Destination D23 will take place from Friday, September 8 through Sunday, September 10, at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at the Walt Disney World Resort and D23 has shared the full schedule for this year’s event.
- Destination D23 is currently sold out but you can still enjoy all of the announcements shard on Saturday, September 9 as the presentations will be livestreamed for the whole day.
- The live stream will be available on the official Disney D23 YouTube channel.
- In addition to the full schedule, D23 has revealed that this year’s event will include a 60 Years of Disney’s Audio-Animatronics Technology Exhibit:
- The Walt Disney Archives and Walt Disney Imagineering join creative forces for a special exhibition at Destination D23 to celebrate the history of Audio-Animatronics technology. This exclusive exhibit will showcase the evolution of the art and its related technology through a diverse showcase of rare figural assets, photography, and vintage ephemera and documentation all in the name of celebrating key moments from Walt’s earliest inspirations and development to modern-day marvels.
- The event will also include three unique shopping experiences:
- Mickey’s of Glendale: The Walt Disney Imagineering campus store returns with a pop-up shop at the event featuring a selection of exclusive Destination D23 and Walt Disney Imagineering merchandise available for purchase. Trading pins for this event will be offered to attendees through a random selection process (RSP) opportunity.
- The Walt Disney Company Store: For the first time, D23 Gold Members on the East Coast will have access to a pop-up version of the official Walt Disney Company Store, featuring both employee- and D23 Member-exclusive merchandise! Please note that limited-edition trading pins for this event will be offered to attendees exclusively through a RSP opportunity.
- Ink & Paint Marketplace: Attendees will also have the opportunity to shop at this marketplace of exclusive Disney partners for exciting products from around The Walt Disney Company!
Full Destination D23 Schedule:
Friday, September 8, 2023
- 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.:
- Guest Services / International Credential Pick-Up Open – East Registration
- Shopping Check-In Open (Please do not arrive more than 60 minutes before your scheduled shopping time) – Porte Cochere
- 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. :
- Gift Pick-Up Open – Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2
- Mickey’s of Glendale Shopping Open – Ballroom of the Americas, 2nd Floor
- The Walt Disney Company Store – Grand Republic Ballroom D, 2nd Floor
- Ink & Paint Marketplace – Grand Republic Ballroom B, 2nd Floor
- Please note: Reservations required to access the shopping locations on Friday, September 8!
- 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.:
- Mickey’s of Glendale RSP Pick-Up – West Registration
- The Walt Disney Company Store RSP Pick-Up – Sorcerer’s Apprentice 2
- 9:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.:
- The Plausible Impossible 60 Years of Disney Audio-Animatronics Technology – Sorcerer’s Apprentice 3
Saturday, September 9, 2023
- 7 a.m.:
- Queue for both General Seating and Preferred Seating Opens – Disney’s Contemporary Resort Convention Center, 1st Floor Lobby
- 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.:
- Guest Services / International Credential Pick-Up Open – East Registration
- 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.:
- The Plausible Impossible 60 Years of Disney Audio-Animatronics Technology(closed during presentations) – Sorcerer’s Apprentice 3
- 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.:
- Mickey’s of Glendale Shopping Open – Ballroom of the Americas, 2nd Floor
- The Walt Disney Company Store – Grand Republic Ballroom D, 2nd Floor
- Ink & Paint Marketplace – Grand Republic Ballroom B, 2nd Floor
- 8:15 a.m.:
- Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom H
- 8:30 a.m.:
- Doors Open – General Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom G
- 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.:
- Morning presentations, including:
- Welcome! A Celebration of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Join Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro and special guests for an entertaining presentation looking to the future of Disney parks, featuring updates from around the world and some fun surprises along the way.
- D23 Updates with Michael Vargo
- The Early ’Ears – Ub, Oswald, and Mickey: Join Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline on a journey back to the roaring ’20s and the “Early ’Ears of Disney” during this retrospective conversation, featuring iconic characters like Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey Mouse, and the Legends behind them, like Ub Iwerks and Walt Disney.
- 100 Years of Classic Characters: Unforgettable Stories: Actress and fashion icon Ashley Eckstein catches up with fellow voice actors behind fan-favorite Disney characters, including Bret Iwan (Mickey Mouse), Kaitlyn Robrock (Minnie Mouse), and Disney Legend Bill Farmer (Pluto, Goofy), for a rousing tribute to the characters that have inspired us for a century.
- 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.:
- Lunch Break
- 1:30 p.m.:
- Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom H
- Doors Open – General Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom G
- 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.:
- Afternoon presentations, including:
- National Geographic Live – Secrets of the Whales: Dive deep into the groundbreaking science of whale families—and their startlingly human parallels—through the awe-inspiring work of celebrated National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry.
- Disney Cruise Line: 25 Years of Innovative Design at Sea: Get an inside look into designing and building Disney Cruise Ships from the Disney Imagineers currently working on its newest fleet. Learn of the intricacies that go into designing unique spaces and the complexities of ship design.
- Marvel: Beyond Earth’s Mightiest – Celebrating 60 Years of The Avengers: Celebrate 60 years of Earth’s Mightiest Super Hero team, the Avengers! Since their debut in 1963’s The Avengers #1, this all-star roster of beloved characters has been uniting to fight the foes that no single hero could withstand. Now, join Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski to trace the comics history of the Avengers across six decades—and BEYOND! Surprising stories and tantalizing teases await in this can’t-miss panel about how the Avengers rose to become a pop culture phenomenon! Avengers, assemble!
- 100 Years of Innovation: Magic in Every Medium: At its core, The Walt Disney Company lives by its ability to “keep moving forward,” as curiosity leads us down new paths. Imagineers Daniel Joseph and Karin Hanson reconcile a century of innovations in which Disney stories have been brought to life through magic, connecting how they have been inspired by the innovations of yesterday, to the exciting ways they innovate through storytelling today.
- EPCOT: Always in a State of Becoming: A look into the design and ideas behind the transformation of EPCOT and its new neighborhoods, attractions, and experiences. Explore the legacy of the park and discover more about the collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney World Resort throughout this ambitious process. Highlights include details uncovered by the Marty Sklar Archives and the inspirations that have guided the evolution of Disney’s first park without a castle.
Sunday, September 10, 2023
- 7 a.m.:
- Queue for both General Seating and Preferred Seating Opens – Disney’s Contemporary Resort Convention Center, 1st Floor Lobby
- 7 a.m. – 8 p.m.:
- Guest Services / International Credential Pick-Up Open – East Registration
- 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.:
- The Plausible Impossible 60 Years of Disney Audio-Animatronics Technology – Sorcerer’s Apprentice 3
- 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.:
- Mickey’s of Glendale Shopping Open – Ballroom of the Americas, 2nd Floor
- The Walt Disney Company Store – Grand Republic Ballroom D, 2nd Floor
- Ink & Paint Marketplace – Grand Republic Ballroom B, 2nd Floor
- 8:15 a.m.:
- Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom H
- 8:30 a.m.:
- Doors Open – General Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom G
- 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.:
- Morning presentations, including:
- Walt Disney Studios Showcase: A sneak peek at exciting upcoming projects from The Walt Disney Studios.
- 100 Years of Walt Disney Animation Studios: Becky Bresee and Wayne Unten, heads of animation on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming feature Wish, sit down with legendary animator Mark Henn to revisit some of their favorite filmmaking memories.
- Disney Global Ambassador Showdown: Join Disney Parks Ambassadors from every Disney destination around the world, as we learn more about each of their home resorts and engage them in a friendly competition to see whose resort is the “best of the best!”
- Weird Disney: Centennial Edition: Get weird with the Walt Disney Archives and experience 100 years of “weird Disney” moments in the centennial edition of a Destination D23 fan favorite!
- 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.:
- Lunch Break
- 1:30 p.m.:
- Doors Open – Preferred Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom H
- Doors Open – General Seating Admission – Fantasia Ballroom G
- 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.:
- Afternoon presentations, including:
- The Road to 1923: Walt Goes West: Disney Legend Don Hahn provides new and fascinating insights into Walt Disney’s fabled journey that would lead him to join his brother Roy in California, where the two would establish the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio—the beginning of what is now The Walt Disney Company.
- Down the Rabbit Hole: The Disney You Didn’t Know: Join Disney archivists and authors Kevin M. Kern and Steven Vagnini for a journey down the rabbit hole as they uncover astonishing Disney discoveries, connections, and little-known facts that will change everything—well, at least some things—you thought you knew about the Disney universe!
- 100 Years of Creativity: A Playful Look at Disney Imagination: Join Imagineers Diego Parras and Jason Grandt for a decade-by-decade look at some of the more interesting and lighthearted moments of Disney creativity from the last 100 years.
- See Ya Real Soon: A FAN-Tastic Finale
- 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.:
- DISNEY+ HALLOWSTREAM COSTUME BASH: Kick off the scariest season in style and enter the world of Hallowstream with Disney+, the streaming home of your favorite Halloween stories. With phantomized photo-ops, chilling treats, and spellbinding surprises, guests will find all their hearts’ desires in this lavish lair of scares. Don’t forget to don your favorite costume so that you can dance the night away!