D23 RECAP: Everything You Need to Know about Destination D23: A Journey Around the Worlds of Disney – Major Announcements and Fan Experience

This past weekend, thousands of Disney fans traveled to Florida to attend Destination D23: A Journey Around the Worlds of Disney presented by Lug^® — a one-of-a-kind, multi-day experience featuring exclusive programming, events, shopping, and more, all brought to life in a distinctly Disney way. This year’s event was bigger than ever, with an expanded footprint in a new location at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. D23 invited us to experience the event, and we were so excited not only to cover the news from the event, but to be part of a shared experience with other Disney fans from around the world. Learn about the event experience, the announcements you might have missed, and more below.

1 – Destination D23: A Journey Around the World of Disney

Destination 23 is an event held at Walt Disney World for fans. This was the ninth Destination D23 event held in Orlando. Previous events were held in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, and 2023. The event is exclusively for D23 Gold Members, and the 2025 event sold out in minutes.

2 – New Venue – Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

This year, Destination D23 took place at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, which provided a larger venue with increased capacity (around 4000). It offered fans access to more of what they love about Disney with three packed days of sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes moments, historic look-backs, special performances, shopping, surprises, and more. Overall, Destination D23 spans almost 200,000 square feet of the Convention Center at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, including shopping locations, an Archives exhibit, a stage venue, back-of-house operations, and queue space.

Three different types of tickets were sold, but regardless of the level purchased, you were guaranteed a seat during the panel sessions and were in the room where it happened. Disney did a great job of keeping things running smoothly, and I was so impressed with all the logistics behind the scenes to pull it off. I experienced no problems or issues throughout the weekend. It really was a smooth experience.

3 – Shopping Spree

On Friday, August 29, guests enjoyed a day for picking up credentials, gift bags, and completing their shopping. Registrants were able to secure specific shopping times if they so chose. It was a very busy Friday morning, but things ran smoothly, though there was a lot of waiting in line for things. Official 2025 event merchandise was available for purchase at The Walt Disney Company Store, and a wide variety of new curated products also made their debut there, as well as at Mickey’s of Glendale, Disney Studio Store Hollywood, and the Ink & Paint Marketplace. There were eleven fan-favorite vendors in the Ink & Paint Marketplace, where fans were the first to shop new products or pick up items like bags, artwork, jewelry, collectibles, games, and much, much more. While these shops were open all weekend, it was great to get a look at the merchandise and get shopping done before the main event on Saturday and Sunday.

4 – The Walt Disney Archives Presents: Charting the Course, Disney’s Global Stories & Inspirations

Throughout the weekend, additional experiences were available for Destination D23 attendees to enjoy at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, including The Walt Disney Archives Presents: Charting the Course and Disney’s Global Stories & Inspirations. This all-new exhibit celebrated the world around us and the global locations and cultures that have inspired Disney storytelling for generations. From Dwayne Johnson’s Jungle Cruise (2021) costume to animation maquettes from The Lion King (1994) and Mulan (1998) to original puppets from EPCOT’s Tapestry of Nations, fans discovered a vibrant global celebration.

I really enjoyed walking through this exhibit. It was a good mix of artifacts from sketches, models, and even an animatronic. The items I enjoyed the most were Joe Rohde’s boots and the sketchbook of the Yeti and the Little Red animatronic from Kilimanjaro Safari, which appeared in the attraction from 1998 to 2012. We have fond memories of seeing Little Red as a family, so it was especially cool to see it up close and personal.

5 – Event Programming

On Saturday and Sunday, guests enjoyed a full slate of over twenty-five specially curated presentations from across The Walt Disney Company, including Walt Disney Studios, Disney Entertainment Television, Disney Experiences, Walt Disney Imagineering, and the Walt Disney Archives. They heard firsthand from creative visionaries and talent, Imagineers, archivists, and Disney Legends, who shared major news and behind-the-scenes looks at entertainment and experiences.

6 – Day 1 Highlights and Announcements

During the “Walt Disney Studios Showcase” on Saturday, host Yvette Nicole Brown invited the creative forces behind several of The Walt Disney Company’s highly anticipated films to join her onstage and share exclusive announcements and never-before-seen clips with fans. Here are some of the news items that we’re most excited about. For the complete recap of the Walt Studios Showcase, click here.

