Disneyland + D23 in July!

[Sped2424]

Soo I am finally heading out west and going to DL for the first time this july for about a week for a DL and D23 combo vacation! Any advice on a first timer for either event? Especially D23!

 

[brb1006]

@Figments Friend should be helpful with some advice

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

D23 is a colossal mess. I don't tell you this to discourage you, but so that you're prepared. It's incredibly disorganized. Do not be surprised by this so that you can plan for it. In 2015, people waited all night to get into the movie keynote. The parks keynote was not as popular - you could walk in right before it started, but of course, you weren't right up front.

If you want to buy exclusive or LE merch, prepare to wait in line for hours and either get up at 2am or just be up all night waiting.

 

[Sped2424]

D23 is a colossal mess. I don't tell you this to discourage you, but so that you're prepared. It's incredibly disorganized. Do not be surprised by this so that you can plan for it. In 2015, people waited all night to get into the movie keynote. The parks keynote was not as popular - you could walk in right before it started, but of course, you weren't right up front.

If you want to buy exclusive or LE merch, prepare to wait in line for hours and either get up at 2am or just be up all night waiting.

OH my. I thought things got better with that sorcerer wait thingy they implemented?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

OH my. I thought things got better with that sorcerer wait thingy they implemented?

I'm not sure what you mean - the Sorcerer Pass is the multithousand dollar ticket that the eBay resellers use to buy the merch and then turn a profit on. Panels had ShowPass (like FastPass) that you could reserve, but that was only for the smaller panels and not the big keynotes. I think there was some kind of StorePass thing too, but if you used it the LE/exclusive stuff would usually be sold out by the time you got in with it (like the Tsums I tried to buy one day).

 

[Monty]

OH my. I thought things got better with that sorcerer wait thingy they implemented?

They had FastPass for most sessions, but even with an FP you had to be there almost 45 minutes before it started. The Sorcerer's pass cost $2,000 and got you front of the line access to most things, but you still lined up ahead of time.

The biggest advantage to the Sorcerer pass IMO was getting in early to the stores.

 

[Curious Constance]

I'm not sure what you mean - the Sorcerer Pass is the multithousand dollar ticket that the eBay resellers use to buy the merch and then turn a profit on. Panels had ShowPass (like FastPass) that you could reserve, but that was only for the smaller panels and not the big keynotes. I think there was some kind of StorePass thing too, but if you used it the LE/exclusive stuff would usually be sold out by the time you got in with it (like the Tsums I tried to buy one day).

Have you been inflicted with Tsum Tsum fever?

 

[Sped2424]

I'm not sure what you mean - the Sorcerer Pass is the multithousand dollar ticket that the eBay resellers use to buy the merch and then turn a profit on. Panels had ShowPass (like FastPass) that you could reserve, but that was only for the smaller panels and not the big keynotes. I think there was some kind of StorePass thing too, but if you used it the LE/exclusive stuff would usually be sold out by the time you got in with it (like the Tsums I tried to buy one day).

Forgive I meant the fp system they implemented about a year ago! And I am going to try and get some nice le merch but me and my group are pretty good with being early! Shame to see some of the larger keynotes don't have the show pass :/ By chance is the animation panel just as crazy to get into too?

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Have you been inflicted with Tsum Tsum fever?

I can neither confirm nor deny my utter lack of judgment when it comes to miniature plush.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Forgive I meant the fp system they implemented about a year ago! And I am going to try and get some nice le merch but me and my group are pretty good with being early! Shame to see some of the larger keynotes don't have the show pass :/ By chance is the animation panel just as crazy to get into too?

I didn't go on the animation day, so I don't know. I'm sure that was popular as well - the movie keynotes tend to be because there's a history of huge stars and way far in advance sneak peeks.

 

[Curious Constance]

I can neither confirm nor deny my utter lack of judgment when it comes to miniature plush.

I'm going to plead the fifth on that too. But holy crap they are so cute!!!!!!!

Even my husband's heart melts at the sight of them. He has actually called them, "The cutest toy ever made." And that's saying something coming from him.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Time for a meet-up at the parks!

Congratulations on your first visit to the DLR. All I can say regarding D23 is good luck. Lol.

 

[Sped2424]

Time for a meet-up at the parks!

Congratulations on your first visit to the DLR. All I can say regarding D23 is good luck. Lol.

Good luck seems to be the general idea for that event Lol It should be an experience thays for sure. And thank you! I'm hoping the new fantasmic is ready when I go :,)

 

[TP2000]

Soo I am finally heading out west and going to DL for the first time this july for about a week for a DL and D23 combo vacation! Any advice on a first timer for either event? Especially D23!

