D23 expo tips are where?

[Hollymickey]

I am interested in attending next expo by myself and would like any tips or info on where to stay and anything else. Is there a place that has this already?

 

[giftcard]

*bumping* b/c I'd like to know as well.

 

[Princess Jaz E Jaz]

I may be going by myself as well and will start looking at hotels soon.

 

[BonnieBea]

looking also

 

[wilkeliza]

Not sure if there are any tips threads but I went last year and here are my suggestions.

IF you can afford it the Hilton at the Convention Center is the best option. You are walking distance to Disneyland (or short cheap cab ride) and right at the convention center.

Be prepared for lines! If you are not sorcerers there will be lines for everything. Sign up for Gold D23 if you want the early access. Also the D23 members line was let in before the regular line. So on the first day when the D23 line was looping around itself the regular admission line wasn't let in until the D23 line finished. That was a good 30 minutes behind the posted start.

Be ready for long sleepless nights if you want to get into panels. We were very lucky and got into Parks and Resorts and Gaming. We didn't go to Movies but that was because we saw the reports of the queue already being full a few hours after they let people start lining up.

Set realistic expectations. You will not see and do everything. It is just impossible. I never got into the Disney Store or Mickey's of Glendale. I also did not get into the Archives mobile museum. The waits were just too long. There are many other things to see and do that waiting on a three hour line to shop or to look at something close up that I could see from outside the space wasn't my cup of tea.

Our realistic expectation was to meet other Disney fans, walk around a show floor, and attend 1 panel a day didn't matter if it was on the main stage or lesser stage.

If they have it again stage pass is amazing. We stage passed 2 things and (DVC, Resorts, and Cruisline panel as well as Inside Out panel) and it meant that I stayed in line for 1 hour at the beginning of the day to not have to stand in line for 3 later in the day. It was nice and opened up the day to be able to walk around and see everything going on.

 

[HapaDuniani]

I attended the Expo this past August for the first time. Boy, was I unprepared!! I am a D23 Gold member, and still waited on line for over 2 hours on the first, in the hot Californina sun!! Getting into the convention center was a huge hassle. Having never attended, I do not know the reason for this. Was it poor planning/crowd control by the convention center or the Expo?? After that experience, I waited until later in the morning, to gain entrance. I stayed at the convention center, so this was not an issue for me. Getting into morning panels was NOT happening. Attendees slept in line over night to get into early panels. When I realized this was happening, I was sooo stressed out!! I quickly realized, that you will not see and do everything. I had to let it go....

Get on the queue to get tickets for panels during the afternoon. I had no problem getting into afternoon panels of my choice, on any of the days. I enjoyed all of them!! So much so I am attending D23 Destination Disney in WDW for the first time this November. From what I can figure out, it seems to be a VERY MINI expo. Panel discussions for two days and Mickey of Glendale's.

Trading cards were given out in various locations throughout the weekend. Even this fun little activity became stressful!! Download the D23 expo app for up to date information regarding distribution locations. I was not able to complete the whole set

I attended all three days. Each day the process became easier. Try not to be stressed about what you are missing. Instead, be happy for what you do get to do and see and enjoy meeting other Disneyfiles like yourself.

 

[Sayuri]

Great advice, Hapa. I have attended all but the first D23 Expo, and like the parks it seems to get more crowded every year. Still, I wouldn't miss it!

There is so much to do and see that there is no way you can hit everything. Best plan of attack is to choose 2 or 3 musts per day and schedule everything around that. I you absolutely have to be at the Legends ceremony, you may need to bring a sleeping bag and plan on camping out in line. Is there a limited item being released at the Dream Store one morning? Pack snacks and patience to make sure you get in there before they sell out.

Bottom line is that there will be a lot of time spent in queues (especially the first one of the day just to enter the building), but the wait is a factor of popularity more than inefficiency (remember that you are at a convention center, not a Disney property, so security and concessions are managed by non-Disney vendors). If you consider the waiting as an opportunity to meet fellow Disney fans, you'll find that time to be a pleasure rather than a waste - we've made great friends out of line neighbors.

