Hello from D23 2026! If there is one place at this year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event where Disney history truly comes to life, it is Walt Disney Archives: Uncrated.
The Walt Disney Archives has spent more than 50 years collecting, preserving, and showcasing the history of The Walt Disney Company. This year, the Archives is giving fans something we normally would never get to experience: a look inside the mysterious warehouses where so many of those incredible pieces of Disney history are stored.
Located in Hall D at the Anaheim Convention Center, Walt Disney Archives: Uncrated features more than 200 objects, making it the largest number of artifacts the Archives has ever displayed at D23.
The exhibit is designed to feel like you are walking through the Archives’ own storage facilities, complete with themed areas including Delivery, Receiving & Processing, Object Storage, and Magical Containment. Across the exhibit, guests can see props, costumes, puppets, and other artifacts from Disney films, television shows, attractions, and more. And there’s SO MUCH to see!
The fashion-focused Receiving & Processing area includes pieces connected to 101 Dalmatians, Cruella, The Devil Wears Prada, Hannah Montana, and High School Musical, while Object Storage dives into science fiction and, thankfully, the Muppets.
As someone who has always loved the Muppets, this was easily one of my favorite parts of the entire exhibit. There are a ton of Muppet artifacts here, from Muppet Treasure Island, The Muppet Show, and more.
While there may not be a huge amount of Muppet news happening at D23 this year, seeing this incredible representation of Muppet history was pretty special. I was especially excited to see pieces from Muppet*Vision 3D, including Rizzo the Rat’s iconic Mickey Mouse costume and Miss Piggy’s Liberty crown.
As for attraction artifacts, one of the biggest highlights for me was seeing the Ark of the Covenant from the Indiana Jones scene in The Great Movie Ride.
There’s also several pieces from Captain EO from Disneyland and EPCOT:
Additional props on display span many Disney films, from Mary Poppins, Flubber and Bicentennial Man, to Enchanted and Star Wars, as well as newer live-action movies like Maleficent, Cinderella, and Moana.
The Walt Disney Archives is hosting live uncrating presentations four times a day at 11 AM, 2 PM, 4 PM, and 7 PM. During these presentations, an archival treasure is pulled from a mystery container and revealed live. At some of the presentations, fans can even help decide which box gets opened next.
Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline explained that fans have always asked what the Archives’ warehouses actually look like. While the real location remains off-limits, the idea behind Uncrated is essentially to bring that experience to D23.
I’m writing this while I wait in the standby line for the Seth MacFarlane / The Muppets panel, so I clearly have Muppets on the brain… but even without the panel, Walt Disney Archives: Uncrated was already one of my favorite stops at D23 2026!
For anyone attending this weekend, make sure you take the time to walk through Hall D and see it for yourself. You never know what piece of Disney history might be waiting inside the next crate!
