2011 D23 Expo views and reviews

[AVP]

Did you D23? Tell us what you thought about the 2011 D23 Expo - the hightlights, the lowlights, and the things that could be improved.

If you weren't there near closing, they announced that there would be another D23 Expo in Spring 2013. With about 18 months to plan for the next one, now is the time to submit your feedback so the event planners can improve on the next Expo.

[dban3]

I'll preface my remarks by saying I did not attend the Expo but I did follow it closely from a number of websites and on the scene reporting via Twitter. I debated making the trip to the D23 Expo long and hard but in the end, opted not to. I will reserve my Disney resource funding for a future trip to the park. I'm not a supporter of D23 by any means but I take no issue with those who are members and can benefit from what D23 has to offer. My reasons for kind of wanting to attend the Expo was the for the shear "event and spectacle" aspects of the Expo and where the normally stand-offish, secretive Disney company, which tends to spoon feed information in a well calculated manor, interacts to a certain degree with their loyal supporters and fans. From everything I have read, I am glad I made the decision I did.

The lack of crowd control, 2 and 3 hours waits only to get turned away from certain panels, staffers who passed on erroneous information, line cutters....all of this would have frustrated me to no end (as it apparently did with MANY people). Nothing newsworthy came out of Expo just informational updates, nothing even approaching the Star Tours announcement from 2009 or the appearance by Johnny Depp in full Capt Jack costuming (sorry, Robert Downey Jr. is no Johnny Depp as good a actor as he is). And when your biggest "legend" (living anyway) is Regis Philbin ("is that your final answer?"), then you have to think that many things were a stretch for Disney. (I do applaud the inclusion of Jim Henson even though his work was done long before Disney entered into the picture). Even some of the traditional apologists were grumbling. The highlight seems to have been seeing a beloved semi-retired TV and movie actor pushing 90 years of age who still knows how to carry a tune - I've not heard or read a negative comment about Dick Van Dyke's performance which seem to have been the major hit along with the archive treasures.

AVP's original question was Disney has 18 months to prepare for the 2013 D23 Expo, what can be improved upon? They had almost 2 years to prepare for this one and failed to deliver a better Expo production than what was offered in 2009. No wonder Bob Iger went on vacation. But still, even most of the complainers will show up in 2013 and I will start the debate as to whether to squirrel away money for an Expo trip myself. The Expo is a Disney event and Disney events are sometimes hard to pass up on.

[Mistyj]

My goal for the 2011 D23 was to be in the same room as Tom Hiddleston from Marvel's "Thor" and "The Avengers" and to see whatever sneak peaks they might show us for "Avengers." Since there was no guarantee Tom would be coming as a part of the group, I was prepared to be satisfied with whoever did show up. (Needless to say, I was thrilled when I got my man, so to speak.)

After hearing Friday night that tickets for Saturday were completely sold out, my husband and I decided we weren't taking any chances and got in line outside the convention center at 3:30 am. There were four people in front of us, all who wanted to first in the Dream Shop, so we were, in essence, first for the arena. Those of us near the front of the line were kept informed of the procedure for entrance when they opened the doors at 8:00 am. I had specifically asked about whether or not we would be escorted to the arena line or whether it would be a free-for-all once we were inside. We were told it they were planning on escorting us (in order) into the line. About an hour later, the same lady (whose name I wish I could remember) came back to tell us they would NOT be escorting us and yes, it would be a mad dash down the hallway. I can't tell you how pleased I was she specifically came back to me to make the correction. All I want to know is "what are the rules?" Just tell me what you intend to do and I will adjust accordingly. It all went well, shoppers to the left, arena people to the right, tear down the hall at the rapid fast walk we all know from the Parks, check the bags, check in your electronics, get wanded and get in line. We were first in line.

Knowing from the Parks presentation in the arena the previous day that several rows and sections of seats are held for the upper level of tickets, one of our newest, best friends from the Arizona family behind us in the line found the "suit" with the seating chart. He showed him the sections which would be taped off - first two rows of all five floor sections for the premier tickets, rows three through eight in the three middle sections for the Sorcerer's tickets. Therefore, we could sit starting in row 3 on the far sides or starting in row 9 in the three middle sections. Okay, I'm not thrilled with this - I really think they should save some front seating for the first 20 regular ticket holders - but, as I said, just tell me what the rules are...

So, of course, when we get in and grab the seats we want, we're immediately told we can't sit there. Those are being held for handicapped seating. Um, we had just watched all those waiting for handicapped seating ushered into the arena before we were let in. Meanwhile, the other seats are being filled by all the folks spilling in behind
us. We complained, explaining what we had been told and eventually ended up with someone in a blue shirt (not the red shirt) who agreed to move us to the third row on the far side. We get over there and, oh, the first four rows on the far side are being held for the hearing impaired. Thankfully, the moment the argument had started about our first seats, I sent my husband and one of the Arizona family to the other side, just in case. They were holding enough seats for us in the fifth row, however they were being accosted by a red shirt who was trying to make them move to the far aisle! They refused and the red shirt finally gave up as the row filled in next to them.

