Though they maintain a presence at events and conventions throughout the year, Disney tends to flex a few muscles when it comes to their own in-house D23 Expo, taking place at either the Walt Disney World or Disneyland parks in the United States.
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Studios like Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm all feature exciting new announcements and footage debuts at the event, giving fans a treat they might not see even at Star Wars Celebration or San Diego Comic-Con.
This year’s D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center in California is sure to be another huge event and fans can start making their preparations as Disney has just released the full lineup of events that will take place over the three-day weekend event.
In 2015, Marvel Studios skipped their regular Hall H showing so that they could focus on a huge presentation for D23—so it goes to show how important this event is for their parent company. At that presentation, the superhero studio presented the first look of concept art for Doctor Strange and debuted footage of Captain America: Civil War.
Lucasfilm didn’t skimp out, either, as they revealed a photo of the cast of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and unveiled Colin Trevorrow as the director of Star Wars: Episode IX.
So there’s now a precedent for huge reveals at the D23 Expo, and this year shouldn’t be any different as Star Wars, the Avengers, and Pixar franchises like the Incredibles, Toy Story, and Cars are all set to receive new installments in the future.
Check out the schedule on the following slides and gear up to get excited for some amazing announcements from the House of Mouse.
Friday, July 14
Disney Legends Awards Ceremony (10 a.m.)
Disney CEO Bob Iger is set to induct the latest wave of Disney Legends, including Star Wars stalwarts Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill.
The late Fisher will surely be celebrated as an icon, much like she deserves, in a ceremony that should prove to be a tearjerker.
Hamill paid homage to his on-screen sister at Star Wars Celebration and it was one of the highlights of the event.
The two will also be joined by Marvel’s Stan Lee, Oprah Winfrey, directors Julie Taymor and Garry Marshal, as well as animation giants Clyde Geronimi and Manuel Gonzales, and Disney Parks Imagineer Wayne Jackson.
Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios (2:30 p.m.)
Disney promises to provide new looks and information for films such as Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, Coco, and The Incredibles 2.
But with new release dates announced for films like Frozen 2 and others, we might just be getting our first look at some highly anticipated animated features.
Disney might even announce some new details about the long-in-production Toy Story 4. Hopefully we learn more about Buzz and Woody’s attempts to rescue Bo, who was missing in the third installment of the franchise.
Saturday, July 15
The Walt Disney Studios Live-Action Films (10:30 a.m.)
Probably the most anticipated panel of the entire event, a lot of people are looking forward to see what Disney has in store for fans on Saturday morning.
Lucasfilm and Marvel are probably going to provide some glimpses at films like Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Thor: Ragnarok, but will they go a step further?
Perhaps we might see some footage from the highly anticipated Avengers: Infinity War?
Or maybe we’ll finally get the official title of the in-production Han Solo spinoff film?
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts (3 p.m.)
At D23 Expo in 2015 the company officially announced their intentions to expand Disneyland and Walt Disney World with Star Wars additions to the parks.
Now that those are on the horizon with an official release date in 2019, will we learn more about what attractions they plan to offer?
And maybe we’ll learn more about the rumored expansions into Marvel superhero territory, which began with the creation of this summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout attraction.
Sunday, July 16
A Whole New World of Alan Menken (1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.)
An event so awesome they have to do it twice.
Alan Menken has written many amazing songs for Disney films over the years, and his classic music from Beauty and the Beast has once again captivated movie goers as the live-action remake breaks box office records.
Menken will be performing music from his historic career while telling stories about how he created the iconic music.
The one-man-show will showcase music from hit films like Aladdin, the Little Mermaid, Enchanted, Tangled, and even his Broadway classic Little Shop of Horrors.
What a perfect way to cap off the event, with some magical music from the iconic Disney legend.
Find more information and get your tickets at the D23 Expo website.
