The D23 Expo 2015

by Debra Martin Koma
AllEars® Editor

Feature Article

This article appeared in the August 18, 2015 Issue #830 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)

To quote a well-known MMC (the NEW Mickey Mouse Club) alum from way back, "Ooops! I did it again!"

Yes, I attended the fourth biannual Ultimate Disney Fan Event, known as the D23 Expo.

If you're a Disney fan, you probably know by now that the D23 Expo encompasses every aspect of The Walt Disney Company: from theme parks and consumer products to films (both animated and live action), television, video games, music and collectibles. It's all Disney all the time — for 72 hours at least — all in one place.

That place is the Anaheim Convention Center, a cavernous venue with a seemingly endless capacity for crowds. And crowds there were! Tens of thousands of Disney fans converged on the Expo all three days, with at least Saturday being a sell-out. (I haven't heard whether Friday and Sunday sold out as well yet.)

Back in 2011, at the second Expo, the chaos and the crowds left me feeling disillusioned with the event, but vast improvements in the 2013 outing convinced me to return for this year's extravaganza. The biggest difference this year, however, is that I returned not as media, not as an ordinary guest, but as a "Sorcerer."

A Sorcerer? No, I didn't attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the last two years. (That's another theme park!) What I mean is that I attended the Expo with a D23 VIP Sorcerer's Package, a special all-access package (with a hefty $2000 price tag) that provided me with a number of exclusive benefits, including early access to the Expo show floor, exhibits and shops and guaranteed seating for the various presentations and panels. Believe me, when the alternative was waiting for several hours in line for a panel discussion only to be turned away anyhow, the reserved seating aspect was a godsend! (So, the answer to your unasked question is, yes, it was worth the money, for the most part.)

I'd like to share highlights and my thoughts on the overall Expo Experience, which was the same mix of crazy-hectic-awful-inspirational-wonderful that it has been every year.

Most of the elements of the show floor seemed to be located around the convention center approximately where they have been in the past, so finding my way was fairly easy. Panels and smaller presentations were again held on the upper floors, while the major presentations — those guaranteed to draw the biggest crowds — were held in Hall D23. The "Emporium" areas (formerly known as the Collector's Forum), were again found toward the rear of each of the main halls (A, B, and C) and they had the usual vendors selling assorted Disney-related merchandise, memorabilia and services.

For shoppers, this year there were a number of "Friends of Disney" selling their wares — Target, Coca-Cola, American Tourister, Vans — as well as other operating participants like Hallmark, Jelly Belly, Cakes.com, and Enesco. Their booths were scattered around the show floor, along with the Dream Store (exclusive D23 merchandise), Mickey's of Glendale (Imagineering merchandise) and the Disney Store.

Last Expo, D23 implemented the successful StagePass, a sort of "timed ticket" that helped minimize the amount of time spent waiting for a particular session. This year, they expanded on that concept and added "StorePass," which gave the user a 30-minute time slot for shopping, rather than having to wait in the endless line to gain entry to the Dream Store, Mickey's of Glendale or the Disney Store.

One improvement this year was the relocation of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit to the show floor. It was so much more accessible there, and it also seemed to have more on display. With a focus on 60 Years of Disneyland, the items and artifacts were so interesting I could have spent an entire day in there instead of the 15 minutes or so that I got.

As a fan, I roamed the show floor, wandering in and out of as many exhibits and booths as I could. I was amazed by the Aurasma stops, which allowed you to unlock the "auras" at different points and experience "augmented reality" (including special videos or animations), courtesy of HP and the D23 app. I thoroughly enjoyed the shows on the Center Stage (even if they were a bit too loud), like the Jedi Training Academy, musical group Before You Exit, and singer Beau Black who gave a sneak preview of the theme song for the upcoming series The Lion Guard. And I was totally lost in some of the short clips that were running at the ABC and Disney Studios displays.

The Disney Parks and Resorts pavilion on the show floor largely consisted of details about Shanghai Disneyland, currently slated to open sometime in 2016. I enjoyed soaking up the details about that, but couldn't help wishing they'd shared more in the other section of the pavilion — the part that revealed a model of Pandora, teasing a look at the upcoming world being developed in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Despite claiming that they could answer all my questions about this new land, really about all they could tell me for sure is that it's coming in 2017. Oh well. Patience is a virtue.

I shouldn't complain, though. This pavilion allowed me one of my personal highlights, and something that could have only happened at the Expo — a photo with Imagineer Joe Rohde, who was popping in to check on the Pandora display, and a Navi, one of the natives from the film Avatar.

