Ever been to the D23 Expo, held every other year in Anaheim? It’s a magical, fun-filled weekend, featuring all of your favorite Disney content under one roof. This three-day event takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center, and whether you’re a first-time attendee or a returning fan, here are some tips to help you get the most out of your D23 Expo experience.
The Basics
D23 Expo is held at the Anaheim Convention Center, right across the street from the Disneyland Resort. It is held on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, usually in August, every other year. This year, it was held on August 23-25th, 2019. The next D23 Expo dates have not yet been announced.
Different ticket levels are available. The first level is the VIP Sorcerer Package. In 2019 this was available to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members for $2,500 per ticket. This price included admission to all 3 days, reserved seating at presentations, a preview day, a welcome reception, and other perks. There are a very limited number of these tickets available, and these typically sell out in seconds.
The second level is available to D23 Gold Members, featuring discounted 1-day and 3-day tickets. Typically, there is an “early bird” price offered on these tickets.
The final level is general admission, available for both 1-day and 3-day tickets.
If you plan to attend, get your tickets early! 3-day tickets, and 1-day tickets for all three days sold out this year.
Advanced Reservations & Queuing
Every year, D23 does something different when it comes to queuing. In the past, it was all standby. Then it was getting a physical Stagepass ticket. There have also been D23 Gold Member lines. This year, it was advanced online reservations, D23 Gold Member lines, and standby.
The advanced online reservation system was new. To make an online reservation for a panel, talent meet & greet, timed store entries, or giveaway, badges had to be activated in advance through the D23 website. Once activated, each badgeholder could make up to two reservations per day, through an online system.
If guests were unable to get the reservations they wanted, the remaining options were standby or the D23 Gold Member lines. It’s highly recommended to get there at least 3-4 hours in advance for the bigger panels. Pay attention to signage and the “not allowed” list to avoid security issues.
If you don’t make it into the panels you want to, it’s not the end of the world! There are tons of other things to see and experience at the D23 Expo.
Food & Beverage
The official word at D23 Expo is no outside food and beverages allowed. However, in attending several conventions, I have found that this rule is loosely enforced, and have brought in my own snacks without a problem. A good rule of thumb is to bring in what you’d like in terms of snacks or small meals (like a sandwich), but don’t be surprised and upset if you’re asked to dispose of these items.
Food trucks are located just outside the convention center, providing plenty of unique options! The convention center itself also has concession stands.
Merchandise
If you are looking to buy any of the limited edition items, your best bet is to make an online advanced registration to shop. Otherwise, the standby option is available. However, the hot-ticket limited edition items are picked up very quickly by collectors and resellers. You’ll want to get there as early as possible to be one of the first allowed onto the show floor. In fact, consider arriving Thursday night if it is that important to you!
Show Floor
Spend time wandering the show floor! Plenty of vendors have giveaways, contests, and meet & greets with Disney authors and special guests. Some of them even have old ride vehicles purchased at auction to take pictures with. There are some truly hidden gems on the show floor, so spend some time roaming around!
Keep Your Eyes Peeled!
You never know who you’ll run into on the show floor. I’ve run into Bob Gurr, Tony Baxter, John Stamos, and Stacia Martin – just to name a few! My brother-in-law even ran into Johnny Depp and got a selfie with him! There’s a lot to see, but spend some time scanning the crowd, and you’d be surprised who you’ll see!
The cosplayers are also out and about in full force for the three days of the Expo. If you want a picture of them, they are pretty happy to take pictures with anyone! However, make sure you ask before taking their picture – many of them don’t want candid pictures of them shoveling food in their mouth or guzzling a water bottle floating around on the internet.
Final Thoughts
The D23 Expo is confusing and crowded, but do your research, and come prepared and with an open mind, and you’ll have a good time! You never know what you’ll see at the D23 Expo!