As things began to calm down in our area, I spoke to the red shirt "in charge" of our new area and asked if we would be allowed to move into any of the unfilled seats either more center or more forward (since I had seen quite a few empties at the start of the Parks presentation the day before.) He said he would be sure to move us first as soon as he got word they would be available. (He had a headset.) He continually let us know when he had more people coming in and that he hadn't forgotten. At this point, I've calmed down and realized I'm fairly content with the seat I have (on the aisle, no one blocking me) and that anywhere they might move us wasn't necessarily going to be better. At the last moment, the family of four from Arizona got to move up to the third row on the aisle and they were very happy.

I could go on - we saw no other presentations on Saturday, when was anyone supposed to get a chance to eat? Or shop? - but this was the most important event for me and I was willing to let everything else go by the wayside to have it go well.

Know your audience and what they want. Make a plan. Remember what worked and didn't work last time. Go over the plan, find the flaws and fix them. Communicate with people - the staff and the attendees! Be fair! Do the premium ticket holders really have to get the front of ALL of the sections? Go ahead and give them the best, but all?

Sorry to go on for so long, but once I got started, apparently I needed to get it out!

[Gone2Disneyland]

Soooooo, I’ve been to both D23 Expos now. Two days in 2009 and all three for 2011.

I’ve also attended the San Diego Comic-con the past four straight years and some years before, before it went all Hollywood.

Both times I went to D23 Expo, I joined friends – sisters, actually - who are big Disney fans (one works for The Company) and have also attended Comic-con with their nieces and nephews in tow for at least the same amount of years. Bottom line, we are proud, card-carrying (if there were such cards) geeks!

I say all this because, after even just attending the first day of D23 Expo, we discussed one point that we felt explained why we heard soooooo many complaints from our fellow D23 Expo attendees while standing amongst them at the Expo.

We noticed that a lot of the D23 Expo attendees were noticeably older than attendees of Comic-con. At Comic-con, that are lots of older people too, but let's politely say a lot of them don't look like retirees. They come ready and sometimes dressed for the adventure of Comic-con. We also assumed that many D23 Expo attendees had never been to Comic-con, let alone many other geekfest conventions that we’d been to like the Star Trek and Xena conventions put on by Creation Entertainment. We assumed (and again I know, we are assuming here) that most of our Disney brethren had never ever attended a convention like this before in their lives.

As Comic-con veterans, we know about the long lines, and we love the generally laid back culture of those attending Comic-con. Pointedly, we love that everybody is patient.

At D23 Expo, I felt the crowd had higher expectation about everything, and without any experience about attending conventions like this, they got disappointed, frustrated and even angry quickly when they were shut out of events after waiting in lines for hours. Granted, feeling like you’ve wasted your last hour or two (or more) waiting in a line only to be told you’re out of luck is a terrible feeling. But as a convention goer, I’m aware that that’s a real possibility. So, because my friends and I could relate to past convention experiences, it was easier for us to not get hung up on it too long when things didn’t go our way and not lay the blame too heavy on Disney.

There was also the moment when, after leaving the Parks & Resorts presentation where one lucky person won a vacation stay at the Aulani resort, I overheard some people grumble as we left the Arena that they felt Disney cheaped out by only offering one vacation. They felt Disney should have offered ten prizes, not just one. That made me very unhappy that a Disney fan should feel Disney owes them/fans more rather than be happy that one lucky person gets to go.

Hey, at Comic-con, I NEVER get in any of the lines for major presentations because those lines are UNBELIEVEABLE! In fact, I'll say they're stupid. Because those lines can be five hours long (not lying, I've asked) and offer no guarantee of any kind that they'll get into the event rooms. But I got in lines for five events at D23 Expo over three days: Disney Legends, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Dick van Dyke and the Vantastix, Inside the Walt Disney Studios, and Marvel Studios. The only one I didn’t get into was Walt Disney Studios but they let us know two hours before the event started that they’d reached capacity. So by comparison (but not accounting for the quality of each of the events I got into), I got a lot out of this Expo over what I never had attending Comic-con multiple times.

Am I a pushover? Should I be more demanding of my dollars paid to Disney? Maybe the answer’s “Yes” to both. But frankly, I’m really quite content with what I got out of going to D23 Expo and look forward to going to the next one. Could Disney do things better? Definitely YES! More communication. Particularly more signage outside for those arriving in the morning to the confusing seeing lines that snaked and snaked and snaked into every area AWAY from the main entrance. (Side note: I realize now that the location of the Anaheim Convention Center’s entrance and amount of space and the configuration of that space that’s all far away from the entrance makes this venue a poor location if Comic-con ever decided to move from San Diego to here. It’s just way confusing for the thousands of first timers that would arrive here. Bummer for me because Anaheim is a much closer drive than San Diego. But I digress.)