I also indulged my inner fan girl by spending some time checking out the many Star Wars exhibits around the show floor, and by attending The Magic of the Muppets panel. The latter was one of the most enjoyable hours I have spent in a long while. Obviously, the point of the panel was to promote the upcoming television series, The Muppets (debuting on ABC on September 22 at 8 p.m.!), but how could the men behind the Muppets be anything but entertaining? Dave Goelz (best known for the Great Gonzo), Steve Whitmire (Kermit, Rizzo, et.al.), Bill Barretta (my personal favorite Pepe the King Prawn and Rowlf), Eric Jacobson (Fozzy Bear, Sam Eagle) and Matt Vogel (Uncle Deadly, Constantine, Robin) graciously answered questions and then pulled a half-dozen attendees out of the audience to give them the chance to try their hands at puppeteering. The end result was hilarity, with my favorite moment: watching the five men with their characters dancing with two audience members to Beyonce's Single Ladies. Priceless!

But as a fan and as a reporter for AllEars.Net, I spent a majority of my time waiting for and at the major presentations. (Yes, even though the Sorcerer Pass guaranteed A seat, you had to compete with several hundred other Sorcerers for a seat close to the front.)

As I mentioned earlier, the really big presentations were held this year in Hall D23, with a capacity of 7,500 fans. During previous Expos, these gatherings were in the convention center's arena, which only accommodated 5,500 for the D23 events. Although the hall's capacity may have been higher, I'm not convinced that it was a BETTER place to see the presentations. Seating in Hall D23 was not tiered, but rather all on one level, so that people in the rear of the room did not have a very good view of the stage. (Of course, there were several large screens scattered around, but still… if you wanted to watch it on a screen, you could have stayed at home, right?)

Let's talk about those BIG presentations that were held in Hall D23. The first took place on Friday morning — the induction of the latest crop of Disney Legends, those artists who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy. Despite the fact that Star Wars director George Lucas was among those announced to be receiving the honor this year (along with actress Susan Lucci, musician Danny Elfman, animator Andreas Deja and four others), I decided to pass up this ceremony in favor of attending the panel with The Muppets. Woe unto me, because there was another, ninth, "surprise" legend inducted this year — the inimitable Captain Jack Sparrow, actor Johnny Depp. Argh. It was the second time I missed Depp at the D23 Expo — the first time occurring during the first Expo, when Depp attended the Live Action Film presentation… and I did not.

Nevertheless, the Legends induction ceremony this year was once again filled with nostalgia and noteworthy performances. Those I spoke with who attended the program felt it was as special as ever. Maybe I'll make it to the next one!

The next major presentation in Hall D23 was held Friday afternoon and hosted by Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Studios John Lasseter, who gave the fans exclusive sneak previews of more than a half-dozen upcoming animated features. Over the course of the presentation, which stretched to more than three hours (it was supposed to be two!), directors talked about their projects in various stages of development, then trotted out the talent. Calling the presentation "star-studded" would be an understatement. Among those actors who graced the stage during the animation presentation: Ginnifer Goodwin, known for her work on the television's "Once Upon a Time," who will be lending her voice to the lead character in the upcoming "Zootopia"; the charismatic Dwayne Johnson (perhaps better known as "The Rock"), who will be voicing "Maui" in the feature "Moana"; and from the upcoming "Finding Nemo" sequel "Finding Dory," Ed O'Neill, Ty Burrell (both from TV's "Modern Family"; and, practically bringing down the house, Dory herself — Ellen Degeneres. As if that weren't enough, the program closed out with news of "Toy Story 4" and composer Randy Newman at the piano, with a touching rendition of "You've Got a Friend in Me."

Not to be outdone, the Live Action Film presentation in Hall D23 on Saturday featured its own array of celebrities. Marvel Studios kicked things off with Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie, from the "Captain America" franchise, then Walt Disney Studios followed with another Chris, Chris Pine, of "The Finest Hours," and Oscar winners Lupita Nyong'o and Sir Ben Kingsley (yes, Gandhi!) who will voice Bagheera in the live-action remake of The Jungle Book.

My dream came true when Johnny Deep, in full Captain Jack Sparrow regalia, swaggered (or should I say staggered?) onto the stage as they unveiled some details about the next Pirates of the Caribbean sequel.

But I don't think anyone expected what lay ahead.

