With August just around the corner, Disney gave us some great D23 Ultimate Fan Event announcements this week! From new afternoon offerings to panels and more, the event is starting to take shape! This event is THE event to go to if you’re a Disney fan and it’s shaping up to be another incredible adventure through the worlds of Disney!
All NEW Afternoon Programming
Back in 2024, once it was time to go to the Honda center for the big panels, the Anaheim Convention Center shut down for the night. Not everyone could get tickets to the Honda Center so I really felt like that was such a waste for those people to have nothing to do. Well Disney wised up and fixed that this year! The D23 Ultimate Fan Event announcements this week included information on some afternoon and evening programming that will be available to all day fan pass ticket holders as well as just afternoon pass holders. I did get tickets to the Honda Center again this year but only for me so it will be nice that my family can still have something fun to do at the convention center!
Disney Rewind Concert
On Friday at 7pm and Saturday at 6:30pm Disney is hosting the ultimate throwback event! The Disney Rewind Concert will feature performances byDisney Broadway stars, Jodi Benson, Susan Egan, Bill Farmer and more. It will be like a mixtape concert spanning the 80’s and 90’s Disney music we love. Everything from Powerline to the Muses and the Disney Afternoon! They did a smaller scale version of this at Destination D23 last August and it was super fun. I have no doubt this one will be even bigger!
A Whole New World of Alan Menken
On Sunday at 6pm, Disney Legend Alan Menken will put on a one mane concert of some of his most iconic works. Colors of the Wind, Go the Distance, Part of Your World, the list goes on! If you are a 90’s kid like me, chances are this man created your favorite Disney song. I feel like this will be such a nice, low key event!
Panels
The D23 Ultimate Fan Event announcements wouldn’t be complete without telling us what some of the panels will be each day! Trying to plan out what panels we were going to do was the hardest part last time. There were so many amazing things we wanted to go to and they overlapped so we had to really pick and choose. This years line up is shaping up to be just as incredible, my Disney nerd is already so happy!
Friday, August 14th
- Walt Disney: 125 Years of Inspiration: This one is a celebration of Walt’s 125 birthday with those who knew him and were inspired by him. It says there will be some special performances and just a fun celebration of Walt Disney!
- Ink & Paint at Disney Animation: This panel is going to discuss and show all the steps that happen in the Ink & Paint department at Disney Animation Studios. From the first drawing to the last brush stroke, how all our favorite animated movies come to life!
- 20 Years of Enchanted: A Love Letter to Disney: Disney’s description here makes this one intriguing! They say it will be “a fast paced, Easter egg filled tribute featuring special guests and surprises from The Walt Disney Archives”. I am a sucker for anything with the archives so count me in! Haha!!
- The Quest Ahead for Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game: If you are a Lorcana fan, this sounds like the one you can’t miss! There will be announcements about new events coming to Disney locations and set releases in 2027. Disney says this panel will “wow the audience with exciting announcements”. And I am sure some event exclusive cards will be involved! Throughout the day there are three speed puzzling events for Lorcana fans as well. but those will be separately ticketed.
- Houses Walt Built: The Walt Disney Family Museum: This will be another can’t miss for me. The Walt Disney Family Museum will share rare stories and photos of Walt and Lillian Disney’s homes at Woking Way, Carolwood and Smoke Tree Ranch. I love this kind of stuff so this is absolutely on my must do list!
Saturday, August 15th
- Worlds of Tinker Bell: Never Land to Pixie Hollow: All things Tinker Bell! From Peter Pan in 1953 to her own world in Pixie Hollow, this panel will celebrate all things Tinker Bell with host Ashley Eckstein.
- Disney | Marvel: A Legacy of Stories presented by M&M’s: This panel will discuss all the different worlds and stories of the Disney and Marvel universe through comics, storytelling and production insights. There is even mention of the Disney Archives having a part of this panel, interesting!!
- Disney Style Around the World: A showcase of iconic Disney fashion from all over the world! It mentions showcasing some fan favorite collaborations, wonder which ones??
- Great Moments with Walt Disney: Another must do for me! Hosted by Disney Historian Tim O’Day, this panel will share rare videos of Walt and stories of his more comedic side.
Sunday, August 16th
- The Disney Experience Auction – Rare & Remarkable Finds: This is a live and online auction of rare Disney pieces from the parks and resorts! Hosted by the voice of Mickey Mouse, Brett Iwan, fans will be able to bid on these rare finds in real time! I have no doubt there will be some really cool stuff here!!
- One Hundred & One Dalmatians 65th Anniversary: A celebration of the film and a look back at some rarely seen art from The Walt Disney Animation Research Library. Would be funny if they just had 101 Dalmatians running around everywhere! Haha!
- Searching for the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House: Artist Kevin Kidney shares his adventure to the original filming location of Swiss Family Robinson. He went to the actual Swiss Family Robinson Tree House on this tropical island that inspired the ones in the Disney parks we know today!
Conclusion
I have no doubt this is just the beginning of the D23 Ultimate Fan Event announcements. Over the next month we will hear all kinds of new announcements and schedules. Not to mention there are a million and one things to see and do on the showroom floor. That’s the one place I felt like we didn’t get to spend a lot of time or really see everything last time. There are still some select afternoon and Sunday tickets available, believe it or not! You can find those here, just remember you must be a D23 Gold member to purchase tickets. We are getting excited to go back to California and experience this again. It was so much fun in 2024! If you are going to, I hope you are excited about all the announcements this week!! Thanks for reading along and have a magical day!