D23 EXPO THREAD - See you in 2019!

[keahgirl8]

I echo what @mickeytotallyrock said: make sure you think about all this realistically and keep your expectations in check. Also, for instance, the Once Upon a Time dolls caused hysteria at the Expo on 2015...and you can find 10 sets of them on eBay right now. Sure, it's higher than retail...but something to keep in mind. I try to not get swept up in the frenzy.

Of course, I'm also still really bitter about the 2013 LE Harveys bags.

I'm still bitter about the Once dolls. I really wanted them, and the meet and greet that went with them. I just was not willing to sleep in line for them.

 

[ashley0139]

I'm still bitter about the Once dolls. I really wanted them, and the meet and greet that went with them. I just was not willing to sleep in line for them.

I only wanted the meet and greet. I think the dolls are kind of ugly. But I was willing to buy them to get the autograph!

 

[keahgirl8]

I only wanted the meet and greet. I think the dolls are kind of ugly. But I was willing to buy them to get the autograph!

I liked the dolls, but bear in mind that there weren't as many collectibles available then as there are now. That was before the Pops and the action figures.

 

[ChasetheDream]

So I'm going to be attending D23 for the first time this year. Super excited, but a little overwhelmed. I'm an anime convention veteran, but it sounds like D23 is way more intense than any con I've attended before. So I have a couple of questions, mainly concerning the hotel situation.
I've had my hotel booked at Quality Inn and Suites on Katella for awhile. I had initially booked for only 2 nights: Friday-Sun. But then I found out that the festivities start at 10AM on Friday. I had not foreseen this, as most conventions I've been to didn't really get going until the the afternoon on Friday. Plus I'm now hearing that people camp out on Thursday night just to get in the door on Friday! @.@ Oh, yeah, and I also live in San Diego, which is a two-hour drive on a good day. I can only imagine what the traffic will be like for D23.
So my question is: is it worth it to shell out the extra money and stay Thursday night as well? Normally that's what my friends and I would do anyway when we went to cons, so we'd have time to relax and get ready in the morning. But I'm going by myself to this one, so I've got no one to split the hotel bill with. It would be almost $200 extra all on me. I can afford it if I have to...I'm just having trouble justifying it with how much I'm spending to attend the expo in the first place. If I don't get down to the convention before noon, will I end up missing a good chunk of things, like chances to get into the good panels, and to shop and explore?

I've also heard that it's actually better not to go to the convention center until after 11AM or so, because the lines are much shorter to get in. I've even heard that the best time to get into the shops were an hour before they close, because the lines are shorter then. Is this true? And if it is, will all the good stuff be sold out by then? I'm REALLY not about standing in lines for 4+ hours if I can avoid it!
Thanks in advance, everyone! I can't wait!

 

[Zooey]

So I'm going to be attending D23 for the first time this year. Super excited, but a little overwhelmed. I'm an anime convention veteran, but it sounds like D23 is way more intense than any con I've attended before. So I have a couple of questions, mainly concerning the hotel situation.
I've had my hotel booked at Quality Inn and Suites on Katella for awhile. I had initially booked for only 2 nights: Friday-Sun. But then I found out that the festivities start at 10AM on Friday. I had not foreseen this, as most conventions I've been to didn't really get going until the the afternoon on Friday. Plus I'm now hearing that people camp out on Thursday night just to get in the door on Friday! @.@ Oh, yeah, and I also live in San Diego, which is a two-hour drive on a good day. I can only imagine what the traffic will be like for D23.
So my question is: is it worth it to shell out the extra money and stay Thursday night as well? Normally that's what my friends and I would do anyway when we went to cons, so we'd have time to relax and get ready in the morning. But I'm going by myself to this one, so I've got no one to split the hotel bill with. It would be almost $200 extra all on me. I can afford it if I have to...I'm just having trouble justifying it with how much I'm spending to attend the expo in the first place. If I don't get down to the convention before noon, will I end up missing a good chunk of things, like chances to get into the good panels, and to shop and explore?

I've also heard that it's actually better not to go to the convention center until after 11AM or so, because the lines are much shorter to get in. I've even heard that the best time to get into the shops were an hour before they close, because the lines are shorter then. Is this true? And if it is, will all the good stuff be sold out by then? I'm REALLY not about standing in lines for 4+ hours if I can avoid it!
Thanks in advance, everyone! I can't wait!

