The day we’ve been waiting for is finally here. Destination D23 is HAPPENING!
Welcome t0 2023 Destination D23!
Will Disney share any major breaking news? Could we walk away with a tote bag full of new Disney merchandise? Will we have access to some vintage Disney props? Let’s find out!
If you’re unfamiliar, this isn’t just any old Disney event. It’s known as “Disney’s biggest fan event of the year.” Destination D23 is happening NOW in Disney World at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and we’re exploring everything there is to see and do during the expo.
There’s all sorts of fun stuff happening!
The event runs from September 8th to September 10th, and we’re hoping for some big news this year. Could we hear about the EPCOT transformation? Maybe a Figment character meet-and-greet update? Everyone, get out your D23 news bingo cards — ours has Josh D’Amaro’s face as the free space in the middle.
Oh hey, Han Solo!
Day 1 — September 8th, 2023
OK, let’s kick things off with a look at the merchandise. (Priorities, right?) There is a TON of exclusive merchandise available this year, including an entire line of items from this year’s D23 sponsor, Lug! Sadly, these mega bags were display items only, but there’s a whole lot more where that came from — check out our FULL post here!
Lug is the sponsor this year!
There was SO MUCH merchandise available! We saw lots of Walt Disney Company items…
Here’s a peek at some items!
…a Muppets Mayhem collection…
Muppets Mayhem
…a classic D23 collection…
We see a Loungefly!
..and much more!
Sunglasses!
One of the COOLEST things we saw was this Disney100 train set from Lionel.
WOW!
Alright, now that that’s out of our system, let’s move on to some of the special D23 exhibits on display. All you animatronic fanatics are gonna LOVE this one — it’s called “The Plausible Impossible: 60 Years of Disney Audio-Animatronics Technology.”
WHOA!
We got a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes technology from some of Disney’s iconic animatronic figures.
Recognize that head?
There were a LOT of old theme park props and plenty of photos. It was so interesting to see all those familiar items!
There’s so much to see!
This was one of our FAVORITE parts — it’s the famous Hatbox Ghost from the Haunted Mansion!
It’s the Hatbox Ghost!
Disney showed some Hatbox Ghost models, too. Look at that spooky face!
How cool!
There was a LOT to take in at this exhibit; we could’ve spent all day looking around.
Recognize that guy?
If you’re a Disney fan, odds are you will enjoy this little collection of items. From animatronic clothing to Hatbox Ghost heads, there’s something for everyone.
Oooh, costumes!
We’ll be reporting LIVE from the Destination D23 event all weekend long, so look out for all the major news from the event. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
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What are you hoping Disney will talk about this year? Let us know in the comments!
Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney to attend the Destination D23 event. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ
The post We’re LIVE From the BIGGEST Disney Fan Event of the Year — Destination D23 first appeared on the disney food blog.