• Pixar unveiled a sneak peek of Toy Story 5, in theaters June 19, 2026. Pixar surprised the elated audience by screening the opening three minutes of the movie. No matter your feelings about the ending of Toy Story 4, the opening sequence of the movie was great and has us eager to see the rest of the film.
• Pixar also gave a special sneak preview of the original comedy Hoppers, in theaters March 6, 2026. Director Daniel Chong and producer Nicole Paradis Grindle were joined onstage by Piper Curda (voice of Mabel) and Bobby Moynihan (voice of King George). We all roared with laughter throughout a presentation that included three exclusive clips from the film. It’s been a long time since I’ve been excited about a Pixar film, and I have to say, this film looks so good. We laughed so hard, and I can’t wait to see this next year.
• Next, it was announced that the original music from Disney’s TRON: Ares will soon be featured in  TRON attractions globally for a limited time. Worlds will collide when the red overlay and original music from Nine Inch Nails debut at TRON Lightcycle / Run presented by Enterprise at Walt Disney World Resort in September. TRON: Ares opens in theaters on October 10, 2025.
• Jared Bush, chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, was given a warm welcome when he took the stage and exclusively revealed the title, project details, and a brand-new animated logo for the November 2026 original feature, Disney’s Hexed.
• Bush also presented several exciting updates forZootopia 2,which Bush writes and directs (with Byron Howard), announcing that Patrick Warburton will voice the character Mayor Winddancer, a charismatic but clueless stallion who dreams of being as heroic in real life as the characters he once played on television. Bush introduced multiple exclusive clips from the upcoming feature film to wild applause and was joined in person onstage by characters Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and Clawhauser.

Following the Walt Disney Studios Showcase, Michael Vargo, head of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, shared several exciting programming offerings, including the return of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event to Anaheim, California, on August 14, 15, and 16, 2026.

Vargo also announced that Disney Legend Jodi Benson will serve as the first official D23 FAN-bassador, engaging with fans and making appearances with D23 throughout the year leading up to the three-day event. He then shared additional details about the next D23 Spotlight and D23 On the Road series and D23 Gold Theater events, among other offerings.

Throughout the day, fans were entertained by engaging and headline-making panels, from “The Three Caballeros: From El Grupo to Goodwill Classics” and “X Atencio: The Untold Story of a Disney Legend” to “Be Our Guest with Disney on Broadway,” and “What’Cha Doin’ with Phineas and Ferb‘s Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh,” among others.

During the “Creating the Happiest Place on Earth” panel, acclaimed filmmaker with deep Disney roots Leslie Iwerks dropped a trailer for a brand-new documentary titled Disneyland Handcrafted. Capturing the construction of the DNA of Disneyland more than 70 years ago, the film will give audiences a chance to peek through the orange groves and experience the making of the park like never before.

Later, Executive Creative Director for Walt Disney Imagineering Chris Beatty crashed the panel to reveal that guests will be able to see Walt Disney through the magic of Audio-Animatronics^® technology in Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom.

During the “What’s Cooking with Disney Eats?” panel, guests were the first to preview some of the new themed drinks coming exclusively to lounges aboard the Disney Destiny, setting sail in November 2025. Fans also got a first look at eight new novelty items coming to select Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line ships — including collectible popcorn buckets, sippers, and mugs. Additionally, fans got a first look at the outdoor patio coming to Napa Rose at Disneyland Resort.

At the “Boom, Baby! 25 Years of The Emperor’s New Groove” panel, fans got behind-the-scenes stories, little-known fun facts, and more surprises about the quirky, fan-favorite film.

7 – D23 Kuzcotopia Night at Typhoon Lagoon

To cap off the night, all Destination D23 2025 ticketholders were invited to celebrate The Emperor’s New Groove’s anniversary during “D23 Kuzcotopia Night at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon” water park. Featuring complimentary snacks, photo opportunities, special activities, and exclusive entertainment, fans had the chance to meet their favorite characters, from Kuzco to Yzma. This event was similar to Disney H2O Glow Nights at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, but was better because of the movie theme! Guests got a complimentary phone holder to protect their phones and complimentary towels. I had so much fun attending this! This was such a fantastic addition to the weekend event lineup and was a great “gift” to the fans since it was included with their registration fee.

