Discounted admission tickets & VIP packages are now on sale for the 2011 D23 EXPO

Jim Hill

14 years ago

It's a pretty common refrain among Disneyana fans. That – because they didn't know what the inaugural D23 EXPO was actually going to be like – these people opted out of being in the Anaheim area September 10 – 13, 2009. Which is how they missed out on seeing Johnny Depp making that surprise appearance (in full Captain Jack Sparrow garb, no less) …

Former Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook and Johnny Depp at the 2009 D23 EXPO.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

… or watching the Muppets roll across the stage at the Anaheim Convention Center Arena aboard a miniature version of the Mark Twain.

But you can bet that these people are not going to make the same mistake come August 19 – 21, 2011. Which is when the second Ultimate Disney Fan Experience will be held right across the street from Disney California Adventure Park.

So if you want to be sure and score tickets to the 2011 D23 EXPO, you really don't want to dawdle, folks. Especially if you're interested in snagging some of the special VIP packages that The Official Disney Fan Club will be offering this time around.

Photo by Angela Ragno

"What sort of VIP packages?," you ask. Well, if you purchase the Premiere package for the 2011 D23 EXPO, you'll get:

Three days of admission to the D23 EXPO
Reserved seating at all events and presentations in the Arena
Access to a relaxing Premiere lounge with concierge and complimentary refreshments, as well as a special exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives
A D23 EXPO autograph book
A special Premiere package gift bag

And you opt to go with the Sorcerer package instead, you'll then get all of the same benefits as someone who purchased the Premiere package PLUS:

Photo by Angela Ragno

A private tour of and reception in the "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives" exhibit the night before the Expo opens
Exclusive hardhat tour of the show floor prior to opening
Limited edition artwork signed by Disney artist Dave Pacheco
Reserved seating at all presentations and panels
A voucher for an appointment with an on-site massage therapist
Special shopping opportunities at the Disney Dream Store
A hardbound, collectible D23 EXPO guidebook.

That all sounds pretty cool, don't you think? Well, now comes the downside: Only 250 Premiere packages will be sold for the 2011 D23 EXPO. And these packages will be $500 apiece. Whereas those Sorcerer packages … There'll only be 50 of those made available to D23 members for this 2011 event. And those will be $1000 apiece.

I bring up these VIP packages up because – given that tickets to the 2011 D23 EXPO go on sale today – chances are, given their limited availability, the Premiere & Sorcerer packages will be the first to sell out.

But if those $500 & $1000 packages are a bit outside of your price range … Not to worry. If you buy your tickets to the Ultimate Disney Fan Event before December 31^st, you can then score passes to the 2011 D23 EXPO at a significantly discounted price.

To be specific: D23 members can purchase a one-day admission to this event for only $30 for adults and $22 for children 3-12. Whereas members of the general public will have to pay $37 for a single-day adult admission and $27 for each of their kids.

And when it comes to multi-day tickets to the Ultimate Disney Fan Event, that's when the real savings kick in. If D23 members purchase four three-day tickets to the 2011 D23 EXPO, they can then save as much as $204 on the price of admission.

For more information about the various pricing structures that D23 will be offering this time around, you should probably head over the official site ASAP. Especially if you're interesting in scoring one of those extremely limited Premiere or Sorcerer packages.

And speaking of limited tickets … A week from today, D23 will be making 225 seats available for the really-for-real final run of Disney's Hollywood Studios' "Star Tours" attraction. So if you missed out on last week's "Last Tour to Endor" event and would still like to say good-bye to this groundbreaking simulator, you A) have a week to become a member in good standing of D23and B) really want to be by a phone at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, August 26^th. Because those seats are sure to go faster than " … light speed to Endor."

For further info on D23's Star Tours Final Flight event at the Walt Disney World Resort, please click on this link.

And you'd like to know what else is going on this week with The Official Disney Fan Club, you should definitely check out the latest edition of the Disney Geek vlog. Where Jeffrey Epstein shares some highlights from last week's World of Cars Online launch event in Toluca Lake as well as talking up those "Tales from Earthsea" screenings that are now being held in NY and LA.

[View:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OU6KWyUGUA]

Your thoughts?