Have you ever wondered what it was like to attend the biggest Disney fan event? Well now is your chance, come with me as I experience my very first D23 Expo event! The D23 Expo is held every two years in Anaheim California. This event is the ultimate Disney fan experience. So what is the D23 you might ask, well if you’re familiar with other expos such as Comicon then you’ll know just how fun an expo can be! At this event your wildest dreams can come true. With a large selection of shopping, panels, costumes, photo opportunities, and much much more! For Disney fans this is the kind of event you don’t wanna miss.
The goal with this travel blog is to share my experience at the event, and to give as many tips and tricks and as much information I can based off of my experience to further help any of you who decide to attend future events! Down below you will find detailed sections filled with as much information as I can give. Each event is always different than the last, but the general information typically stays the same. I genuinely had the most amazing time, it was such a whirlwind of an experience and if you were a Disney fan I truly believe that you should totally experience this event once in your lifetime. So as always why be boring when you could be exploring come with me as we experience the 2022 D23 Expo together!
GENERAL KNOWLEDGE:
The D23 expo is held every two years at the Anaheim Convention Center directly behind Disneyland. It is a three day event that is held on a Friday Saturday and Sunday. It typically runs from about 9 AM to 7 PM each day. It has a very well organized schedule. Each day is filled with plenty of things to do and to choose from. The nice thing about this event is that there is so many things offered, and that you really get the choice to choose what kind of experience you’re looking to have. As I mentioned before the convention center is filled with different panels and shopping or experiences in general. You really get the choice to choose the experience if you’re somebody who is looking to spend your time shopping you will come across hundreds of different booths filled with exclusive merch to this event. Some of the biggest name brands attend this event and set up booths with items that you can’t find anywhere else. The shopping itself is such an experience on its own. While exploring the booths I found so many items that were so unique to this event. It was a really cool experience to see big name brands create specific products for the expo. There is such a wide range of shopping that you were bound to find something amazing for yourself.
If you are somebody who is looking to experience as many panels as you can as I mentioned before there is an extremely detailed schedule that is extremely organized. You can spend your time absorbing as much Disney knowledge as possible. These panels range from many different categories to many different experiences. Some panels will give you in-depth behind-the-scenes and knowledge on certain Disney topics movies or theme parks. Some panels will give you exclusive previews to upcoming films and TV shows. There is such a wide range and each panel really offers some thing that you can’t get anywhere else. The fun thing about the panels is you never know who is going to show up. You might just look out and see your favorite celebrity or star from a movie. May be a famous author that you followed for a long time. This event hosts so many people that are involved with the Disney company. So it’s really a cool treat when you get to see these people in person and listen to what they have to offer these projects and the Disney experience.
The expo is also filled with many things to explore. At this event I came across plenty of booths that were very interactive. There were virtual experience booths, Disney memorabilia booths, and a ton of different photo ops that you can’t experience anywhere else.
One of my favorite exhibits they had was Walt's Airplane. It was such a cool part of Disney history and I felt so happy to get the chance to experience it in person! They also had exhibits like the Wonderful World of Dreams where they showcased all things new coming to the Disney theme parks. It was an exclusive behind the scenes up close and personal look at all the exciting things coming to the parks.
A BIG part of The D23 Expo that people love and participate in would be dressing up! This is the time for you to live all your costume dreams! People come up with such unique and fun ideas based off some of Disney's most well known characters. For me this was such a fun and unique experience I really cant find anywhere else. You get to see people bring these characters to life in their own way. People spend years creating costumes to bring to this event and show off. Its a cosplay playground if you ask me. There is even a costume contest during the expo which is such a fun thing to watch. Going into this event I absolutely knew I wanted to dress up and wear some fun costumes and I was so happy to get the chance. One of my favorite Disney character is Milo Thatch from the animated movie Atlantis The Lost Empire. I also have been obsessing over the return of the iconic Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi in the latest Disney+ Show. But overall the costume aspect of this event just adds such a fun charm to the overall experience and if you're planning on attending the event why not dress up and have even more fun that possible. Where else do you get to totally nerd out?
Something new that they did this year at the event was virtual queuing. They also did a lottery for reservations for panels. The virtual queue opened reservations at 6 AM every day. If you’re familiar with the virtual queue fast pass within the Disney parks this works very similar to that. The virtual queue that opens at 6 AM every day was simply for certain Shopping booths within the marketplace. This is somewhat of a luck of the draw in my opinion. It then puts you in somewhat of boarding groups and allows you to come back at a specific time to shop. The lottery that they did for the panels took place about a week before the actual event. You had the chance to go in and place your panels that you were interested in order of least interested to most interested and then it was a random pick. Disney did this in order to give people a chance to see the bigger panels because if you’re unfamiliar with the event everything is a standby line. This being a LARGE event means there are thousands and thousands of people all wanting to do the exact same thing you want to do. This lottery idea was meant to give people a chance who may not get the chance to attend bigger panels due to excessively long stand by lines and limited space within each panel. Please be aware that no matter what you’re doing within this event you will have to wait in lines. If you plan accordingly some things will have shorter thanks. But every shopping booth, panel, and photo op experience has a line formed outside of it to get in.