8 – Day 2 Highlights and Announcements

Sunday got off to a villainous start with the “Disney Villains: Icons of Evil” panel, hosted by Disney Experiences. Working closely with Walt Disney Animation Studios, its design is largely influenced by the Art Nouveau style of architecture in Europe. Walt Disney Imagineers are calling its style “Conjured Architecture” — the blend of historical components and fantastical worlds that have merged to ultimately create a villains-inspired land that guests can experience firsthand. Click here to learn more.

Following additional panels — including “Part of Our World with Jodi Benson & Ron Clements,” “The Disney Family Legacy with Roy P. Disney,” and ”Down the Rabbit Hole with the Walt Disney Archives,” among others.

Guests joined fan-favorite stars for “Stay Tuned: You’re Watching Disney Channel.” Fans joined Disney Channel stars including Mykal-Michelle Harris (Disney Jr.’s Ariel – The Little Mermaid, Raven’s Home), Monique Coleman (High School Musical franchise), Jake Thomas (Lizzie McGuire), Sway Bhatia (ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires, The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers), Mia Talerico (Good Luck Charlie), Janice LeAnn Brown (Wizards Beyond Waverly Place), and Jason Dolley (Good Luck Charlie, Hatching Pete, Corey in the House, Minutemen) for a conversation moderated by Ashley Eckstein to celebrate the iconic DCOM and series franchises that bring joy, connection, and magic to generations of fans.

Then, during the “Beyond the Spires: An Insider Look at Disney Castles” panel, Imagineers announced that World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris will open in spring 2026. Its opening will mark the official transformation of Walt Disney Studios Park into Disney Adventure World, where immersive worlds inspired by the most popular Disney stories are brought to life.

The panel also revealed a new Cinderella Castle color palette, which is inspired by the classic and original look of the castle. The updated paint will feature grays, creams, blues, and touches of gold in an effort to enhance Cinderella Castle’s architecture. It was also revealed that the next episode of We Call It Imagineering will debut Monday, September 8, on Walt Disney Imagineering YouTube.

As part of the heartfelt and hilarious “A Goofy Movie: 30 Stand Out Years” panel, fans were invited to take a road trip down memory lane with director Kevin Lima and Disney Legend Bill Farmer, who shared never-before-told stories and reflected on the beloved film’s legacy.

To cap off an epic weekend of programming, fans attended the “Disney ’80s-’90s Celebration in Concert Presented by Disney+,” featuring Disney on Broadway stars Lissa deGuzman, Alyssa Fox, Bradley Gibson, Adam J. Levy, Nasia Thomas, and additional guests.

9 – Celebrating Your Love of Disney with 4000 Other Disney Fans

I really enjoyed attending Destination D23 this year! While there was a live stream available and people could read about the news later, it was really nice being in the room where you could hear from the presenters, feel the excitement from the crowd, and see the sneak peeks in person. If you have been wondering if it’s worth it to attend one of these events, I recommend trying it out. They are so much fun and exciting! The Disney fan community is fantastic, and I really enjoyed experiencing the announcements and excitement with fellow fans.

And there was so much more to enjoy than just the presentations. The shopping offered so many exclusive items, Disney Springs offered discounts over the weekend, a special presentation of The Goofy Movie was offered, and I’ve already talked about how D23 Kuzcotopia Night at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon was a great addition and event for fans to enjoy.

D23 is the Official Disney Fan Club. The name comes from Disney (“D”) and the year the Company was founded, 1923 (“23”). D23 is a year-round fan club that unlocks the magic of The Walt Disney Company by offering unprecedented access to all things Disney—past, present, and future. Destination D3 is just one of the events that D23 offers throughout the year. Beyond events, D23 is your community for everything Disney. D23 is THE place to share your love of Disney – it’s where Disney fans belong. To become a D23 Gold Member, visit JoinD23.com.

I really enjoyed the weekend and am really looking forward to next year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California, on August 14, 15, and 16, 2026. I hope to see you there!

Editor’s Note: D23 provided us complimentary media passes to Destination D23 and special media-specific events and tours during the weekend. However, as always, the thoughts and opinions contained in this article are entirely our own.