#Disneyland60....Today In Disneyland History....September 12, 2009

First D23 Expo in Anaheim

September 12, 2009

On September 12, 2009, the first annual D23 Expo continued for its third day at the Anaheim Convention Center near the Disneyland Resort. The third day's schedule of more than 15 events included "So You Want to Be an Imagineer" with Marty Sklar, a behind the scenes look at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts with Chairman Jay Rasulo, a Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs panel discussion with Don Hahn, and a D23 Expo live auction.  During this first D23 Expo, also known as the Ultimate Fan Experience, the Anaheim Convention Center hosted Disney fans from all over the world from September 10–13, 2009. It featured pavilions from Walt Disney Imagineering, showcasing models and tests for future attractions, Corporate Responsibility, which feature a photo op, as well as projects for overseas troops and homeless shelters, Disney Consumer Products, showing the many products being sold by Disney within the next few years, a Disney Dream Store, costumes and props from the Walt Disney Archives, a Collectors Forum, where people from all over the country showcased and sold memorabilia.

Events were held in the D23 Arena, Stage 23, Storytellers Theatre, and Walt Disney Studios Theatre. Many future projects were announced, including an expansion of Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, an extensive re-hauling of Star Tours for Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios, a film based on the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, a fourth film in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a new Muppet film, as well as clips and sneak previews promoting projects such as Prep & Landing, Tangled, Beauty and the Beast in 3-D, a set of viral Muppet videos, and a film series with Guillermo del Toro.

Celebrity appearances included John Travolta, Nicolas Cage, Patricia Heaton, Kelsey Grammer, Tim Burton, Selena Gomez, Donny Osmond, Tom Bergeron, Kym Johnson, Betty White, Robin Williams, Joseph Fiennes, Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, as well as live performances by Miley Cyrus, Honor Society, and the Muppets.

As announced at the annual shareholders meeting in 2010, the D23 Expo did not return in 2010, but appeared to the Anaheim Convention Center through August 19–21, 2011. A then-new event called "Destination D" was held at the Disneyland Hotel ballroom in Anaheim, California on September 24–25, 2010. 

Each year Destination D would have a new theme, with the 2010 event's theme being "Disneyland '55."  These events now alternate each year with this year’s Destination D “Attractions Rewind” being held at Walt Disney World on November 22 & 23. Tickets are currently on sale for D23 2015 to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center August 14- 16.  You won’t want to miss out on the largest Disney fan event in the world, the D23 Expo celebrates all the wonderful worlds of Disney entertainment, uniting all parts of The Walt Disney Company under one roof.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history.  

#Disneyland60 ..... Today in Disneyland History................August 28, 2003

Lucky the Dinosaur Roams the Park

August 28, 2003

On August 28, 2003, Lucky the Dinosaur, the first Audio-Animatronic figure to walk freely and interact with park guests, debuted as a test in Disney's California Adventure Park after first premiering at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles.  Approximately 8 feet tall, Lucky was a green biped dinosaur who pulled a flower-covered cart and was led by Chandler the Dinosaur Handler.  Lucky was the first free-roving creation dreamed up by Disney Imagineering team.  The flower cart Lucky pulled actually concealed Lucky’s computer and power source. Lucky was capable of moving, “talking” in dinosaur language, and responding to guests! Imagineers even went as far as to add thumping sounds that were in sync with Lucky's feet to simulate what a heavy dinosaur might have sounded like when moving.  

In the summer of 2005 Lucky back his cart and traveled to the east coast where he made appearances at Disney's Animal Kingdom in DinoLand USA.  After interacting for a time with guests there, it was time to back his bags once again when he traveled to the other side of the world to Hong Kong Disneyland for the park's grand opening.
Lucky wouldn't be spotted again until the D23 Expo in 2009 - but his technology enabled another free-roving attraction - Muppet Mobile Lab to wow park guests at various Disney theme parks around the world.
With more and more advances in computers, software, miniaturization, and electronics, there’s no telling what the future holds for the Disney Imagineers where the only limits are imagination. Time will tell what new friends we will meet roaming the Parks, but on August 28, it was all about a dinosaur named Lucky.  And that’s what happened today in Disneyland history. 

