Who is going to Destination D (WDW) in November 2018?

[starry_solo]

Info from:
https://d23.com/d23-event/destination-d-celebrating-mickey-mouse/

Gold and Gold Family Members: $215 per person (plus $7 service fee)
Click HERE to purchase tickets.
Mouseketeer VIP Level: $1,300 per person (plus $7 service fee)
Destination D VIP Mousekeeteer tickets have SOLD OUT.

Just a friendly reminder that we have recently made some important changes to our ticketing process. Check out our updated FAQ for more details link here .

OVERVIEW

D23 Gold Members are invited to join the fun and excitement of Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse, the ultimate birthday celebration honoring 90 years of the mouse that started it all!

DETAILS

The event will take place November 17–18, 2018, at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort.

Available to Gold and Gold Family Members
You will be required to show a photo ID. Members will be required to show their D23 Membership Card.

Guests will have the opportunity to kick things off on Friday, November 16 with optional early check-in. Once checked in, Destination D guests can enjoy the following:

• Mickey’s of Glendale—The famed Walt Disney Imagineering store returns with a pop-up shop at the event for attendees, featuring a selection of exclusive Walt Disney Imagineering merchandise as well as limited-edition pins, apparel, and collectibles themed to the event.
• Mickey Marketplace—For the first time ever, D23 is thrilled to debut a Mickey Marketplace inside Disney’s Contemporary Convention Center—exclusively available to Destination D attendees, a handful of retailers will offer limited Mickey-branded products.
• Walt Disney Archives—Access to an exclusive exhibit curated by the Walt Disney Archives celebrating Mickey Mouse.

Please note: These experiences will also be available on Saturday and Sunday during event hours.

Then, join us in the Fantastia Ballroom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort on Saturday and Sunday to discover fascinating details about Mickey’s imaginative past, adventurous present, and boundless future as Disney historians, cast members, Imagineers, and artists host exciting panels, presentations, and other fun-filled entertainment. From Mickey’s historic roles in animated films and television shows to merchandise, magic kingdoms, and beyond, get ready to explore the many wonderful worlds of Walt Disney’s most famous creation!

Highlights of the weekend will include*:

• Presenters and panelists, including Legendary Disney Animator Mark Henn, Voice Actor Bret Iwan, Disney Legend Bill Farmer, Imagineers Jason Grandt, Wyatt Winter, and Alex Wright, Animator John Pomeroy, and Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline—plus more to be announced.*
• A Mouse in Shorts: Animating Mickey Through the Years—From Steamboat Willie to Get a Horse!, Mickey’s epic film career has taken him on a journey that has endeared him to fans around the world. Join Disney animators and historians as they look back at the films that defined Mickey’s career, and peek behind-the-scenes of some of his most famous roles.

• Catching Up with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway— Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2019, the first ride-through Mickey Mouse attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, will push the limits of immersion for the Disney experience. Join members of the Walt Disney Imagineering creative team for a sneak peek of the zany twists and turns of this upcoming groundbreaking attraction!
• Collecting Mickey, the True Original—From the first Mickey Mouse wristwatch to the collaborations of today, Mickey has always been in style. We wind the (Mickey Mouse) clock back to take a look at the toys, collectibles, and products that defined the mouse—and what his future has in store!
• Hidden Mickeys: Uncovering the Magic of Disney Storytelling—Chronicling some of the lesser known and “lost” adventures of everyone’s favorite mouse, Disney historians will guide guests through an exploration of rarely seen and unusual Mickey projects—including a few that never jumped off the page!
• Weird Disney: The Early Mickey Years—Fan-favorite “Weird Disney” returns with an all-new show, as the Walt Disney Archives reveals some of the wildest and wackiest Mickey moments, merchandise, and more! Included is a deep dive into Mickey’s past, featuring some of the most unique appearances, depictions, and pop-culture influences of our favorite mouse during Mickey’s runaway success in the 1930’s.

