(Anaheim, California) We heard this phrase dozens of times during our weekend in Anaheim, California, where The Walt Disney Company held its eighth annual D23 event every two years. It’s true that these fans are the most passionate.
Tens of thousands of people from more than 35 countries paraded through the Anaheim Convention Center during the three days of D23. A good portion were in costume: princesses, superheroes, stormtroopers and Mickey Mouse ears as far as the eye could see.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
All the Disney princesses were represented.
In line at the opening Friday, a group of ladies aged 50 to 65 from San Diego are impatient but smiling. Three of the five friends were attending their eighth D23, each year. “We met at a Hallmark convention in Kansas City. We discovered our mutual love of Disney and have been coming here together ever since. We always have a great time… except for the long lines,” says Tonie Sherman, a member of the official Disney fan club since its inception in 2009. D23 is primarily a fan club, named after the year the Walt Disney Company was founded.
Once inside, the scale of the place is almost disconcerting. Queues have already formed everywhere. We realize how gigantic and interconnected the Disney empire is.
Of course, movies and TV shows are promoted, but so are amusement parks, Broadway shows, cruises, themed weddings and more. Iconic characters are everywhere, whether in the form of stuffed animals and jewelry or selling vacation packages and cars.
PHOTO IMAGE GROUP LA, THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
One of the many Deadpools we’ve come across
Interactive kiosks offer a variety of experiences. For example, Lucasfilm’s allows you to see how Industrial Light & Magic’s StageCraft virtual studio works, used in the series, among others. The Mandalorian And Obi-Wan Kenobi. The effect of the speed of light is quite impressive.
Marvel offers a tour of the Time Variation Authority (TVA), seen in the series Loki and the movie Deadpool & Wolverine. In addition to the beautiful scenery and costumes along the way, it is possible to interact with one of the Guardians of the Galaxy, Rocket Raccoon, powered by artificial intelligence. He asked us if we knew how to speak Groot, the language of his good friend who looks like a tree. It seems that we made a faux pas…
You can also explore Pandora, the world of the Avatar films, take a look in the kitchen of the series The Bearpose with the Simpson family and sing along to Taylor Swift’s microphone. Bluey and Bingo mascots delight toddlers, as do dozens of giant statues of characters from Disney and Pixar animation studios.
We also attended one of the many conferences given by the latter. It focused on the 30 years of Toy Story. Filmmakers Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton, who helped write the film, producer Bonnie Arnold and three other members of the original team reminisced about Pixar’s humble beginnings. Docter, now the company’s chief creative officer, noted that about 125 people were involved in creating the first computer-animated feature film, compared with today’s figure of animators in just one division.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY
Mickey and Minnie Mouse at the parade at Disneyland
In addition to the many personalities present at the Disney Entertainment and Experiences evenings, many met their fans in the convention center and outside. The Quebec group Simple Plan gave a show, while the cast ofAgatha All Alongwhich airs on Disney+ starting September 18, took part in a karaoke session aboard a bus in the colors of the series. Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, a nearby theme park, were also the site of several activities, including a parade.
Transportation and accommodation costs for this trip were paid by The Walt Disney Company, which had no say in the content of this report.