Disney has announced the dates and schedule for what it terms “the Biggest Disney Fan Event of the year,” Destination D23, which will take place from Friday, September 8 through Sunday, September 10, at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
The event, tied to the company’s 100th anniversary this year and presented to members of its D23 fan club, promises a “journey through every era of Disney, as we venture back through the last century of storytelling and look forward to a limitless future for the company.”
Among the promised highlights are:
- Presentations from Disney archivists, historians, Imagineers, cast members, animators and luminaries—including Disney Legends Bill Farmer and Don Hahn; the voice actors behind some of Disney’s most iconic characters, Bret Iwan, Kaitlyn Robrock, and Ashley Eckstein; Disney on Broadway’s own Genie, Michael James Scott from Aladdin; and many more—in two days of programming worthy of the first century of Disney—and beyond!
- A presentation from Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro about what makes a Disney experience so magical and memorable for guests and fans around the world.
- A conversation with Disney Legend Don Hahn and Director of the Walt Disney Archives Becky Cline and learn about Walt Disney’s Journey to join his brother Roy in California, and the earliest days of The Walt Disney Company—from the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio to the Alice Comedies, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and, of course, everyone’s favorite mouse.
- A catch up with the voice actors behind fan-favorite Disney characters, including Bret Iwan (Mickey Mouse), Kaitlyn Robrock (Minnie Mouse), and Disney Legend Bill Farmer (Pluto, Goofy), and join them for a “table read” of iconic scenes from 100 years of Disney history.
- 100 years of “weird Disney” moments from the Walt Disney Archives
- See the “Disney you didn’t know,” as the Walt Disney Archives uncovers some of the most astonishing Disney discoveries, connections, and little-known facts that will change everything—or at least some things—you thought you knew about the Disney universe.
- Celebrate 100 years of Walt Disney Animation Studios with legendary animators and guests, and get a sneak peek at their highly-anticipated upcoming feature film, Wish.
- A 60 Years of Disney’s Audio-Animatronics Technology Exhibit in which The Walt Disney Archives and Walt Disney Imagineering join creative forces for a special exhibition at Destination D23 to celebrate the history of Audio-Animatronics technology. This exclusive exhibit will showcase the evolution of the art and its related technology through a diverse showcase of rare figural assets, photography, and vintage ephemera and documentation all in the name of celebrating key moments from Walt’s earliest inspirations and development to modern-day marvels.
Tickets for the event are already sold out, but some presentations will be live streamed.