Most of all, strap on your ears and positive altitude, and enjoy the experience of a weekend shared with the Happiest Fans on Earth!

 

[Hollymickey]

Thank you for your advice and info! question tho , how do you sign up or learn what events are going on?

 

[Sayuri]

D23.com has an Expo page. That will be your "go to" place for info and updates. They report that advance tickets will go on sale July 14th this year. There are usually discounts for purchasing before December 31st, but they haven't posted rates yet.

If you are not a D23 member, you may want to sign up at the Gold or Silver level for discounts and special entry lines. If it's not in your budget, you can get a free membership online in order to access all the content at their website.

If you are rolling in dough, definitely sign up for Gold level in order to have the opportunity to buy Sorcerer tickets - these offer guaranteed seats in all the big arenas, a great lounge to rest in, and many perks and freebies. Just be sure to log in early on 7/14/16 to make your purchase because even with the astronomical price, these limited passes sell out FAST.

If you only plan on going for a day or two (instead of purchasing the 3-day pass), planning which day can be a challenge since they normally don't post the schedule until just a month or so before the event. Best bet is to look at the schedule for past Expos since the structure for main events has been fairly consistent (Legends ceremony the first morning, live action the next - last year they did animation Friday afternoon, parks Saturday afternoon and interactive Sunday morning).

Hope this helps. See you at the Expo!!

 

[Hollymickey]

D23.com has an Expo page. That will be your "go to" place for info and updates. They report that advance tickets will go on sale July 14th this year. There are usually discounts for purchasing before December 31st, but they haven't posted rates yet.

If you are not a D23 member, you may want to sign up at the Gold or Silver level for discounts and special entry lines. If it's not in your budget, you can get a free membership online in order to access all the content at their website.

If you are rolling in dough, definitely sign up for Gold level in order to have the opportunity to buy Sorcerer tickets - these offer guaranteed seats in all the big arenas, a great lounge to rest in, and many perks and freebies. Just be sure to log in early on 7/14/16 to make your purchase because even with the astronomical price, these limited passes sell out FAST.

If you only plan on going for a day or two (instead of purchasing the 3-day pass), planning which day can be a challenge since they normally don't post the schedule until just a month or so before the event. Best bet is to look at the schedule for past Expos since the structure for main events has been fairly consistent (Legends ceremony the first morning, live action the next - last year they did animation Friday afternoon, parks Saturday afternoon and interactive Sunday morning).

Hope this helps. See you at the Expo!!

I am already a charter member and that comes with perks I believe too. I got interested in the expo by watching the podcasts the guys did last year. Just am not sure what to expect and how to plan since I would be by myself. Are there many who do this alone?

 

[wilkeliza]

D23.com has an Expo page. That will be your "go to" place for info and updates. They report that advance tickets will go on sale July 14th this year. There are usually discounts for purchasing before December 31st, but they haven't posted rates yet.

If you are not a D23 member, you may want to sign up at the Gold or Silver level for discounts and special entry lines. If it's not in your budget, you can get a free membership online in order to access all the content at their website.

If you are rolling in dough, definitely sign up for Gold level in order to have the opportunity to buy Sorcerer tickets - these offer guaranteed seats in all the big arenas, a great lounge to rest in, and many perks and freebies. Just be sure to log in early on 7/14/16 to make your purchase because even with the astronomical price, these limited passes sell out FAST.

If you only plan on going for a day or two (instead of purchasing the 3-day pass), planning which day can be a challenge since they normally don't post the schedule until just a month or so before the event. Best bet is to look at the schedule for past Expos since the structure for main events has been fairly consistent (Legends ceremony the first morning, live action the next - last year they did animation Friday afternoon, parks Saturday afternoon and interactive Sunday morning).

Hope this helps. See you at the Expo!!

They actually got rid of Silver this year so it is either Gold family, Gold, or free.

