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Credit: ITMDestination D23 is the companion Disney fan event to the D23 Expo that celebrates everything Disney. The celebration kicked off this weekend with a multitude of must-see presentations and exhibitions. This year did not disappoint as Disney showcased big edge-of-your-seat revelations. While there were electrifying Disney park announcements, the biggest change of them all was that the D23 Expo will be no more.
The D23 Expo was the first and largest Disney fan event to be hosted by the Official Disney Fan Club, D23. It made its original debut in 2009 where it was held blocks away from the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA. The convention became a direct West Coast competitor to Comic-Con as it pulled fans to preview Disney’s upcoming film projects, as well as view panels led by their legendary creative minds.
Disney’s new fan event generated a higher attendance rate each time to the point it was the premiere Disney fandom experience. Since it is a biannual event, Destination D23 stepped in to fill the off years to keep the Disney fan club excited with the latest park and entertainment updates. This D23 partner event made some big announcements, but one of the most eye-catching is that the D23 Expo will no longer exist.
In 2024, D23 Expo will not be an Expo anymore. It will be transformed to be D23: The Ultimate Fan Event, which will span an entire week, rather than just three days. This event will also not remain confined only to the Anaheim Convention Center, but will start at the Happiest Place on Earth to launch the festivities.
It will also have massive panel discussions that will take place down the road at the Anaheim Ducks’ Honda Center in the evenings. In addition, Disney has partnered with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s MLB team to present a “D23 Day” where guests can view the Angels play against the New York Mets on August 4, 2024.
Tickets are set to go on sale in Spring 2024 with the Disneyland and Angels game being separate packages to D23: The Ultimate Fan Event.
What do you think of this big announcement? Is Disney expanding too far with D23 or should there be more Disney events outside of the Convention Center?