First off, if you know you like conventions already from the others you've attended then you're going to love the D23 Expo. It's so much FUN.
You're in a tough spot on what to do with Friday and I think it totally depends what you want to do. Maybe a hotel for that night is worth it if you can go over to Disneyland for the day, but if you really want to save that money I would just come in later in the morning after 11 and go into the Expo. The caveat to that plan is that you're really just there for the show floor that day then. No Store pass, most stage pass will be gone, and you'd have to immediately get in line at 11 for animation panel if you want to see that. If you're okay with just doing show floor stuff and maybe a later panel, hen your current plan works fine.
If you're looking to shop, that changes things too. Depends where and what you want. You'll likely wait at least 2 hours to get into the Disney Store store, and possibly 2 for Mickeys of Glendale, and maybe 1 for Dream Store. It's anecdotal but that's about what the line always were, with Disney Store being the longest at all times. If it's not a limited number item you're after you can probably get what you want if you're willing to wait in the lines.
Waiting for later in the day to shop is probably a good idea, I'm not sure how much it changes things though. I know they stop people from getting in line once the line is long enough to dip into closing time. So, you'd have to monitor that. They could technically cut the line off at 5pm.
Honestly though, don't worry! You're going to have fun, there is tons to do on the show floor alone if that's what you do.

 

[Zooey]

I got my passes today. Just says event guest. Any idea if it should also say that I'm a gold member and a charter member or do they go solely by the cards for that? Thanks!

 

[maichan]

Talent Central is filling up fast: https://d23.com/go-behind-the-scene...your-favorite-abc-shows-and-more-at-d23-expo/

Friday, July 14
Meet General Hospital stars Michelle Stafford and Chloe Lanier (4–5 p.m., Talent Central)

Saturday, July 15
Meet black-ish stars Miles Brown and Marsai Martin (1–2 p.m., Talent Central)

Meet Fresh Off the Boat stars Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, and Ian Chen (1:30–2:30 p.m., Talent Central)

Meet American Housewife stars Daniel DiMaggio and Logan Pepper (2:30–3:30 p.m., Talent Central)

Meet Once Upon a Time star Colin O’Donoghue and co-creators/executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (5:15–6:15 p.m., Talent Central)

 

[wilkeliza]

Can't wait for scheduling. Got our tickets sometime while we were away so opened them last night. Also got confirmation of our Disneyland Hotel reservation form Expo housing.

Also totally bummed Disney Store didn't offer pre-purchase of the Oswald plushes for sorcerers. Guess I'm standing in line after all (but will be on Thursday with fewer people).

 

[lurkergirl]

@wilkeliza I feel your Oswald pain. Hrumph.

What confirmation did you get from the Expo Housing? I haven't gotten anything and since they originally messed up our reservation....I'm slightly worried.
Oh, no worries...I just called. Hee!

 

[wilkeliza]

@wilkeliza I feel your Oswald pain. Hrumph.

What confirmation did you get from the Expo Housing? I haven't gotten anything and since they originally messed up our reservation....I'm slightly worried.
Oh, no worries...I just called. Hee!

We called and got a 12 digit disney confirmation number. I hope to goodness they didn't mess up our date. the way they do the nights is weird to me so I half expect us to be a day short on our reservation.

 

[ashley0139]

I got my passes today. Just says event guest. Any idea if it should also say that I'm a gold member and a charter member or do they go solely by the cards for that? Thanks!

Earlier in the thread, everyone is saying that their just says event guest as well (mine just says event guest). As long as you have the card you should be good.

Talent Central is filling up fast: https://d23.com/go-behind-the-scene...your-favorite-abc-shows-and-more-at-d23-expo/

Friday, July 14
Meet General Hospital stars Michelle Stafford and Chloe Lanier (4–5 p.m., Talent Central)

Saturday, July 15
Meet black-ish stars Miles Brown and Marsai Martin (1–2 p.m., Talent Central)

Meet Fresh Off the Boat stars Hudson Yang, Forrest Wheeler, and Ian Chen (1:30–2:30 p.m., Talent Central)

Meet American Housewife stars Daniel DiMaggio and Logan Pepper (2:30–3:30 p.m., Talent Central)

Meet Once Upon a Time star Colin O’Donoghue and co-creators/executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz (5:15–6:15 p.m., Talent Central)

I am SO GLAD it's just Colin with Eddie and Adam. Now I don't have to worry about trying to do Once Upon a Time stuff as well.

 

[Self-Rescuing Princess]

What kind of room is the D23 expo arena? Or is that on the main floor?

 

[lurkergirl]

We called and got a 12 digit disney confirmation number. I hope to goodness they didn't mess up our date. the way they do the nights is weird to me so I half expect us to be a day short on our reservation.

