Photo Credit: Krista

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In just a few days tens of thousands of Disney fans will join together in Anaheim when D23 (The Official Disney Fan Club) presents the 2015 D23 Expo. There will be Disney legends and celebrities, sneak peeks of upcoming Disney entertainment, exclusive products for all-types of Disney collectors, and countless fans showing off their DisneySide in attire and cosplay. This official fan club is called “D23” because 1923 was the year when Walt Disney arrived in California with barely $40 in his pocket and big dreams for his future. This will be the fourth D23 Expo in California which happens every other year. The inaugural D23 Expo was held for three days in September 2009 at the Anaheim Convention Center and we were there. This was a brand-new event for Disney and we weren’t sure what to anticipate. We didn’t really have a plan or a high set of expectations – we just went with the flow and figured it out as the days progressed. After skipping the D23 Expos in 2011 and 2013, we have decided to attend again this year and are looking forward to the 2015 D23 Expo which promises to be the biggest and best yet. As we’ve been getting ready for this year’s event, I decided to look back and reminisce about the inaugural event in 2009. The first-ever D23 Expo in 2009 established the tradition of bringing “all the magic and excitement of the past, present, and future of Disney entertainment” together under one roof. Here were some of our favorite experiences from the 2009 D23 Expo:

• Cars Land Preview at the Disney Parks & Resorts exhibit. The plans for Cars Land were announced in 2007 and the new attractions opened in 2012. At this exhibit in 2009 we were able to view scale models of what was being imagined and other aspects of this new land at Disney California Adventure.

D23 Expo 2009 | Cars Land Concept Model | Photo Credits: Krista

• New Products from Disney Licensed Partners. So many items in all categories. We especially liked seeing the new Disney LEGO sets featuring Toy Story 2.
• Walt Disney Archives Display. Costumes and props from Disney movies and shows through the years. Many of these items are rarely brought out for public viewing.
• Art Displays and Installations. There were static displays of two-dimensional and three-dimensional art. There were occasions to meet artists and get pieces autographed. LEGO had an evolving art installation that was completed on the 3^rd day.

D23 Expo 2009 | LEGO Art Installation | Before = Under Construction | After = “Walt Disney, D23 Expo Art, Imagine What the Future Holds” (completely made out of LEGOs) | Photo Credits: Krista

• Photo Opportunities. We enjoyed taking pictures with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. There were also Disney parade floats from the Electrical Light Parade – we took our picture with the snail.

D23 Expo 2009 | Photo Opportunities Galore | Photo Credits: Krista & Lloyd’s personal collection

• Artist & Author Signings. In 2009 I had the opportunity to meet artist Jim Shore and have one of his pieces, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, autographed. Another signing I participated in was meeting Ridley Pearson, author of Disney at Dawn (Kingdom Keepers Series #2).

D23 Expo 2009 | Krista with artist Jim Shore | Photo Credit: Lloyd

• Unforgettable Presentation of The Boys with musical serenade by Richard M. Sherman. This was one of our favorite experiences from the 2009 D23 Expo. We viewed the 2009 American documentary, The Boys, about the Sherman Brothers’ Story. The film was directed and produced by the sons of Richard Sherman and Robert Sherman. Their story is fascinating considering the fact that they didn’t get along for most of their adult lives, including much of the time they composed music for Walt Disney. Both of the sons, Greg Sherman and Jeff Sherman, were at the viewing and spoke about it afterward. We also heard some special music played on acoustic guitar from the album “Poppin Guitars – A Spoonful of Sugar”. The final treat of the evening was Richard Sherman came out and played several of the famous Disney songs he and his brother wrote together.

This year’s D23 Expo is shaping up to being bigger and better than the inaugural one we attended a few years ago. There is now an official D23 smartphone app – which I have downloaded and looked at several time already. Here are some other tips we plan on following:

• Wear comfortable shoes – there will be a lot of walking!
• Stay hydrated – we will be bringing along our own water.
• Be flexible – we may not be able to see everything we want to, but there will plenty of things that will delight and entertain us.
• Take it all in – we will be spending time on the exhibit floor checking out all of the displays featuring upcoming Disney magic.
• Have fun – we’re looking forward to observing all of the Disney fans as they sport their DisneySide through cosplay and Disneybounding.

Will you be attending the D23 Expo this year? What are you looking forward to seeing? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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