Industry | Entertainment |
---|---|
Founded | March 10, 2009 |
Founder | Bob Iger |
Headquarters | 500 South Buena Vista Street, , United States |
Key people |
|
Products | Disney twenty-three magazine |
Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
Website | Official website |
Footnotes /references [1] |
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, also known as Disney D23 or simply D23, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial [2] exposition event, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (previously known as the D23 Expo). The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company. [3]
Membership is in two levels: free and gold. [4] Membership includes Disney twenty-three (a quarterly publication), yearly gifts, events, exclusive merchandise offers, and discount and early access to the D23 Expo fan convention. [5]
Bob Iger introduced D23 on March 10, 2009, during the company's annual meeting. [3] [5] [6] D23 had a booth at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009 and held the first D23 Expo from September 10 to 13, 2009. [3] In March 2010, D23 announced that the expo would be biennial instead of annual, and Destination D events would be held in the off year. [2] In February 2013, the Walt Disney Company Japan announced the first D23 Expo Japan would be held from October 12 to 14, 2013. [7]
In April 2013, D23 and Turner Classic Movies Festival teamed up for the 75th anniversary showing of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , and Kirk Douglas hosted the showing of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea newly restored from original camera negatives. [8]
Steven Clark stepped down as head of D23 in late September 2013. In January 2014, Adam Sanderson took over as Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications with oversight of the Disney Archives. [4] [9] At the November 21, 2014, weekend event, Destination D, Sanderson indicated that the silver level of membership was being discontinued. [4]
In October 2018, Disney Cruise Line began showing Disney at Sea with D23, a 30-minute entertainment news show that covers the many Disney subsidiaries with input from D23, starting with the ship Disney Wonder. [10]
Events include:
The expo is biennial [2] featuring:
The New York Times has called the expo "both awe-inspiring and terrifying to witness because it showcases how deeply the company's products, mythmaking and characters are woven into the cultural fabric." [14]
The first D23 Expo was held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California from September 10 to 13, 2009. [15] It featured pavilions from Walt Disney Imagineering, showcasing models and tests for future attractions, Corporate Responsibility, which feature a photo op, as well as projects for overseas troops and homeless shelters, Disney Consumer Products, showing the many products being sold by Disney within the next few years, a Disney Dream Store, costumes and props from the Walt Disney Archives, a Collectors Forum, where people from all over the country showcased and sold memorabilia.
Events were held in the D23 Arena, Stage 23, Storytellers Theatre, and Walt Disney Studios Theatre. Many future projects were announced, including an expansion of Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, an extensive re-hauling of Star Tours for Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios, [16] a film based on the Beatles' Yellow Submarine , Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides being revealed as the title for the fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with a "Summer 2011" release, a new Muppet film, [17] as well as clips and sneak previews promoting projects such as Prep & Landing , Tangled , Beauty and the Beast in 3-D, a set of viral Muppet videos, and a film series with Guillermo del Toro.
Celebrity appearances included John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Patricia Heaton, Kelsey Grammer, Tim Burton, Selena Gomez, Donny Osmond, Tom Bergeron, Kym Johnson, Betty White, Robin Williams, Joseph Fiennes, Johnny Depp (as Captain Jack Sparrow), as well as live performances by Miley Cyrus, [18] Honor Society, and The Muppets.
As announced at the annual shareholders meeting in 2010, the D23 Expo did not return in 2010, but appeared at the Anaheim Convention Center from August 19 to 21, 2011. A then-new event called "Destination D" was held at the Disneyland Hotel ballroom in Anaheim, California from September 24 to 25, 2010. Each year Destination D would have a new theme, with the 2010 event's theme being "Disneyland '55." It is likely that these events would alternate each year. [19]
The Destination D event was held from May 14 to 15, 2011, at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort, in honor of Walt Disney World's 40th anniversary.
