D23 Reveals New Programming, Experiences

Fans of brands, comic nerds, gaming geeks and film fanatics may all be familiar with Comic-Con, but they might be less familiar with D23. In essence, it’s the Disney fan club. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company. D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event took place Aug. 8-11 in Anaheim, Calif. D23 is a one-of-a-kind, multi-day fan experience showcasing the very best in creative storytelling and innovation from across the worlds of Disney.

The event unveiled major announcements from the House of Mouse, from theme park expansions to teasing upcoming films and TV shows. Here’s an overview of some of the highlights.

Josh D’Amaro, chairman, Disney Experiences, unveiled the future for Disney parks, cruise ships and beyond, including the future of storytelling made possible through a groundbreaking collaboration with Epic Games.

“Disney Experiences is embarking on an accelerated path of ambitious growth and innovation,” says D’Amaro. “With so many great Disney stories to tell, we’re excited to bring an unprecedented number of new projects to life in the near future, whether it be in our theme parks, on our cruise ships or through our partnership with Epic Games in the digital space.”

Related:Disney x Epic Games: Why Brands are Investing in the Future of Play

Among the many announcements were plans for four new cruise ships and details about six new themed lands and areas that will bring guests deeper into the stories they love, including Monsters, Inc., Cars, Indiana Jones, Encanto, Avatar, The Lion King and the classic Disney Villains fans know and loathe. D’Amaro announced plans for 14 all-new attractions featuring those stories and more, such as The Avengers, Spider-Man and the first ride-through attraction themed to Coco coming to Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort, inviting guests to join Miguel on a trip through the Land of the Dead. Among the five new shows and nighttime spectaculars coming to Disney parks around the world is “Disney Starlight,” a new nighttime parade coming to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

D23 Day at Disneyland Logo, Disneyland

“Today we unveiled an extensive slate of new experiences that only Disney can deliver,” says D’Amaro. “Work is well underway on all of the new projects we announced, and fans will start to see them come to life in the near future.”

Top Announcements from the Disney Experiences Showcase:

License Global first announced Disney’s investment in Epic Games and potential plans for a collaborative project connected to Fortnite in February. Further details were brought to light at D23. While live-streaming on Fortnite, D’Amaro was joined live on stage by creative leads from across The Walt Disney Company – Jennifer Lee from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pete Docter from Pixar Animation Studios, Kevin Feige from Marvel Studios and Dave Filoni from Lucasfilm – to discuss Disney’s expansive collaboration with Epic Games. They shared how the world’s most notable characters and stories will converge in one connected universe where fans can watch, play and even create Disney stories. The group also announced new characters and skins coming soon to Fortnite, from Disney Villains to The Incredibles and The Mandalorian, and showed a trailer for the next Marvel season featuring “Doctor Doom,” which debuts Aug. 16.

Also at the event, numerous programming announcements were shared with the fans.

“The Simpsons” announced Season 35 will launch Oct. 2 on Disney+ with 18 more episodes.

"The Simpson" preview at D23, Disney

Brad Winderbaum, head, streaming, television and animation, Marvel, shared a look at the next two years of Marvel Animation’s series during the Marvel Animation Sneak Peek panel, including a look at the final season of “What If…?,” the second season of “X-Men ’97,” “Eyes of Wakanda” and “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.” The panel ended with a surprise look at the much-anticipated series, “Marvel Zombies.”

The Disney+ Original series, “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” made a splash with a star-studded panel, which marked the first public appearance of all six of the Season 2 series regulars together.

The weekend’s festivities concluded with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony at the Honda Center, honoring individuals who have had a significant impact on Disney’s legacy. “To be named a Disney Legend is the highest honor our company can bestow on anyone, reserved for those whose talent and achievement have earned them an enduring place in our history,” says Bob Iger, chief executive officer, The Walt Disney Company. Host Ryan Seacrest presented the awards to visionaries and talent at the forefront of their fields, including Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde and John Williams.

For die-hard Disney fans who could not attend the event, merchandise will be available at DisneyStore.com with select items from D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event for sale, including Star Wars and Marvel must-haves, Disney Limited Edition Dolls and the new vinyl series, Disney Lacers, while supplies last.