I still have hundreds of pictures and video I took at D23 Expo to go through. Maybe when I get through them, I’ll come back here and post more suggestions that come to mind on how Disney can facilitate a better experience for attendees in Spring 2013. But this was one of my biggest negative takeaways from going this year, that not all geeks are conditioned the same. And that fact does make Disney’s job of pleasing their guests even harder.

[olegc]

I have a lot to say - and not a lot of it pretty - but I don't want to ramble and need to go. Essentially they tried to create exclusivity through limited availability and will try to drive desired demand for next time. I think it may backfire. More of my views were shared by Honor Hunter on his site http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/20...unlearned.html. Basically it was waiting for 8 events, getting in to 4, and thus using about 8 hours of time sitting. not very productive. I didn't bother to come on Sunday - so Disney got my money for no cost because I was so frustrated.

[Kuzcofan]

It seems like the biggest complaint was all the waiting. But how can Disney fix that? I know we got to the center at 7:00am on Saturday and we still got to see the 10;30am arena show, (we sat in the balcony but was still able to see everything.) So we only waited a few hours, which we knew we would have to so we brought books to read while we waited. But what could Disney do better, maybe have more duplicate showings of a known popular event? Or more events to choose from, but then you get complaints that you couldn't see an event because it was at the same time as another event. (that happened to us a few times, so we just had to pick which one we wanted to see more) They did announce when the events were full some of them even 2 hours before they were even going to start.

I was disappointed that there wasn't more events to see. I think there were more events last time. Also this time they didn't have any ABC stuff, last time they had previews of all the new ABC shows running throughout the convention. They didn't even mention ABC during the Saturday morning presentation. We spent all day Sunday looking around the floor area since we couldn't Friday and Saturday because we were waiting all day, but we knew we would because of the previous time.

I also have to agree a lot of the frustration wasn't with Disney but with the other people there, they were RUDE. I found all the Disney people I talked to were very friendly and were trying to help as much as possible. It was the other attendees that were frustrating, cutting in line running people over. I had a couple people push me aside so they can look at the pins I was looking at without even saying excuse me or anything, when they should've just waited a few minutes until I was done and out of there way. I saw one person actually yelling at the top of her lungs all kind of cuss words because she had to wait an hour to see the archives, she thought she should be let in right away because she was in an electric cart so she should go first and she was DEMANDING it, though she was told she had to wait, no exceptions and the person from Disney was very polite and stood her ground, the woman finally just called the Disney person a few more names and left. How is Disney supposed to make that a better experience? Should they let her in right away because she is handicapped? (At least she had a place to sit while she waited in line). I would've been mad if they did, I had to wait so everybody should wait. How can Disney help with RUDE people?

We did meet some very friendly artist that chatted with us and thanked us for waiting to get things signed. We meet some nice/friendly retailers. Even meet lots of nice helpful employees, and even a few nice attendees.

Actually I just had an idea. How about a fastpass for the events? They hand out fastpasses right away and you just go back an hour or so before the show and just go right in and get a seat and wait for an hour instead of 3+ hours. If they can find a way to make that work it would be good. Then people would know when it is sold out, people wouldn't have to wait in line there for hours.

Overall I want to say We had a great time, despite all the rude people. ( I know that will never stop, they are at Disneyland too) We will absolutely go again in two years, and we will renew our D23 membership again too.

[dban3]

I have a lot to say - and not a lot of it pretty - but I don't want to ramble and need to go. Essentially they tried to create exclusivity through limited availability and will try to drive desired demand for next time. I think it may backfire. More of my views were shared by Honor Hunter on his site http://blueskydisney.blogspot.com/20...unlearned.html. Basically it was waiting for 8 events, getting in to 4, and thus using about 8 hours of time sitting. not very productive. I didn't bother to come on Sunday - so Disney got my money for no cost because I was so frustrated.

I have to admit the "create exclusivity through limited availability and will try to drive the desired demand for next time" is an angle I haven't considered. I don't dispute it all but it does seem extremely short-sided and counter productive to the future of D23 on Disney's part. I would tend to think that after the charter year and the initial jump on $35 membership plan that D23's numbers probably have stagnated, maybe even reduce. I've been on the D23 fence ever since it was first announced - basically looking at the business model more as a Disney revenue stream - rather than a true fan club. But I can honestly say that a well run, organized, and fun 2011 D23 Expo that really did give a full featured fan experience would have pushed me into finally joining up. Who would want to miss out on Disney's premiere fan event? Now, no chance. Maybe Hunter is right, will heads roll? Two years in the making only to deliver frustration and chaos by the bucketfuls. Inexcusable.

[Teddi]

I'll put more thoughts together later, but I just want to say. I have been to one Creation Ent con (ORC #3, which was teeny tiny), DH has been to E3 (worked and played). I highly doubt we'll ever go to Comic Con. We also don't NEED to go to ComicCon or adjust our expectations to that. Just because "Comic Con" or Creation Ent or ______ works for those companies and venues and products, doesn't mean it's will work for Disney. Different crowd. Different Company. Different Convention center (heck, they HELD it right by the parks!). Disney needs to find what works for Disney and it's fans (what the Expo is all about, right?).