• Additionally, the weekend will feature exciting events, such as Mickey’s Animation Academy, where guests will learn to draw from master Disney animator Mark Henn, and 4 Artists Paint 1 Mouse, where four Disney artists embark upon an “Adventure in Art,” each interpreting Mickey in their individual style—live on stage!
• Mickey’s Movie Night—To wrap up a great weekend and celebrate Mickey’s birthday on the evening of Sunday, November 18, we’re throwing the ultimate Mickey movie pajama party— including a visit by Mickey himself! Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite Mickey Mouse pajamas, grab a treat, sit back, and watch some of Mickey’s most iconic and rarest footage from the past 90 years!

All ticketed guests will receive access to the following D23-exclusive experiences:

• Guaranteed seats at all panels and presentations in the Fantasia Ballroom
• D23-exclusive Mickey’s Movie Night in honor of his 90th birthday on Sunday evening
• Access to Destination D-exclusive Mickey’s of Glendale pop-up shop
• Access to a handful exclusive retail shops in the Mickey Marketplace
• Access to the Mickey Mouse exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives
• A specialty gift created exclusively for the event

In addition, a limited number of Mouseketeer VIP tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. VIP guests will receive the above listed benefits, in addition to the following:

• Exclusive VIP dinner on Friday, November 16, inspired by Mickey Mouse
• Exclusive Mickey Birthday Breakfast with Disney luminary meet & greet at Disney’s Contemporary Resort the morning of his 90th birthday, November 18
• Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Lounge at Disney’s Contemporary Resort during event hours
• Priority seating for all panels and presentations
• Early shopping access to Mickey’s of Glendale pop-up shop and Mickey Marketplace on Friday, November 16
• Early access to the Mickey Mouse exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives on Friday, November 16
• Additional specialty gift
• Dedicated VIP Destination D check-in location.

A limited number of specially priced rooms and theme park tickets will be available to D23 Members who purchase Destination D tickets. Further details will be included in the confirmation email.

NOTES

• D23 Gold Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest; D23 Gold Family Members may reserve tickets for themselves and up to three (3) guests. OR D23 Gold and Gold Family Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest for the Mouseketeer VIP tickets. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets.
• PLEASE NOTE: Our ticketing site and vendor have recently been updated.
• All guests without active room reservations at Disney’s Contemporary Resort must park at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and take the Monorail service to the event.
• Video or audio recording of any kind will not be permitted inside the Fantastic Ballroom during the presentation and entertainment.
• Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND ACTIVE D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card or who’s membership has expired may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event.
• All D23 Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, and tickets are not transferable.
• PLEASE BE ADVISED: Filming, photography, and other recording will take place at Walt Disney World during the event you will be attending. The Walt Disney Company will be taking photos and filming at Disney’s Contemporary Resort located at 4600 North World Drive, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830, and other locations at the Walt Disney World Resort. By entering the premises, you irrevocably consent to and authorize The Walt Disney Company, its affiliates, successors, and assigns (collectively “Producer”), to photograph you, make sound recordings of you, and use such photographs and recordings throughout the world, for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity, including, but not limited to, television broadcasts and home entertainment products, including, but not limited to, home video and DVD. All such photographs and sound recordings will be the sole property of Producer.

 

[starry_solo]

If anyone is going and has the VIP tickets, it would be nice to see a write up of the event, that's what I was wondering

 

[swfmco]

If anyone is going and has the VIP tickets, it would be nice to see a write up of the event, that's what I was wondering

I’m going, and I scored a VIP ticket. I’ve gone VIP to the last two Destination D events, and it has been worth the price IMHO.

 

[starry_solo]

I’m going, and I scored a VIP ticket. I’ve gone VIP to the last two Destination D events, and it has been worth the price IMHO.

What do you do? Do you buy lots of stuff? Do you get early shopping all 3 days?

 

[swfmco]

What do you do? Do you buy lots of stuff? Do you get early shopping all 3 days?

