The D23 Expo began today and it promises to be full of magic, surprises, and memories for those in attendance. Walking up to the Anaheim Convention Center, several different vehicles could be seen. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. fans could see Agent Coulson’s Lola and the Ghost Rider’s car. Move up a bit further and Mater was found greeting fans. There was plenty of opportunities to take pictures of him and the fountains with the D23 Expo signage. On the other side of the fountain Luke Skywalkers sand speeder could be found along with Cinderella’s carriage. Many cosplayers milled about taking pictures in the area throughout the day.
Disney Legends
The first day began with the Disney Legends ceremony. This ceremony honors those who have made significant achievements to The Walt Disney Company. The highlights for many were the recognition of Carrie Fisher. Disney CEO read a letter from Fisher’s daughter and was visibly moved while recognizing Fisher. You can learn more about this ceremony here.
The Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios Panel
The Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios Panel, hosted by John Lasseter, offered a glimpse at what is coming from the worlds of animation. One highlight is definitely the clip that was shared from Wreck-It Ralph 2. Who knew that there would be Disney princesses in this movie? And who knew the voices would all show up together on stage!? Oh, and Star Wars? After today I’m definitely more excited for this movie than I was going into the D23 Expo. Read more about the Animation panel here.
Tour of Walt Disney’s Office
Sometimes the most exciting things are the most unexpected. Today at the D23 Expo that was definitely the case. I was offered the chance to go on a tour of Walt Disney’s office. This was done through the a new virtual reality setup. This was an experience that I definitely enjoyed and will definitely remember. I look forward to the day where I walk into Walt Disney’s office in reality and am than able to compare it with my tour today. You can read about this tour here.
The D23 Expo Floor
There are a lot of different things to catch on the D23 Expo floor. There are mini-parades throughout the day. As you explore, there are several different panels that can be seen as well. Other places have stages with entertainment, demonstrations, and celebrity appearances. From my initial walk-through of the floor, it seems like Disney has packed more into the Expo floor than ever before. There are also some exhibitors at one end of the Expo floor, including a booth for the CHOC Walk! Make sure and stop by there and tell them that DAPs Magic/Mr. DAPs sent you! If you feel like it, join Team DAPs Magic and walk with us on August 27th!
Looking Ahead at Day Two of the D23 Expo
Tomorrow there will be two very exciting panels that I’m looking forward to. The first will be the Walt Disney Studios Live Action Films panel. It takes place in the morning and will go through a ton of awesome movies that are coming out… and maybe we’ll get some more Star Wars: The Last Jedi news? And maybe a name for the yet-untitled Han Solo movie? There are a lot of things to be excited about in the world of Disney’s movies. In the afternoon the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts panel will take a look at what is coming to the Disney Theme Parks. Hopefully there will be more news about the Star Wars themed lands during this panel. There should also be some other exciting announcements coming but personally, this is what I’m really looking forward to!
Tomorrow we will be reporting on DAPs Magic Twitter and Instagram throughout the day. If you haven’t followed them yet, make sure and do so! Please take a moment to subscribe to DAPs Magic as well in the column on the right so you never miss a story as we sound out our daily updates!
What did you think of Day 1 of the 2017 D23 Expo? What do you think was the most exciting thing of the day? Let us know in the comments section below!