[olegc]

as to Teddi's note on comparison's - you're right, the is for Disney fans. However, IMHO, Comic-Con does have a lot of the waiting that we have here - but I would venture to say that at comic-con the fantasy-fan may not be the sci-fi fan or the horror fan. There is crossover but I would say that Disney's issue is that many more fans are crossovers on multiple fronts. Not just a fan of Parks and movies - but of almost all of the properties. I thought Hunter's story hit is pretty well - doubling the amount of attendees but also reducing the days was a recipe for much longer waits and bigger crowds. I tweeted on Saturday that all of the food venues had really short lines that day, even though the event had 17K people there, a sell out. How is that possible? well, when most everyone is stuck in the waiting pens there is no way to go anywhere else. Especially when they changed their minds at times and required the entire party to stay in the rooms except for bathroom breaks. EST event anyone?

I think it may take more study - but have events at exactly the same time in the same category (so you have to choose one), not something I want but it is a solution, use a larger venue, incorporate use of the hotels around the Convention Centers and their larger ballrooms, etc.

Here's one for you - with the closed-circuit TV screens around pumping Ads - why didn't they play streaming views of events that either were live OR had occurred earlier in the day? They filmed everything, all the cameras were there, so why not? It goes back to the exclusivity thing. It can sound counter intuitive.. but think about some of the other things going on at the parks to create exclusive experiences. Either pay more money, or make it harder to get in to, and you generate a much higher demand and buzz. The only issue with that is, of course, that you have to control any negative press or information associated with problems. So we will see -

One thing I would love to see? If I;m a D23 member, and I attended all three days, why don't I get a DVD, or even an option to buy, of the sessions? Once they show everything that whole "exclusive" thing goes out the window - so why not? My guess is they can't figure out a price point.

[olegc]

At D23 Expo, I felt the crowd had higher expectation about everything, and without any experience about attending conventions like this, they got disappointed, frustrated and even angry quickly when they were shut out of events after waiting in lines for hours.

You actually made a point in favor of a position many people have. Its Disney - it's supposed to be higher quality, handled better, more class, more service, more surprise and event-like. And, unlike Comic-Con, this is ONE media/entertainment company controlling everything, not multiple studios and suppliers all tying in to one convention group who runs it independently. With that, expectations I think should be higher.

[tea4two]

I'm still trying to organize my thoughts on expo, but will say that I agree with the Honor Hunter article and with Teddi's observation about Disney needing to address DISNEY fans. We attended all 3 days and had a mixed experience. What was good in our experience was very good (e.g. Disney Legends Ceremony), but what was bad was really frustrating (e.g. hours of waiting in lines only to be turned away from events). Overflow seating with live feeds for the most popular events would have been great. We were turned away from the Dick Van Dyke performance over 2 hours ahead of time, and we met some people who had waited for longer and were turned away as well. Like Disney didn't know that event would be so popular? Since we didn't attend the 2009 expo, we don't have anything to compare this one to; but I don't think I or the fans (of any age) should have to be a Comic-Con veteran in order to enjoy a Disney fan event. The bottom line at this expo seemed to be cost, not showing appreciation for the loyal fans, so that took some of the shine off what was being promoted as a super special event. Did we have a good time at expo? Yes, amidst lots of frustration we did have some great experiences. Would we do this again? That would depend on how Disney responds to the problems at this year's event.

[tea4two]

You actually made a point in favor of a position many people have. Its Disney - it's supposed to be higher quality, handled better, more class, more service, more surprise and event-like. And, unlike Comic-Con, this is ONE media/entertainment company controlling everything, not multiple studios and suppliers all tying in to one convention group who runs it independently. With that, expectations I think should be higher.

Good point. Totally agree. Disney promotes themselves as (and they have a reputation for being) a class act. They set their own bar high and meet/surpass their goals regularly. Expectations should be high, and Disney has the ability to meet them. Setting the bar low to cut costs is not only disappointing, but also a poor and unwise way to treat your most loyal customers.

[Belgarion42]

We were turned away from the Dick Van Dyke performance over 2 hours ahead of time, and we met some people who had waited for longer and were turned away as well. Like Disney didn't know that event would be so popular?

Some of the issues like this were presenter/performers issues. What I was told (by staff members) was that certain ones wanted to be in venues of certain sizes. Clearly Disney knew that the Dick Van Dyke concert would be highly popular, but he only wanted to perform in the venue he did. He did not want to be in the Arena. What do you do in a case like that? Either 1,000 people get to see him or no one does.

I love the idea of overflow room feeds, and even the "Fastpass-type" ticket (though can you imagine how crowded the show floor would have been if people weren't having to wait hours in those lines? ) . Ideally multiple presentations of the most popular presentations would work well, too, but you do have limitations on the availability of some of the presenters involved.