The 2014 and 2016 VIP itineraries were very similar. On Friday, we had a separate desk to check-in at. After check-in, you had the option to either go into the Archives exhibit or get in line to shop at Mickey’s of Glendale. They open the Archives exhibit 2 or 3 hours before letting the regular ticket holders in, same with MoG, but only on Friday. In 2014, the line for the regular ticket holders for MoG was held outside in front of the open doors to the room where the store was set up, so the regular folks stood outside for three hours watching the VIPs tear the store apart through the open doors. In 2016, they were held in a separate room while we shopped.

On Friday night, there have been special events for the VIPs. In 2014, we went to MK and had a mini-presentation inside the Carousel of Progress. Marty Sklar, Tony Baxter, and Becky Cline spoke about the history of the ride. Then they ran the show for us. At the end, they advanced to the 1st scene, and we were allowed to have a picture taken with Tony and Marty with the show going on behind us as the background. I cherish that picture, as CoP is one of my favs and was so of my late father, and especially now since Marty passed. After that, we were taken by boat to Ft. Wilderness for a BBQ dinner and to watch the Electrical Water Pagent from the beach. In 2016, we had a welcome reception hosted by Ethan Allen, then we went to Animal Kingdom, where we had our own vehicle on Kilimanjaro Safaris. After that, we had a mini-presentation with the president of Animal Kingdom and a private dinner at Tiffins, followed by a private viewing of all of the different Tree of Life awakenings.

During the actual Destination Ds, we have access to a lounge where we can sit in instead of having to line up to get into the main ballroom. There are some light snacks and refreshements in the lounge. When they are ready to let people into the ballroom, they come and get us from the lounge and escort us in first, so usually we fill the 1st through 3rd rows. Once we have settled, they open the doors for the general ticket holders, and it’s kinda fun to watch folks run to get the best seats.

Outside of that, we get a few extra things in the swag bag they hand out at check-in, and we usually get an extra little gift at the end. For this year, all they have said is that we are getting a Mickey Mouse themed dinner on Friday night, and a birthday breakfast with a meet and greet on Sunday morning. They are usually very good at throwing some surprises in along the way.

I usually don’t buy too much. Most of the crowd goes for the limited edition pins, but I usually skip that line and shop the rest of the store for clothes.

 

[starry_solo]

The 2014 and 2016 VIP itineraries were very similar. On Friday, we had a separate desk to check-in at. After check-in, you had the option to either go into the Archives exhibit or get in line to shop at Mickey’s of Glendale. They open the Archives exhibit 2 or 3 hours before letting the regular ticket holders in, same with MoG, but only on Friday. In 2014, the line for the regular ticket holders for MoG was held outside in front of the open doors to the room where the store was set up, so the regular folks stood outside for three hours watching the VIPs tear the store apart through the open doors. In 2016, they were held in a separate room while we shopped.

On Friday night, there have been special events for the VIPs. In 2014, we went to MK and had a mini-presentation inside the Carousel of Progress. Marty Sklar, Tony Baxter, and Becky Cline spoke about the history of the ride. Then they ran the show for us. At the end, they advanced to the 1st scene, and we were allowed to have a picture taken with Tony and Marty with the show going on behind us as the background. I cherish that picture, as CoP is one of my favs and was so of my late father, and especially now since Marty passed. After that, we were taken by boat to Ft. Wilderness for a BBQ dinner and to watch the Electrical Water Pagent from the beach. In 2016, we had a welcome reception hosted by Ethan Allen, then we went to Animal Kingdom, where we had our own vehicle on Kilimanjaro Safaris. After that, we had a mini-presentation with the president of Animal Kingdom and a private dinner at Tiffins, followed by a private viewing of all of the different Tree of Life awakenings.

During the actual Destination Ds, we have access to a lounge where we can sit in instead of having to line up to get into the main ballroom. There are some light snacks and refreshements in the lounge. When they are ready to let people into the ballroom, they come and get us from the lounge and escort us in first, so usually we fill the 1st through 3rd rows. Once we have settled, they open the doors for the general ticket holders, and it’s kinda fun to watch folks run to get the best seats.