The D23 Expo returned for a second time at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California from August 19 to 21, 2011. [20] Closely resembling the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, the Expo's show floor added pavilions for Disney Channel, Radio Disney, the Collector's Forum, Walt Disney Studios, Disney Living, Disney Corporate Citizenship, and Disney Interactive Media Group. The Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives has expanded by 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) since the Inaugural D23 Expo. [21] The show floor also featured a new pavilion, similar to the Walt Disney Imagineering pavilion from D23 Expo 2009, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts's Carousel of Projects which shows the highlights of the developing projects coming soon in Disney Parks around the world. [22]
Shopping opportunities included the D23 Expo Dream Store returning from the inaugural Expo. Other D23 Expo-exclusive stores included Mickey's of Glendale from Walt Disney Imagineering headquarters in Glendale, California and the Walt Disney Archives Treasure Trove from the Walt Disney Archives in Burbank, California. Other stores include A Small World Village and a Disney Store in the Disney Living Pavilion. Another popular area was the Collectors Forum, [23] where guests could buy Disney Collectibles and connect with the Disneyana Fan Club, [24] Mouse Planet, [25] Mice Chat, [26] Hidden Mickey author Nancy Temple Rodrigue, and artist Brian Rood with his one-of-a-kind The Rocketeer . [23] [27]
Events took place at the D23 Arena, Stage 23, Stage 28, the "red carpet" at the Talent Round-Up area, Storytellers Stage at the Disney Living pavilion, and at the Disney Channel/Radio Disney stage. The Disney Channel stage held performances from Coco Jones, China Anne McClain, a first look for Radio Disney's N.B.T. (Next Big Thing), and a karate exhibition from Leo Howard. Guests also had the chance to meet and greet the cast of Good Luck Charlie , Jake and the Never Land Pirates and The Never Land Band, Lemonade Mouth , So Random! , Phineas and Ferb , Kickin' It , Fish Hooks , A.N.T. Farm , Handy Manny , Special Agent Oso , Pair of Kings , and Shake it Up .
Stage 23 hosted many events involving sneak peeks to projects from The Walt Disney Studios and ABC Studios including The Avengers , The Muppets , Brave , Monsters University , Once Upon a Time , and Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice , and the celebration for the 25th Anniversary of Pixar. [28] [29] Stage 28 hosted Walt Disney Imagineering panels for the Disney Cruise Line, Cars Land, Buena Vista Street, Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure, "The Voices of the Parks", and vintage photos and videos of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. [28] [30] [31]
The first rounds of the UDTT were held on August 18, 2011 (one day before the D23 Expo), which narrowed from thousands to one hundred and from one hundred to 20. It was hosted by Dan Roebuck (guest starred in Lost and Wizards of Waverly Place ) who narrowed down the final round from 20 people to 3. After two full days of trivia questions, John Kurowski was declared the winner of the inaugural Ultimate Disney Fan Trivia Tournament. His name was engraved on a Ludwig Von Drake trophy which was preserved in the Walt Disney Archives. Kurowski also won a preview cruise on the Disney Cruise Line's Disney Fantasy ship which set sail to the public in 2012. [32]
The D23 Arena hosted many milestone events only at the D23 Expo. This was the second time that the Disney Legends ceremony had taken place in front of guests at the D23 Expo; it had originally been held at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. At the expo, the company honored 12 people who contributed to The Walt Disney Company. This included Jodi Benson, Barton Boyd, Jim Henson, Linda Larkin, Paige O'Hara, Regis Philbin, Anika Noni Rose, Lea Salonga, Ray Watson, Guy Williams, and Jack and Bonita Wrather. [33]
The Destination D event was held from August 11 to 12, 2012, at the Disneyland Hotel ballroom in Anaheim, California, to celebrate 75 years of Disney Animated features, which is an unprecedented celebration of the art, storytelling, music, voices, imagination, and innovation of Disney's benchmark films.
The D23 Expo returned for a third time from August 9 to 11, 2013, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Disney officials later estimated attendance to be around 65,000. [34] The Walt Disney Studios presented exclusive looks at live-action films including Saving Mr. Banks , Maleficent , Muppets Most Wanted , Tomorrowland , and Thor: The Dark World , as well as animated productions such as The Good Dinosaur , Frozen , Party Central , Get A Horse! , Finding Dory , and Inside Out . [35] [36] Lucasfilm had its first appearance at the expo with the panel "Crash Course in the Force: Star Wars Saga 101" hosted by Pablo Hidalgo. [37] [38] Walt Disney Parks and Resorts showcased pavilions relating to Avatar Land, future Star Wars attractions, Marvel's Avengers Academy on the Disney Magic , Disney Springs, and Shanghai Disneyland. [39] [40]
The first D23 Expo Japan was held from October 12 to 14, 2013, in the Maihama area at the Tokyo Disney Resort. This expo celebrated multiple anniversaries, 90th anniversary of the company, Tokyo Disney Resort's 30th, Disney Channel's 10th, Disney Mobile's fifth, the Disney–JCB Card's fifth and Dlife's first. [7] This was the first time that a Disney fan event took place in Japan.