[Chris1986]

Starting this off I have to state that I am a major Disney fan, I have an annual pass to Disneyland / Disney California Adventures, and I use it on average 2 to 3 times a month, always having a great time. I bought tickets to D23 a couple months in advance with a friend of mine who is more obsessed with Disneyland than anyone else I know. We both looked forward to a great new Disney experience and could hardly sleep the night before the first day. Planning on arriving extra early we wrote down all the events we wanted to go see, and how we were going to do as much as possible. With that said, I regretfully must say that this year’s D23 expo was a pretty big letdown, failing in many ways, it all revolved around one major problem, horrible organizing and pre-planning.

Before I talk about all the negative parts of D23, I would like to mention some of the positives. All throughout the expo, the shows and events (the ones my friend and I were able to get into) were very well put together and very enjoyable. The cast members / employees we very professional and put in all their effort to be as helpful as they could be. The people at the customer service booth were especially very informative when I approached with some questions and concerns. Not a single person working this event gave me any problems or bad attitude, and most were understanding of the guests frustration when it came to not getting into events. The booths they had set up were very diverse, and had great items for sale. Other than being too crowded most the time, the booths area and different small events were a great place to spend some time looking around and just enjoying all that is Disney.

Now for the actual overall experience… Day one of D23, my friend and I arrived around 8am, with a line of people already a few hundred long waiting in the general admission line, and a massive line that looked to be at least 1000+ people in the D23 member’s and premium line. There was already some confusion from the start; most guest knew that the D23 members were going to get in an hour early, but most were also under the impression that the event opened at 9am, and they would be allowed in at that time. When we were informed that general admission wasn’t allowed in until 10am, most were ok with it, feeling they would still have time to make it to the first arena presentation “Disney Legends Ceremony” at 11am. While waiting in line, I immediately started to see the affect of very poor planning and organization. Once the general admission line reached all the way down to the end of the sidewalk it curved buck up the sidewalk towards where it started. On top of this the box office line was lined up next to the general admissions line. This caused there to be little to no walking room on the sidewalk, it also blocked major exits to the convention center. Many people trying to walk past all the lines walked in the street instead, going against oncoming traffic. There also seemed to be very few employees focused on crowd control.

At 10am the doors were finally opened to the general admission line and things went smoothly for the most part until you actual made it inside. Most everyone headed straight for the arena, knowing it only had a 4000 person capacity and that there were thousands more than that trying to get in. My friend and I arrived only to be told there was a chance we would not get in and to wait at our own risk. We had already been waiting 2 hours just to get into the expo, and now we had to wait another hour without even knowing if all the waiting would be worth it. Staying positive and hopeful we decided to wait. During the wait I once again noticed the lack of crowd control and the absent of enough cast members preventing things from getting out of hand. Our first time waiting unsure of if we were getting in or not paid off… we were some of the last ones in before they cut the line. Though I couldn’t help but think of all those who waited almost as long as we did and were told better luck next time.

The rest of the days big events were very much like the days first big event, only except now there were even more people inside the convention center, and the competition to get into events got worse and worse. Every single big event ended up having major stand-by lines to get into the main line for a chance to get into that event. After experiencing that mornings crowd issue with getting into the arena, my friend and I decided to arrive an hour and a half to two hours early for the next big arena event “Walt Disney Parks and Resorts”. Thinking that should be more than enough time, we arrived to see a line stretch half way across the main hall, down the side of the queue line area and through the queue itself. We were socked in almost disbelief, wondering if this was the line for the arena or something else. Not considering the major fire and emergency hazards with walk ways and exits being blocked by a crowd, and the real potential of it becoming a stampede hazard, it was bad enough that there seemed to be little control of this line. It swayed and moved around a few times, with people walking right through it to get to the other side. With many people being irritated at anyone who they thought might be trying to cut in, I was surprised no major outburst of violence accrued. Eventual there was someone walking around telling everyone they had very little to no chance of getting into the arena, many people having already waited an hour or more decided to take their chances. Once again, my friend and I managed to make it in right before the cut off. However we also noticed that there were still many seats available as the show began. With so many having been told they couldn’t get in after waited hours in a line we could only wonder why Disney would let something like this happen. After the event was over we spent the rest of the day walking the booths, and at Downtown Disney.

Day 2 we decided to arrive even earlier, by 7:20am we were standing in the general admission line less than 100 people back from the front of where it started. It looked a lot more organized than the day before, this time they had all of the lines stretch in order going from the convention center entrance all the way around to the arena and heading down the street. Even though we noticed a crowd well over 2000+ people in the D23 member line and Premium line ahead of us, the way they had the lines made it seem as if the day would be better organized and gave us hope that we wouldn’t experience a repeat of the day before. Around 10am the lines started moving; we were excited and couldn’t wait to get into the days first big event “Inside the Walt Disney Studios” at 10:30am. Being at the front of the General admissions line we felt we had a good chance of getting in.

