The D23 Expo 2022 from the inside: few surprises and a lot of party at the start of Disney’s centenary

Disney fans were hungry for D23 Expo. The official convention of the Walt Disney Company had to take a year off because in 2021 the coronavirus continued to make mass events difficult. But Mickey’s friends, particularly North Americans, wasted no time when it was announced that the D23 Expo would be returning to the Anaheim, California, convention center in September 2022. Tickets for the official fan club members sold out quickly. In July, there was not a single ticket left for any of the three-day event. On Friday 9 September the line in front of the congress center is lost on the horizon. Not even the unusual bad weather and the threat of heavy rains that day scared the fans, who wore everything from their favorite movie t-shirts to cosplays so full of fantasy and detail that Walt Disney himself was speechless.

It felt like a special edition. The company had marked the convention as the starting signal for its centennial celebration, so many surprises were expected. Many of the directors and creators of the different Disney departments and studios began their presentations assuring that they had waited a long time for the moment to be able to meet again with “Disney’s biggest fans”. However, it appeared that the company had not come prepared to raise the bar. There were announcements, lots of videos that won’t see the light beyond hall D23 of the convention center, and there was a lot of energy. But as the weekend went by there was a sense of contention, just in a year in which they should have given their all, and even a little more. They have shown not only their hegemony in the world of entertainment, but also that with them everything is possible and that a hundred years is nothing.

D23 Expo kicked off with the Disney Legends awards ceremony for the company’s illustrious personalities. Despite the centenary there was no gigantic name that would arouse a great impact. There was no shortage of celebrities such as Ellen Pompeo, Patrick Dempsey or the actors who lend their voices to the protagonists of ‘Frozen’, but a Robert Downey Jr., who was the great protagonist of the last celebration, was missing. Jonathan Groff managed to shed a tear with his speech about the importance of being able to escape to Disney worlds as a homosexual boy in a small town deep in America. Idina Menzel scored an acapella that took away the hiccups. The latest winner of this edition was Chadwick Boseman. His brother picked up the award but was unable to generate the excitement that the actor’s widow ‘Black Panther’ got in previous tributes. And what a pity that no one thought of bringing Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey to the stage.

Fortunately, that same day, the spirits were raised with the first panel of highlights of the edition, dedicated to Disney and Pixar. This is where the 100 year celebrations really began with the debut of the new distributor introduction, which sports a renovated castle and the centennial motto: “100 Years of Wonder (100 Years of Wonder)”. This panel had surprises, such as ‘Elio’, the next original flexo film after ‘Elemental’, or ‘Wish’, the film with which Walt Disney Animation Studios will celebrate the ephemeris of the house of the mouse the year it arrives in the cinema and it looks like a success. Many stars have passed on stage, such as Gal Gadot and Rachel Zegler, Amy Adams and the entire cast of ‘Disenchanted’, Amy Poehler, Jake Gyllenhaal, Lucy Liu, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jude Law and Halle Bailey, who have received a first mass bath capable of silencing any racist tweet. We have seen the first images of ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’, ‘Snow White’, ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘The Haunted Mansion’, ‘Mufasa’, ‘Elemental’, ‘Zootopia +’, ‘Strange World’ or ‘Win or Lose’ , the first original Pixar series, which will not leave the D23 Expo. And we conclude with a live performance by Ariana DeBose, voice of the new Disney princess that we will meet in ‘Wish’.

Comic-Con> D23 Expo

The second day started with a bang. Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm took to the main stage to talk about what’s new. But alas, Kevin Feige’s studio had fired its best bullets a few weeks earlier at Comic-Con. The MCU released a lot of trailers that weren’t seen outside of Anaheim, so attendees may have been satisfied, but after unveiling the Multiverse Saga in San Diego they were expecting something much stronger than a second season of “Loki. “. It must be remembered that Marvel has brought together almost all the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and illustrious members of the franchise such as Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen or Thanos himself (Josh Brolin) on that same stage. There was some star power this year, but it still seemed lacking. There were no surprises other than revealing Thunderbolts members or uncovering secrets like “Werewolf By Night”. Disney’s biggest fans are, but Comic-Con apparently gives more exposure. Lucasfilm debuted with “Willow”, “Andor” and provided new details on the third season of “The Mandalorian” and upcoming spin-offs like “Skeleton Crew”, but it also didn’t reveal bombs like upcoming movies or titles that don’t. we know in advance. Luckily Indiana Jones was there to lift the spirits. A clearly emotional Harrison Ford and a cheering trailer for “Indiana Jones 5” were the highlights of the presentation. James Cameron was tasked with closing the panel with twelve minutes of “Avatar: The Sense of Water”, shown in 3D. He was accompanied by most of the cast. Pandora warms up the engines for the return thirteen years later. In the catacombs of the congress center we had the opportunity (we were the only media in Spain, in fact) to interview many of the protagonists of the next titles of the House of Ideas and of the distant galaxy. You already have our interviews available on the web.

