What is this D23 Expo??
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The D23 Expo unveils exciting updates! Disney enthusiasts, like us at the Mouse Ears Blog, eagerly await this annual event. Discover what’s new at Disney World and Disneyland, along with other Disney Destinations. Plus, we get insights into Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney!
D23 is happening at the Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL, this year. It alternates yearly between Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World in Florida.
For Disney Fans alike, everyone will be waiting & watching for Josh D’Amaro’s “A Celebration of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,” taking place on Saturday, September 9 at 9am ET.
Friday, September 8, 2023 – D23 Expo Schedule
Morning Schedule
7 a.m. – 8 p.m.: Guest Services / International Credential Pick-Up Open
East Registration
8 a.m. – 8 p.m.: Gift Pick-Up Open
Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2
Mickey’s of Glendale Shopping Open
Ballroom of the Americas, 2nd Floor
The Walt Disney Company Store
Grand Republic Ballroom D, 2nd Floor
Ink & Paint Marketplace
Grand Republic Ballroom B, 2nd Floor
8 a.m. – 8 p.m.: Mickey’s of Glendale RSP Pick-Up
West Registration
9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.: The Plausible Impossible 60 Years of Disney
Audio-Animatronics® Technology
Sorcerer’s Apprentice 3
Saturday, September 9, 2023 – D23 Expo 2023
D23 Morning Schedule
7 a.m. Queue for both General Seating and Preferred Seating Opens
Disney’s Contemporary Resort Convention Center, 1st Floor Lobby
7 a.m. – 8 p.m.: Guest Services / International Credential Pick-Up Open
East Registration
7 a.m. – 7 p.m.: The Plausible Impossible 60 Years of Disney
Audio-Animatronics® Technology
Sorcerer’s Apprentice 3
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Mickey’s of Glendale Shopping Open
Ballroom of the Americas, 2nd Floor
8:15 a.m.: Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom H
8:30 a.m.: Doors Open – General Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom G
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Morning presentations, including:
Welcome!
A Celebration of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Join Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro and special guests for an entertaining presentation looking at the future of Disney parks, featuring updates from around the world and some fun surprises.
10:30 a.m. – Morning Break
10:45 a.m. – D23 Updates with Michael Vargo
10:55 a.m. – The Early’ Ears – Ub, Oswald, and Mickey
Join Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline on a journey back to the roaring ’20s. This retrospective conversation about the “Early Ears of Disney” explores iconic characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse.
11:15 a.m. – 100 Years of Classic Characters: Unforgettable Stories
Actress and fashion icon Ashley Eckstein is catching up with some of the voice actors from Disney’s famous characters in this tribute. The guests include Bret Iwan, who voices Mickey Mouse, Kaitlyn Robrock, the voice of Minnie Mouse, and Disney Legend Bill Farmer, who voices Pluto and Goofy.
12 p.m. – 2 p.m.: Lunch Break
1:30 p.m.: Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom H
Doors Open – General Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom G
2 p.m. – 5 p.m.: Afternoon presentations, including:
National Geographic Live – Secrets of the Whales
Dive deep into the groundbreaking science of whale families and their startlingly human parallels. Includes work of celebrated National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry.
Disney Cruise Line: 25 Years of Innovative Design at Sea
Get an inside look into designing and building Disney Cruise Ships from the Imagineers working on its newest fleet. Learn about creating unique spaces and the complexities of ship design.
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.: Afternoon Break
Marvel: Beyond Earth’s Mightiest – Celebrating 60 Years of The Avengers
Celebrate 60 years of Earth’s Mightiest Superhero team, the Avengers! In 1963, The Avengers have been #1. This all-star roster has been uniting to fight the foes that no hero could withstand. Join Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski to trace the comics history of the Avengers across six decades and BEYOND!
100 Years of Innovation: Magic in Every Medium
At its core, The Walt Disney Company lives by its ability to “keep moving forward,” as curiosity leads us down new paths. Imagineers Daniel Joseph and Karin Hanson reconcile a century of innovations in Disney stories that have been brought to life.
EPCOT: Always in a State of Becoming
A look at the design and ideas behind the transformation of EPCOT and its new neighborhoods, attractions, and experiences.
Highlights include details by Marty Sklar Archives and the inspirations that have guided the evolution of Disney’s first park without a castle.
Evening Schedule at D23 Expo
5 p.m. Dinner Break
Sunday, September 10, 2023
7 a.m.– General Seating and Preferred Seating Opens
Do not arrive before this time. No official queue will be available until 7 a.m. Unofficial queues will not be honored.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort Convention Center, 1st Floor Lobby
Morning Schedule
7 a.m. – 8 p.m.: Guest Services / International Credential Pick-Up Open
East Registration
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.: The Plausible Impossible 60 Years of Disney
Audio-Animatronics® Technology
Sorcerer’s Apprentice 3
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Mickey’s of Glendale Shopping Open
Ballroom of the Americas, 2nd Floor
8:15 a.m.: Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom H
The Walt Disney Company Store
Grand Republic Ballroom D, 2nd Floor
Ink & Paint Marketplace
Grand Republic Ballroom B, 2nd Floor
8:30 a.m.: Doors Open – General Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom G
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.: Morning presentations, including:
Walt Disney Studios Showcase
A sneak peek at exciting upcoming projects from The Walt Disney Studios.
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Morning Break
100 Years of Walt Disney Animation Studios
Becky Bresee and Wayne Unten, heads of animation on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming feature Wish. Sit down with legendary animator Mark Henn to revisit their favorite filmmaking memories.
Disney Global Ambassador Showdown
Join Disney Parks Ambassadors from every Disney destination around the world, as we learn more about each of their home resorts and engage them in a friendly competition to see whose resort is the “best of the best!”
Weird Disney: Centennial Edition
Get weird with the Walt Disney Archives and experience 100 years of “weird Disney” moments in the centennial edition of a Destination D23 fan favorite!
D23 Expo 2023 Afternoon Schedule
12 p.m. – 2 p.m.: Lunch Break
1:30 p.m.: Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom H
Doors Open – General Seating Admission
Fantasia Ballroom G
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.: Afternoon presentations, including:
The Road to 1923: Walt Goes West
Disney Legend Don Hahn provides new and fascinating insights into Walt Disney’s fabled journey that would lead him to join his brother Roy in California, where the two would establish the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio—the beginning of The Walt Disney Company.
Down the Rabbit Hole: The Disney You Didn’t Know
Join Disney archivists and authors Kevin M. Kern and Steven Vagnini for a journey down the rabbit hole. Uncover astonishing Disney discoveries, connections, and little-known facts that will change everything.
100 Years of Creativity: A Playful Look at Disney Imagination
Imagineers Diego Parras and Jason Grandt discuss a decade-by-decade look at some of the more exciting and lighthearted moments of Disney’s creativity from the last 100 years.
See Ya Real Soon: A FAN-Tastic Finale
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Dinner Break
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.: DISNEY+ HALLOWSTREAM COSTUME BASH