As we made it through the convention centers entrance we followed most of the crowd towards the arena when the line suddenly stopped a few hundred feet in. We were not even into the main hall yet and we were being told that this was the stand-by line for the arena. Thinking it couldn’t be as bad as it seemed, we started to wait. A few minutes later we were told that this was the secondary stand-by line to get into the stand-by line to get into the main line to get into the arena… yes, you read that right. With only 5 minutes before the event started many were wondering if they would hold off starting it; we had all been waiting for more than 3 hours and they had to let us get in. There were even D23 members waiting in this line with us. At 10:35 our wondering was answered with an announcement that the event had started and the doors closed. This was not a good way to start off the day. Many people decided to leave, feeling the expo was not worth wasting so much time.

The rest of the day’s events went pretty much the same as they had been going. Massive lines, unorganized crowds, and a lot of confused guest. Choosing to stay and give it another chance, my friend and had realized that there were much more people here today than yesterday. Determined to see the next big arena event “The Lion Kind 3D” regardless of how early we would have to get in line or how long that wait would be, she and I decided to hang around the booth area, choosing to miss other events in order to make sure we got in line before it got too big. The event didn’t start until 6pm, but by 2pm there was already a line. We entered the line around 2:40pm and by 3:30pm the queue was completely full and the all too common stand-by line was forming, luckily by this point there were more cast members on the floor and it was starting to look more organized. Starting around 5pm they let people into the arena, and at 6:10 they started the show. We looked around and once again noticed many empty seats yet knowing there were many people who waited but didn’t get in. Managing to see the movie put us in a good mood and we decided to stick around for the Auction starting in Stage 23. Most the crowd from the arena decided to leave being that it was getting late, so it was easy to get into the auction event.

On the way home from the second day it wasn’t too hard for my friend and I to realize that getting into the next day’s first arena event “Marvel” was not going to happen no matter how early we arrived. Since it was the only event we were really interested in we decided to return the next morning to see if we could get refunded for Sunday and just go to Disneyland with our passes. Dropping me off around 7:40am so she wouldn’t have to pay for parking, I was given great customer service as I asked about the refund. I was brought inside where I met with some event organizers. One man, whose name I have forgotten but claimed to be the one who designed the D23 website, personally walked me around to find out who I needed to talk to. The man eventually called someone who he said could authorize a refund for me. Whoever he called ended up wanting to speak to me. I really wish I could remember the name of the man I talked to over the phone since he was also very helpful. He first asked me why I wanted a refund. I explained to him how I was disappointed in the organization of the expo, and how I felt I had no chance to get into the Marvel event. He then offered to guarantee me and my friend good seats in the arena for the day’s first event. I’ll admit I was tempted to take the offer, however at that time my friend was not with me, and I knew the rest of the day would still be pretty much the same as the last two days, so I respectfully declined. I was very surprised as the man on the phone replied the way he did, saying that he was sorry the expo was not as good as I hoped and that he would authorize a refund for that day. It took all of about 10 minutes and I was given a receipt showing that my account and my friends account had been refunded $43 each. I called my friend to pick me up and we headed over to the parks where we ended up having one of the best days we have ever spent as Disneyland and Disney California Adventures.

During the time at the expo spent in line or walking around I managed to talk to many different people. I was sad to hear so many stories of disappointment, many similar to my own. One lady had flown her family out from Florida, this was their family vacation and they only managed to see a couple of the events they wanted to see. Another man had flown in from New York; I met him while at the auction. He told me he was press and even he had difficulty getting into events, missing a few he was hoping to see. When I asked him if he was getting paid to be here he said No, he had to spend over $1500 of his own money to basically give Disney free publicity. So many times I would talk to someone who managed to make it into an event my friend and I didn’t. All too often they would say how there were still seats available as they cut the line and started the show.

Overall my experience at the D23 Expo of 2011 was not what I expected it to be. If it hadn’t been for the great customer service, along with the shows that I did see being put together very well, I would have giving this event an F-. However, the fact the each cast member / employee put in that extra mile made all the difference. I may not have been happy with the way it was organized or how many safety hazards I continually spotted (I’m a Fire Science major in college, can you blame me… lol) but I will give this expo a B+ with much room to be improve. I do not know if I will attend the next Disney expo, but if I do I hope Disney will have learned from their mistakes and it will be the perfect Disney experience.

[rickosuave1987]

I knew from the time my GF and I walked up to the convention center around 730 that it was going to be a looong day of waiting in lines. I was rather miffed at the fact that getting there an hour and half early was almost as bad as showing up when the doors opened. I figured there would be quite a few people in front of us, but had no idea just how many...

We didn't even get in the doors until around 9:20, after the opening ceremonies for the store and what not were over. By the time we had found the MousePlanet booth, checked our electronics in and headed back to get in line for the Studios presentation, it was pretty clear we weren't getting in. The line was already in "standby" and there were at least 1500 people in front of us. We ended up giving up on that idea and heading out to check out the rest of the Expo.