Outside of that, we get a few extra things in the swag bag they hand out at check-in, and we usually get an extra little gift at the end. For this year, all they have said is that we are getting a Mickey Mouse themed dinner on Friday night, and a birthday breakfast with a meet and greet on Sunday morning. They are usually very good at throwing some surprises in along the way.

I usually don’t buy too much. Most of the crowd goes for the limited edition pins, but I usually skip that line and shop the rest of the store for clothes.

WOW! Do you remind if I send you a PM @swfmco ?

 

[swfmco]

WOW! Do you remind if I send you a PM @swfmco ?

Sure.

 

[atlmgm]

Sorry - wish I had seen your post before. I got 2 VIP tickets to the 2016 DD and was HUGELY disappointed. So much so that I have written to Iger 5 times so far. Before I go into detail, the general admission ticket is well worth the price. But the VIP ticket was nothing more than a money grab or outright fraud by Disney.


For the $915 difference, here is what we received:


· An “enhanced” gift bag – the “enhancements” were limited to a pennant, a water bottle, and an open edition lithograph. Being generous, a high end value on these items would be $40.
· A set of coasters from Ethan Allen – retail value of $39.
· A “special” evening event on Friday, November 18th from 5-10pm. This consisted of being bussed to the Animal Kingdom and going in the fast pass line to the night time safari, a session with AK management, dinner at Tiffins, and concluded with watching the tree of life show.
· Early entrance to shopping (limited to Friday only unlike the D23 Expo). Several friends that had general admission tickets got into the shopping area later in the day and were able to get the same items we purchased.
· A break room where VIPs can get ice tea or lemonade and small snacks.
· A closing event – about 20 minutes with Joe Rohde and 3 animals.
· As a closing gift, each VIP received certificates for two movie tickets – up to a $26 value.

I received calls from letters 2, 3, and 4 and my son got a stuffed animal.

During the event, many VIP'ers went to the D23 VP and voiced our concern about the experience and we only got a "thank you for your feedback" response.

There were also many secondary things that annoyed many VIP'ers - such as we only had priority shopping on the first day (had to battle all the eBayers for pins on day 2 and 3) and the VIP reserved seating was not enforced too well.

The meal at Tiffins was great as usual - but I have eaten there before with my son and the combined bill was less than $80 for the same items (less the alcohol).

We did meet some great people in the VIP lines - but I am sure we would have meet great people in the general admission line too.

I spend approximately $20k a year on Disney - after the event and the customer service response, I am significantly cutting back until such time as Disney earns back its reputation it once had. As described in many other posts, it appears that Disney is cutting back on quality in many areas. I decided to go for VIP tickets for 2016 after reading the reports of the 2012 and 2014 VIP activities.

Also as a consideration - other than the MOG shopping (specifically pins for those of you that collect), most of the speeches and news are almost instantly sent out via social media so the "being in the room impact" is somewhat minimized to me.

If there are any questions, feel free to ask - I just really feel cheated on the VIP experience but really (an more importantly) cannot believe the response I received from Iger/Disney/D23.

 

[atlmgm]

As a follow-up, - there are a few typo's - sorry.

For those of you that got the VIP tickets for the 2018 event, I hope that for the extra $1,085 you get what we didn't get. The 2012 and 2014 VIPs seem to have gotten value for what they paid. 2016 - we got cheated ( I can san say a lot more but will keep in at the PG level). Several of us referred to our group as the 915 group - trying to figure out why we spent $915 more than the general admission level for a meal at Tiffins and fast pass to the Safari and a Tree of Life viewing.

I would really like to hear about the 2018 VIP experience - and if you don't get value I would strongly suggest you write to Iger. I wrote 5 times - first time was ignored - the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th - I got calls from Disney - the 5th time was ignored. Nothing in writing - just some phone calls. All I can say is that I really believe that WALT WOULD HAVE FIRED THE FOLKS THAT TALKED TO ME. I have been a Disney junkie for over 40 years and can not recommend participating in D23 to anyone.

