Disney Legend, former Walt Disney Imagineering President, Marty Sklar
I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough stories about the history of Disney’s most beloved attractions. This year’s D23 Destination D event is all about those classic attractions from yesteryear. On November 22 and 23 Disney fans can join D23: The Official Disney Fan Club as Disney archivists, Imagineers, Legends, and luminaries all come together to celebrate fan favorites such as Adventure Thru Inner Space, If You Had Wings, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with rarely seen concept art and images; vintage video clips; and hours of revealing stories. In addition, there will be a full day of presentations dedicated to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, which debuted beloved attractions like it’s a small world and Carousel of Progress.
Scheduled presenters and panelists include Disney Legends Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, and Alice Davis; Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline; Disney and World’s Fair historians Bill Cotter, Stacia Martin, and Michael Kelley.
The weekend will end with an exciting evening event—Pleasure Island: Rewind. This celebration of the Downtown Disney nightlife district will include areas dedicated to the Adventurers Club, Comedy Warehouse, Mannequins, and 8 Trax. And of course there will be a “New Year’s Eve” celebration to cap the night.
Plus, for the first time, Mickey’s of Glendale, the famed Walt Disney Imagineering store, will set up a pop-up shop at the event for attendees, featuring a selection of exclusive Imagineering merchandise as well as limited-edition pins, T-shirts, and collectibles themed to the event. The shop will also carry a special line from H2O Plus, whose products are featured at Disney Resort Hotels.
Highlights of D23 Destination D: Attraction Rewind will include (subject to change, of course):
- Disney Goes to the World’s Fair: A look at how Disney became a part of the landmark event
- Lost on the Way to the Fair: Pavilion concepts for the World’s Fair that never came to be
- Retro Rewind References: Nods to favorites of the past in current Disney Parks attractions
- That Was Entertainment: Revisiting beloved theme park parades, shows, and spectacles
The weekend event will take place in the convention center at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Tickets, available Wednesday, April 16, are $190 each and available exclusively to D23 Gold and Silver Members for a limited time. Any remaining tickets will be made available to D23 Free Members on May 28 for $250 per ticket. All guests will receive a special gift in honor of Disney’s contributions to the 50th anniversary of the 1964–65 World’s Fair in New York City. A limited number of “Top of the World” tickets will be available featuring reserved seating, early shopping on November 21, an exclusive dinner reception, special collectibles, gifts from H2O Plus and Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, and more.
More details about the program and tickets for D23 Destination D: Attraction Rewind presented by H2O Plus, as well as a special offer just for members of D23, can be found at D23.com/Events. Additional schedule announcements will be made in the coming months.