Even casual fans know that the next installment of the Star Wars story, The Force Awakens, is due in theaters in December of this year. So it was no real surprise when director J.J. Abrams brought out several of the cast of that film. What WAS a surprise was that among those cast members was none other than Harrison Ford! Can you say "Fan Frenzy"? It was an amazing moment that I don't think I'll ever forget. I never expected to see him in person, just six or seven rows in front of me. This is the sort of thing that fans go to the D23 Expo for, and I'd venture to say that no one left disappointed.

Especially not those of us who are also Disney theme park fanatics. Because after the Star Wars stars took their bows, Disney CEO Bob Iger shooed them off the stage to reveal some major news of his own, news that stunned the audience.

Ever since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, and maybe even before that, rumors have circulated that there would be a theme park "land" devoted to the film franchise. Finally, Iger confirmed that not only would there be one 14-acre Star Wars land developed for the Disney Parks, but two — one in Disneyland Park in Anaheim, the other in Disney's Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World in Orlando. I jumped out of my seat at the news with an adrenalin rush. THAT is the sort of news Disney fans want and expect to hear at an event like the D23 Expo! You can watch Iger's announcement here.

The final big presentation I attended at Hall D23 was the one that probably most directly affects readers of this newsletter and the AllEars.Net website: The Disney Parks and Resorts presentation. Led by recently appointed Chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts Bob Chapek, this hour-plus program was simply news, news and more news all related to the Disney Parks at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. We have it all recapped for you in this newsletter's NEWS BITES section below, but, honestly, the announcement of Star Wars lands blew me away most of all, followed by the news that Disney's Hollywood Studios will also be getting a land themed around Toy Story, complete with two unique attractions — one based on the Little Green Men and the Claw, the other a family coaster designed to resemble Slinky Dog from the films. It's frustrating that no specific time frames were given for anything — whenever any of these attractions are planned for, I can't wait!

Of course there were numerous other celebrity appearances throughout the weekend on the show floor and in other panels. Cast members of a number of Disney Channel and ABC-TV shows were at various signings and photo ops, as were Radio Disney musicians. The center stage hosted a number of famous, or soon-to-be-famous faces, including several Disney Animators and Artists, who were also available for autographs and meet-and-greets.

A big complaint from previous Expos is that Friday and Saturday were overfull of interesting programming, but that Sunday usually left a little to be desired. This year was better, in my opinion — I think the Expo planners really made an effort to bring something more substantial to the final day. There was a big presentation on Disney Interactive in Hall D23, as well as a Frozen Sing-along, which I didn't go to, but understand was very well attended. Still, Sunday seemed much quieter in comparison to the previous two days. Perhaps that's the nature of these sorts of conventions.

One change that was NOT for the better was the absence of any major evening programs. At a previous Expo I was lucky enough to attend an amazing evening with Dick Van Dyke and his singing group the Vantastix. At the last Expo, one evening featured a memorable program on Disney's Broadway musicals, and another an extraordinarily special show with legendary composers Richard Sherman and Alan Menken. This year, the Expo closed each night at 7 p.m. Oh well, I suppose I needed my beauty sleep, anyway.

Was this year's D23 Expo better than ever? I'm not sure I'd say that. There are still issues with crowd control and traffic flow, and I think the programming could be better. Not that the programs themselves are lacking — on the contrary. There were so many things that I want to see, but they were running opposite other programs that I really wanted to see. As a result, I didn't come close to seeing everything that was on offer. But I had more realistic expectations based on my previous Expo experiences, so I knew that would happen. And knowing that, I found that I enjoyed this Expo much more than the previous ones.

Then there are the surprises and inside info that you just can't get anywhere else. An announcement like the one Iger made about Star Wars land, the photo op with Joe Rohde, seeing a host of favorite actors up close… these are things that make this Disney fan's heart go pitty-pat. This is what the D23 Expo is all about.

And so… will I be back? Well, to once again quote that MMC alum I referred to in my lead paragraph, "Hit Me Baby One More Time!"

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RELATED LINKS:

— D23 EXPO Preview Day Highlights

— News from the D23 EXPO Live Action Film Presentation

— News from the Animation Presentation

— D23 EXPO 2015 Press Releases

RELATED VIDEOS:

— TRON Lightcycle Power Run Preview

— Walt Disney Archives Disneyland: The Exhibit

Also, watch for additional blogs, photos and videos on the Expo from Deb Wills, Deb Koma, Kristin Ford and Jeanine Yamanaka on AllEars.Net in the coming days.

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Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.