If there was something missing from the show in those two presentations, Raven-Symoné and Lilly Sing had the task of revolutionizing pavilion D23 with the presentation of the Disney TV channels and its streaming platform. From the stars of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” to the voice actors of “Phineas and Ferb”, the panel was filled with music and dance, snow, Chinese dragons and streamers. The trailers for the “Percy Jackson” and “The Search” series garnered much applause, but Disney fans have once again renewed their loyalty to the original Disney Channel titles such as “The Descendants,” which announced the fourth installment. or “ZOMBIE -S”. John Stamos moved on stage remembering Bob Saget, unexpectedly solemn culminating a very festive panel.

On Sunday, the last day of D23 Expo, the most anticipated panel of enthusiasts took place: the theme park panel. Because neither Marvel, nor Pixar, nor ‘Star Wars’ are able to drive the audience of this convention crazy like Josh D’Amaro, the new head of the parks division, who almost makes you swoon with announcements like the opening of the chain of pastry shops in Porto a shop in Downtown Disney, the street of restaurants and shops at the exit of Disneyland. This is the level of euphoria that this part of the company elicits. In the most popular presentation, an ambitious Marvel attraction starring the multiverse was announced and King Thanos, a variant of the mad titan who managed to defeat the Avengers, revealed the international expansion plans of “Frozen” by three of the gods. attraction parks that Disney has around the world (including Paris, which will also have a new “Tangled” attraction), and have driven people crazy with their long-term plans, which include an expansion of the Magic Kingdom of Disney World starring “Coco”, ‘Charm’ and the Disney villains. The company’s future is secure because fans won’t let parks, hotels, cruise ships and resorts go broke while they’re still alive..

Off the main stage was the exhibition area, with exhibits of all the company’s brands, stands where brands like Funko or Amazon presented novelties based on Disney licenses. Worth seeing the queue to get the first Lorcana cards, the collectible card game of Disney characters that Ravensburger will launch next year. There were 300 special six-card packs that came out every day of the convention and were among the first things to sell out. You could also visit the official exhibition of the company’s 100 years, which will go around the world starting next year, and you can admire Mickey Mouse 1, Walt Disney’s plane, brought from the East Coast for the occasion. Disney tried to avoid the crowds with virtual lines in the panels and in some booths and shops, but the crowds and lines marked the Anaheim Convention Center pavilion for another year. But no princess, Sith, superhero or ordinary citizen lost her smile because she, after all, was surrounded by her own. Of fans who can travel across the country and spend hundreds of dollars to meet and preach their love of Mickey Mouse studio stories.

Bob Chapek, CEO of the company, led his first D23 Expo to applause and some whistles. In presence, success cannot be denied. In the contents … maybe the expectations were too high. It is true that they were largely triggered by Disney itself, which has accustomed us to bringing together pretty much all the actresses who have voiced Disney princesses to present ‘Ralph Breaks the Internet’ or to fill the stage with mariachi, color and confetti for announce ‘Coconut’. Exclusive videos are a great gift for those who have shelled out a lot of money to be there, but have few conversations. Will Smith’s announcement as the “Aladdin” genius secures thousands of tweets. Perhaps it was the pandemic, which after all is still with us even if it is no longer current. Perhaps it is that they can no longer cope with the hype caused by false rumors and alleged “insiders”.. But I have no doubt that in 2024 they will continue to sell out and that fans will return to Anaheim ready to be breathless at the announcement, for example, of a new pizzeria opening in Downton Disney.