Save the Date D23 2015 Dates Announced!

ALL THE WONDERFUL WORLDS OF DISNEY COME TOGETHER

AT THE D23 EXPO—THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT—
AUGUST 14–16, 2015 IN ANAHEIM, CALIF.

Advance Tickets on Sale August 14, 2014 for the Biggest Disney Fan Event Ever

PORTLAND, Ore. – March 18, 2014 – All the magic and excitement of the past, present, and future of Disney entertainment will come together once again under one roof when D23: The Official Disney Fan Club presents the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center the weekend of Aug. 14–16, 2015. Each of Disney’s wonderful worlds will unite to celebrate what’s new and what’s on the horizon from theme parks, television, music, games, and films, including Pixar, the Muppets, Star Wars, and Marvel. 

Join the Magic of D23

D23 UNLOCKS THE MAGIC OF DISNEY WITH A NEW YEAR OF SPECTACULAR MEMBER EVENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

In 2014, The Official Disney Fan Club Will Travel to New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Other Cities as Well as Walt Disney World Resort

 This year, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will reach out to fans across the country with a wide array of uniquely magical Disney experiences for members.

DESTINATION D: ATTRACTION REWIND presented by H20 Plus: Walt Disney once said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” It’s in that spirit that guests this summer will have the opportunity to visit—or revisit—some of the most beloved Disney attractions of yesteryear. Destination D: Attraction Rewind, held July 26 and 27 at Walt Disney World Resort, will bring Disney archivists, Imagineers, Legends and luminaries together to celebrate fan favorites such as Adventure Thru Inner Space, If You Had Wings, and20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with rarely seen concept art and images; vintage video clips; and revealing stories. In addition, several presentations will be dedicated to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, which spawned beloved attractions like it’s a small worldand Carousel of Progress.

Wordless Wednesday - September 25, 2013

TO THE DISNEY GALS WORDLESS WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP!

THE THEME OF THE DAY IS

DISNEY LETTER "O"!

 Disney Gal Gayle:

"OH" MY GOSH-It's My Favorite Princess

OH MY!!! It's the Real Princess Ursula-Pat Carroll

"Oh" My-Can the Food be any better than at Ohana?

Wordless Wednesday-August Calendar Shot

WELCOME

TO THE DISNEY GALS WORDLESS WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP!

THE THEME OF THE DAY IS

August Calendar Shot!

Disney Gal Gayle:  August has been magical at our house-Disney Performing Arts Conservatory as well as D23 at the end of the week. Talk about Disneyland Magic!

Special Thanks goes out to Deb from Focused on the Magic for hosting the weekly blog hop!  

Phone Conference with Disney Legends!

Alan Menken & Richard Sherman

         Is there a Disney fan anywhere, or anyone for that matter that doesn’t know the music of Disney legends Alan Menken and Richard Sherman? I defy you now to sing along when you hear any song from “Mary Poppins,” “Jungle Book”,  “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast”, or their non Disney accomplishments such as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” or “Little Shop of Horrors.”  Today I was thrilled to be a part of a conference call with these two amazing talents all leading up to their concert at D23 this Saturday. Both gracious, easygoing and down to earth, they shared for a better part of an hour what it has been like to be a part of the history of music through the years.  Here’s a little background of these two extraordinary talents:

Richard M. Sherman and his brother Robert B. Sherman composed some of the most beloved songs in the Disney canon. The Disney Legends won two Oscars^® for their work on Mary Poppins, and during their decades–long association with Disney they wrote more than 200 songs for 27 films and two dozen television productions. They made unforgettable contributions to such Disney films as The Parent Trap, The Jungle Book, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and the entire Winnie the Pooh series, as well as the family classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. They also penned beloved songs for Disney Parks including the theme songs for Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, It’s a Small World, and Carousel of Progress. Richard wrote the song “Make Way for Tomorrow Today” for the blockbuster film Iron Man 2.