Congrats! As a Disney fan, you are absolutely going to love the Disneyland Resort. Consider taking the Walk In Walt's Footsteps guided tour if you are a history buff and/or Walt fan.

But be advised you really need to be booking and reserving that type of stuff now. Reserve your hotel now, dinner or lunch reservations at Blue Bayou and/or Carthay Circle 60 days out, and then slot in your park days around your D23 Expo days. Here's a recent thread with good hotel advice that puts you within a 15 minute walk of both Disneyland and the convention center. http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/d23-hotels.923822/#post-7545475

D23 is a colossal mess. I don't tell you this to discourage you, but so that you're prepared. It's incredibly disorganized.

Yes, it certainly is a huge mess. Every year they seem to make baby steps in improvement, but then layer on some new thing or concept that just messes it up all over again.

For those newcomers like @Sped2424 it may come as a shock. When you look at D23 Expo from 50 feet away it looks super cool and slick and big-budget corporate showbiz. But then when you walk into it, and then try and interact with the Expo staff and booth staff and exhibit staff, it can get really messy. There are a bunch of Burbank & Glendale, um, d-bags who wander around with staff lanyards trying very hard to look cool and important but just end up looking like middle aged executive dorks. (I was in the corporate exec world for decades, I can spot that look in a second)

I enjoy going to D23 Expo for one day, usually about two hours or less, just to see the expertly done WDI pavilion and walk the exhibit hall floor. And every year I seem to encounter some sort of inter-company war or executive meltdown in one of the booths. Last year it was a hilariously pompous woman from "Maker Studios", which I found out is some obscure Disney backwater that makes cat videos for YouTube (seriously) and she was completely losing it on some event staffer over how her line was being managed. The line had ten people in it waiting to meet some weirdo who makes YouTube videos for Maker Studios, and she was going totally ballistic in public with her official lanyard flailing around her neck. "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!?!? DO YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO BOB?!?! GET YOUR SUPERVISOR OVER HERE NOW!!!"

Other than that sort of messy mess, D23 Expo is a fun afternoon stroll. As for the panels and presentations, that's a mess on a whole other level that you need to dedicate hours per day or thousands of dollars to get into. I avoid all that and just learn about it on the Internet for free.

Plan, plan, plan. And don't expect the typical Disneyland graciousness and expert crowd control, but do expect Burbank corporate buffoonery.

 

[Figments Friend]

Soo I am finally heading out west and going to DL for the first time this july for about a week for a DL and D23 combo vacation! Any advice on a first timer for either event? Especially D23!

I was 'you' last year.....a Expo Newbie.... when I attended my first D23 Expo.
I did a LOT of research regarding it, particularly what really happened there directly from reading reviews from fans who had attended.
It was incrediblely helpful and insightful, and if I had not taken the long period of time to read up on both the good, the bad, and the truly ugly I know for certain I would have had a immensely different ( and far less enjoyable ) experience.

Attending the Expo can be a lot of fun, but it is also very demanding and exuasting in some respects.
You WILL have a terrific time if you know what your top priorities or personal interest goals are, and also if you keep a cool head and don't let the chaos of it all get to you.
It is good to have some sort of plan in place before you set foot in the immediate area surrounding the Convention Center.

To help you out, here are three important things to keep in mind when planning your own adventure at the Expo.


1. Have realistic expectations and realize that you will NOT get to do and see absolutely everything you wish to during the Expo.
Know ahead of time what your absolute 'must do's / must see's' are for the day and stick to those.
Far too much is going on at once, and many appealing panels and various activities are scheduled against each other at the same times.
Decide your top priority and get in line for a StagePass if offered.

Morning panels are next to impossible to get into unless you camp out overnight or have shelled out the big bucks for a Sorcerer's Pass.
Just getting into the Anaheim Convention Center in the morning can be a extremely frustrating mess..taking an hour or more just to get in the door ( primarily on Friday, as the mad dash of resellers hit the shops ).

2. Do bring snacks and bottled water / beverages in a discreet manner ( tucked away in a tote bag or backpack, not in a cooler! )
Food offerings inside the Convention Center are expensive as one would expect for a venue event.
Most options are nothing fancier then your typical fast food, and lines will be very long.
The fleet of food trucks outside the venue is worth checking out however...better options and in some cases better pricing for what you get.