 

[wilkeliza]

I am already a charter member and that comes with perks I believe too. I got interested in the expo by watching the podcasts the guys did last year. Just am not sure what to expect and how to plan since I would be by myself. Are there many who do this alone?

Lots of people who do it alone. Just make sure your membership is in good standing. If you are stillw charter member (means you can't have skipped a year or moved to free) then you can use the charter member lounge.

 

[Sayuri]

I am already a charter member and that comes with perks I believe too. I got interested in the expo by watching the podcasts the guys did last year. Just am not sure what to expect and how to plan since I would be by myself. Are there many who do this alone?

Doing it alone is a great way to make new friends! Lots of people go solo, and DH and I have made friends with solo Expo goers who we catch up with there every 2 years. We are charter members as well, so can say hi to you in the charter lounge.

Going solo can actually enhance your Expo experience since you can hit all the things that are most important to you without the stress of trying to compromise with a companion (not complaining about my own history, of course...)

Just relax and look forward to enjoying the weekend with fellow Disney fans. You know D23 people are some of the friendliest on the planet, so as long as you are okay in lines, you are sure to have a good time solo or not.

 

[dtrain]

One day I will attend the expo, one day...

 

[gilana]

My husband and I are hoping to make it to D23 in 2017 for the first time. We're currently free D23 members. We've been crunching the numbers, and it doesn't look like it would save us any money on the expo tickets to get a Gold membership -- family membership is $108, and going by 2015 prices it would only save us about $50 on the expo tickets.

So here's my question -- people who have gone before, do you think it's worth the extra $58 or so to have the Gold membership at the expo? Will it save us significant time in lines? Any other benefits we should consider? Is the magazine really that good, for example? Thanks!

 

[teeveejunkee]

@gilana I've wondered this same thing. I was also wondering if I could get away with an individual membership, rather than a family membership. I read in the fine print that with the individual membership you can bring a guest. So unless I'm missing something, it seems like that would work for just me and my husband.

Anyone else have experience with this?

 

[wilkeliza]

My husband and I are hoping to make it to D23 in 2017 for the first time. We're currently free D23 members. We've been crunching the numbers, and it doesn't look like it would save us any money on the expo tickets to get a Gold membership -- family membership is $108, and going by 2015 prices it would only save us about $50 on the expo tickets.

So here's my question -- people who have gone before, do you think it's worth the extra $58 or so to have the Gold membership at the expo? Will it save us significant time in lines? Any other benefits we should consider? Is the magazine really that good, for example? Thanks!

You get one extra hour in the expo. So it really depends on what you want to do. Not 100% sure what the extra hour gets you. Also not sure if panels that have over night line ups have a difference between D23 Gold members and non members.

 

[travelgirl11]

I went last year as a solo traveler. I stayed at the Anabella. Great location but I didn't feel the safest, especially at night.

Coming from the East coast, I was up early. I got a decent seat for the Legends Ceremony and probably showed up 3 hours before. Since that was the first day, you couldn't spend the night in line, unless you slept outside the convention center.

I showed up 5 hours early for the Live Action Movies and was at the end of the guaranteed seating section. It was 100% worth it for me to be there. The biggest problem being a solo traveler was waiting in line for that long. Luckily the people near me were kind enough to save my spot while I went to the bathroom, got food.

I also went to the Animated movie panel and didn't show up that early for a seat.

The last morning was my expo floor morning. I made a decision to see the Achieves booth instead of wait in a shopping line and I don't regret that. I probably waited outside an hour before I got inside/the expo started.

The most overwhelming part for me was the expo floor. Since I didn't get there until after the Legends Ceremony, it was packed and everything had a long line.

There will be lines for everything, just figure out what is most important to you before you go.

Next year my mom is going and the plan is to stay at the Hilton, which should help a lot.

 

[ashley0139]

We've got a pretty good thread with up to date info going here as well: http://disboards.com/threads/d23-expo-2017-dates-announced.3496288/