There are some Disney movies that you simply love, and then there are the ones that become part of you. Beauty and the Beast has always been one of those films for me. I love the original animated movie, the live-action version, and don’t even get me started on Disney’s Broadway production. So when I saw that D23 2026 was hosting Beauty and the Beast: A Tale as Old as Time, there was no question that I wanted to be in that room.
I’m so glad I was.
The panel celebrated the 35th anniversary of Disney Animation’s Beauty and the Beast, but this wasn’t simply an hour spent looking back at a beloved movie. Disney brought together some of the people who actually made it, including Disney Legends Paige O’Hara, Don Hahn, Mark Henn, and Alan Menken, with Ashley Eckstein hosting the conversation. Later, Susan Egan, the original Belle in Disney’s Broadway production, and Kyra Belle Johnson, who currently plays Belle in the North American tour, joined the celebration.
Sitting there listening to them tell these stories was pure magic.
I’ve known and loved Beauty and the Beast for decades, but there’s something completely different about hearing how it came together directly from the people who were there. They talked about developing Belle, creating the animation, finding the voices of these characters, writing the music and turning a story that had existed for centuries into the Disney film we all know today.
And some of the stories were just fascinating. Paige O’Hara recalled learning about the movie and pushing for the opportunity to audition for Belle. We heard about the enormous team that worked on the film and saw behind-the-scenes footage that offered a glimpse into the recording process. There were funny moments, little details I had never heard before, and stories that made scenes I’ve watched countless times feel new again.
But there was also a tremendous amount of heart in the room.
Remembering Howard Ashman
One of the most moving parts of the panel came when Alan Menken spoke about his late collaborator Howard Ashman, whose lyrics and storytelling had such an enormous influence on Beauty and the Beast.
Menken became visibly emotional while remembering his friend and explaining just how deeply Ashman’s work runs through the film. Ashman died in March 1991, months before Beauty and the Beast was released in theaters.
Watching Menken speak about him all these years later was incredibly powerful. These aren’t simply stories about how a Disney movie was made. They’re stories about friendships and creative partnerships, and about people who poured themselves into something without knowing that audiences would still be talking about it 35 years later.
That part really got me.
From the Animated Film to Broadway
Of course, my heart was especially happy when the conversation moved to Disney’s Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast.
Susan Egan joined the panel to talk about originating the role of Belle on Broadway, and the discussion gave us another fascinating look at how Disney took the animated movie and figured out how to make that world work onstage.
That transition required much more than recreating the movie with actors in costumes. The story had to grow to fill a full Broadway production, including additional music and new ways of letting audiences understand what the characters were feeling. Menken explained that on film, a close-up can show the audience what’s happening inside a character. Onstage, a song can serve that same purpose.
That is the kind of insight I could listen to all day.
And bringing current touring Belle Kyra Belle Johnson into the conversation connected those early days of the Broadway production with the version audiences are still seeing today. Egan and Johnson ultimately performed Beauty and the Beast together, which was a pretty perfect way to celebrate how this story has continued from one generation to another.
This Is What I Love About D23
The giant announcements at D23 are exciting. Of course they are. We all want to know what’s coming next to Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and everything else Disney has up its sleeve.
But panels like this are a huge part of why I love being at D23.
For an hour, you’re sitting just feet away from people who created something you’ve loved for most of your life, hearing stories you would never know simply by watching the finished film. You get to see the human side of how Disney magic is made, including the ideas that worked, the ones that didn’t, the funny moments, and the people whose contributions are still being felt decades later.
Thankfully, this is one D23 experience you don’t have to hear me describe and wish you’d been there for. Disney filmed the entire panel, and if you have Disney+, you can watch the full presentation here.
If you love Beauty and the Beast in any of its forms, give yourself an hour and watch it. Hearing these stories directly from the people who helped create this tale as old as time is something pretty special.
And yes, I will absolutely be watching Beauty and the Beast again after this.