I spoke to someone in Conventions and Events (or something like that) and they knew all the appropriate information...so I'm slightly more confident. My fear was that they canceled both reservations when the system double-booked us...I got two cancellation notices, but I've checked the confirmation numbers multiple times and it was just a duplicate email.

Why yes, I am paranoid.

 

[wilkeliza]

I spoke to someone in Conventions and Events (or something like that) and they knew all the appropriate information...so I'm slightly more confident. My fear was that they canceled both reservations when the system double-booked us...I got two cancellation notices, but I've checked the confirmation numbers multiple times and it was just a duplicate email.

Why yes, I am paranoid.

Yeah we were told to call conventions and events when the system was back up.

 

[lurkergirl]

@Self-Rescuing Princess Room specifics haven't been released yet, but the D23 Expo Arena was the actual Anaheim Convention Center Arena in every Expo except 2015.

They created Hall D23 to replace it in 2015, it's a flat convention hall. It holds more than the Arena (a plus) but is also flat with no risers (a minus).

The Arena has a center stage surrounded on all sides by seating. Previously the Expo curtained off some seating to make it more like a conventional auditorium seating situation - it has multiple floors and seats on different levels. It holds something like 10,000 people, but with only a portion used it was closer to 4500 I think?

Both areas are technically on the main floor, just on opposite sides from each other.

 

[PatMcDuck]

To earlier questions. Yes, the line was outside on Sunday. I got there late (after park opened at 8, got some family into park, then I walked over). So I arrived about 8:25. Unfortunately, in 2015, it was super hot in the sun, even that early, so it was fairly miserable. Some on line got shade, by luck, and some were let into the under construction Arena lobby or something and given water. (that was behind me on the line and my section was jealous).

Do your tickets have your names on them? I saw the post about someones saying "Event Guest", that is what mine say, but mine are CM tickets.

 

[lurkergirl]

@PatMcDuck The credentials have our names on them, as well as Event Guest if I'm recalling correctly...they are at home.

 

[ashley0139]

@PatMcDuck The credentials to have our names on them, as well as Event Guest if I'm recalling correctly...they are at home.

Yep, this is correct. Name and then under that it says event guest.

 

[HydroGuy]

So I'm going to be attending D23 for the first time this year. Super excited, but a little overwhelmed. I'm an anime convention veteran, but it sounds like D23 is way more intense than any con I've attended before. So I have a couple of questions, mainly concerning the hotel situation.
I've had my hotel booked at Quality Inn and Suites on Katella for awhile. I had initially booked for only 2 nights: Friday-Sun. But then I found out that the festivities start at 10AM on Friday. I had not foreseen this, as most conventions I've been to didn't really get going until the the afternoon on Friday. Plus I'm now hearing that people camp out on Thursday night just to get in the door on Friday! @.@ Oh, yeah, and I also live in San Diego, which is a two-hour drive on a good day. I can only imagine what the traffic will be like for D23.
So my question is: is it worth it to shell out the extra money and stay Thursday night as well? Normally that's what my friends and I would do anyway when we went to cons, so we'd have time to relax and get ready in the morning. But I'm going by myself to this one, so I've got no one to split the hotel bill with. It would be almost $200 extra all on me. I can afford it if I have to...I'm just having trouble justifying it with how much I'm spending to attend the expo in the first place. If I don't get down to the convention before noon, will I end up missing a good chunk of things, like chances to get into the good panels, and to shop and explore?

I've also heard that it's actually better not to go to the convention center until after 11AM or so, because the lines are much shorter to get in. I've even heard that the best time to get into the shops were an hour before they close, because the lines are shorter then. Is this true? And if it is, will all the good stuff be sold out by then? I'm REALLY not about standing in lines for 4+ hours if I can avoid it!
Thanks in advance, everyone! I can't wait!

The cool thing about the Expo is that while there are tons and tons of people, at first you think (well, at least I thought) they were interested in the same things as I and we would all be wrestling for spots. But in fact everyone goes in then goes a different direction. There is just so much happening there.

For me, I am going to be at the Expo by 6AM every day. In 2015 I made the mistake of not arriving until 9AM one day (the first day) and that was a huge, frustrating mistake. I agree with the "after 11AM" decision if you are OK with being at the end of any existing lines when you arrive then that works. If you are on the fence I would suggest paying for the the Thursday night and being there bright and early Friday. Yes it will cost you a little more. But you will have peace of mind. It is not like there will not be enough to do if you arrive early. There will be the wait until the Expo opens (8AM I think?) but then you will be in and off to the races.

Good luck!

 

[PatMcDuck]

oh, OK. The CM ones do not have our names at all. Thanks, I was just curious.