Look at this trove, Treasures untold How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Well, the Anaheim Convention Center is pretty cavernous. It has 813,000 square feet of exhibit space, to be exact. Plus 51 different meeting rooms. And did I mention those 7,500 seats in the Anaheim Arena?
“So why should I care about how big Anaheim’s convention is?,” you ask. Because based on the preliminary description of live events, interactive pavilions & one-of-a-kind entertainment that D23 just released in regards to its first-ever Expo, The Walt Disney Company is going to need every square inch of this 53-acre facility. For “The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience” really is going to be that big a show.
Anaheim Convention Center
How big? We’re talking about four days of unprecedented access to virtually every corner of the Mouse House. Where seemingly each arm of the Disney corporation is in direct competition to see who can mount the most lavish, over-the-top display.
Take — for example — what Walt Disney Pictures has in the works for the D23 Expo. They’re building a state-of-the-art cinema right inside of the convention center and then screening exclusive previews of such highly anticipated releases as “Rapunzel,” “Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland,” ” TRON,” “Toy Story 3,” “”Prince of Persia: The Sands of Times” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
So how can the Walt Disney Archives ever hope to top something like that? Well, they plan on hauling three dozen props, artifacts and costumes down to Anaheim that have never before been on display in public. We’re talking about ridiculously rare items like a fully restored, 11-foot model of the Nautilus from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” and that jewel-encrusted book that you see in the opening moments of “Sleeping Beauty.”
As for Disney Parks and Resorts, they’ll have Imagineers on hand that will talk up the new technologies & experiences that are currently in the works. With a particular emphasis being placed on all those new rides, shows and attractions that are being built right across the street for Disney’s California Adventure.
Copyright 2009 Disney. All Rights Reserved
Me personally, what I find most intriguing about the D23 Expo is the extraordinary effort that the Mouse is making in order to try & create an event that will appeal to all levels of fandom. For fans of the Disney classics, there’s the “50 and Fabulous Film Festival.” Which will celebrate the 50th anniversary of “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Shaggy Dog” and “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” three Walt Disney Productions that were originally released back in 1959.
For fans who prefer Disney movies of a more recent vintage, there’ll be an advance screening of the second home premiere in the “Disney Fairies” series, “Tinkerbell: Lost Treasure.”
For all you pomp & circumstance fans out there, the D23 Expo is now going to be the home of the Disney Legends Awards. Which means that — on Saturday, September 12th — for the first time ever, members of the general public will be able to look on as the 2009 recipients are inducted.
And it’s not just the Studios & the Parks that will be in the spotlight here. Radio Disney, the Disney Channel and ESPN will also be taking part in the D23 Expo. With each of these media networks bringing surprise entertainment and staging special events at this four-day-long “Ultimate Disney Fan Experience.”
Copyright 2009 Disney. All Rights Reserved
There’s all this — plus the full-sized “Disney Dream Home,” which will feature eight rooms full of stylish Disney Consumer Products. Plus “Disney Dream Store,” where exclusive D23 Expo merchandise will be on sale. Plus Disney couture fashion shows. Plus a Disney on Broadway boutique. Plus a Disney pin-trading headquarters. Plus the Disney Fan Art Gallery.
We’re already talking about an awful lot of show here. With even more pieces of the D23 Expo entertainment schedule to be revealed in the weeks and months ahead. But know this: The Anaheim Convention Center — as large as it may be — still won’t hold ALL of the Disneyana fans in the world. So if you want to be sure and get in on the first-ever “Ultimate Disney Fan Experience,” the time to act is NOW.
Tickets to the D23 Expo are available for purchase starting today at noon. Admission includes access to all experiences & entertainment at the convention center and can be purchased for single day increments or for the full four days of festivities. One-day admissions for adults can be purchased for $37, $27 for children 3-12. Four-day passes are also available at $111 for adults and $81 for children. With admission being discounted for members of D23.
For further information about this celebration of the past, present and future of The Walt Disney Company, please click on this link.