Disney and ESPN Bring the Super Bowl Celebration to the D23 Show Floor
ESPN and Disney are heading to the Super Bowl together, and on the D23 show floor, Disney fans got to join the journey. The experience invited us along on ESPN’s road trip to SoFi Stadium, reminding us of the decades of Disney Super Bowl tradition before giving us the chance to create our own “I’m Going to Disneyland” moment.
Before entering the main activation, guests navigated a queue featuring the “We’re Going to the Super Bowl” commercial campaign. These spots included NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell interacting with the ESPN app mascot, while action-figure versions of Pat McAfee and the Manning brothers appeared alongside Buzz Lightyear, underscoring the integration of the Disney universe. It’s all hands on deck.
Continuing through the queue, we passed road trip scenes, including highway signs and even numerous pieces of luggage covered in a mix of stickers. ESPN catchphrases like “Booyah” appeared alongside familiar characters within the Disney universe. Standing alongside the queue were various 2D celebrity cutouts, like Pat McAfee, Jason Kelce, and Mike Greenberg mixed in with Lightning McQueen, Goofy, Darth Vader, and Iron Man.
And then we were invited to step into the fantastic “We’re Going to the Super Bowl” poster scene alongside Mickey and Minnie, R2-D2, Moana, Spider-Man, Lisa Simpson, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and many others. Such a clever design, letting us step into the event poster.
Our next step was into the tunnels, where we could imagine we were at SoFi Stadium preparing for the big game. We watched a montage of previous Super Bowl champions’ declarations. And then it was our turn. The set of SoFi Stadium and the Lombardi Trophy gleamed under the lights as confetti filled the air, and we excitedly joined the ranks, declaring, “I’m Going to Disneyland.” It’s something we’ve done as Disney fans here and there over the years, but under the confetti, with the trophy nearby, it felt extra special.
Before we left, we were reminded to check our email for the celebration video and were given a postcard of our poster photo taken earlier. But the real keepsake for me was the Mickey Mouse pin featuring the Super Bowl LXI logo. I especially loved the playful wink on Mickey’s face, almost a tease that he knows what’s ahead.
I’m incredibly excited to experience an ESPN Super Bowl. I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us as sports fans, as Disney fans.