3. Lining up in the morning just to enter the ACC when the Expo opens for the day can be a nightmare.
Like many aspects of the Event, it is very disorganized as far as crowd handling goes.
Lines stretch for literal miles just to enter in the morning and there is little shade.
Unless you absolutely MUST be there the first hour the Event is open ( for Limited Edition Merch or a morning panel ) save your sanity and wait until 11am or after to enter.
In my past experience, exspecially on Saturday and Sunday, lines were short to non-exsistant outside the venue at 11 and I walked straight in like a boss.



There is a lot more I could say, but will hold off for now.
Hope the above helps a little.
Let me know if you are curious about any specifics and I can add more commentary if there is interest.


I had a great time in 2015 for the most part, and plan on returning this July as well for this years Expo.
I accomplished all of the main goals I wanted to, and had a pretty good time on my own.
The two things I know I will do differently this year is delay entry into the venue in the morning, and bring my insulated WDW Resort mug for ice water.

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[ajrwdwgirl]

I was 'you' last year.....a Expo Newbie.... when I attended my first D23 Expo.
I did a LOT of research regarding it, particularly what really happened there directly from reading reviews from fans who had attended.
It was incrediblely helpful and insightful, and if I had not taken the long period of time to read up on both the good, the bad, and the truly ugly I know for certain I would have had a immensely different ( and far less enjoyable ) experience.

Attending the Expo can be a lot of fun, but it is also very demanding and exuasting in some respects.
You WILL have a terrific time if you know what your top priorities or personal interest goals are, and also if you keep a cool head and don't let the chaos of it all get to you.
It is good to have some sort of plan in place before you set foot in the immediate area surrounding the Convention Center.

To help you out, here are three important things to keep in mind when planning your own adventure at the Expo.


1. Have realistic expectations and realize that you will NOT get to do and see absolutely everything you wish to during the Expo.
Know ahead of time what your absolute 'must do's / must see's' are for the day and stick to those.
Far too much is going on at once, and many appealing panels and various activities are scheduled against each other at the same times.
Decide your top priority and get in line for a StagePass if offered.

Morning panels are next to impossible to get into unless you camp out overnight or have shelled out the big bucks for a Sorcerer's Pass.
Just getting into the Anaheim Convention Center in the morning can be a extremely frustrating mess..taking an hour or more just to get in the door ( primarily on Friday, as the mad dash of resellers hit the shops ).

2. Do bring snacks and bottled water / beverages in a discreet manner ( tucked away in a tote bag or backpack, not in a cooler! )
Food offerings inside the Convention Center are expensive as one would expect for a venue event.
Most options are nothing fancier then your typical fast food, and lines will be very long.
The fleet of food trucks outside the venue is worth checking out however...better options and in some cases better pricing for what you get.

3. Lining up in the morning just to enter the ACC when the Expo opens for the day can be a nightmare.
Like many aspects of the Event, it is very disorganized as far as crowd handling goes.
Lines stretch for literal miles just to enter in the morning and there is little shade.
Unless you absolutely MUST be there the first hour the Event is open ( for Limited Edition Merch or a morning panel ) save your sanity and wait until 11am or after to enter.
In my past experience, exspecially on Saturday and Sunday, lines were short to non-exsistant outside the venue at 11 and I walked straight in like a boss.



There is a lot more I could say, but will hold off for now.
Hope the above helps a little.
Let me know if you are curious about any specifics and I can add more commentary if there is interest.


I had a great time in 2015 for the most part, and plan on returning this July as well for this years Expo.
I accomplished all of the main goals I wanted to, and had a pretty good time on my own.
The two things I know I will do differently this year is delay entry into the venue in the morning, and bring my insulated WDW Resort mug for ice water.

-

Great advice on D23, my husband and I are going for our first one this year. I don't know how I talked him into it! I'm hoping there will be some good panelists, maybe some retired imagineers that would be an interesting panel.

 

[Figments Friend]

Great advice on D23, my husband and I are going for our first one this year. I don't know how I talked him into it! I'm hoping there will be some good panelists, maybe some retired imagineers that would be an interesting panel.

There is almost always a panel related to Imagineering with some familiar faces.
Last time it was related to Disneyland's 60th and included Tony Baxter, Marty Sklar, and several others.
This year I would like to think there will be some sort of presentation related to Epcot's 35th.

There is also the WDI Pavilion that is well worth checking out on the main show floor.
This typically includes cool models, various displays, and lots of concept artwork related to whatever that years' particular topic is.
Last time the WDI Pavilion was all tied into promoting Shanghai Disneyland.
This year the speculation is it will showcase Disneyland's 'Star Wars Experience' themed land.

For die hard WED-heads there are usually a few retro bits tossed out for us too scattered about.
Old school Imagineering fans such as myself enjoy seeing those.