With eight Academy Awards, Alan Menken has received more Oscars than any living person. He has written songs and scores for some of the world’s most beloved films: Tangled, Enchanted, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Hercules, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Little Shop of Horrors, Home on the Range and Newsies. His song “Star Spangled Man,” was the patriotic anthem of the 2011 hit film Captain America: The First Avenger. Menken’s Broadway successes include his 2012 Tony Award^® for Newsies, plus The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, and Sister Act. His other stage productions include King David, God Bless You Mr. Rosewater, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and his latest stage production Aladdin: The New Musical, opening next year.

Disney Fans Among the First to see the Latest From Marvel

Executive Producer Jeph Loeb hosts viewing event of the upcoming action-packed drama on August 11 in the D23 Expo Arena

 Guests at the D23 Expo will be among the first to see the highly anticipated one-hour drama Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. on Sunday, August 11 at 3:00 p.m. in the D23 Expo Arena. Marvel’s Head of Television & Series executive producer Jeph Loeb will introduce the screening, taking place during the ultimate Disney fan event, August 9 – 11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The series begins where Marvel's The Avengers left off. It's just after the battle of New York, and now that the existence of Super Heroes and the incredible has become public knowledge, the world is trying to come to grips with this new reality. Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) is back in action and now has his eye on a mysterious group called The Rising Tide. In order to track this unseen, unknown enemy, he has assembled a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division). The S.H.I.E.L.D. team has a mission: To investigate the new, the strange and the unknown around the globe, protecting the ordinary from the extraordinary.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres on ABC September 24 at 8:00 p.m., ET, but guests at the D23 Expo have the opportunity to see this dynamic show over a month before it debuts.

Gayle is a Disney Gal that loves churros for breakfast, still gets giddy with delight at the first sight of the “Disneyland next exit sign”, loves the overwhelming emotions and memories that come with each and every return to the Happiest Place on Earth and dreams of one day being the Captain of the Jungle Boat. To learn more about Gayle, click here

Time to Plan Your D23 Weekend!

Have you started to plan your D23 adventure? Here’s the latest schedule of events to help you make the most of Disney’s Ultimate Fan Event this week:

            SCHEDULE

Friday, August 9 · Saturday, August 10 · Sunday, August 11

New events and presentations will be added throughout the summer.

Check back for the latest updates!

D23 To Take Fans Into the World of The Walt Disney Studios

Exclusively at Disney’s D23 Expo August 9–11 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Disney fans are invited to explore the incredible roster of film, stage, and music projects on the horizon at The Walt Disney Studios, with a variety of panel discussions, sneak peeks, and exhibits.

This year the Studio will present two arena shows, kicking off the Expo at 10 a.m. Friday, August 9, with “Art and Imagination: Animation at The Walt Disney Studios,” a showcase of upcoming animated films from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and DisneyToon Studios. John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Disney’s Animation Studios, will host a lively exhibition chock-full of never-before-seen footage, celebrity and filmmaker appearances, and live performances from films like Disney’s Frozen, Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur and the Mickey Mouse short Get a Horse!. Then at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 10, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn, Disney Live Action Production President Sean Bailey, and Marvel Studios President and Producer Kevin Feige will host “Let the Adventures Begin: Live Action at The Walt Disney Studios,” an expedition through the Studio’s exciting live-action offerings from Disney as well as several powerhouse pictures on tap from Marvel Studios, with exclusive clips and surprise guests from a range of films including Saving Mr. Banks, Tomorrowland, Thor: The Dark World,Captain America: The Winter Soldier and much more.

