Ahead of the kickoff of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at the Anaheim Convention Center Aug. 9–11, 2024, the addition of a second venue at the Honda Center for marquee showcases sparked concerns about the convention center show floor’s appeal. However, exhibitors like Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios quickly dispelled those worries, replacing traditional displays with immersive, high-tech experiences like the public debut of ILM’s StageCraft, aka “the volume,” and Marvel’s TVA walkthrough experience.
Apparel brand RSVLTS (“The Roosevelts), known for their creative takes on fandom-forward clothing and accessories, raised the bar too, replacing their traditional booth setup with an immersive venue packed with Disney Parks inspiration and references — and they had some high-profile help. To bring the vision to life, RSVLTS teamed up with one of Disney’s most famous Imagineers, Disney Legend Tony Baxter, along with well-known artist/creatives James C. Mulligan and Michael Mulligan. If you didn’t get a chance to check out the fruits of this cool collaboration, here’s a closer look.
The concept first began to take shape, appropriately, at Los Angeles’ famed Magic Castle, over a lunch between Tony, James, and RSVLTS art director Andrew Stonecypher. The creative team conceived a space themed to “Magic & Mystery” and coined it the “Workshop of Wonders.”
The whimsical workshop would blend design inspiration from Paris’ Belle Epoque with some of Disney’s most magical and mysterious stories, characters, and attractions. To establish an aura of intrigue, the building was largely unmarked save for the brand’s logo over the entrance with a pair of magic wands crossed beneath it.
“We really wanted it to be that little jewel box — you couldn’t quite see what was inside, but outside, we give you little hints about what’s happening inside,” James said. “We wanted people to explore.”
Inviting just the sort of Easter Egg hunts Disney fans love, hints dotted the building exterior, which was hand-built by Michael and hand-painted by James. Vintage-inspired posters featured some of the magic-wielding characters that appeared on the D23-exclusive merchandise designs concealed inside, including Merlin, Maleficent, the Genie, and Mama Odie.
On the workshop’s back wall, Teddy Roosevelt, who inspired the brand’s name and guiding mantra to “Dare mighty things,” is depicted at the helm of a ship, his course charted across a world map with stops representing the locales tied to the workshop’s featured Disney stories and characters.
James credits Tony, who served as the executive producer of Disneyland Paris, with pointing him toward Paris’s Musée Grévin and Musée des Arts Forains for the main design inspiration for the space, which James packed with nods pointing back to many of Tony’s well-known projects.
Bookcases, which opened to reveal the workshop’s entrance, were lined with books like The Adventures of Indiana Jones, and curios like miniatures of Disneyland Paris attractions Phantom Manor and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
An open book reveals a rhyming snippet that further develops the workshop’s backstory, crafted by James, of Teddy Roosevelt’s harrowing high-seas adventure “for fashion’s cause” as he transports the precious cargo now held inside the workshop.
Inside, Tony lent his Imagineering guidance to the execution of the workshop’s central focal point — a single shirt in one of five D23-exclusive designs — revealed via a Pepper’s Ghost effect. The illusion, first popularized in the 19th century and apropos of the workshop’s theme, is, of course, well known among Disney Parks fans for its use in attractions like Haunted Mansion.
In addition to hand painting and detailing every corner of the workshop, James, a Disney fine artist who also lends his creative talents to Lorcana designs, created some of the shirt and pin designs revealed during the weekend, including “The Archaeologist,” an Indiana Jones-inspired design, and The Sword in the Stone-inspired “Legend of the Rightwise King.” Other shirts from the 10-piece, officially licensed Disney collection included homages to Mary Poppins, Mr. Toad, and Winnie the Pooh and were displayed around the interior walls of the workshop.
Walls and shelves inside were also decorated with references to Tony Baxter-designed rides, including Indiana Jones Adventure, Disneyland Paris’s Phantom Manor, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
In addition to the exclusive shirts, a new collection of officially-licensed Disney | RSVLTS pins debuted in designs themed to correspond with the D23-exclusive shirts. RSVLTS-branded blind-bag pins, first debuted at San Diego Comic-Con, were also sold.
Missed D23? Snag Spooky Season Disney x RSVLTS Designs Instead
If you missed out on shopping RSVLTS at D23, not to worry, there’s been a deluge of new designs dropping regularly, just in time for spooky season and beyond.
New releases include a new collection inspired by some of Disney’s classic spooky shorts, hoodies showcasing Haunted Mansion and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Marvel Zombies. Here’s a closer look.
Spooky Classics Collection
Inspired by classic spooky Disney short films, RSVLTS has released a collection of button-downs, crewneck tees, baseball caps, and a forthcoming bomber jacket.
Available in men’s, women’s, youth, and preschool sizes and styles, “Tricks, Treats, and Trouble,” is themed to the classic short, Trick or Treat. If just the mention of it has you singing that song all day, this is probably the Halloween season shirt for you.
“Ajax Ghost Exterminators,” named after Mickey, Donald, and Goofy’s ghostbusting agency, is a must-buy for fans of the 1937 short film, Lonesome Ghosts. The design is available in button-down sizes for men, women, youth, and preschoolers.
Check out the full collection at RSVLTS.
Spooky Hoodies
Fight off the cold-running chills with a new collection of spooky Disney hoodies in designs celebrating Haunted Mansion and Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas (which has, of course, taken over as Haunted Mansion Holiday at Disneyland).
Disney’s Haunted Mansion Performance Hoodies
The wall-to-wall creeps will follow you home on these Haunted Mansion performance hoodies, inspired by the mansion’s iconic wallpaper and most famous residents. Available in adult, youth, and preschool sizes.
Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas Performance Hoodies
The residents of Halloweentown take over four different hoodie designs. Bonus: Depending on where you stand on the “Is it a Halloween or Christmas movie?” debate, the shirt can do double duty as your go-to for the holiday season too. Available in adult, youth, and preschool sizes.
Marvel Zombies Collection
If your Halloween vibe is more horror than not-so-scary, Marvel Zombies is here to creep you out. Two button-down designs, Marvel Zombies “Hangry” and Marvel Zombies “Horrifying Heroes” are available in unisex adult sizes. The collection also includes a T-shirt and hat.
RSVLTS has also restocked many other popular spooky designs from past collections, including Disney Villains and Hocus Pocus, so check those out too if you’re feeling rotten to the core.
Brooke McDonald is theme park, travel and entertainment journalist with an emphasis on all things Disney and Star Wars. Her work has appeared in Insider, The Points Guy, Parents, TravelPulse, MSN, CNBC and more. Find her on Instagram, X, and Threads: @brookegmcdonald.
