TICKETS FOR D23 EXPO 2015: THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT, GO ON SALE THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 2014

Early Bird Discounted Tickets Available for a Limited Time

D23 Members Enjoy Additional Savings and Member-Only Benefits

Set your alarms and mark your calendars-you are not going to want to miss this!  On Thursday, August 14, at 10 a.m. PT, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will begin selling tickets for the next D23 Expo, which will take place August 14–16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center. 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, including The Walt Disney Studios (including Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm); Walt Disney Parks and Resorts; Disney Consumer Products; Media Networks (including ABC, Disney Channel, and Radio Disney) and Disney Interactive. D23 Expo 2015 marks the fourth bi-annual event held in Anaheim.

More than 65,000 Disney fans from around the world gathered at the Anaheim Convention Center in 2013 for the third D23 Expo. Once again, the Expo will celebrate the past, present, and future of Disney with live events, celebrity appearances, panels, presentations, sneak peeks, and immersive experiences. D23 Expo 2015 marks the return of fan favorites including the Disney Legends Awards, honoring the talented men and women who have made indelible contributions to the Disney legacy; and Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, which spotlights costumes, props, and set pieces from Disney’s rich history. 

As in previous Expos, D23 Expo 2015 will showcase all of the latest stars in the Disney universe. In 2013, celebrity appearances included Angelina Jolie, Chris Evans, Billy Crystal, Natalie Portman, and Tom Hiddleston, with performances by Idina Menzel, R5 featuring Ross Lynch, and a once-in-a-lifetime concert with Disney Legends Richard M. Sherman and Alan Menken. Additionally, Disney executives and creative talent came together to deliver special presentations, announcements, and experiences to Disney fans throughout the three-day extravaganza.

Tickets for D23 Expo 2015 are available at a discounted price for a limited time. From August 14–December 31, 2014, tickets are $61 for a one-day adult admission and $42 for children 3–12. Tickets for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club are $52 for a one-day adult admission and $37 for children. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available. D23 Members can save as much as $268 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Member rate. For more information on tickets and the ticket pricing structure for members and general admission, visit D23Expo.com.

In addition to these special advance-purchase savings, an extremely limited number of D23 VIP Sorcerer Packages will once again be available. Based on fan feedback, even more benefits have been added this year including exclusive opportunities in the Walt Disney Imagineering pavilion and Mickey’s of Glendale.

The SORCERER PACKAGE includes:

·         Three-day admission ticket and commemorative Sorcerer credential

·         Reserved seating at all presentations in the main hall, Stage 23, and Stage 28

·         Limited-edition D23 American Tourister boarding bag

·         Pre-Expo tour of the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit

·         Special tour of the Walt Disney Imagineering Pavilion

·         Exclusive shopping time in the D23 Expo Dream Store, Disney Store, and Mickey’s of Glendale

·         Tour of the D23 Expo show floor the day before the Expo is open to the public

·         Welcome Reception on Thursday evening

·         Exclusive entrance to the Expo each morning

·         A voucher for an appointment with an on-site massage therapist

·         Exclusive D23 Expo gift pack including gifts from D23 and the rest of The Walt Disney Company

·         Saturday morning Meet and Greet Coffee with a special Disney guest

·         “Fond Farewell” reception on final day of Expo

·         Plus, access to the Sorcerer Member Lounge and other benefits

Sorcerer Package tickets are available exclusively to both Gold and Silver D23 Members at $2,000 per ticket. Members have the option to purchase up to two Sorcerer tickets. Additional details and benefits are highlighted at D23Expo.com.

D23 Gold and Silver Members are entitled to early admission to the Expo show floor and D23 will once again give a special thanks to D23 Charter Members, providing them special access to the Expo’s Charter Member Lounge.

Visit D23Expo.com to relive some of the extraordinary experiences from the first three Expo events and get a peek at what’s to come in 2015.

Dream It! Do It!

Dream It! Do It! 

A Presentation by Marty Sklar

Disney Gal Judy: This past Sunday, Kelly and I were fortunate enough to have been at the Museum of Science and Industry for a presentation by Marty Sklar for his new book Dream It! Do It! The event was opened by Kurt Haunfelner, VP of Exhibits and Collections for the museum.  This was a great person to open for Marty Sklar as Kurt worked for Disney under Marty many years ago.  Kurt shared many interesting tidbits on Marty's live at Disney such as: 

• Marty started working for Disney part-time a few weeks before Disneyland opened;
• He worked on all four exhibits for the 1964 New York World's Fair;
• He is a 2001 Disney Legend;
• He held many titles at the Walt Disney Imagineering including; Vice President of Concepts and Planning; then he was promoted to President and his last title was Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive of the Company; and
• He worked for Disney for 54 years.