The Destination D event was held from November 22 to 23, 2014, at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort.
The fourth D23 Expo was held from August 14 to 16, 2015, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. [41] Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios presented first looks of The Good Dinosaur , Finding Dory , Zootopia , Moana , Toy Story 4 , and Coco . Marvel Studios presented footage from Captain America: Civil War and concept art from Doctor Strange , while Lucasfilm presented a look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens . Walt Disney Pictures showcased Alice Through the Looking Glass , The Jungle Book , Beauty and the Beast , Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales , Pete's Dragon , The Finest Hours , and Queen of Katwe . [42] [43] In addition, the logos for Incredibles 2 and Cars 3 were revealed. [44] [45] Disney Interactive held presentations on several video games, namely Star Wars: Battlefront , Disney Infinity 3.0 , and Kingdom Hearts III . The presentations featured new in-game footage, trailers, and reveals. [46] The presentations also included surprise announcements and special guests. [47] At the conclusion of the Walt Disney Studios presentation, Bob Iger made a surprise announcement that Disney was developing a new Star Wars themed land for both Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios. [48] Additional presentations included "Disney on Broadway: The Originals" celebrating the stage adaptations of Disney films by Disney Theatrical Productions, "FROZEN FANdemonium – A Musical Celebration!" which celebrated the music of Frozen , and a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the release of Toy Story .
The second D23 Expo Japan was held from November 6 to 8, 2015 at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
The Destination D event was held from November 19 to 20, 2016, at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort.
The fifth D23 Expo was held from July 14 to 16, 2017, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. [13] Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios presented first looks at Ralph Breaks the Internet , Incredibles 2 , and Coco . Lucasfilm presented a behind-the-scenes look at Star Wars: The Last Jedi , Marvel Studios presented a first look at Avengers: Infinity War , and Walt Disney Pictures presented first looks at A Wrinkle in Time , Mary Poppins Returns , The Nutcracker and the Four Realms , and the live-action remake of The Lion King . The cast for the live-action remake of Aladdin was also announced. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts revealed that both new Star Wars-themed lands in Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios would be called Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and presented a scale model of the land in its pavilion on the expo floor. There were additional presentations for Tangled: The Series and Olaf's Frozen Adventure , as well as a presentation celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of Hercules . The New York Times estimated attendance for the 2017 expo at around 100,000 people. [49]
The third D23 Expo Japan was held from February 10 to 12, 2018, at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
The Destination D event was held from November 16 to 18, 2018, at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort.
The sixth D23 Expo was held from August 23 to 25, 2019, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. [50] Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios presented extended looks at Frozen II , Onward , Soul , and announced Raya and the Last Dragon . Marvel Studios presented first looks at Black Widow , Eternals , and announced Moon Knight , Ms. Marvel , She-Hulk , and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever . Lucasfilm presented a behind-the-scenes preview at Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker . Finally, Walt Disney Pictures presented first looks at the live-action remake of Mulan , an extended clip of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil , Jungle Cruise , and the live-action prequel Cruella . This expo also marked the first time that Disney showcased projects from 20th Century Fox, with clips of upcoming films from Ford v Ferrari , Spies in Disguise , and The King's Man . Alan Horn stated that they were not going to announce anything about Fox at the expo, but also noted that more news about Fox would be forthcoming in the future. [51]
The first Destination D23 virtual event was held from November 16 to 20, 2020, online. The full lineup of virtual events and presentation has been announced for the D23 Fantastic Worlds Celebration, which has gone digital due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Destination D23 event was held from November 19 to 21, 2021, at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort and on online, which is part of Walt Disney World Resort's 50th anniversary celebration.
