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.
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