Gettin' Excited for the D23 Expo

Although I'm in California, I won't be able to go to D23. It is torturous to be so close yet so far . . . And even more torturous after writing this post to see what I'll be missing out on. This year's expo looks great.

The first day, Friday August 19 includes:

• a talk by Imagineers about the making of the new DCA attraction based on The Little Mermaid
• the latest Disney Legends ceremony which includes the induction of the more contemporary Disney princesses (among others)
• a screening of every Pixar short back-to-back in honor of the studios' 25th anniversary
• a discussion all about the history, art, and music behind it's a small world for the attraction's 45th anniversary
• the Ultimate Disney Trivia Tournament
• a short talk by the folks who provide voices for the Disney theme parks
• and lots more!

The second day brings even more awesome stuff. Here's the events I'd look forward to most (if I could go, that is):

• a discussion by Michael Giacchino on the "Music of Pixar"
• a conversation with the Pixar Creative Team, which includes the likes of John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, Lee Unkrich, Dan Scanlon, Mark Andrews, and Jim Morris. (Yeah. Holy crap, right? That's almost the whole Pixar Brain Trust in one room right there. No doubt they'll announce future Pixar films there.)
• a talk with the legends of Disney Imagineering
• character designers of Monsters University discussing the long-anticipated Pixar flick
• Disney Imagineers discussing how story and innovation dictate what they do

Sunday includes:

• the Art of Pixar's Brave
• the evolution of Marvel characters
• a sneak peek of Cars Land
• the making of Star Tours

And that only scrapes the surface of what this year's D23 Expo has to offer. There's also the massive Disney Store, the floor filled with booths, tons more talks I didn't even mention . . . Basically, go to the D23 Expo if you can manage it.

The event will take place August 19-21 at the Anaheim Convention Center. And guess what? Tickets aren't even sold out yet! One-day admission is $47 for adults and $37 for children ages 3-12. Three-day passes are $136 for adults, $106 for the kids.

More news about the expo to come as it nears.