Disney’s ultimate fan event fills nearly one million square feet with movies, Imagineering, immersive experiences, stars, shopping and plenty of surprises
Anaheim, CA (The Hollywood Times) 8/14/26 – Disney fans from all 50 states and 38 countries are converging on Anaheim this weekend as D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event returns for a three-day celebration of movies, television, theme parks, immersive experiences, celebrity appearances, collectibles and everything Disney.
The Anaheim Convention Center has been transformed into a sprawling Disney playground, utilizing nearly one million square feet for this year’s event. ABC7 entertainment reporter George Pennacchio received an advance look inside before the doors opened, giving viewers a taste of what awaits fans.
With Disney promising “surprise after surprise pretty much every day,” the 2026 gathering brings together Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel, Disney+, Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Consumer Products and other parts of the Disney universe.
For Michael Vargo, Head of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, each new edition brings the challenge of topping what came before.
“The bar gets raised every time we do this, and I think we love to exceed our fans’ expectations,” Vargo said. “And I think we’re going to do that this year for sure.”
One of the projects receiving attention on the convention floor is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming Hexed, arriving this November.
Jared Bush, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, introduced fans to one of the movie’s more unusual creations: Bucket, a magical cauldron with a personality all his own.
“This is Bucket over here,” Bush explained. “Bucket is a living, breathing cauldron. He becomes sort of a companion, almost like a little dog that follows her around.”
It is exactly the kind of wonderfully unexpected character Disney Animation has built its reputation on, turning even a cauldron into a potential scene-stealer.
Pixar is also looking toward the future, showing off Gatto, one of the studio’s upcoming films for next year.
Disney’s Imagineers are out in force at D23, providing updates on projects first announced at the previous convention two years ago.
Emily “Emo” O’Brien, Portfolio Executive Creative Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, spoke about the progress being made across Disney’s global destinations.
“We’re showing off the progress of all of those projects, and there are projects all around the world,” O’Brien said.
For theme-park devotees, that makes the Imagineering area one of the convention’s essential stops. D23 provides a rare opportunity to get closer to the models, concepts and creative thinking behind attractions that fans may eventually experience in person.
Around the convention center, D23 visitors can do much more than look at displays.
Immersive experiences allow fans to imagine themselves walking the Grammy Awards red carpet, entering the eerie world of American Horror Story, or becoming part of Camp Rock 3.
Marvel fans can also get an up-close look at Paul Bettany’s costume from the upcoming Disney+ series Vision Quest.
With hundreds of activities spread across the three-day event and more than 100 stars scheduled to make appearances, deciding what to see may be one of the weekend’s biggest challenges.
No D23 would be complete without merchandise, and Disney has devoted more space to shopping this year than ever before.
Bobby Kim, Disney Consumer Products Global Creative Director, highlighted some of the more playful merchandise that demonstrates just how far Disney designers are willing to go with familiar intellectual property.
“They’ve done some very irreverent takes on Disney IP and plush,” Kim said. “There are trash cans from the parks that they’ve converted into stuffed animals. And there’s also a character that I love. His name is Fuzzball.”
Yes, Disney Park trash cans have become stuffed animals. And somehow, at D23, that makes perfect sense.
Ultimately, the elaborate exhibits, sneak peeks, merchandise and celebrity appearances are only part of what makes D23 special.
The fans are the real stars.
“They all come here for the same reason, to celebrate their fandom,” one Disney representative said during the preview. “And they just have a good time doing it. They’re having so much fun. This is their Super Bowl.”
That description may say it best.
For Disney devotees traveling from every state in America and 38 countries around the world, D23 is much more than another entertainment convention. It is a gathering place for people connected by characters, movies, music, theme parks and memories that often stretch back generations.
And with nearly a million square feet to explore, more than 100 stars expected and Disney promising surprises throughout the weekend, Anaheim is once again becoming the center of the Disney universe.
The Hollywood Times hopes to bring its readers even closer to D23 in the future with on-site coverage and conversations with the filmmakers, Imagineers, performers and creative teams responsible for creating the Disney magic.
