Disney Parks has shared more details about this year’s presence at the D23 Expo, including even more panels, artist signings, shopping, and an exciting pavilion focusing on what’s heading into the theme parks.
The previously announced Disney Parks presentation hosted by Bob Chapek will take place on Sunday, August 25th at 10:30am. Chapek will share details on attractions and experiences that are being planned on both coasts.
In advance of that presentation, guests can visit the show floor for the Disney Parks “Imagining Tomorrow, Today” pavilion, where they’ll get a close-up look at details of the historic transformation coming to Epcot and the immersive Marvel areas being built in Hong Kong, Paris, and the Disneyland Resort.
For guests that enjoy shopping, there will be plenty of opportunities, with Disney Parks operating several locations around the Expo, including the shop.Disney.com/Disney Store, Disney DreamStore, Mickey’s of Glendale, and Mickey’s of Glendale Pin Store. Look for new collections celebrating favorite characters and exciting milestone anniversaries, plus official Expo merchandise, nostalgic Parks-inspired items, and limited-edition items celebrating Walt Disney Imagineering’s heritage.
Disney Parks has several artists signing their merchandise at Talent Central throughout the Expo, including:
- August 23, 4:00pm-5:00pm – Disney Pixar Tiki Mug Signing with Jerome Ranft
- August 23, 4:00pm-5:30pm – Mickey Ear & Minnie Headbands with Jerrod Maruyama
- August 24, 9:30am-11:00am – Mickey Ear & Minnie Headbands with Ashley Eckstein for Her Universe
- August 24, 11:00am-12:00pm – Midnight Masquerade and Animator Villains Collections with Steve Thompson and Courtney Watkinson
- August 24, 12:30pm-2:00pm – Mickey Ear & Minnie Headbands with Jerrod Maruyama
- August 24, 2:00pm-3:30pm – Mickey Ear & Minnie Headbands with SHAG
- August 24, 2:00pm-3:30pm – Mickey Ear & Minnie Headbands with Noah
- August 24, 4:00pm-5:00pm – The Little Mermaid 30th Anniversary Collection with Steve Thompson, Bryan Mon, Daria Vinogradova, Diana Tran, and Cathy Clark-Ramirez
- August 25, 5:00pm-6:45pm – Mickey Ear & Minnie Headbands with Ashley Eckstein for Her Universe
In addition to the main presentation happening at Hall D23, Disney Parks has scheduled several other informative panels:
- August 24, 3:30pm, Stage 28 – Immersive Worlds: Bringing Stories to Life in Disney Parks – Disney Imagineers continue Walt Disney’s legacy in creating themed environments where beloved stories and characters come to life. Join Imagineers Joe Rohde and Scott Trowbridge to learn about the creative process for dreaming up and developing new Disney experiences as we invite guests to enter authentic worlds previously seen only in a film, a book, or one’s imagination.
- August 24, 6:00pm, Walt Disney Archives Stage – Travels with Marty: A Conversation with the Sklars and Imagineers – Celebrate the legacy of Disney Legend Marty Sklar as his colleagues, mentees, and family recount the journey of publishing his last book and discuss his lasting impact on The Walt Disney Company.
- August 25, 10:00am, Stage 28 – Behind the Art of Disney Costuming: Heroes, Villains, and Spaces Between – Celebrate the imagination, passion, and attention to detail in creating Disney costumes. Go behind the scenes with the team that crafted the dazzling new Walt Disney Archives exhibit on the D23 Expo show floor and its accompanying coffee table book.
- August 25, 2:00pm, Stage 28 – Inspiring Women Behind Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Meet some of the talented women from across Disney Parks, Experiences and Products responsible for bringing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to life. Hear stories about their roles and experiences in developing everything from the original backstories of the land and its inhabitants, to the themed merchandise, galactic fare, and the interactive elements found throughout Black Spire Outpost.
- August 25, 4:00pm, Walt Disney Archives Stage – Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career with Kevin Rafferty – Join veteran Imagineer Kevin Rafferty as he reminisces about a career spanning 40-plus years, from a dishwasher at Disneyland to builder of immersive worlds. Kevin explains his path to Imagineering and talks about his new book.
- August 25, 6:00pm, Stage 28 – Marc Davis in His Own Words-Imagineering the Disney Theme Park – Authors Pete Docter and Christopher Merritt reveal their magnificent two-volume tribute to the artwork and career of Disney Legend Marc Davis. Featuring artwork from Marc for the creation of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, the presentation will also highlight the 50th anniversary of the storied attraction.
The D23 Expo takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center on August 23rd, 24th, and 25th.
Source: D23: The Official Disney Fan Club
Tom is the former host/producer of the Disneyland Edition podcast and is currently the co-host of the Connecting With Walt podcast, plus is also providing Disneyland content from the parks. He enjoys traveling with friends and spending time with family, including his son and grandson. In his spare time he volunteers with Scouts BSA and Cub Scouts, and helped found his son's former Cub Scout Pack. His favorite Disneyland attraction is Space Mountain.
