D23 is coming back to Anaheim, California on August 9, 10 and 11. And this year, D23 has been revamped to be more expansive and more immersive than ever. Among the changes to this year’s event are multiple locations (including Honda Center, which has its own Disney history), an expanded shopping experience, the biggest company-wide sweepstakes in Disney’s history and a weeklong pre-event celebration.
“Disney has the most powerful brands and passionate fans in the world, and we’re taking D23 to a whole new level this year to give them more of what they love from across the worlds of Disney in one incredible weekend,” said Asad Ayaz, Chief Brand Officer of The Walt Disney Company in a statement.
Sure, the new venues are a big deal (the Honda Center is where the Anaheim Ducks play, a team that originated as the Disney-owned Mighty Ducks in 1993) and the pre-celebration adds an additional dynamic, but perhaps the biggest change is a new ticketing system. The system is, true to Disney, incredibly difficult to parse (you can read about it below) but essentially sets up a tiered system, along with assigned seats, for the big panels. You’re going to want to read very carefully before buying your tickets. And yes, there is free transportation this year.
Event Programming
Honda Center
This year D23 is introducing a new venue for some of the programming, allowing bigger shows with more magic to the biggest audience of Disney fans in the world. For the first time ever, the Honda Center will be home to three nights of marquee showcases. Friday night will begin with the star-studded Disney Entertainment Showcase, featuring exclusive looks at the movies, series, and stage shows fans love and a glimpse of what’s next. Saturday night will showcase Disney Experiences, featuring the latest on new and highly anticipated projects in development around the world for Disney parks, experiences, and beyond. The weekend will conclude Sunday evening with a special ceremony to celebrate the 2024 class of Disney Legends, hosted by Ryan Seacrest. This year, the Walt Disney Archives is honoring Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.
D23 Day at the Disneyland® Resort
Before the magic of Disney comes to life during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, guests can kick off the weekend’s festivities at the first-ever D23 Day at the Disneyland Resort on Thursday, August 8. Disneyland Resort will welcome D23 fans from rope drop to late night featuring unique offerings for fans including a custom cavalcade and an energetic dance party at Disneyland Park, and special photo opportunities, specialty foods, themed merchandise, and more at both parks. Disney Junior will also join the festivities and host a music-filled celebration at Disney California Adventure® Park. Learn more at https://d23.com/d23-event/d23-day-at-disneyland/.
Show Floor
The Anaheim Convention Center will once again showcase the best of Disney storytelling and innovation with an immersive and expanded show floor full of great experiences and activities for all ages. Fan-favorites will return including pavilions from Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Disney+, Marvel Studios, Disney Experiences, Lucasfilm, and a first- of-its-kind exhibition from the Walt Disney Archives entitled “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show.”
Fans can take advantage of great shopping opportunities including a dedicated space to shop and experience limited-edition merchandise and collectibles. Other fan-favorite shopping destinations will return including Mickey’s of Glendale, The Hollywood Studio Store, and The Emporium. Plus, The Walt Disney Company Store will make its debut and feature exclusive D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event branded products.
Guests will also have the opportunity to attend specially curated shows, panels, and presentations, along with conversations with storytellers, creators, and talent. These presentations will feature distinctly Disney content that will entertain fans of all generations on five different stages at the Anaheim Convention Center.
D23 Day at Angel Stadium
The first ever D23 Day at Angel Stadium will take place on Sunday, August 4, as the stadium comes to life with D23 fun. The first 23,000 fans through the gate will receive a commemorative and one-of-a-kind D23 Mickey Mouse bobblehead.
The Ultimate Disney Sweepstakes: Fantastic Prizes
Fans can also enter an unparalleled sweepstakes, one of the most expansive in Disney history. D23: The Ultimate Disney Sweepstakes – FANtastic Prizes is a spectacular lineup of exclusive prizes and engaging experiences that only Disney can deliver! One of the spectacular prizes includes a sailing on the seven-night maiden voyage of the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Treasure.
Ticketing Information
To allow for fans to have as much flexibility and choice when it comes to accessing the multiple opportunities at multiple venues throughout the weekend, D23 is offering several ticketing options that allow fans to build the itinerary that works best for them at a great value:
• D23 Ultimate Fan Pass 3-Day Ticket includes a 3-day assigned seat for evening shows at the Honda Center and 3-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center—starting at $297/ticket.
• D23 Ultimate Fan Pass 1-Day Ticket includes a reserved seat for that date’s evening show at the Honda Center and same-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center—starting at $99/ticket.
• D23 Preferred Ultimate Fan Pass 3-Day Ticket, exclusive to D23 Gold Members, includes a 3-day floor seat for evening shows at the Honda Center (same seat each night), and 3-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center—starting at $999/ticket.
• D23 Fan Pass provides access to the Anaheim Convention Center only: o 1-Day Pass
▪ Gold Members: $79/ticket
▪ General Members: $89/ticket o 3-Day Pass
▪ Gold Members: $209/ticket
▪ General Members: $259/ticket
D23 Gold Members will have first access to a number of 1-day and 3-day tickets for a limited time beginning March 26, 2024, at 12 p.m. PT. D23 Gold and General Members who are also Visa cardholders—and who pay with their Visa card—will have pre-sale access to a number of 1-day and 3-day tickets, for a limited time, beginning March 27, 2024, at 12 p.m. PT. Tickets for all D23 Gold and General Members will go on sale beginning March 28, 2024, at 12 p.m. PT, while supplies last. Attendees must be a D23 Member to purchase tickets. Fans can join as a complimentary General Member or upgrade to Gold Membership at JoinD23.com.
