Frozen Fever – some of my favorites!
- a presentation from Ridley Pearson and Marty Sklar on the collision of their storytelling histories
- Broadway’s “Originals” concert event with Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Josh Strickland (Tarzan), and James Monroe Iglehart (Genie)
- Disney in Concert: A Silly Symphony Celebration – 70-minute presentations of the Silly Symphony Shorts accompanied by a 32-piece orchestra, as it would have originally been recorded in the 1920s and 1930s
- something from ESPN? The logo is clearly featured on the poster, but I haven’t heard much about any appearances, etc. That would certainly round things out! Such a fun conference, no matter what part of the Disney family interests you
- … and the Merch. Obviously. (Special Edition, super unique Alex and Ani bracelet? exclusive Disney store products? beautiful special edition books from Disney Publishing? Harvey’s bags featuring the nostalgic “ticket books”? Yes, yes, and more yes!) I will be spending so much time – and hopefully slightly less money – in the Dream Store, Disney Store, Theme Parks Merchandise, Mickey’s of Glendale, and all of the other incredible, unique, exclusive retail locations
There really will be something for everyone. You or someone you know may be more interested in some of these things:
- The Mickey Mouse Club: 60 Magical yEARS
- Playmation demonstrations and challenges
- the Evolution of a Star Wars Stormtrooper exhibit
- Minnie Style nail bar (plus fashion and accessory giveaways!) and a Tinker Bell “bun bar”
- Disney Junior for the kids! Meet Sofia and Doc, hear stories from the channel’s stars, and play with new toys from Miles from Tomorrowland… and that’s just the beginning!
- An introduction to Star Darlings, coming this Fall
- Autographs from artists, imagineers, authors, actors, etc
- Frozen FANdemonium! with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez
- Disney Channel, Disney XD, and Disney Junior stars in person (including the stars from the new hit, Teen Beach 2)
I’m pretty sure I’ve only scratched the surface. I told you! It’s going to be incredible…
Find more details at D23Expo.com, or by following @DisneyD23 on social media.
Listen to my interview with D23 Spokesperson Jeffrey Epstein now! Jeffrey shares some insider tips and changes for this year’s event.
Leave a Reply