There were a few little D23 news bites that we thought you would appreciate hearing about, including the chance to save a bit of green on your ticket to D23 Fanniversary.
D23’s Fanniversary Event
D23 Fanniversary events feature Disney films, TV Shows, and theme park attractions which are celebrating a major milestone. Fanniversary celebrates films like Herby The Love Bug, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Muppets Take Manhattan, Silly Symphonies Skeleton Dance, Toy Story, Lion King and many more. A particular treat is the presenting of an unreleased audio track from Sleeping Beauty.
But it isn’t all about movies. Fanniversary also looks at some of your favorite Disney rides. The Matterhorn, Submarine Voyage, Autopia, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain and others are all celebrating anniversaries. The beloved and long lost Adventurers Club would also have celebrated a milestone, and you’ll hear from a very special guest about that. That little bit had the crowd cheering at the performance I attended in LA.
The event will also celebrate Donald Duck’s 80th birthday and honor the anniversary of Disney’s participation in the 1964 New York World’s Fair. You’ll hear from Walt Disney, Blaine Gibson, Stan Lee, Alice Davis and others on the big screen. After each show, you’ll get to take an up close look at the original black straw hat Julie Andrews wore in Mary Poppins and see a rare award statuette known as the “Duckster,” one of which was proudly displayed in Walt Disney’s office.
Check for deals. The Boston show has hit the Goldstar discount ticket store for just $25 (regular price $40). That’s a great savings for a really fun Disney event.
And if you aren’t in driving distance of Boston, you can still see D23 in a city near you on the following dates:
- September 13th – Seattle
- September 20th – Atlanta
- October 4th – Boston
- October 25th – Orlando
- (Philadelphia, New York & Washington D.C. are all sold out)
Seattle, Atlanta, Boston, and Orlando Fanniversary celebration dates were still available at the time this article was published, but many dates and times are already sold out. The event really is a great way for Disney fans to get that personal fan experience even if they don’t live in LA or Orlando. It can’t hurt to check Goldstar to see if discount tickets are available for your location.
Destination D: Attraction Rewind Enhancements
If you are lucky enough to live in Orlando (or willing to take the trip), beloved Imagineer Tony Baxter has signed on to the event and will be giving a Discovery Bay presentation. If you have never heard of Discovery Bay, it was an epic steampunk-ish expansion planned for Disneyland which almost got built. Consider it the big fish that got away. Tony will give a look at what Discovery Bay could have been and why it didn’t happen.
Also not-to-be-missed is the sneak peek at the new Walt Disney Studios film Tomorrowland, during which supervising art director Ramsey Avery will talk about how his team reconstructed the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair (in particular “it’s a small world”) for the movie.
Plus, additional panels (and panelists) have been announced, and a bit more merchandise has been announced for the Mickey’s of Glendale pop-up shop. Yep, the Imagineers are creating a version of their special Disney store just for the fans. That should be VERY popular, and some folks might even be worth the price of admission just to pick up some prized items. We also expect some special gifts to be given to guests.
Another tip for saving money . . . if you are a free member of D23, it would be cheaper for you to upgrade to Silver membership before purchasing your ticket. D23 Gold and Silver Members can purchase a ticket for $190 each, but D23 Free Members will pay $250 each. Since a Silver membership costs just $39.99, you’d be better off upgrading first.
More information about Destination D: Attraction Rewind can be found HERE.
D23 MEMBER NIGHT AT HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
All remaining seats to D23 Night at the La Jolla Playhouse’s US Premiere of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame have now been opened up for sale. The evening includes a reception, special guest and exclusive pin just for the occasion. This is an event we are really looking forward to. What about you?
D23 SCREENINGS OF THE ADVENTURES OF ICHADBOD AND MR. TOAD AND SLEEPING BEAUTY
Two classic Disney animated films are set to screen on the Walt Disney Studio Lot. If you’ve never had the opportunity to see a film on the studio lot, you are missing out. There’s a certain magic to this location. You can absolutely feel the presence of Walt Disney himself on the tree lined streets around the various buildings of the campus. In addition, at The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, historian Mindy Johnson, who has worked extensively with the Bing Crosby Archive, will talk about Crosby’s experience working on the film—his only Disney project, and the Melo-D23 Choir will sing a rarely heard gem that was cut from The Wind in the Willows live! Academy Award-winning producer Don Hahn is the special guest at the Sleeping Beauty screening, and he will show guests how the classic animated film influenced this year’s hit live action Maleficent film.
D23 NIGHTS AT NEWSIES AROUND THE COUNTRY
First stop, Cleveland! D23 is holding special D23 Member nights at the Newsies traveling production around the country (including San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, and Washington D.C.) with terrific seats, a gift and a special meet-and-greet following the show.
We asked Jeffrey Epstein, D23 Spokesman, about the expansion of events outside of the LA area. He had the following to share:
The amazing thing about both Fanniversary and Destination D is that it gives D23 the opportunity to connect with our fans in ways we don’t get to do every day. Fanniversary, by the time it’s done, will have visited nearly a dozen cities around the country. That’s a fantastic way for us to reach our members.
Destination D is going to be an outstanding D23 signature event. Celebrating the 1964-65 New York worlds fair, looking at beloved attractions of yesteryear, getting a unique glimpse into how Imagineers incorporate the history of Disney into the attractions of today and tomorrow, and a glimpse into the future… It’s everything we know Disney fans have come to love about and expect from a D23 event.
We are thrilled that Tony Baxter will be there to talk about all of the remarkable designs and innovations crafted for Discovery Bay and how those concepts were incorporated into today’s parks. And we are thrilled to have Avery Ramsey to sneak peek a look at the upcoming Walt Disney Studios feature film Tomorrowland, which utilizes the 1964-65 New York world’s fair as one of its iconic settings.
Plus, at both events we know there are always surprises in store for members that they’ve come to expect from D23.
For more information about any of these D23 Events, you can find out more at D23.com. And do let us know which of the events you are signing up for in the comments below.
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