Fans can expect appearances from Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel (Frozen), Dane Cook (Disney’s Planes), Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak (Saving Mr. Banks), Ty Burrell (Muppets Most Wanted) and top Marvel and Disney•Pixar talent. And in typical D23 Expo fashion, fans can also anticipate surprise appearances from more of their favorite stars.

Are You Ready to Take on the Waffle-inator Challenge at D23?

FANS CAN BEHOLD AND THEN PLAY DR. DOOFENSHMIRTZ'S MOST

GRANDIOSE INVENTION YET, A 40-FOOT TALL WAFFLE-INATOR

DEBUTS AT DISNEY'S D23 EXPO

"The Phineas and Ferb Waffle-inator Challenge" Celebrates

Disney Channel's "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel" TV Special

Marvel Universe Stars Adrian Pasdar, Drake Bell, Fred Tatasciore, Roger Craig Smith, Bumper Robinson and Laura Bailey to Meet Fans at D23 Expo Friday, August 9

Dr. Doofenshmirtz is primed to take over Disney's D23 Expo…and the Tri-State Area with his most wacky "-inator" yet -- "The Waffle-inator" -- a spectacular 40-foot high interactive game, combining physical and digital worlds -- and simulated waffles -- in an epic showdown to free Agent P from the clutches of Dr. Doofenshmirtz.  Kids, tweens and families can hop aboard and wield the life-size invention to play "The Phineas and Ferb Waffle-inator Challenge," over three days at Disney's D23 Expo, the ultimate event for Disney fans, at the Anaheim Convention Center FRIDAY, AUGUST 9–SUNDAY, AUGUST 11.

The Waffle-inator is depicted in "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel," the highly anticipated event episode of the #1 animated series for kids and tweens, premiering FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel and SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 (10:00 a.m. ET/PT) on Disney XD.  In the storyline, Phineas and Ferb, team up with the Marvel Super Heroes to help them regain their powers and defeat Marvel Super Villains and Dr. Doofenshmirtz, in an epic battle of good versus evil, where the dastardly delicious device "The Waffle-inator" comes into play.   

Stars from Marvel Universe – Adrian Pasdar, Drake Bell, Fred Tatasciore, Roger Craig Smith, Bumper Robinson and Laura Bailey – will join the line-up of stars across Disney Channel, Disney XD and Disney Junior who will meet fans at Disney's D23 Expo, including "Teen Beach Movie," "Phineas and Ferb," "Shake It Up," "Jessie," "Gravity Falls," "Good Luck Charlie," "Liv and Maddie," "Kickin' It," "Dog With A Blog," "Lab Rats," "Crash & Bernstein," "Wander Over Yonder" and "Sofia the First."  Fans can also catch live performances from Hollywood Records' recording artists Bridgit Mendler and R5 featuring Ross Lynch, and meet favorite characters Princess Sofia ("Sofia the First"), Doc McStuffins, Jake ("Jake and the Never Land Pirates"), Spider-Man and Iron Man.

Popular radio personalities Ernie D, Morgan & Maddy, Jake and Candice from Radio Disney will join in the fun with prizes and activities to entertain Disney fans of all ages.

To play the "The Phineas and Ferb Waffle-inator Challenge," fans are invited to man one of four colorful, full-scale "Waffe-inators" to unleash flying foam waffles and to move Phineas and Ferb up a towering screen, while outmaneuvering Dr. Doof's evil creations, to free a trapped Agent P before time runs out.  "The Phineas and Ferb Waffle-inator Challenge" will be located in the Grand Plaza near the D23 Expo entrance for fans to enjoy Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Gayle is a Disney Gal that loves churros for breakfast, still gets giddy with delight at the first sight of the “Disneyland next exit sign”, loves the overwhelming emotions and memories that come with each and every return to the Happiest Place on Earth and dreams of one day being the Captain of the Jungle Boat. To learn more about Gayle, click here