Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicMickey Mouse is crossing the border and is now headed to Brazil for the upcoming D23 Fan Expo event.
If you love Disney, you already know about D23, but in case you need a quick refresh, D23 is a fan club and official fan expo organized by The Walt Disney Company for Disney fans. The name “D23” is derived from “D” for Disney and “23” for 1923, the year Walt Disney founded the company. D23 serves as a platform for Disney enthusiasts to connect, share their passion for Disney, and stay updated on the latest developments from the company. The fan club offers various levels of membership, each providing different benefits, including exclusive merchandise, access to special events, and Disney-related publications.
The D23 Expo is a major biennial event organized by D23, attracting Disney fans from around the world to Anaheim (Disneyland). The expo showcases exclusive sneak peeks, presentations, and announcements related to Disney’s theme parks, movies, television, and other projects, and often brings in some incredible celebrities that fans love, from Marvel actors to Star Wars directors to Imagineers and more.
Attendees can experience panels with Disney executives and creators, view exclusive screenings, and immerse themselves in the Disney magic. The expo often features appearances by Disney celebrities, special performances, and interactive exhibits.
Now, the D23 Expo is not just staying in one place. Yesterday, Disney announced that the 2024 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will go on sale starting March 26. While pricing has not been released for the event just yet, if we look at the numbers from 2022, a 1-day ticket was $99, and a 3-day ticket was $279. A 1-day ticket for a child (aged 3-12) was $79, and a 3-day ticket was $209. It is likely that we will see an increase on these numbers this year.
Asad Ayaz, the company’s Chief Brand Officer, has bigger plans than ever for this year’s event.
According to Deadline, Ayaz said, “The team planning this summer’s D23, slated for August 9 to 11 in Anaheim, CA, has ambitions to “take it to a whole new level,” Ayaz said. The most recent edition, in 2022, drew almost 80,000 paid attendees and generated 280 billion digital and social media impressions (a media value of $3.8 billion), he said. “It’s akin to our Super Bowl or Comic-Con weekend.”
In addition, D23 will expand internationally in November with an event in São Paolo, Brazil, Ayaz said, without providing any additional details.
While we do not know exactly how Disney is planning on bringing the event to Brazil, or what the scale of that event will be outside of the classic Anaheim, but we do know that it will take place in November.
This is a new move for Disney, but certainly a smart and calculated one. As noted by Quartz (in 2013), “35.7% of arrivals from Brazil to the US arrive in Orlando, Florida, where Disney World is located, a trend prominent enough for US President Barack Obama to take notice. In March [of 2013], Obama noted Brazilians’ fondness for Disney World and described US efforts to reduce visa processing times in Brazil.”
With so many from Brazil finding a way to visit Walt Disney World Resort during their vacations, now they will be able to have Disney brought to them at a much more affordable cost than having to travel State side.
Disney has been fining a variety of ways to share the magic outside of the theme parks. The Storyliving by Disney are housing complexes being built by Disney, introducing Disney-themed communities outside of the parks, extending the idea of the “Disney bubble”. The first community announced by Disney was the Cotino Community in Rancho Mirage, California, these are single-family homes anticipated to start from the upper $1 million – lower $2 million range.
Then, Disney confirmed Asteria, a new Storyliving by Disney residential community coming to life in the heart of North Carolina near Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.
Then, during Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve event, Mickey Mouse shared that he was packing his bags and heading across the country to speak with fans. Ryan Seacrest teased a new Mickey Mouse expansion that is seemingly coming across America, “Disney is coming to select cities to ask you about your special Walt Disney World moment, so be on the lookout.”
Overall, it is clear that Disney is looking for new ways to expand beyond the theme parks, and now Brazil will get a taste of the magic, too!
What type of D23 event do you think Disney is going to throw in Brazil?