D23 EXPO 2022 – Tickets, Random Selection, Sorcerers Replaced & More

After much waiting, more information about 2022’s D23 Expo has been revealed: ticket dates and prices, exhibits, StagePass changes, and a replacement for the popular Sorcerers pass. Let’s take a look at what’s planned for D23 Expo 2022 taking place September 9th through 11th.  

D23 Expo Tickets

Heads up! Tickets go on sale January 20 at noon Pacific Time. Though, there is a caveat: you need to be a D23 member in order to buy tickets to the Expo this year. Just keep in mind that D23 has different member levels starting with a free level as well as the Gold level, which comes at a cost.  So you don’t need to buy Gold to purchase tickets to the Expo, you just need to become a complimentary member. 

Visa cardholders will also be able to pre-order one day early on January 19th (starting at 10am Pacific)!

D23 Gold Members get an exclusive discount on tickets, with a 1-day ticket costing $89 and a 3-day ticket at $229 for adults. A D23 General Member will get 1-day tickets at $99 and a 3-day ticket will be $279 for adults. The “Preferred Seating” ticket will not be available for pre-order.  (UPDATE: The pre-order tickets sold out fast)

One of the changes to the Expo this year is the removal of the Sorceror Package. Instead, it has been replaced with the Hall D23 pass for preferred seating. This ticket type is only available to D23 Gold Members and costs $899 (We’re interested to hear if you think this new preferred ticket is worth the $900 price).   

For tickets, visit D23.com and click the buy tickets button at the top of the page. If you are in queue early, it will randomize the order of all guests in queue at the moment tickets go on sale, so there is no advantage to being in the queue too far before noon.  While the “Preferred Seating” tickets will likely sell out instantly, the other ticket types shouldn’t be hard to get.  It generally takes months for Disney to sell all of their tickets, but this year should have stronger demand due to the long delay between events.  

D23 StagePass Changes

If there’s a particular panel that you’re interested in (D23 hasn’t announced what those panels will be yet), you’ll need to have some luck. StagePass at the Expo will be utilizing a random selection process to get guests into the presentations. Though, if there is something you really have your heart set on attending, there will still be stand-by lines for the panels. But with the Preferred Pass taking up the good spots, and StagePass taking up much of the rest, don’t expect great seats if you are in standby.  

D23 has mentioned that this will be an in-person event this year. However, not everyone may be ready for a large-scale event that is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors. For those who are interested in attending but can’t make the event, D23 will be live streaming more of the panels this year.

What’s at D23 EXPO 2022

The Expo will feature more than 50 shows, presentations, and panels, including the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony, plus an all-new exhibit curated by the Walt Disney Archives highlighting the 100th anniversary of Disney. Most segments of the company and Disney’s major partners will have exhibit floor space. The fan forum will return as well with dozens of vendor booths. And you can expect the regular mix of shopping opportunities. We will share more specific information about the panels and shows in the near future.

Availability of popular panels is always an issue at the Expo. This year, there will be a new 3,000 seat venue added to the mix. Will that be enough… likely not, hence the new random selection process. But every little bit helps: 

• 7,000-seat Hall D23 returns 
• 3,000-seat Premiere Stage
• 1,200-seat Backlot Stage
• 700-seat Walt Disney Archives Stage 
• D23 Expo Live Stage (no capacity announced) will be located on the Expo floor and will feature performances, appearances, and demonstrations, some of which will be livestreamed.  

Disney Turns 100

Much of the theme of this year’s Expo will be inspired by the Disney Company’s 100th anniversary (which doesn’t actually happen until 2023, but they are getting things started a little early).  

The Walt Disney Archives exhibit will also be themed to the 100th anniversary this time around. It’s always a highlight of the show and we are really looking forward to seeing what they pull out of the archives for this banner year.  

Mousequerade 

The costume contest will again be featured. On a press call today, they spent more time talking about the costume contest than anything else.  

This one is certainly fun and quirky. We love seeing what the fans come up with. There will be a new mashup category this year for costumes that defy a single character or concept. And, you know it’s going to be unique when the host is an over-the-top and hysterical drag queen! The winner of the contest will be bringing home $2,300! If costuming is your thing, you’d better get to planning!

Walt Disney’s Plane

To commemorate this Expo, Disney will be showcasing Walt’s famous airplane, the Mickey Mouse One. The plane is currently housed backstage at Walt Disney World and will be getting a refurbishment so it can be viewed by guests at the Expo this September. It also appears that Disney got Amazon to pay for the refurbishment (or at least part of it) as they are listed as the Platinum sponsor for the exhibit.

D23 Expo Merchandise

Of course, one of the main reasons to head to D23 Expo is for the merchandise. The popular D23 Emporium will be making a return Here’s a first look at some of the Expo logo merchandise for this year’s event:

D23 Gold Members will get merchandise discounts at select locations.

But the Real Star Is…

What we most look forward to every Expo, and which wasn’t mentioned today, is the Disney Parks & Resorts and Imagineering pavilions and presentations.  

What will be announced at Expo 2022? They are billing this as the 100th anniversary of Disney. If they don’t have massive plans to announce for the parks, will you be disappointed? And just what do you want those things to be? 3rd park for Disneyland? Tomorrowland revived? Are Epcot plans back on track? Let us know!

Let’s Hear From You!

This is the 7th D23 Expo… where has the time flown?! The event has grown and changed a lot over the years with many high points and some operations issues. What are you hoping for in 2022 and what sorts of changes would you like to see the Expo make to be more fan-friendly? Do you like the idea of the random selection process? Is the replacement of Sorcerers with priority seating in one hall a good change? Let us know in the comments below…

And don’t miss MiceChat at the Expo. Add your email to the list below to be notified of Expo news and our lineup of guests and giveaways!  

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