MY EXPERIENCE:
So as I mentioned earlier in this blog I am going to share my experience at the event. It is always been my goal to bring you guys along on this crazy journey and today is no different. This is the first time I had the chance to experience the D 23 expo. It is an event that I have been wanting to attend for very long. As a lifelong Disney fan and someone who worked for Disney this was the kind of event made for me and others like me. I have constantly seen the amazing things that have come out of this event and the amount of fun people of had. Like I said this event is every two years however this one was pushed out to a third year due to Covid. So I have had some time to plan attending this event. another big reason I wanted to attend the 2022 event was because it is the 100th anniversary of the Disney studios. If you’re a Disney fan you know that these mile stone moments typically come with lots of cool things. So attending this event was an absolute must for me.
So you’re probably wondering, how did you like the event? My answer would have to be that it was an incredible experience. Definitely a roller coaster that lasted three long days. This being my first time attending, there is always going to be challenges. But what is life without a little challenge. It was definitely a whirlwind, there was moments of absolute excitement, moments of exhaustion, moments of feeling a little overwhelmed, some confusion here and there, but overall sheer joy at what a unique experience this was. I got to experience so many different things that I can’t experience anywhere else! Some of my favorite moments had to be The Pixar / Disney Animation Panel & The Marvel / Star Wars Panel. I got to see some of my favorite actors and actress in person talking about films I love and franchises that have defined a generation. Some stand out stars I got to see was Jake Gyllenhaal, Gal Gadot, Jude Law, Angela Bassett, Tom Hiddleston, Harrison Ford and so so so many more. I got to hear about upcoming projects and see exclusive trailers and scenes from upcoming films that no one else in the general public has seen. That was something I found to be so special. Overall these panels really brought me so much joy and I was so thankful I got to experience them!
Overall my favorite thing of all was getting to spend this expo for the first time with 2 women who mean the world to me. Its truly a memory that we 3 will always cherish together. Its giving Ohana vibes if you ask me. My overall experience with the expo was a blast! I highly suggest attending future events!
TIPS FOR ATTENDING FUTURE EXPOS
HAVE A PLAN: This event has over 250+ things to do, so I highly suggest making a plan before going. some thing before going to this event you need to understand is that you are not going to experience everything they have to offer there is just no way. I know the FOMO is real. But this event offers so many things on purpose because there is just no way that many people can do every single thing. They offer so much so you can get to experience as much as possible. The first thing I highly suggest doing is downloading the D23 Expo app on your mobile device. This app will allow you the ability to look at the end of the schedule, look at different maps of the show floors, and really just has all the information related to the expo that you will need. It’s extremely convenient having it right there on your phone. I will say at the entrance of the expo they do have event guides if you are more of a hands-on type of person. D23 typically releases the schedule for the event about a week or 2 before the event. So I highly suggest looking over it and picking out the things that you were most interested in doing and trying to plan accordingly to be able to attend those things. You must remember that there are going to be plenty of other people who are also very interested in the same things as you so make sure when you were attending this event that you plan accordingly to get into lines do not show up to something right on the scheduled time because you will not get in.
EATING & SLEEPING:
These are two things that I can’t express enough when it comes to this event. These three days are going to be extremely long and you were going to be on your feet for long periods of time. As I’ve mentioned many times you will be waiting in long lines where you will need patience. Those long lines also include The food areas. There are many different options of food at the expo however there are thousands of other people who also want to eat. My biggest tip is to try not to eat on the regularly scheduled times of meals because everyone else is also going to want to eat around that time. Such as lunch around noon or dinner around 5 PM these are times that people typically eat in their regular day today schedule so therefore the lines for the food are extremely high. I will say it’s also just not convenient to eat right when you need to so you need to plan ahead because if you are hungry and you wait you’re going to have to wait even longer because of lines. My biggest tip is to eat a large breakfast before going. Most of the hotels in the local area offer a restaurant within their hotel lobby where you can get breakfast. I say to have a large breakfast because you’re going to be waiting a while to get into the convention center but then right when you get in you’re going to immediately start going to panels or shopping and so you’re automatically going to be busy for at least 2 to 4 hours. The large breakfast should be able to hold you over for some time. The next biggest thing I will say is to pack snacks. Genuinely this is some thing I wish I would have done because there was many a time where I really could’ve used one. These are long days and you’re exhibiting a lot of energy standing for long periods of time especially if you aren’t somebody who is used to standing for long periods of time. So make sure that you were well nourishing your body so that you were able to continuously go throughout each day. Another big thing I wish I would’ve done that I highly suggest doing is packing water. yes there is even lines to get a bottled water. It doesn’t hurt to have some with you. The next big thing that you definitely need to make sure that you are paying attention to and really focusing on is sleeping. Each day we woke up at about 4 AM and we didn’t get back to our hotel until 8 PM. When you get to your hotel your first priority genuinely should be sleeping I know that it’s exciting that you’re on a vacation but you have very limited time between each day to get rest and I promise you that not sleeping will be very detrimental to the next day. Every minute of sleep during this event is important so please make sure to prioritize that when returning to your hotel.