Beat the Winter Blues at MSI Chicago

Raise your hand if you are tired of hearing "I'm bored". Keep them up if you think your children have been watching way too much television these past snow-covered weeks. Why not do yourself and your wallet a favor by heading the the Museum of Science and Industries this month. How can you beat this deal:

It’s FREE KIDS FEBRUARY at MSI!

From February 1 through February 28 the Museum of Science and Industry Chicago will offer FREE MUSEUM ENTRY to kids, ages 3-11. This is a perfect time to escape the house, beat the winter blues and experiment in fun at MSI with the whole family!

Free Museum Entry for kids also makes it a great time to purchase tickets to the Museum’s temporary exhibit offering, Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Explore nine decades of marvelous Disney innovation and history; see drawings, props, costumes and artwork from famed Disney films and television shows; and even learn to draw a favorite Disney character in the Animation Academy! (NOTE: This exhibit still requires an additional ticket for kids, but the Museum Entry portion for those 3-11 would be waived.)

MSI offers a convenient indoor garage parking to escape the cold—and an exciting day of science-filled adventures. Run in a human-sized hamster wheel. See lightning strike—indoors! Manipulate a tornado. Climb inside a historic locomotive. Dissect a real eyeball. Witness fiery chemistry at work. And much, much more

Free Kids Museum Entry tickets must be obtained on-site at the Museum ticket counter. They cannot be acquired online. Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives tickets can be added at ticket counter. For more information and restrictions, visit msichicago.org.

NOTE: This offer is good for child Museum Entry tickets only (valid for ages 3-11).Up to four free child tickets allowed with the purchase of one full paying adult. Additional experiences, including Omnimax^® films, U-505 Submarine on-board tour, Future Energy Chicago, Coal Mine, Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives and special tours are not included in Museum Entry. They require additional, timed-entry tickets. Offer not valid for groups taking advantage of group pricing or those using any other discount or offer.  No refunds will be given for tickets already purchased for February dates. Parking is not included.

Disney Gal Judy and I were just at the museum Sunday to attend a presentation/book signing by Disney Legend Marty Sklar. It was an inspiring afternoon which we will be posting about later this week. We also had a chance to revisit D23 Presents - Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives. How wonderful to see parents sharing their childhood Disney memories with their children as they walked through the exhibit. Why not share the magic with your children? Make sure your weekend plans include a stop at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industries, you won't be disappointed.

D23 Presents Marty Sklar

Dream It! Do It!

A Presentation by Marty Sklar

 

(Photo from MSI Chicago)

Marty Sklar, a Disney Legend and Imagineering Ambassador will be at the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago on Sunday, February 16, 2014; at 1:00 pm. 

Marty worked for the Disney company for 54 years, in many positions including early years of ghost-writing personal material for Walt Disney, to his lead creative role in conceiving and designing the Disney Parks, he was also Executive Vice President and President of Walt Disney Imagineering.  Marty has been at the Center of virtually every major Disney Park initiative for more than 50 years. He also led the creative development of EPCOT Center, Tokyo Disneyland, the Disney-MGM Studios, Disneyland Paris and Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Can Disney Throw a Party or What?!

Elegance and Exhibits and Archives, Oh My!

Two weeks ago, Disney Gal Judy was invited on the VIP tour of the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives before it was open to the public. Lucky for me, she was able to invite 3 guests to return in the evening for the opening celebration. Judy brought her hubby Paul (A real-life Carl & Ellie from the movie Up) and I brought my daughter Tara.

I had no idea what to expect when the evening started. Being in Chicago, you get used to paying a good amount of money for events and then again for parking. What a wonderful surprise to be able to park and enter absolutely free! And that was only the beginning.

Once our foursome had checked in, we proceeded up the escalators to the event level. To make exhibit viewing hassle-free, Disney had staggered entry times. In the meantime, they had provided bar service and appetizer stations, again absolutely free! Never knew bartenders did not expect tips when the drinks are on the house. I digress...

When 6pm arrived, we were itching to enter the exhibit. In true Disney fashion, the first thing we did was have our picture taken and then we were allowed to proceed. Let the fan-girling begin! The exhibit is set up in sections; starting with Walt's early years through 90 years of Disney history.