The seventh D23 Expo was held from September 9 to 11, 2022, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The event was originally expected to be scheduled for 2021, but was pushed back a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. D23 Expo 2022 saw the debut of the new production logo of Walt Disney Pictures, created by the Disney Studios Content and Industrial Light & Magic and accompanied by a new arrangement of "When You Wish Upon a Star" composed by Christophe Beck and conducted by Tim Davies. Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios presented a first look at Elemental and Strange World , and also announced Inside Out 2 , Elio , and Wish . Walt Disney Pictures presented first looks at The Little Mermaid , Peter Pan & Wendy , [52] Disenchanted , Snow White , and Haunted Mansion , and also announced Mufasa: The Lion King . [53] Marvel Studios announced Werewolf by Night and presented exclusive looks at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , Ironheart , Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania , Loki , Echo , Secret Invasion , and The Marvels . Lucasfilm presented an exclusive first look at Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny along with trailers for Tales of the Jedi , The Mandalorian , and Willow . [54] 20th Century Studios announced an Assassin's Creed TV series for Netflix and presented a first look at new scenes from Avatar: The Way of Water . [55] [56] Disney Branded Television presented first looks at multiple shows, including upcoming Disney+ exclusives American Born Chinese , The Muppets Mayhem , and Percy Jackson and the Olympians . [57] Disney also presented panels and exhibits on "Disney100", the then-upcoming yearlong celebration of the 100th anniversary of the company, as well as a "Celebration of Encanto " and a Disney Princess concert featuring Susan Egan and Anneliese van der Pol. The New York Times estimated attendance for the 2022 expo at around 140,000 people. [14]
The Destination D23 event was held from September 8 to 10, 2023, at Disney's Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort and on online, which is part of The Walt Disney Company's 100th anniversary celebration.
The eighth D23 fan event was held from August 9 to 11, 2024, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. [58] Disney dropped the word "Expo", resulting in the name "D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event". On August 8, the D23 kickoff celebration took place at Disneyland Resort. From August 9 to 11, shopping pop-ups, exhibits, panels, and presentations were held at the Anaheim Convention Center during the day, and then the largest marquee shows were held at the Honda Center in the evening: the Disney Entertainment Showcase (August 9), the Disney Experiences Showcase (August 10), and the Disney Legends Ceremony (August 11). The Guardian explained that being a "Disney superfan is not cheap". [59] The prices of three-day tickets for the event started at just under $300 and went up to $2,599 for the best seats at the Honda Center. [59]
Part of the Experiences showcase was viewable in-game on Fortnite [60] and showed a trailer for the next Battle Royale season featuring Doctor Doom. [61]
The first D23 Brazil was held from November 8 to 10, 2024, at Transamérica Expo Center in São Paulo, Brazil. On January 11, 2024, during the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, Disney announced that the event would be going global, with D23 heading to São Paulo, Brazil, in November of that year. This was the first time that a Disney convention was held in Brazil. [62] [63] [64]
Disney California Adventure is a theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. The 72-acre (29 ha) park is themed after Disney's interpretation of California, by the use of Disney, Pixar and Marvel properties. The park opened on February 8, 2001, and is the second of two theme parks built at the Disneyland Resort complex, after Disneyland.
The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division and is home to two theme parks, three hotels, and the Downtown Disney shopping, dining, and entertainment district.
Walt Disney Studios Park is the second of two theme parks built at Disneyland Paris in Marne-la-Vallée, France. which opened on 16 March 2002. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Upon opening, it was dedicated to show business, movie themes, production, and behind-the-scenes, but in the 2010s, in a similar manner to Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida, it began to distance itself from the original studio backlot theming and entered a new direction of attraction development inspired by iconic Disney stories. The park is represented by the Earffel Tower, a water tower with Mickey Mouse ears similar to the one formerly located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which in turn was inspired by the water tower at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California.
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attractions worldwide. The company also operates Disney Live Entertainment and The Muppets Studio and manages Disney's properties, from Walt Disney Studios in Burbank to New Amsterdam Theatre and Times Square Studios Ltd. in New York City. Founded by Walt Disney to oversee the production of Disneyland, it was originally known as Walt Disney, Inc., then WED Enterprises, from the initials meaning "Walter Elias Disney", the company co-founder's full name. Headquartered in Glendale, California, Imagineering is composed of "Imagineers", who are illustrators, architects, engineers, lighting designers, show writers and graphic designers.
Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who "[have] made a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a special private ceremony. Since 2009, it has been awarded on a biennial basis during Disney's D23 Expo.
Disney Experiences, commonly known as Disney Parks, is one of the three major divisions of The Walt Disney Company. It was founded on April 1, 1971, exactly six months before the opening of Walt Disney World.
Tony Wayne Baxter is the former senior vice president of creative development in Walt Disney Imagineering and was responsible for creating designs and carrying out the construction of attractions all over the world. He announced his departure from his full-time position to become a part-time adviser on February 1, 2013. During his 47-year tenure with the company, he oversaw the construction of multiple contemporary Disney theme park attractions, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, The Indiana Jones Adventure, and Journey Into Imagination, and served as the executive producer of Disneyland Paris.
World of Color is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars Steve Davison, and designed by Disney Live Entertainment, the show has 1,200 water fountains and includes lights, fire, lasers, and fog, with high-definition projections on mist screens. The show is inspired by Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color anthology television series, as evidenced by the use of its eponymous theme song written by the Sherman Brothers.
Crush's Coaster is a spinning roller coaster at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris. The attraction officially opened on June 9, 2007 as part of an expansion project in Toon Studio, an area within Walt Disney Studios Park formerly known as Animation Courtyard. The ride is themed to Disney-Pixar's Finding Nemo film, and named after Crush, a green sea turtle voiced by Andrew Stanton from the movie. Most of the roller coaster is enclosed and features dark ride special effects.
The Hatbox Ghost is an animatronic character that appeared originally in The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland but was removed shortly after the attraction's debut in 1969. Located formerly in the ride's attic scene, the figure is described as "an elderly [male] ghost in a cloak and top hat, leaning on a cane with a wavering hand and clutching a hatbox in the other." After 45 years of absence, the character was returned to the attraction in 2015.
Toy Story Land is a themed land at Walt Disney Studios Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. The area is based on the Disney·Pixar film series Toy Story.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue is an attraction located at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. Set in the Star Wars universe, Star Tours – The Adventures Continue takes passengers on a turbulent trip across the galaxy, as droids C-3PO and R2-D2 attempt to safely return a spy to the Rebel Alliance.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a themed area inspired by the Star Wars franchise in Disneyland at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, and Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. It encompasses 14 acres (5.7 ha) at each park, and is set in the village of Black Spire Outpost, on the remote frontier planet of Batuu, featuring attractions, shops, restaurants and entertainment.
Star Wars Launch Bay is an interactive walkthrough attraction based on the Star Wars franchise at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, and formerly at Shanghai Disneyland Park and Disneyland at Disneyland Resort.
runDisney, is the road race division of Disney Sports Enterprises, a unit of Disney Experiences, a segment and subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. The division is designed to get runners to plan a "runcation", a vacation planned to coincide with the race they signed up for.
Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland under the name Stark Expo. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being developed simultaneously at the three parks and inspired by the MCU. However, they instead take place in the "Marvel Theme Park Universe", an alternate universe parallel to it within the MCU multiverse, in which the Blip, introduced in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and subsequent events did not occur. They are designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Themed Entertainment.
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, also known as Ratatouille: L'Aventure Totalement Toquée de Rémy, is a motion-based trackless 3D dark ride, based on the 2007 Disney-Pixar animated film Ratatouille, located at Disney's Walt Disney Studios Park in France by Disneyland Paris and at Disney's France Pavilion at Epcot from Walt Disney World.
The Optimist was a 2013 alternate reality game created by Walt Disney Imagineering as a tie-in to the 2015 film Tomorrowland directed by Brad Bird. The game was set in and around Anaheim, California and the Disneyland theme park and ran for six weeks from July 3, 2013, to August 11, 2013, with a finale event at the 2013 D23 Expo fan convention. The story was about a fictional alternate history of Walt Disney and his involvement in a secret society connected to the 1964 World's Fair and an optimistic vision of the future.