If there are any questions regarding my posts, please let me know - I have much more to say and many more details regarding my contacts with Disney. Sad to say - I really feel the magic is gone and replace by corporate greed or outright fraud.

 

[starry_solo]

^^ I'll send you a PM^^

 

[atlmgm]

Let me add on a little about the expectations of the VIP group.

After the Ethan Allen presentation - I think we got cupcakes and and coasters - we were put on busses. WE ALL THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO PANDORA - ESPECIALLY SINCE CAST MEMBERS WERE TESTING THE RIDES. We got on 2 or 3 busses - then we went in the fast pass line for the Safari - very disappointing. then we had some disney staff talk about how they handle the animals - then we went to TIFFINS - great meal - value about $80 per couple. Then we saw the Tree Of Life projection show - then we were bussed backed to the Contemporary.

IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO WDW AND WENT ON THE SAFARI AND SAW THE TREE OF LIFE PARK CLOSING- this was a total money grab by DISNEY.

NEVER - EVER - GET THE VIP TICKET UNTL DISNEY RETURNS TO ITS CORE VALUES.

As an aside - if Disney ever took away the Mickeys of Glendale pin buying opportunity, this event won't never sell out. The "NEWS" is tweeted out in seconds - if there is any real news.

I would strongly suggest anyone thinking about going to NOT GO. This is just another example of the recent DISNEY money grabs and not worth the VIP or the general admission price. For 2018, we paid an extra $915 PER TICKET ABOVE THE GENERAL ADMISSION. NO WAY DID THE EXRA COST JUSTIFY THE RETURN.

MY ADVICE TO ANYONE THINKING ABOUT THIS IS TO AVOID IT. JUST ANOTHER SAD ATTEMPT BY DISNEY TO MAKE ANOTHR MONEY GRAB.

I HAVE BEEN A DIE -HARD DISNEY NERD FOR OVER 40 YEARS - THIS DISNEY IS NOT THE DISNEY THAT I KNEW. CORPORATE GREED? INCOMPETENT MANAGEMENT? MONEY GRAB? MY ONLY ADVICE TO EVERYONE IS TO SKIP THI S EVENT - BOTH VIP AND GENERAL ADMISSION - UNTIL DISNEY RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS AND APPRECIATES ITS CUSTOMERS.

Any questions - let me know - thanks.

 

[supernova]

Not sure how this thread wound up in the Collector's Board section of the forums?

 

[starry_solo]

Not sure how this thread wound up in the Collector's Board section of the forums?

I posted it here because most of the event is about purchasing merchandise.

 

[jcooper131]

I am going. This will be my first Destination D to attend. I went to the D23 Expo last year.

 

[ktkerber]

Has anyone seen any sort of schedule? Our FP window is about to open and I would like to have an idea of if/when we could book any FP for our trip. Would also like to book a few meals if possible.
Just have no idea those 2 days what we can plan to do.

 

[starry_solo]

Has anyone seen any sort of schedule? Our FP window is about to open and I would like to have an idea of if/when we could book any FP for our trip. Would also like to book a few meals if possible.
Just have no idea those 2 days what we can plan to do.

Aren't most of these events all day?

 

[jenushkask8s]

D23 sent out an email with the schedule earlier this week. Here is the link:

https://d23.com/d23-event/destination-d-celebrating-mickey-mouse/

 

[starry_solo]

And the pins are going through a RSP process!

 

[Markolodeon]

For those who have attended Destination D events in the past - how early do general admission attendees line up for registration on Friday (starts at noon)? Assume once you’re registered you gain access to preview shopping and exhibits? TIA

 

[csgsu]

So does anyone know if we could get an autograph from the voices of mickey and goofy? I have a couple of funko pops I would love to get signed