We were invited to check out the expo and see what fans experienced at D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center. The second day of the convention brought in new cosplays, exciting panels and plenty of announcements for Disney fans of all ages.
A Look at D23 Expo Day Two
Studio Showcase Panel
Day two of the D23 Expo opened with one of the biggest panels of the convention- the Studio Showcase, which featured updates from Marvel, Lucasfilm and 29th-Century Fox. While most viewers weren’t able to get in (this was one of the most highly coveted panels of the weekend), the panel was also live-streamed for fans unable to score a seat. Marvel opened the show with a parody of “Rogers The Musical” (a Broadway show featured last year on “Hawkeye”) and announced information for “Loki” Season 2, “Ironheart,” “Thunderbolt,” “Captain America Four- New World Order,” and a look at the upcoming “Black Panther-Wakanda Forever.”
Lucasfilm gave release dates for upcoming Disney+ shows, including “The Bad Batch” (premiering January 4) and “Tales of the Jedi” (premiering October 26). Fans were given a look at the trailer for “The Mandalorian” Season 3 and a first look at “Skeleton Crew” Star Jude Law from production. Outside of the Star Wars brand, updates on “Willow were also announced,” and a surprise appearance by Harrison Ford was made for the upcoming “Indiana Jones” announcements, where Ford emotionally confirmed that this film would be his last turn as the titular character. Costumes from various branches of Lucasfilm (including Indiana Jones) were displayed at the Lucasfilm booth in the expo hall.
Disney100: The Exhibition
Another important update came from “Disney100: The Exhibition.” The exhibit is scheduled to open in Philadelphia at The Franklin Institute on February 18—the first stop on a five-year tour of America. A nearly (but not quite) identical exhibit is scheduled to launch in Munich for an international tour in 2023. “Disney100: The Exhibition” will feature immersive experiences and interactive exhibits that span the 100-year history of the Walt Disney Company in a never-before-seen way.
Disney Fashion
If you’ve been to the parks recently (or on Instagram), you’ve seen the movement of Disney fashion growing. The panel Women in Disney Fashion featured four Disney collaborators, including Ann Shen, Brittney Lee, Ashley Eckstein (the voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars and the founder of Her Universe) and Courtney Quinn (the style queen behind Color Me Courtney and Color Me Magic). The panel was moderated by Leslie Kay (of The Disneybound) and discussed the various collections from each of the collaborators, including the “Guided By the Light” collection from Ashley Eckstein and Courtney Quinn’s brand new Princess Tiana designs that debuted at the D23 Expo and online at ShopDisney.
Bob’s Burgers
The afternoon began with a lively paleo from the cast of “Bob’s Burgers” (which can be found on Hulu). Viewers got a new season update (the season premiere “To Bob Or Not To Bob arrives September 24), a clip from the new season and additional clips from another upcoming episode. The cast had the audience in stitches as they held a contest for question-asking fans with a sandwich giveaway and plenty of career advice.
The Expo Floor
The expo floor was once again buzzing with fans. In celebration of Disney+ Day on September 8, numerous vendors offered freebies and discounts exclusively for D23 Gold Members and Disney+ subscribers. Fans took advantage of the multiple photo ops located throughout the expo floor at various points and within booths like the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons space, complete with a pumpkin carriage.
Companies like CITIZEN also offered multiple exclusive pieces for D23 Expo. “We have been a global alliance partner with Disney since 2018,” Robert Goldberg, SVP Citizen Watch of America, told us. “This year, we started a new magical relationship with the D23 Fan Club, and the instant connection sparked lots of ideas which included being the official timekeeper for the D23 Expo. It was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up, and we are thrilled to kick off the D100 celebration marking each decade of Disney. 2023 will be an exciting year for us filled with new products, big announcements and incredible memories.”
