D23 has three separate ticketed events at Walt Disney World the first weekend of October, all tied to the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort and the larger Walt Disney: 125 Years of Inspiration celebration. Tickets for all three go on sale Friday, August 28.
It’s the kind of Orlando programming push D23 has leaned on in years without the biennial main event, following the same pattern we saw with Destination D23’s Day 1 and Day 2 coverage last August, and it comes fresh off the news out of the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase at this year’s main event in Anaheim, including the Carousel of Progress refurbishment that gets its own deep dive at one of these three events.
D23 Lunch with Disney Legend Joe Rohde (October 2)
Held at California Grill inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort, this event pairs a buffet lunch overlooking Seven Seas Lagoon with a 45-minute moderated conversation with Disney Legend Joe Rohde, the Imagineer behind Animal Kingdom, Aulani, and other landmark Disney destinations. Every attendee takes home a signed copy of Rohde’s new book, Floating Mountains: The Art of Imagining the Impossible.
Gold Member tickets are $159 plus a $3 processing fee and go on sale at 11 a.m. PT / 2 p.m. ET. General Member tickets are $199 plus the processing fee and go on sale at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. Get tickets here.
Beauty and the Beast 35th Anniversary Screening with Disney Legend Mark Henn (October 3)
This one takes over AMC DINE-IN Disney Springs 24 for a big-screen anniversary screening of the 1991 animated classic, preceded by a moderated discussion with Disney Legend Mark Henn, the supervising animator behind Belle. Every ticket includes the screening, a limited-release 35th anniversary pin, an event credential, and a popcorn and fountain drink voucher.
Gold Member tickets are $49 plus a $3 processing fee, and General Member tickets are $59 plus the fee. Both go on sale at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Get tickets here.
D23 Spotlight Series: 55 Magical Years of Storytelling (October 4)
The weekend closes out at Disney’s Contemporary Resort with a Walt Disney Archives panel built around the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney World. Joe Rohde opens the program with a session on storytelling, followed by archivists and Imagineers walking through the history of Carousel of Progress, including new finds from its ongoing refurbishment. Every attendee gets a limited-release Walt Disney World Resort pin.
VIP ticket holders get considerably more. After the panel, VIP guests head to a dessert reception at the West Rotunda with two character meet-and-greet opportunities, a Disney Springs coupon package, and fireworks viewing from the Contemporary Resort to close out the night.
Panel-only tickets are $59 plus a $3 processing fee. VIP tickets are $159 plus the fee. Both go on sale at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET. Get panel-only tickets here. Get VIP tickets here.
We’re going VIP for this one ourselves. Hearing Joe Rohde and the Archives team talk through Carousel of Progress history is reason enough, but adding fireworks viewing and two character meet-and-greets to a dessert reception at the Contemporary is what pushes this from a panel we’d attend into an event worth planning a night around.
Tickets for all three events go live Friday, August 28, through the links above. D23 Membership is required to purchase, and quantities are limited on a first-come, first-served basis.
D23’s New Walt Disney World Weekend Includes Fireworks, Character Meetups, and Joe Rohde