The line for the treasures exhibit was alright. We barely got into the "Conversation with Pixar" panel, (which I think was a bit of a dud) but had great seats for the Monster's University Presentation.

Overall I think the Expo was good, but left me a bit disappointed. I was really looking forward to the Studios presentation. I guess I just underestimated exactly what "sold-out" meant.

[SuzanneSLO]

We were at the 2009 Expo, as well as the one in 2011. The larger crowds in 2011 were noticable.

In 2009, we never waited in line to get into the CC itself. The only people we saw who did this were those looking to buy limited addition merchandise or get the best seats in the morning presentations.

If D23 was surprised by the crowds on Friday morning, so were we. We arrived at 8:30 and finally made it inside at 9:30. We raced upstairs to the DL Hotel presentation which started at 9:30 and got some of the last seats as the presentation started. We were able to attend 3 more presentations that day, including Dick Van Dyke. We did get in line for Dick at about 5:30 for a show that was scheduled to start at 8:15.

Saturday, we arrived at 8:00. On Saturday, we were inside by 8:40 and walked driectly to the queue for the Studios. After the Studios presentation was over at 1 pm, we tried to get into the Pixar presentation which was scheduled for 2:30, but were told that we were at the very back of the stand-by line and there was little chance we would get in. Instead of chancing it, we went to the Buena Vista Street presentation scheduled for 2:45 and were easily able to get in. While my DH waited in line, I returned to our hotel for our phones and sandwiches and snacks. We also saw Monsters University later that day.

On Sunday, we arrived again at 8 am and were inside the CC by 8:20. We went straight to the Imagineering the Dream & Fantasy and had no problem getting in line. We later saw both the Marvel presentation in the Arena and Imagineering Carsland. Continuing our tradition of fine dining from 2009 and Friday and Saturday, we ate sandwiches purchased at the Hilton food court while waiting in the Carsland line.

Our success in getting into the presentations, however, was not without cost. We never saw the Archives, the Treasure Trove or the Disney Store. We also missed most of the Collectors Forum.

The best part of the lines was all the great Disney fans we met from all over.

There is still a balancing act with respect to the D23 Expo. We loved the 2009 Expo because the lack of crowds meant less waiting in line (more like 1 to 1.5 hours rather than 1.5 to 2 hours) and better access to CMs in the Parks & Resort Pavilions and elsewhere. Disney clearly was not happy that they threw a big party and no came.

Well, after 2011, Disney can no longer complain that no came to their party. Now, they need to schedule enough days and events to better spread the crowd around.

I expect that lines will always be a part of the Expo experience. It was one advantage that the Destination D events, especially the one at WDW, have over the Expo.

But FP for presentations would probably mean that everyone would still line up for FP. If you allow those to book presentations when buying tickets, it makes it hard to sell tickets as you get closer to the event. If fewer tickets are sold, there is no need for the advance bookings.

And, yes, we plan to be at the next D23 Expo in the Spring of 2013. -- Suzanne

[Disneyland1955]

SOOOOOO Many things to say about this years Expo!! I have a love hate relationship with this event and even thought I count down to each one and enjoy every minute, there are things that should deffinatly be improved on.
1.) TV screens outside of the arena and show areas for those who where "cut off" or did not make it so we can still all watch.
2.) The tickets that they handed out at the first expo in 2009 to insure your pins was awsome missed that this year. I missed out on arena events waiting for the store not right! With the tickets the cast came out to the line before the expo opened and showed the pins avaliable. at that time you took tickets for the pins you wanted and then you could come pick them up when it was convenient for you!!! BRING IT BACK PLEASE!!!!!!!
3.) I think that as a D23 member that next year when you go to purchase your tickets on line if you are going for the whole expo that you should be able to pick a fast pass for only 1 arena event per D23 member. If the arena holds 4,000 people then they should offer 1,000 fast passes for D23 members to pick from it would help control the people.
4.) Sorcerer passes where great but way to expensive the expo is suppose to be about getting together and seeing new things not charging $1,000 for people who make a lot of money to be special that is why I suggest the fast pass it is more fare to everyone that way not just those with money.
5.) You should NOT!!! Be able to line up for events including out side more than 2 hours early. people who where in line at 3:30 am........you ruined my day and many others including yours!!! REDICULOUSE!!!!!! 2 hours is more than plenty if you come before then you should be told to leave, PERIOD!!!!! Too much of my time as well as others I am sure was waiting in lines I missed half of the expo waiting in lines! Not to menchin if they sent people out of line they would probably have been spending more money.
6.) No lanyards this year I whore my lanyard from 2009 expo and so many people asked me about them they should really bring those back. A pin bag would also be an amazing seller!
7.) In the 2 hours lines I hope to see in the future but in reality the 6 hour lines we stood in this time should have had a cart coming around with red bull, water, coffee, snacks even merchandise to the people in line. So many times while waiting in the 6 hour lines we wanted to get water and got yelled at. It is too hard to be monitored when people keep coming and going, then they should offer some help, dont ya think?
8.) I would have loved to see a CHARTER member only pin!