It is worth your time to also check out the WDI related shop called 'Mickey's Of Glendale'.
They sell various items related to the Parks and Imagineering, including the coveted 'WED' branded merchandise.
Expect huge lines however to enter...but lines drop off later in the day, exspecially the last two hours they are open on Sat / Sun.
In my opinion, it was the only shop at the Expo worth the wait time to enter.


It is also good to pay attention to your surroundings and to the people around you.
There are a LOT of Imagineers past and present, as well as various Disney related 'celebrities' that you may spot walking around the show floor.
Don't be shy in going over to say hello.
It pays to pay attention!


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[TP2000]

It is also good to pay attention to your surroundings and to the people around you.
There are a LOT of Imagineers past and present, as well as various Disney related 'celebrities' that you may spot walking around the show floor.
Don't be shy in going over to say hello.
It pays to pay attention!


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So much great advice there, but that last bit is most important.

I've told this story before, but...

At the 2011 Expo the WDI pavilion had a giant exhibit about Cars Land that was one year away from opening, including a sprawling scale model of the entire land. The WDI pavilion is staffed by Imagineers who wear Expo shirts, and most of the Imagineers are young staffers working on whatever project or concept they are acting as docents for. I was inspecting the Cars Land model and this lady Imagineer standing behind the rope next to the model smiled at me and asked me what I thought. I told her it looked stunning, and she proceeded to walk me from one end of the model to the other explaining each shop and ride and design element. We spent another two minutes chatting and I thanked her for her time and told her WDI does impressive work.

Later that day it dawned on me who that was. It was Kathy Mangum, the WDI Vice President in charge of the Cars Land project. She was gracious and kind and just happy to chat. You never know who you are going to meet at D23 Expo.

 

[Sped2424]

So much great advice there, but that last bit is most important.

I've told this story before, but...

At the 2011 Expo the WDI pavilion had a giant exhibit about Cars Land that was one year away from opening, including a sprawling scale model of the entire land. The WDI pavilion is staffed by Imagineers who wear Expo shirts, and most of the Imagineers are young staffers working on whatever project or concept they are acting as docents for. I was inspecting the Cars Land model and this lady Imagineer standing behind the rope next to the model smiled at me and asked me what I thought. I told her it looked stunning, and she proceeded to walk me from one end of the model to the other explaining each shop and ride and design element. We spent another two minutes chatting and I thanked her for her time and told her WDI does impressive work.

Later that day it dawned on me who that was. It was Kathy Mangum, the WDI Vice President in charge of the Cars Land project. She was gracious and kind and just happy to chat. You never know who you are going to meet at D23 Expo.

Well that certainly has me excited! @Figments Friend thank you for the advice btw I am going to apply it wherever I can! When it gets closer to the date they release panel info I will be able to apply a lot of your advice to what I am going to try and devote my time too!

 

[Figments Friend]

You are welcome, and I'm glad you are making plans to experience it!
It IS very exciting , as you just don't know what is actually going to take place until a short time before the event weekend.
The anticipation and swirl of rumors pre-Expo is always fun...exspecially in the fan community on these forums.

Disney will release some details about some of the larger panels and displays in the months leading up to the Expo.
They typically announce the Legends Ceremony, Live Action Films, and Parks & Resorts presentations a few months prior.
So you will have a rough outline of what days the more popular / larger panel presentations are to start slotting into whatever schedule you make for yourself.

However, the actual full Schedule of Events is usually not released until a week prior to the event.
So some activities you might want to partake in you will not know about until right before the event takes place.
These include the smaller, more intimate panels as well as the full entertainment schedule.
Autograph sessions and special appearances, as well as a few surprises are also typically released at that time.

I HIGHLY recommend downloading the official and free D23 Expo app when it gets closer to the event if you have a mobile device as the FULL Schedule of Events is NOT listed on the D23 website.
In 2015, it was only present within the app...and anyone who didn't look missed seeing a lot of things listed!
I found this out for myself last time around....

I remember in 2015 watching the schedule updates closely on the official website looking for a particular panel that a certain personality I wanted to see might be a part of.
Nothing ....and it was now a week before the event.

The night before my cross country flight, a friend lent me a I-pad for the trip and I downloaded the Expo app.
I was stunned to see so much more listed when I looked at the app's version of the Schedule of Events and saw the panel and special appearance I had been looking for weeks for!
Talk about 'last minute plan changes'....aye carumba!

If I never looked at the app listing, I would have totally missed out on the experience that was most certainly THE major highlight for me at the last Expo.
So take heed!

But that is a good example of another important thing one must have to really enjoy the Expo - Flexibility!


So enjoy your planning...and savor the anticipation of what is to come.





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