THINGS TO PACK:
BATTERY CHARGERS: I would highly suggest bringing some of those portable battery chargers for your phone. Because there is not places to charge your phone at the convention center and using the app throughout the day will drain your phone battery but also during this event you’re going to be on your phone taking photos and probably passing the time while you’re in line. You’re there for long periods of time so having these in your bag will ensure that your phone last the entire day. Make sure that you were plugging them in at your hotel right when you get there to ensure that they are fully charged.
SNACKS: As I mentioned food is not as conveniently available as you would hope for it to be so bringing snacks such as granola bars is a great thing to help you stay nourished throughout the day.
WATER BOTTLE: Nice to have while waiting in line outside, waiting in line inside, and during the seminars. There are plenty of drinking fountains around the Convention Center, but they won’t always be accessible.
POSTER TUBE: I actually found this tip on Pinterest. It was a very good tip because there is so many booths that offer artwork in the form of a poster. There are so many posters to purchase I also received posters after some of the panels that are really cool. So the poster tube is perfect to roll up your posters and protect them so that they do not get damaged when packing them to bring back home. The poster tubes fit in my suitcase so make sure that when purchasing one you also keep in mind that it needs to fit into your suitcase.
PORTABLE FAN: honestly this is probably one of the most important things in my opinion because I do not like to be hot. I found a portable neck fan on Amazon that was very convenient when standing outside because the California weather was very warm. The air pretty expensive and if you’re not a fan of the neck fan they also have handheld ones. As I mentioned I found mine on Amazon and it was a lifesaver.
SUNSCREEN: There is moments where you will be outside like when you’re waiting to get into the convention center. There’s also a large display outside of the expo center of the D 23 sign. There are also a ton of food trucks outside of the convention center. So there are a lot of times where you will be outside here in there and it’s easy to forget that you’re outside in the heat so having sunscreen on and packing it will be beneficial so that you do not burn.
HOTELS & DRIVING: The expo is held at the Anaheim convention center directly behind Disneyland. If you’re familiar with the layout of Anaheim and the area around Disneyland and then you will know that it is filled with an excessive amount of lodging. There are plenty of hotels in the local area. I highly suggest doing some research prior to the event to prioritize finding a hotel close to the convention center. As I have mentioned before it is a very long schedule and you will be waiting in lines. You want to maximize your time as much as possible. So the closer your hotel is to the convention center the less travel time you have in between getting from your hotel to the convention center. The nice thing about most of the hotels in the area is that they are all within walking distance of the convention center. I personally don’t usually rent a car when going to Disneyland and the local area because of how convenient everything is when it comes to distance. Nice thing about nowadays is that there is also the option of Uber or Lyft. With cheap costs due to the fact that everything is pretty close to each other. My group and I stayed at the Sheraton hotel located behind the convention center and it was about a five minute walk to the security line from our hotel. It was extremely convenient and we were very happy especially leaving the convention and only having to walk about five minutes to get to our room.
HELPFUL THINGS TO REMEMBER:
You will not get to do everything, and that is okay. You will get to experience so much no matter what. This event is designed to allow each person to have a day filled with mind blowing moments.
You’ve got a friend in me. A helpful thing to remember when waiting in lines. The people around you are here because they are Disney fans and they are just as excited to be here as you are. You’re gonna be waiting for long periods of time so why not spark up a conversation with the fellow fans in line. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the coolest people while waiting in the lines. Special shoutout to the new friends I made while waiting for almost 5 hours in the Marvel / Star Wars panel line. That is something I will never forget from this experience. We really had some amazing conversations and I look forward to hopefully seeing those friends at future conventions.
Solo Travel, why not? This event is for everyone and if you are a solo traveler I promise that you will have just as an amazing experience as you would if you were with a group of people. There is plenty of time for you to interact with the people around you and there is plenty of things that you can do as a solo traveler. If this is an event you’re looking forward to then absolutely do it!
Well my fellow Disney fans & Travelers our journey at The 2022 D23 Expo has come to an end, but its memory will live on for ages. I couldn't be more thankful for the chance to get to experience this event first hand. I cant express enough what a unique memory it has created and I cant suggest going enough! Thank you all for coming along on yet another adventure with The World of Dom. More adventures are right around the corner so make sure to stay tuned every week for a new Travel Blog and to see where I end up next! Until next time...
-Dom