It was a very busy weekend for D23 Expo! I was trying my best to get people to get tickets, my friends were uninterested, and now there is so much hype from all of the announcements, experiences, and exclusive merch that people are finally interested in the next D23 Expo. So I wanted to give everyone some prep on the expo. Should you attend D23 Expo? Yes! It happens every two years, so next one will be 2021, and also note that the expo is poorly promoted. You have to be in the know, I try to give info on the expo, to know about when to buy tickets. Since it is doesn’t have a promo push, you don’t know what or who will be at D23 Expo, I have been going since 2013 and know you have to be there even if you don’t know why.
If you like Marvel films, Star Wars, Pixar or Disney movies, or all of them, then you should go. If you have the decision of whether to go to Comic Con or D23 Expo, I would say D23. It is near impossible to attend the major panels at Comic Con, I went to all of the panels I wanted this D23 Expo, Comic Con has few if any giveaways, years ago I carried a full bag of free stuff from Comic Con, I got pins, buttons, and stickers at D23 besides all of the items given at panels. There is also another effect from going to D23 Expo, you will be Disney-fied through and through. If you like Disney already, you will be supercharged, I heard the High School Musical song at a parade and thought hmm, I know that song, now it’s constantly replaying in my head!
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| D23 expo sign in front of the Anaheim Convention Center. |
The other part of D23 is that prices are about the same, hotel and food are not raised to ludicrious levels like at Comic Con. You will be able to find a close by hotel at a regular rate. The infrastructure of Anaheim with Disneyland is there and I heard no complaints about getting a hotel room or stays there. There is several food trucks as well as food areas at the convention center. I also heard many people sharing rooms so you have family or friends going, then it will a fun thing. If you need to drive in, it gets progressively more difficult to find convention center parking, I did go to Disneyland’s parking lot in 2017 so there are options.
Getting your badge, unlike Comic Con, you don’t have to sign in at the convention center, I was mailed my badge and registered online. This is a massive stress and time waster that is relieved by D23 Expo. Also, there are Expo guides and lanyards available after you get through the security check. So the next question is should you attend all three days? Yes, if you can, it has been like other cons, there is something going on and just as busy throughout the expo. Then, the time at the expo, it ran until about 8 p.m. How early? There is people who sleep overnight to get into the big panels. I went at 3 a.m. for the three days. I heard that there were some people who didn’t make the panels so it does take some commitment if you do want to go to them. Also, that one attendee said he would get Gold membership next time. It offers discounts, a poster, and priority access for the panels.
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| Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez interviewed on the floor! |
The major panels. I attended Disney Legends, Disney+, Disney Studios, Marvel: 80 Years, and Disney Parks. The last time I went to Comic Con, I wanted to see what the Hall H line was like, I went 6 a.m. and the queue stretched across the harbor. There were a number of tents with people sleeping and it was a long line that keep going through the dawn. I was told at that point, I would get a wristband for the panel the next day when there would another 8 hour or so line! Almost 48 hours! Comic Con doesn’t clear out the room after every panel like D23 Expo and Wondercon so it will be difficult to get into Hall H. I waited 34 hours in total for all four panels at D23 over three days! I went 3 a.m. each day and did not sleep overnight like others.
I went into the Gold Member Priority line and chose section A, I had section B, the middle for Disney Parks, and C is the farthest area to the stage and to the side. The panels were streamed, unlike Comic Con, but for the most part I was there. You get posters for Comic Con panels, I got a set of three posters for Disney Studios, a hat and $10 Target gift card at Disney+, and an exclusive variant edition of Marvel Comics #1000 at Marvel: 80 Years. I was tired at the Disney Studios, but the presentations energized me. There were some great panels that I missed, Disney Voices, panels about Galaxy’s Edge, and others. At the last D23, everyone who attended Disney Parks got a Fantasmic! pass before it opened to the public. What if you are too busy or can’t get to any of the panels? There was actually a stage on the floor with interviews, I saw Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez talking about Frozen 2 on that open stage! There are also singing and dancing performances at another stage, this does not happen at Comic Con!
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| The Mandalorian t-shirt, size 3XL! |
Stores. This is the biggest warning. There was a reservation system and if you are lucky enough to get one, you won the lottery! Especially if it is the first day. I was watching youtube videos and heard that day one there were eight hour lines for a store! D23 2017, I waited for two hours Friday and Saturday and finally got into the stores on Sunday. Why? There is exclusive merchandise and sellers gotta make money on ebay. On Saturday, the last 20 minutes of the expo, there was a queue of six people at the Dream Store. So don’t give up hope that you will get into a store! There is the Disney Hollywood Store, I never got in this time and ran out of money by that time, Mickey of Glendale’s, I waited about an hour for that one this time, Disney Dream Store, there was Dapper Dan merch, Haunted Mansion, and Mandalorian shirts, 3XL and S were the ones left by that time!
Another word of caution: don’t pass up any booth or store, I saw some great items I didn’t even see from the youtube videos! The booths, there was Pixar and Disney Animation for two D23 Expos so expect them. They have photo op queues that were 20 min. before the Disney Voices panel let out. The Marvel Studios panel line was about the same walking through a costume exhibit. I will also note that if you have questions ask anyone, everyone knows that the experience is stressful and confusing so most attendees will try to help you out if you can’t get a cast member. Lastly, photos, make certain you have memory and proper batteries, I was fearful of my memory and was too careful taking pics. You should have the memory to take whatever interests you, the fun cosplayers, booths, and whatever interests you!
#d23Expo, #DreamStore, #MarvelStudios, #Pixar, #DisneyAnimation
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