Disney Ticket Costs Nearly Triple as New "No Bag" Rule Takes Effect

Today, tickets for the D23: The Ultimate Fan Event Expo will go on sale for a large upcharge.

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, previously known as the D23 Expo, will return to Anaheim this summer. Disney recently unveiled additional details about the event, providing insight into what fans can anticipate.

D23 experiences are scheduled to run from August 4th to August 11th, commencing with a special D23 Day at Angel Stadium and culminating in the official kickoff event at the Disneyland Resort on August 8th.

From August 9th to August 11th, Disney enthusiasts can partake in shopping, exhibits, panels, presentations, and more at the Anaheim Convention Center. In the evenings, attendees can head to the Honda Center for larger presentations and panels covering various topics, including Disney theme parks and new movies.

This marks the first occasion the convention will utilize the Honda Center, an indoor sports and entertainment arena located in Anaheim.

Initially, the move to the Honda Center sounded good as now; certain ticket categories would give you assigned seating, which meant that guests did not have to line up for hours to enter one of the three main panels and wait overnight in hopes that their place in line was far up enough that they would get a set.

Especially with the price breakdown provided by Disney, which you can see below.

• D23 Ultimate Fan Pass 3-Day Ticket: This ticket includes a three-day assigned seat for evening shows at the Honda Center and three-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center. Prices start at $297 per ticket.
• D23 Ultimate Fan Pass 1-Day Ticket: This ticket includes a reserved seat for that date’s evening show at the Honda Center and same-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center. Prices start at $99 per ticket.
• D23 Preferred Ultimate Fan Pass 3-Day Ticket: This ticket option, exclusive to D23 Gold Members, includes a three-day floor seat for evening shows at the Honda Center (the same seat each night) and three-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center. Prices start at $999 per ticket.

What many did not realize, is that the three-day ticket starts at $297.

The panels will be divided into three primary segments: the Disney Entertainment Showcase, covering Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney movies, and shows; the Disney Experiences Panel, focusing on theme park news; and the Disney Legends Ceremony, honoring esteemed celebrities, Imagineers, and others. Among the new Disney Legends are Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

If you want to see these panels, the tickets start at $297, for nosebleed seating.

In the chart below, we can see that for three days at the best seating, the D23 Preferred Fan Pass can cost up to $2,599 for your seats — last year, this was called the Sorcerer Pass, and it was sold for $899. The D23 Ultimate Fan Pass, therefore, is much more costly than $297 if you want to be anywhere but the upper 400 level of the Honda Center.

These increased price points may save guests time in terms of not waiting in line for hours, but it costs a lot more than usual.

Additionally, guests who will be going to these panels and the D23 convention floor at the Anaheim Convention Center will have to face another issue. As Inside the Magic initially shared, there will be a strict no-bag policy during the panels, which means that any items purchased or bags brought to the event to hold personal items will not be given any entry.

Considering the event is heavily geared toward selling items, this will certainly be a large blow for some guests, as they will now be forced to leave the event and travel back to their hotel or car to drop off their items, if they want to attend the panel.

Disney has the bag policy noted on the D23 website, “Doors for the Honda Center will open two (2) hours prior to each presentation start time. For the safety of all guests, there will be security screening at all event entrances, including bag search and metal detection. Please allow ample time when planning your arrival.

PLEASE NOTE: The Honda Center has a strict “No Bag” policy. The maximum size bag allowed at the Honda Center is 5″ x 9″ x 2″ regardless if it is a clear bag or not. Medical and diaper bags may be a maximum of 12″ x 12″ x 12″. Backpacks, including mini backpacks, are not permitted under any circumstances. Honda Center does not offer a bag check.”

Tickets for D23 Gold Members will become available on March 26, 2024, at 12 p.m. PST. The following day, on March 27, Disney Visa Cardholders will have the opportunity to purchase tickets. Finally, on March 28, tickets to the convention will be open for purchase to all guests.

Will you be attending the D23 Expo this summer?