D23 Expo 2015 - Who's in? Roll call!

[Kathymford]

I believe someone said either the Toy Story lot OR the ACC lot would open at 4:30am, but I can't remember which. You might want to call the ACC to see what they say.
Anaheim Convention Center - 714) 765-8950

I did just call and got the following information for those that are driving:

• Convention Center parking will open at 4:30 a.m., but may be limited because of construction
• Anaheim Stadium opens at 6 a.m. and there will be shuttles
• Toy Story lot will open at 7 a.m.

 

[ashley0139]

I did just call and got the following information for those that are driving:

• Convention Center parking will open at 4:30 a.m., but may be limited because of construction
• Anaheim Stadium opens at 6 a.m. and there will be shuttles
• Toy Story lot will open at 7 a.m.

This is helpful, thanks. I think Ubering from the hotel may be the best choice for us.

 

[acamusic]

I am watching closely and planning my D23 trip for 2017! I am an east coaster and WDW is my regular, but I have been to DL once. I wish I had been more on the ball and planned to be there this weekend. But at least I can enjoy the various reports and videos that will pop up.

I do have some questions about how to plan for the next one:

Is is preferable to book a DL hotel or are most people trying to get a cheaper, close hotel within walking distance. Are hotel prices soaring in the area for this weekend?
How early do you have to get in line to get seats at presentations?
I know the largest D23Hall seats 7500. Do you still have to queue up for hours to get in this venue?
Does the D23 membership give a real advantage to getting into panels and presentations? Can you just jump in the Gold membership line (assuming you have that credential) right before they begin letting people in and, therefore, bypass hundreds? If so, it seems like everyone would do that.
My concern is that I would stand in line all weekend and miss lots of the things I would hope to see.
How do the walkthrough exhibits contribute to the weekend? Are they worth spending some time on or are they more afterthoughts compared to the presentations?
Are a lot of folks heading to the parks before or after the expo? What is a good strategy for touring the parks with lower crowds during or around the expo?

I have a lot more questions, but that's probably a good beginning, right?

 

[ashley0139]

I am watching closely and planning my D23 trip for 2017! I am an east coaster and WDW is my regular, but I have been to DL once. I wish I had been more on the ball and planned to be there this weekend. But at least I can enjoy the various reports and videos that will pop up.

I do have some questions about how to plan for the next one:

Is is preferable to book a DL hotel or are most people trying to get a cheaper, close hotel within walking distance. Are hotel prices soaring in the area for this weekend? I believe most people at D23 generally stay off site. My friend and I did try to get a room for a couple nights at any DLR hotel and couldn't though.
How early do you have to get in line to get seats at presentations? Depends which venue/panel. Some are obviously more popular than others.
I know the largest D23Hall seats 7500. Do you still have to queue up for hours to get in this venue? This is the first year with the new, larger venue, so no one really knows at this point.
Does the D23 membership give a real advantage to getting into panels and presentations? Can you just jump in the Gold membership line (assuming you have that credential) right before they begin letting people in and, therefore, bypass hundreds? If so, it seems like everyone would do that. I believe the only real advantage is getting onto the floor an hour early. No, there is no gold membership line for panels that let you bypass the line. The only one that does that is a Sorcerer's Ticket.
My concern is that I would stand in line all weekend and miss lots of the things I would hope to see. I believe that does happen. You have to pick the most important things and be happy with anything you can do.
How do the walkthrough exhibits contribute to the weekend? Are they worth spending some time on or are they more afterthoughts compared to the presentations? Can't answer this one. I know that I'm planning to walk through them this weekend.
Are a lot of folks heading to the parks before or after the expo? What is a good strategy for touring the parks with lower crowds during or around the expo? Most people I have heard going are going to the parks either before or after.

I have a lot more questions, but that's probably a good beginning, right?

My answers in red.

 

[bfost87]

I am watching closely and planning my D23 trip for 2017! I am an east coaster and WDW is my regular, but I have been to DL once. I wish I had been more on the ball and planned to be there this weekend. But at least I can enjoy the various reports and videos that will pop up.

I do have some questions about how to plan for the next one:

Is is preferable to book a DL hotel or are most people trying to get a cheaper, close hotel within walking distance. Are hotel prices soaring in the area for this weekend?
How early do you have to get in line to get seats at presentations?
I know the largest D23Hall seats 7500. Do you still have to queue up for hours to get in this venue?
Does the D23 membership give a real advantage to getting into panels and presentations? Can you just jump in the Gold membership line (assuming you have that credential) right before they begin letting people in and, therefore, bypass hundreds? If so, it seems like everyone would do that.
My concern is that I would stand in line all weekend and miss lots of the things I would hope to see.
How do the walkthrough exhibits contribute to the weekend? Are they worth spending some time on or are they more afterthoughts compared to the presentations?
Are a lot of folks heading to the parks before or after the expo? What is a good strategy for touring the parks with lower crowds during or around the expo?

I have a lot more questions, but that's probably a good beginning, right?

Most of these questions would be better left until after this weekend, when people have been and seen how it works, as they've made changes to this year's event, so no one really knows how a lot is going to work.

 

[rastuso]

Well, you Disney focused folks better realize that seeing George Lucas is no easy task, and will attract MASSIVE amounts of Star Wars nerds.

I've not been keeping up on this year's expo since I can't go, but I just realized they are not using the nice arena, but are instead taking a HUGE part of the floorspace and creating a FLAT arena that seats (wait for it) THE EXACT SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE!!

WTH? What is Disney thinking? Hey, let's create an arena seating area that makes it so only the front 10% can really see the stars. That will turn people off, so they will leave an go shopping?

