Destination D23 2023
In my final year of college, I purchased tickets to Destination D23 2021. At this time, I was just a D23 Gold Member and had no clue what the next few months would have in store for me. By the time of the event in late November, I had undergone my final interviews for the D23 Membership & Programming Intern position. I got to meet in real life with the people whom I interviewed with (my future team members) and received the call from Disney Recruiting the day after Destination D23 had ended. Underneath Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom nonetheless! Needless to say, coming back to Destination D23 in 2023 as part of the D23 Team was a complete full circle moment for me. Held September 2023, This incredible event celebrates the best of Disney with a weekend of specialty programming all in the same event space. Imagine the best parts of D23 Expo brought together all under the same roof in the same room! This was by far the proudest I’ve been of any event I’ve worked on, with so much programming and incredible business units in participation.
My projects included:
Event Branding and Art Direction - As elements of Destination D23 came together, I was fortunate enough to be part of planning process to create key art and branding for the event. This featured a specialty design featuring elements of the many stories of Disney Animation, illustrated in the style of Disney Legend Mary Blair and her inspirational illustrations. These elements also incorporated the platinum and purple colors of the Disney100 Campaign, as this event was featured as a milestone moment in the Disney100 celebration in 2023.
Welcome Moment - Opening up the weekend, my team and I collaborated with the exception group at Disney Live Entertainment to create a massive welcome featuring the iconic Goddesses of the arts and Proclaimers of heroes… The Muses! This welcome moment incorporated multimedia efforts in tandem with our video production team featuring highlights of what guests could expect from the weekend.
“The Early ‘Ears: Ub, Oswald and Mickey” - This special discussion between the incomparable Leslie Iwerks and Director of The Walt Disney Archives Becky Cline reflected on the century of history in animation at The Walt Disney Company. Leslie and Becky chatted about Leslie’s grandfather, Disney Legend Ub Iwerks and his impact and influence on both Disney Animation and even the early days of Disney Parks.
“100 Years of Classic Characters: Unforgettable Stories” - What happens when voice actors from generations of Disney stories come together? It’s an experience unlike anything you’ve ever seen before! This four-part presentation incorporated special moments of the past and present as we took a whirlwind ride between retrospective conversations and a fantastic live performance between Jodi Benson, Bill Farmer, Kaitlyn Robrock, Bret Iwan, Ashley Eckstein, Anthony Gonzales, and Michael James Scott. It was an incredible experience to be a part of, working with such incredible talent and journeying through a century of characters from all across the many stories of Disney.
“True Life Adventures Introduction with Disney Legend Don Hahn” - To lead into our special presentation from National Geographic, Disney Legend Don Hahn showcased to the audience in a special presentation moments from the first ever True Life Adventures Features. This was a great moment that looked at Disney’s relationship with finding the intrinsic magic of the natural world. Plus, it’s always a pleasure to work with the incredible Don Hahn who popped into a few different presentations throughout the weekend!
“100 Years of Innovation: Magic in Every Medium” - In collaboration with Walt Disney Imagineering and The Walt Disney Archives, D23 produced a special panel focused on The Walt Disney Company’s history of innovation featuring documentarian behind “The Imagineering Story” Leslie Iwerks, as she looked at the past, present and future of innovations with Karin Hanson and Daniel Joseph of Walt Disney Imagineering. This presentation was absolutely amazing, as Daniel and Karin shared some looks at the real-life innovations they’ve made in their time with the company. Leslie Iwerks brought the house down as she shared a unique family heirloom with the audience… a disembodied hand from Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln! Truly worth “giving a hand” to!
"An Evening in EPCOT at Destination D23” - The first day of Destination D23 kicked off with a special surprise shared with guests… they would all get complimentary access to EPCOT for the evening including a nighttime preview of Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana! I was lucky enough to be part of the ground team that checked guests into EPCOT for the evening, sharing with them what they could expect for the night and best practices for an enjoyable experience. I also was able to participate in social content capture for D23 handles as guests enjoyed a nighttime look at the picturesque setting inside of Journey of Water: Inspired by Moana. This was a blast to be a part of and I’m glad to have enjoyed the park alongside the biggest fans in the world!
“Disney Global Ambassador Showdown” - This was an especially fun one… as I got to go onstage to host this friendly competition between Disney Ambassadors from every Disney Resort on earth including Aulani: A Disney Resort & Spa! Working with the Disney Ambassadors team was a true joy and I am beyond grateful to have come together with the amazing ambassadors to make this remarkable moment a reality! Ambassadors shared their top favorites from their own resorts, from food to attractions and in true Disney Fashion, they were all such great picks that EVERYBODY won!
“Don Hahn’s 1923: Walt Goes West” - Guests at Destination D23 were treated to a special advance showing of Don Hahn’s documentary on Walt’s Westward journey in 1923. Afterwards, he gave a special presentation on the making of this documentary, which was an especially great inside look for the biggest Disney fans!
“See ya real soon: A Fan-tastic Finale” - As an epic finale moment, the Muses returned alongside Michael James Scott and Jodi Benson for an epic musical finale featuring “A Star is Born” from 1997’s Hercules!
“Disney+ Hallowstream Costume Bash” - The fun did not stop after the finale, as we transformed the Fantasia Ballroom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort into an epic Hallowstream Costume Bash made possible by Disney+. I helped to bring together content and on site support for guests at the party.
Destination D23 was a dream come true and a massive labor of love for so many incredible people at D23, DCCR and countless business units from around the whole company. I am beyond proud to have played a role in making this one possible, especially during the 100th Anniversary year of The Walt Disney Company. Plus, getting to make an onstage debut and meeting the Muses in real life made for an exciting and unforgettable time!