D23 Expo: An Advance Look

Two long years have passed and now D23’s biennial convention, the Ultimate Disney Fan Event, D23 Expo is back.

D23 Expo 2019

As a quick preview of what to expect on the show floor, AllEars was invited to take a look at three of Disney’s major pavilions.

Disney+ is their upcoming streaming network scheduled to launch on November 12, 2019 with content from all of Disney’s different branches:  Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, FOX, WDAS, and WDS.

Disney+ booth

The booth largely consisted of stations where people can sign up in advance for the Disney exclusive stream and an expansive stage for presentations.

Disney+ sign-up stations

While we were there, Ricky Strauss, president, Content & Marketing for Disney+ and Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts (an upcoming 2019 Disney Legend) revealed a joint project between Disney+ and Disney Publishing Worldwide–“One Day at Disney.”

Ricky Strauss, president, Content & Marketing for Disney+ and Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.

This documentary and coffee table book tell the stories of the many people who work for Disney (Robin Roberts, for one) and the happiness of their guests.  It will be released on December 3, 2019–see DisneyPlus.com for more information.

Every Expo, one of the highlights is the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit.  This year,  which is no exception, is “Walt Disney Archives Presents Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume.”

Walt Disney Archives Exhibit: Cinderella’s Coach

Entry into the exhibit is through “Cinderella’s Workshop,” which includes gorgeous dresses worn by Disney Cinderellas through the years on both screen and TV.

1997’s “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”
“Once Upon A Time”
2014’s “Into the Woods”
2015 live-action reimagining of the animated masterpiece “Cinderella”

The rest of the 70+ costumes in the gallery were divided up into “Heroes,” “Villains,” and “Spaces Between.”

Three Mary Poppins “traveling dresses” from the 1964 original film, 2019’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” and the Broadway musical.
Fairy Godmother from “Cinderella” (2015)
Elsa from “Frozen: The Broadway Musical”

 

Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” (2017)
Cruella de Vil’s car from “101 Dalmations” (1996)
Sugar Plum Fairy from “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”
Lady Tremaine and her daughters from “Cinderella” (2015)
Maleficent
Kevin Flynn and Black Guard from “Tron Legacy”
Queen Narissa and Giselle from “Enchanted”
Captain Hook and the Evil Queen from “Once Upon a Time.” Time from “Alice Through the Looking Glass.” Captain Jack Sparrow.

This is only a subsection of the costumes on display, many of which can be seen in the upcoming Disney publication “The Art of Disney Costuming: HeroesVillains, and Spaces Between.”

The final pavilion was the Disney Parks “Imagining Tomorrow, Today” pavilion.

Disney Parks pavilion

While there were few details forthcoming (cast members preferred to defer to Sunday’s Parks panel) there was no shortage of things to examine.  One area showed some of the expansions happening in the overseas parks.

Transformation of the Hong Kong Disneyland castle.
Tokyo Disneyland expansion

A large area was devoted to the various transformations being enacted around EPCOT.

EPCOT in the Parks Pavilion
Upcoming EPCOT merchandise

Prominently displayed was a model of the planned Star Wars hotel at Walt Disney World, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

Guests will board the Halcyon for two night stays in which they will experience their own adventure in an immersive environment with interactive characters.

The largest area was the Avengers Campus, that offered a glimpse of the many activities guest can experience at the different Avengers Campuses around the world.

Avengers Campus
Vyloo
Spider-Bot
Concept art for the Avengers Campus in DCA.
The different Avengers areas in each country will have stories that mesh together, much like S.E.A. (The Society of Explorers and Adventurers)

Certainly, the booth will be even more intriguing after Sunday’s panel where the significance of all the things on display should be clearer.  Let the Expo begin!

Check out more of our coverage of the D23 Expo!

 

Questions?  Comments?  Suggestions?  Drop us a line below.

Be sure to follow @allearsnet on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!

Check out our YouTube Channel for reviews, news, information and more!

Click below to subscribe to the AllEars® newsletter so you don’t miss any of the latest Disney news!

Click here to subscribe

Trending Now

Jeanine resides in Southern California, pursuing the sort of lifestyle that makes her the envy of every 11-year-old she meets. She has been to every Disney theme park in the world and while she finds Tokyo DisneySea the Fairest Of Them All, Disneyland is her Home Park... and there is no place like home.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *