Last weekend we went to the Spooktacular Spotlight with D23! The event included an early morning special screening of Villains Unfairly Ever After in Hollywood Studios. We also had special presentation at Disney Springs. The panel at Disney Springs was with Walt Disney Archives. It went through all kinds of fun behind the scenes info about Haunted Mansion. My Disney nerd brain was very happy! D23 has done a few Spotlight Series here in Disney World and they are always a good time!
What Was Included in the Spooktacular Spotlight
This event was $67 per person plus a $3 processing fee and only open to D23 Gold Members. The tickets included:
- Transportation to Hollywood Studios from Disney Springs and back
- Private showing of Villains Unfairly Ever After
- Popcorn and a drink at the AMC Theater
- Spooktacular Spotlight presentation with Walt Disney Archives
- Event exclusive credential badge
- Event exclusive pin
Tickets were available to purchase in the D23 app or on the D23 website after logging into your member account. This event did sell out but there were tickets still available early in the week!
Spooktacular Spotlight Early Morning
I think this is the earliest we have had to be at a D23 event besides the big ones! Nothing will ever be as early as that 3am wake up call in Anaheim to sit on a concrete floor for four hours! We had to check in at the surface parking bus loop in Disney Springs at 7:30am. From here we boarded buses to take us over to Hollywood Studios. If you have ever done any kind of special event where you are wearing a badge and walking through the park in a big group you know the looks you get! Everyone trying to read your badge and asking what the group is there for, we got all of that. Hahaha!
We were escorted right over to the theater to see a private showing of Villains Unfairly Ever After where Captain Hook won! He’s the only one I had not see win so I was happy about that, I love Captain Hook! Also, fun fact, pay attention to the wallpaper in the theater before and after the show. Each villain leaves their mark! This was very cool but I honestly felt like for a Spooktacular Spotlight with D23 maybe an early morning ride on Haunted Mansion would have been a better fit.
Spooktacular Spotlight with The Walt Disney Archives
Next we were bussed back over to Disney Springs for the Spooktacular Spotlight with D23 presentation at the AMC Theater. These presentations are always my favorite because I love random Disney facts and knowledge. My brain is full of what most people would consider useless facts about all things Disney. This presentation was lead by Daniel Joseph from Walt Disney Imagineering. Daniel is in the Executive Illusions and Effects Department within WDI. He was recently inducted into the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame!
Daniel took us through special effects and illusion development. He gave us a peek inside the Illusioneering Lab at Walt Disney Imagineering. It was really interesting to see how these guys come up with the things we enjoy in the parks. He showed little, working scale models of things. We got to see the Hatbox Ghost and the effect where the Beast changes into the prince in Tokyo’s Beauty and the Beast ride. He talked about how they basically play around and experiment until they can figure out how to make the idea work.
Daniel talked a lot about Yale Gracey and how he inspired the illusioneering within Walt Disney Imagineering, then called WED. We got to see some of Gracey’s original sketches of ideas and plans for the Haunted Mansion. Daniel also talked about the failed Hatbox Ghost. How Yale Gracey would not let it remain in the ride not working. Did you know that original failed because the dimensions were not the same in the ride as they were in the lab where the Hatbox Ghost was made and tested? Because of that the lightning could not be what was needed for the effect to work and so he was removed.
Conclusion
I honestly love these Spotlight Series events D23 is doing. They are not flashy and may seem boring to some but my Disney nerd heart loves hearing all these stories! In another life working for Walt Disney Archives would have been the dream. My only real complaint about this one was just the timing. It was a little funky. There was a lot of weird down time between when we got bak to Disney Springs at 10:30 and when the presentation started at 12. I feel like they could have started at 11:30 and the flow would have felt a little better. I am sure they were trying to account for possible transportation issues or delays but it was just a weird amount of time between the two things.
Also, as I mentioned, it seems like it would have made more sense to do an early morning ride on Haunted Mansion instead of seeing the Villains show. But again, I am sure the logistics were the reason they did it the way they did and it was a good time nonetheless. If you have the opportunity to go to a Spotlight Series event like the Spooktacular Spotlight with D23, I highly recommend it! These events are low key and so much fun! The presenters are always funny and clearly love what they do which makes it so engaging. Thanks for reading along and I hope you have a spooktacularly magical day!
