After being delayed form the planned 2021 show due to the Pandemic, The
D23 Expo returned bigger and better than ever.
The event which is a celebration of all things Disney offers countless
panels, props, shopping, and more which cover all-aspects from the parks
to the hotels and cruise line as well as the television, film, and
merchandise worlds.
I started my coverage by taking in the main floor which in addition to
vendors and entertainment, offers a vast array of experiences such as the
Disney 100 celebration which included photo opportunities from numerous
films and attractions along with props, costumes, and more.
A visit to the Lucasfilm set was awe-inspiring as along with costumes from
several Star Wars series on Disney +, there were costumes and artwork from
the pending new Indiana Jones film as well as the upcoming Willow series.
The Marvel booth offered live appearances as well as an array of costumes
to enjoy but for me the Dreams showcase was amazing as it offered models,
pictures, video, and more of upcoming attractions from the various Disney
parks including a look at the pending updates to Toon Town, and Splash
Mountain along with Tianna who was on hand to interact with guests.
This was just a small part of the impressive display which also featured
staff who were able to talk about the various items on display ranging
from pending “Frozen”, “Peter Pan”, and “Moana” attractions.
The vast number of opportunities were more than enough to keep me busy as
there were so many things to see and do but my panel schedule was coming
up and I had to make my way over to see what was coming from the Simpsons.
I had planned to cover the opening ceremonies and Disney Legends but with
an overlap I made my way to see the creatives from the show preview a new
Simpsons short for Disney+ as well as talk about what is coming in the new
season and other news that delighted the audience.
The next panel for me was a look at the pending Disney and Marvel games
that are scheduled for release and seeing Midnight Suns as well as
upcoming titles from Aliens to Disney really made this panel stand out and
I hope that this will become a regular part of future shows.
There were so many options it was hard to pick what to see next as
everything from a look at upcoming Walt Disney Studio films and shows was
offered to panels for many current and upcoming favorites.
My wife and our Granddaughter joined me on Saturday and while they mainly
covered the exhibition floor early on and greatly helped our coverage with
pictures, videos, and other perspectives, I attended the Disney 100 panel
which looked at the upcoming five-year tour which is schedule to open in
Philadelphia next year before it tours the world.
The show will feature aspects of 100 years of Walt Disney from props,
interactive displays, and more from the Disney Archives and the assembled
team went into great detail about the magical experience that guest can
look forward to.
After more coverage around the expo, we settled into the Bob’s Burgers
panel that delighted fans with a look at the upcoming season and the
question and answer session between the audience and the cast and
creatives.
During the day, the Lucasfilm, Marvel, and 20th Century Studios panel
previewed upcoming shows, movies, and more including a first look at the
new Indiana Jones film as well as the upcoming Avatar sequel and naturally
an array of stars were on hand to the delight of the audience.
This is only a small sample of what was offered as panels for Spider-man,
TRON, the new Zootopia series, Hamster and Gretel and more were offered.
The final day of the show was highlighted by a look at the new offerings
coming to the parks, hotels, and cruise line and guests were treated to
the reveal of the Disney Treasure which will be the sixth ship in the
fleet and offers an impressive list of features.
New destination and resort options were revealed as well as news that the
Avenger’s Campus would be getting a third attraction to go along with the
second attraction which is already in the works.
There was so much information in this panel alone that we are still taking
it all in almost a week later.
It would be impossible to cover all the events that were offered but
thankfully press releases, video, and images, provided by the P.R. staff
were a great help.
The event was not only very enjoyable and informative but some issues such
as line management and panel reservations and seating which fans had
voiced concerns with in the past were significantly improved and I was
told that Disney had brought over more staff from the parks to ensure that
the Disney level of service was evident at the expo.
The joy and positive energy of the show was great to experience as was the
vast amount of information given and things to see and do. While it could
be frustrating at times not to be able to cover some events it underscores
the vast popularity and demand of what was offered as panels offered
numerous surprise guests and features such as musical numbers which made
the reveals even more magical.
I cannot wait to see what comes at the next expo as this was a great
experience from start to finish.
