For tens of thousands of Disney devotees across Southern California, mid-August just got a lot more crowded.
The biggest Disney fan gathering is back
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the official fan club's flagship gathering, returns to Anaheim from August 14 through 16. The three-day event is split between two landmarks: the Anaheim Convention Center, open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the Honda Center, which hosts the marquee evening showcases. For anyone within driving distance of the Disneyland Resort, it amounts to a hometown celebration of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic.
Concerts take center stage
A pair of live concerts headlines this year's additions. The Disney Rewind Concert, running Friday and Saturday nights, is staged as a nostalgic live mixtape drawing on music from Powerline, the Disney Afternoon lineup and the Muses of Hercules, with a cast of Broadway performers and Disney Legends. Sunday belongs to composer Alan Menken — the eight-time Oscar winner behind The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and Tangled — in a one-man show titled A Whole New World of Alan Menken.
Panels, previews and a big show floor
With more than 50 panels, the programming spans Disney's full universe, from an Enchanted 20th-anniversary celebration to a Marvel storytelling panel to a 101 Dalmatians 65th-anniversary retrospective. The two evening showcases — Disney Entertainment and Disney Experiences — are where the company traditionally makes its biggest announcements about upcoming films, streaming and theme-park expansions, though those reveals are typically held until the event itself. A Disney Legends ceremony hosted by Ryan Seacrest will induct a new class of honorees. On what D23 calls its largest show floor yet, confirmed activations include a Disney+ and Hulu experience, a Marvel Studios walkthrough, a Lucasfilm pavilion and a combined Pixar and Walt Disney Animation space, plus a Disney Lorcana card-game tournament.
Getting in
A D23 Gold Membership is required to buy tickets, which range from a single-day pass to multi-day passes topping $2,000 for premium floor seating at the evening showcases; an afternoon-only option is also offered. Disney has scheduled a week of related Anaheim-area events in the days beforehand. Tickets and the full schedule are at d23.com.
