D23 EXPO THREAD - See you in 2019!

[ethanwa]

This is my first time going with Sorcerer - can you share a bit about what I can expect? I am hoping to get to as many panels as possible, last two times on a regular ticket I only managed 1 or 2 a day. Is it possible to go straight into the next panel after they clear a room?

Yes, you will get to do pretty much EVERYTHING at the Expo. Everything (except panels that overlap in time). You can walk directly from one panel to other, you get to shop early, you get a special relaxing lounge. You'll never want to go back to the old way again.

Let's put it this way.... every time I have gone as Sorcerer, I have gotten every item at the all the stores I want, and saw all the major panels (movie, animation, Legends, etc). We will NOT go to the Expo if we can't get Sorcerer tickets... just not worth it for us otherwise.

 

[Pygmypuff07]

So excited to be going to D23 as a sorcerer next year. Would love to know what to expect as well. The hall D23 shows are the most important thing to us . Last time we waited a total of 17 hours down in the basement for only 2 of the shows and did not get much time on the expo floor. It was worth every second though and we are so excited to experience the expo with the package. Thanks for the information above!

 

[Nonsuch]

I was able to get two Sorcerer tickets today from my wife and I for 2017. We were Sorcerer in 2013 and 2015 as well.

This will be our first Expo, but decided to go for the Sorcerer Package.

Do you have any hotel advice?
Does the Sorcerer ticket influence your choice?
I own at VGC, but it seems too far from the Expo.

 

[ashley0139]

Lots of Sorcerers on this board! I'm jealous.

 

[BriarRose59]

Congrats to all who were able to get Sorcerer's. I tried but couldn't get in so we won't be going. We went in 2013 and 2015. The difference in the crowds was unbelievable. They are allowing too many non-members into the con. I spent 2 nights on a hard, cold floor in 2015 to get into the panels. Shopping was impossible. I stood for hours and only made it into 1 store. In 2013 we got to the convention center around 5:30 or 6:00 am and got in with no problem. My old, soon to be 58 year old, bones just can't do it again. My DH and I had already decided no Sorcerer's, no go. It's a shame too because July 17 is our daughters 30th birthday. We'll try again in 2018. I hope everyone has a good time!

 

[LeighErica]

2017 will be my first Expo, and since I am going solo I splurged on a Sorcerer Ticket. I am so excited. I went ahead and booked a room at the Hilton, but I am going to keep looking at other hotels.

 

[lurkergirl]

This will be our first Expo, but decided to go for the Sorcerer Package.

Do you have any hotel advice?
Does the Sorcerer ticket influence your choice?
I own at VGC, but it seems too far from the Expo.

We like the Disney bubble, the resort hotels aren't bad distance wise. The walk is nice...plus it puts us closer to Downtown Disney for dinners and, of course, the parks. We've stayed at the Paradise Pier for the last two Expos.

 

[bekkio]

This will be our first Expo, but decided to go for the Sorcerer Package.

Do you have any hotel advice?
Does the Sorcerer ticket influence your choice?
I own at VGC, but it seems too far from the Expo.

I stayed at VGC last time - I got lucky and had a wait list come through. It's far, and since it was so hot last time, I ended up taking a cab there each morning. It ran about $9.
At the end of each night, I'd walk across Harbor and caught one of the Toy Story lot busses to the parks and walk back to the villas.

I have a room on hold at the Hilton, but since I'm not too far away - about a 45 minute drive, I might give it up to save on money. But it was nice to stay in the Disney bubble the whole weekend.

 

[allthenamesaretaken]

2017 will be my first Expo, and since I am going solo I splurged on a Sorcerer Ticket. I am so excited. I went ahead and booked a room at the Hilton, but I am going to keep looking at other hotels.

Ha you sound exactly like me!
I'm so excited I need to start saving pronto- the amount I'll spend on shopping will be insane.

 

[GeneralTso]

What are the things you buy at the shopping expo? Favorites?

