D23 2024 was the ultimate Disney fan experience

As a Disney fan, you would think that it would be a no-brainer for me to attend Disney’s major fan event, D23. However, I kind of resisted attending due to blasé experiences with other fan-centric conventions.  (Remember E3?) However, when an opportunity presented itself to attend D23 2024, I readily jumped at the opportunity since I felt it was time to see Disney in exposition-mode. Long story short, I was pleasantly surprised, positively overwhelmed, and totally geeked out!

Much like the title of this article implies, D23 is Disney’s ultimate fan event and is a grand three-day exposition showcasing the offerings of The Walt Disney Company. D23’s name refers to Disney and 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company. This biennial exposition has been held in Anaheim, California, since it launched in 2009, and tickets tend to sell out pretty quickly once they’re made available to D23 members. (Learn how to signup for membership here in anticipation of the next exhibition.) Why? Disney fans from all over the world flock to this event to cosplay and interact with other Disney fans, to experience opportunities and offerings that are exclusive to D23 attendees, and to bear firsthand witness to new Disney product announcements. This year, Disney fans from every US state, as well as, 36 international countries made the pilgrimage to Anaheim.

The nearly 1 million square feet of space that’s allocated for D23’s exhibition floor at Anaheim Convention Center, which is conveniently just across the street from Disneyland Resort btw, is similar to what you might find at CES or a major consumer auto show. However, the brands that are featured here are all Disney-focused and highly immersive in their presentation. Lucasfilm, Marvel, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Imagineering, National Geographic, Disney+ / Hulu, and Walt Disney Archives represent a sample of Disney properties that maintained a grand presence with thoughtfully designed pavilions. There were four onsite stages and other convention room spaces. D23 attendees were able to attend engaging Q&A sessions, panel conversations, sneak peeks, and mock voice performance sessions with the voice actors from Disney movies!

Naturally, Disney merchandise has a considerable presence at D23. The Walt Disney Company Store made its debut this year and offered a vast array of new products curated for Disney fans. In addition, The Walt Disney Company Pin Store, Disney Studio Store Hollywood, and several other Disney-owned retailers had a presence on the main show floor. Also, there were 37 independent vendors in the D23 Expo Emporium who offered art, toys, and more items to attendees. One of most popular souvenir shopping spots included the Disney Lorcana trading card game at the Ravensburger booth. 

But the largest Disney store, D23 Marketplace, occupied a considerable 16,000 square feet of real estate within World of Disney: The Product Experience. D23 Marketplace offered new and limited-edition merchandise from Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel, including items that are usually available exclusively at international Disney park locations. And one of the most expensive items for sale at D23 could be found at the Swarovski pop-up, where a one-of-a-kind Black Panther crystal figure was available for $250,000!

Every evening of D23 is equally as exciting as what occurs throughout the exhibition space during the day. For the first time, D23 evening showcase events were held at Honda Center, which is roughly three miles from Anaheim Convention Center, and every evening, the arena was packed to the gills with attendees. The first night was dedicated to Disney Entertainment and featured exclusive previews of new movies, series, and stage shows. We’ll get to the second night in a moment. The third evening was the formal ceremony celebrating this year’s Disney Legends. The Disney Legends Awards program honors those who have made a positive and significant impression on the Disney legacy. This year’s Disney Legends class included actress Angela Bassett, actor Harrison Ford, composer John Williams, as well as, Disneyland’s Martha Blanding, the first-ever Black female in management at Disneyland and one of the first Black management members at The Walt Disney Company. With regards to the events of the second evening, attendees sat on the edges of their seats as Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, with the assistance of surprise guests, provided massive and noteworthy reveals that are on the horizon for Disney Experiences around the world. Here's what to expect:

D23 2024 Reveals!

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Disneyland Resort

• Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open November 15, 2024 in the new Bayou Country section of Disneyland. This long-awaited attraction is the next chapter in Disney’s The Princess & The Frog story. Guests will go on a journey down the bayou to help Princess Tiana find a missing ingredient for an exciting celebration!
• An Avatar-themed destination with experiences will come to Disney California Adventure. This presently unnamed destination will draw inspiration from Avatar: The Way of Water and upcoming Avatar films to bring Pandora to life with considerable excitement.
• The first-ever Coco attraction is coming to Disney California Adventure. Walt Disney Imagineering will draw inspiration for the attraction from beloved classics, like Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean.
• A unique flight simulation experience is coming to a soon-to-be-expanded Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure. Stark Flight Lab gives riders the opportunity to experience a test flight of a new invention from Tony Stark.
• Avengers Infinity Defense is coming to Disney California Adventure’s Avengers Campus. Recruits will travel to familiar and iconic locations, such as Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City to retrieve technology that King Thanos is using to wreak havoc everywhere.

Walt Disney World

• Villains Land is coming to Magic Kingdom Park. Disney has perfectly dedicated this upcoming land, brimming with scoundrels aplenty, as the place “Where happily ever after may feel like just a distant dream.”
• Cars Land is coming to Magic Kingdom Park with two new attractions. One will place guests on a thrilling rally race through the mountains, and the other will be geared towards young kids and their families.
• Monsters, Inc. Land is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As the next chapter of the beloved Pixar film, humans are invited to visit the world of Monsters, Inc. Guests will also have the opportunity to ride through the door vault as imagined through Disney’s first-ever suspended roller coaster.
• A new Tropical Americas land will open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2027 and will include two signature attractions. A new Indiana Jones experience, which will be completely distinctive from any other Indy experience at Disney parks around the world. The second attraction is the first-ever Encanto-themed ride-through attraction.

Disneyland Paris

• A new Lion King attraction is slated for its second park, soon to be renamed Disney Adventure World. This new attraction will be placed right in the middle of Simba’s journey from cub to king.

Shanghai Disneyland

• An all-new high-speed Spider-Man thrill attraction is slated for the park.

Hong Kong Disneyland

• A brand-new Spider-Man attraction is coming to the Stark Expo section of the park.

Disney Cruise Line

• As the preeminent cruise line with ships that are "ambassadors of happiness," Disney Cruise Line will launch four brand new ships that will debut between 2027 and 2031. This is in addition to the soon-to-launch Disney Cruise Line ships: Disney Treasure in December 2024, Disney Destiny, and Disney Adventure in 2025 – as well as an unnamed vessel set to launch 2028. Once all the new Disney Cruise Line ships are operational, Disney Cruise Line will have 13 bespoke and uniquely themed ships in its fleet.

Disney & Epic Games

• In collaboration with Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, Disney will build an all-new games and entertainment universe.

This was my first time attending D23 and it won’t be my last. The experience was phenomenal and I’m looking forward to doing it again in 2026!