THis is just mind boggling. I kick myself over and over for not trying to get into the legends in 2013 since there were seats available right before it started, and you could see the stage. Now, if you don't camp out, you will simply be watching George Lucas on a big screen above the stage he is sitting on, or so you believe. The similar logistics of Hall H are a big reason why I could never get myself to SDCC. What's the point of camping out early to not be able to see someone because you are in a huge flat auditorium. Like a concert, with the stage much shorter.

Very interested in the line reports to come tonight, and show reports tomorrow. 2013 was packed in some areas, and vacant in others. They seemed to take the vacant areas, and waste it on arena space, and pack the other areas. In the meantime, a 7500 seat arena CONNECTED to the hall sits empty?!?!?!

Jason

 

[buttaflygirl03]

Oh that's bummer about the floor plan for the "arena"

As far as I know about noon there were already like 30 people in line. I'll be just going there around it opens tomorrow morning since I'm not interested in all those panels everyone is trying to get into. I'm glad I'm going more just to check things out then stress over getting into panels/shopping.

 

[rastuso]

Did a little more looking. THey apparently curtained off a HUGE portion of the arena in 2013, severely limiting its capacity too. Maybe I'm weird, but I'd MUCH rather see someone from the side, or even behind, from above, than be a football field away, on a flat floor.

Interesting folks were showing up at noon. Can't remember when they did in 2013. I just know I woke up early, checked Twitter to find there were already tons of people, and went back to bed. The movie presentation was low on stars anyway, or at least ones I cared about, so I was glad I slept in. I could see the movie presentation this year being HUGE since Marvel skipped SDCC, I suspect a pretty big Civil War presence.

Jaosn

 

[keahgirl8]

Well, you Disney focused folks better realize that seeing George Lucas is no easy task, and will attract MASSIVE amounts of Star Wars nerds.

I've not been keeping up on this year's expo since I can't go, but I just realized they are not using the nice arena, but are instead taking a HUGE part of the floorspace and creating a FLAT arena that seats (wait for it) THE EXACT SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE!!

WTH? What is Disney thinking? Hey, let's create an arena seating area that makes it so only the front 10% can really see the stars. That will turn people off, so they will leave an go shopping?

THis is just mind boggling. I kick myself over and over for not trying to get into the legends in 2013 since there were seats available right before it started, and you could see the stage. Now, if you don't camp out, you will simply be watching George Lucas on a big screen above the stage he is sitting on, or so you believe. The similar logistics of Hall H are a big reason why I could never get myself to SDCC. What's the point of camping out early to not be able to see someone because you are in a huge flat auditorium. Like a concert, with the stage much shorter.

Very interested in the line reports to come tonight, and show reports tomorrow. 2013 was packed in some areas, and vacant in others. They seemed to take the vacant areas, and waste it on arena space, and pack the other areas. In the meantime, a 7500 seat arena CONNECTED to the hall sits empty?!?!?!

Jason

I don't know what the setup is like, but according to D23, the hall seats 7500 people.

 

[rastuso]

It's a big flat hall. I guess they may be bringing in bleachers for the back, but I doubt it. Hall H fits a little over 6000. In a seating area that is like 100 wide, and 60 rows deep. I assume a very similar setup for D23, instead of a nice multilevel arena designed for such crowds.

Jason

 

[BeccaG]

It's a big flat hall. I guess they may be bringing in bleachers for the back, but I doubt it. Hall H fits a little over 6000. In a seating area that is like 100 wide, and 60 rows deep. I assume a very similar setup for D23, instead of a nice multilevel arena designed for such crowds.

Jason

Is this actually the case? Is the hall that was advertised as much larger than before for the main panel only 1500 seats more?

 

[BeccaG]

And how are people linning up when the line doesn't officially start until 10 pm? Is there a designated area for a pre line? Or Are they just standing around claiming to be the line? Is this how it will be tomorrow night as well?

 

[bfost87]

Im not sure where your info is coming from, but it's not exactly accurate... The Arena for the Expo configuration held 4,000 people, Hall D23 (which is in Hall D, not Hall H) will hold 7,500 people. Now as far as how far away you are, etc, that's a different matter. But the end result is that 3,500 more people will get to be in these presentations.

 

[buttaflygirl03]

I'm not sure how the early line-up is working out. I guess people started a un-official line and they're going to honor it at 10pm and move them inside? I never understand why even have line-up rules when they don't follow through with them and let people keep un-official lines for these type of things instead of turning them away?

 

[ashley0139]

Report from a friend that there are 800-1000 people there already.

 

[Duchessa]

How I wish there was a livecam. (I don't know if this livecam is relevant to anything, but I guess it's something.)

 

[Mr. Bastos]

Report from a friend that there are 800-1000 people there already.

Was hoping to see a report on the overnight queue, but was hoping to hear it was almost nothing. I really need to book it I guess. Really wish I could have had today off :T Hopefully the line isn't too big by the time I get there late tonight

 

[Kathymford]

Thee lines this morning are ridiculous. No lines were moving just before 10 outside the convention center. Not the D23 silver and gold member line and DEFINTIELY not the general admission line. Unbelievable Disney, who is not unfamiliar with lines cannot figure entry out.

 

[Mr. Bastos]

Thee lines this morning are ridiculous. No lines were moving just before 10 outside the convention center. Not the D23 silver and gold member line and DEFINTIELY not the general admission line. Unbelievable Disney, who is not unfamiliar with lines cannot figure entry out.

That's disconcerting. I hope they get the kinks worked out quickly

 

[Markolodeon]

Any estimates on when they had all the gold/silver members admitted to the Expo floor?