At the Destination D23 event at Walt Disney World today, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club announced that its D23 Expo will expand to a new site in Anaheim next summer.
The 2024 D23 Expo will run August 9 to 11 at the Anaheim Convention Center, following a kick-off event on August 8 at the Disneyland Resort.
While D23 Expo will fill the Anaheim Convention Center with presentations and exhibitions each day during the event, at night the Expo will expand over to the Honda Center, which will host "marquee shows." (The Honda Center, originally the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim, is the home of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks. It's located about three miles east of the convention center, straight down Katella Avenue.)
This expansion will be a first for the D23 Expo, which has run exclusively at the Anaheim Convention Center since its beginning. In addition to the events at the Honda Center, D23 will be sponsoring a D23 Day at Angel Stadium before the Expo kicks off, where fans can watch the Los Angeles Angels take on the New York Mets on August 4.
Tickets for the 2024 D23 Expo will go on sale next spring. The kickoff celebration at Disneyland and the D23 Day at Angels Stadium will be separately ticketed events, Disney said today.
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The logistics of getting 15,000+ from the convention center to the Honda Center (at least two or three times) will be interesting to say the least. Often at the Expo, you'd see D23 staff apparently shocked at the crowds and furiously laying down masking tape to mark queues... so I think that Ubering between the two venues might be the way to go.
A couple of thoughts here:
(1) Can anyone explain to me what a “marquee event” is, exactly? I’m thinking that means entertainment events to cap off the day, but my wife thinks that means the big preview presentations like the ones for Studios or PEP. Either way, I agree with John - the migration of 10,000 to 15,000 attendees from the ACC to the Honda Center ain’t gonna be pretty.
(2) Did anyone else think it was curious (or at least interesting) that starting with next year’s event, they’re dropping the “Expo” from the name? Just calling it D23 kinda makes sense because most non-hardcore Disney fans call it that anyway, but that also makes it sound like the event will be all that Disney’s gonna offer through D23, like other stuff that hasn’t made money, (such as the magazine or paid memberships) could be dropped.
Lately, trying to parse out what Disney means when their PR flacks say something is getting to be as vexing as Kremlinology…
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After yesterday's HORRIBLE presentation, they have got to deliver in Anaheim.