Instead of rehashing much of what Judy has written, I want to share my highlights with you by category.

Documents:

This one struck me because I first thought he was talking about school classes since it was for a school paper, but after taking a better look at the picture, he had something completely different in mind.



D23 Present Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives - Part II

D23 Present Treasures of the

Walt Disney Archives - Part II

 

As I had stated in Part I, D23 and MSI went all out to make us feel welcome and special during this event, but as we all know Disney knows how to throw a party!  

D23 Present Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives - Part I

D23 Present Treasures of the

Walt Disney Archives - Part I

As you know from my previous posts, I was among a very few lucky working media who were able to attend a special preview of D23 Presents Treasure of the Walt Disney Archives at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.  I first received an email from Renee Maihiot, Public Relations Coordinator from the Museum advising me of the agenda for the morning of the opening of this special exhibit; which was also the 90th anniversary of the Walt Disney Company. 

• 8:00 a.m. Continental breakfast
• 8:20 - 9:15 a.m. Guided tour of Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives
• 10:30 a.m. Exhibit opening event for the general public
  
  

We all met in the Museum's Entry Hall and were greeted by Renee, who then took us to the rotunda in the main museum entrance.  We were introduced to Jeffery Epstein, Manager, Marketing & PR of D23, and then we were treated to a  continental breakfast.  Next, Jeffery introduced us to Becky Cline, Director of Walt Disney Archives and Nicholas Vega, Manager of Collections and Exhibits for the Archives.

Special Event!

D23 Presents Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives - October 16, 2013

Disney Gal's Kelly and Judy

I have just returned from a long, but fun and interesting day at the Museum of Science and Industry, in Chicago. I attended D23 Presents Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives.  I will be sharing with you in the next few days the details of the day, but for now I wanted to share a few of the photos I took today to "tide you over".

I hope you will enjoy these and the articles for the event has much as I did attending.

D23 Will be fit for Any Princess!

HARRODS’ DISNEY PRINCESS DRESSES MAKE THEIR U.S. DEBUT
AT THE D23 EXPO IN TREASURES OF THE WALT DISNEY ARCHIVES

Plus, New Panels on “The Lost Chords” and Mary Poppins Announced

           A stunning display of exclusive gowns inspired by Disney’s iconic Princesses will make their U.S. debut at the D23 Expo inside the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit. These handcrafted designs by world-leading designers will be available for viewing each day of the event, August 9–11 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Included are works inspired by the individual stories of the Disney Princesses by Ralph & Russo (Tiana), Versace (Cinderella), Elie Saab (Aurora), Marchesa (Ariel), Escada (Jasmine), Missoni (Mulan), Roberto Cavalli (Pocahontas), Jenny Packham (Rapunzel), Valentino (Belle), and Oscar de la Renta (Snow White). The stunning dresses were first showcased in an ultra-glamorous set of window displays at Harrods, the luxury store in Knightsbridge, London, during the 2012 holiday season.

      In addition, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is announcing two additional presentations. As we near the award-winning film’s 50th anniversary, Disney Legend and Walt Disney Archives Chief Archivist Emeritus Dave Smith will host “Behind the Scenes of Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins.” Guests will learn the complete story of how Walt Disney first discovered the book, worked on the script with author P.L. Travers, brought in the Sherman Brothers to write a memorable score, selected an unforgettable cast, oversaw actual filming, and celebrated at a gala Hollywood premiere.

         During “Secrets of ‘The Lost Chords,’” Grammy^® Award-winning producer and resident Disney Music historian, Randy Thornton will reveal some of the secrets behind Disney’s “lost” songs written for classic Disney films by legendary Disney composers (such as the Sherman Brothers) that were essentially lost for decades—until now. Plus, as a special part of this exclusive D23 event, guests will be among the very first to hear songs currently in production from a significant upcoming “Lost Chords” release.

Disney Artist and Historian Stacia Martin will present “Sounds Delightful: An Illustrated Audio Adventure,” which will take guests on an entertaining trip across the decades via vintage Disney Vinyl Recordings from her extensive personal collection. Forgotten favorites from the family turntable of yesteryear will be heard along with rare promotional and production tracks... including never-before-heard musical moments from Walt Disney's own "journey down the Yellow Brick Road."

 

For presentation times, dates, and locations (subject to change), please visit D23Expo.com.

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