 

[ashley0139]

What are the things you buy at the shopping expo? Favorites?

I'm not a big shopper (I like to browse but I don't like to spend the money), but last year I got the D23 tshirt, a D23 pin, and a Disneyland tshirt and WED pen from Mickeys of Glendale. The MOG stuff is really cool. I could have spent a ton of money there. Save yourself the trouble and don't even bother trying for any of the LE merchandise. It's far more trouble than it's worth. People get really intense about it.

 

[wilkeliza]

Not a major shopper but definitely walked away with a ton of pins. We collect pins and the D23 ones are some of the best. I also go for art. That is less at the official store and more at the booths.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We use Expo to stock up on Disney t-shirts. Then there are the special D&B bags -- got a small purse last time. We like the pins and also shopping (usually not buying) at the vendor stalls. Last time I fell in love with an original Eyvind Earle, but the price tag was, shall we say, prohibitive! We also stock up on Christmas gifts at Expo. The gifts are much appreciated since the recipients can't attend Expo -- that just makes the gifts more special.

 

[whodini]

What are the things you buy at the shopping expo? Favorites?

By far the best thing I got last year was a custom shadow box from Dave Avanzino with my last name. It took about 4 months to arrive, but has a special place on my mantel now. He was taking orders for both shadow boxes and ticket boxes like this -

https://m.facebook.com/158851959048...128270.158851959048/10154237097964049/?type=3

 

[kristenabelle]

What are the things you buy at the shopping expo? Favorites?

I got an amazing Belle print from Cyclops - they have their own booth, so I didn't even have to wait in line. Those shopping experiences are my favorite, tbh. It's pretty incredible, seeing all the different types of licensed artwork.

 

[choirboy501]

By far the best thing I got last year was a custom shadow box from Dave Avanzino with my last name. It took about 4 months to arrive, but has a special place on my mantel now. He was taking orders for both shadow boxes and ticket boxes like this -

https://m.facebook.com/158851959048...128270.158851959048/10154237097964049/?type=3

You can order that off his website, not just place an order at the Expo, correct?

 

[whodini]

You can order that off his website, not just place an order at the Expo, correct?

At the Expo he said you could only do the custom orders when he does live event appearances. He had samples of all the letter styles as well, so you could lay it out exactly how you want it. The ticket books were something he has just introduced, so I'm not sure if he does those when he's at places like Art of Disney now.

 

[choirboy501]

I'll have to check it out when I'm there. I've been interested in collecting a ticket book - this might be a cool way to do so.

 

[lurkergirl]

I've been playing with hotel possibilities - originally I made a reservation at the Hilton at the Convention Center, because I couldn't make a reservation for any of the Disney hotels at that point. Then I realized I could make a 2017 reservation for the Disney properties through the Expo, so I did that. I ended up canceling the Hilton reservation...and I realized that the Hilton rates have sky-rocketed.

Just a head's up for anyone that was considering it and hasn't made a reservation yet - yesterday the same room I canceled was $1019 a night. It's dropped to $879 today, but that is still horribly outrageous.

 

[wilkeliza]

I've been playing with hotel possibilities - originally I made a reservation at the Hilton at the Convention Center, because I couldn't make a reservation for any of the Disney hotels at that point. Then I realized I could make a 2017 reservation for the Disney properties through the Expo, so I did that. I ended up canceling the Hilton reservation...and I realized that the Hilton rates have sky-rocketed.

Just a head's up for anyone that was considering it and hasn't made a reservation yet - yesterday the same room I canceled was $1019 a night. It's dropped to $879 today, but that still horribly outrageous.

We tried booking for Disney hotels and for our length of stay it is all showing waitlisted. A phone CM said that is because it is the expo block but we could call first week of August to book form the non-expo rooms. So we kept our convention hotel reservation and will try back again. Looking at Paradise Pier as Disneyland is twice the price of what we booked for the convention room.