Over all I loved the expo I am glad to see who I did (Paige O hara) and others and the information given was amazing I am soooo excited for the next expo and I hope that it is so improved so that me and my family and many other people can enjoy all of it and not just half lol.
I also love that it is located in anaheim as it should be! I hope they never move it! keep it there guys!!!!!!

[Blacksheep Uncle]

I kinda hesitate to post since I'm such a newbie here, I'm NOT a Disney basher, heck I liked DCA from day one...it's pretty rambling, but here goes anyway...

I wasn't thrilled with the D23 Expo

I was there as a guest of a D23 member and we went all three days...I enjoyed 2 of the 3 shows (discussions presentations?) we were able to get in to...the Prep and Landing preview was EXELANT! Dave Foley and Michael Giacchino were great. We also saw the Pixar music talk with Michael Giacchino and that was really good too...after spending half the day Friday waiting the Parks and Resort presentation we were a little disappointed. It seemed way too much like a Disney Vacation DVD, and frankly I'm sick of getting beaten over the head with Aulani...We also enjoyed Mickey's of Glendale and the Treasure's store too

on the bad side, the lines and disorganization were unbelievable! Lines in and of themselves aren't that big a deal; heck we all spend a lot of time waiting in them at the parks; but at least we know that after 90 minutes we'll get to ride Indy (unless it goes down AGAIN )...but the huge lines coupled with lots of misinformation was pretty frustrating...it seemed like no two CMs(?) had the same answer on Friday. It was better Saturday and Sunday, but it was still tough finding where some of the lines started or about how long they would be.

I couldn't get over how over sold the event seemed, from what I've read there were over 17,000 people there on Saturday and the largest area only held 4,000 people...that isn't a recipe for a successful event...on Friday my friend only got to the Disney Legends presentations then immediately got into line for the Parks and Resorts presentation (I meet her there)...so after 5:30 or so we were both starving, and of course 1 of the 3 food locations closed at 2:30 so about 3,500 of the 4,000 that were in the presentation were in the 2 long lines for food...we gave up on Friday and left when we heard that the Dick Van Dyke show was virtually full and it was about 3 hours until the show started...

On Saturday our expectations were, much, much lower, we were hoping for 1, maybe 2 presentations and some shopping and and the event was somewhat better organized

Sunday we gave up on any thought of getting in early and went to Disneyland for a couple hours there before Fantasyland got busy, then only spent a couple hours in the Expo to pick up a some things from the Disney Dream store and check out the collector area...we hoped to maybe see something on Sunday but that wasn't to be...

anyway, I'd give it maybe a C-; some of the things they did, they did well, but all-in-all it wasn't a very good experience...Disney is capable of much better work...I doubt I'd go again, and I doubt my friend will be renewing her D23 membership :-/

(I promise I'll try and be more positive and less rambling in the future )

[tea4two]

The combination of seemingly endless, chaotic lines and misinformed/clueless CMs is something that needs to be addressed for the next expo. I understand (and have experienced many times) the "joke" about asking 10 CMs a question and getting 10 different answers, but the misinformation/chaos at this year's expo was, at times, unbelievable. We were in the entry line on Friday morning (the one that switchbacked from the convention center entrance back to Katella at least 3 or 4 times) and couldn't find any CMs to show us the end of the line. When we finally found a red-shirt, he assured us that there were 10 CMs guiding people. He couldn't even find the end of the line, and when we asked him to point out the other red-shirts, he couldn't find them either. Later, as the line didn't move and the early entry time for D23 members was long past, we saw some red-shirts taking people out of line and pointing them toward the box office for the general public/non ticket holder line. By this time it was 9:50 AM, so we asked this red-shirt guy whether they would hold back the general public line until the D23 members had gotten in. His answer (and he repeated this several times for other people, so I'm sure I heard him correctly) was that the non-members, non-ticket holders would be let in at 10:00 AM before all the D23 members still in line outside. Of course, this led to an outcry of protest. He just kept telling people that members (who had already missed 2 or 3 opening events) would not be let in before non-members. After about 10 more minutes of protesting from the line, another red-shirt with a walkie-talkie came down the line and began pulling members out of the line. When I asked her where we were going, she told me to "Run! Follow those people! RUN!!" So we ran, not knowing where we were going, but followed other runners to the convention center entrance and were scanned in. We immediately went to the Welcome Center (more like the Unfriendly, Uninformed, Unwelcome Center based on our multiple experiences there), where we asked a red-shirt where to find the Arena for the Legends Ceremony line. He answered, "Uh... I don't know. This is my first day." Sigh... Surely Disney can do better than this??

[olegc]

I mentioned before about a story that said it was Disney Studios in charge of the Expo this time, and Disney Parks did it last time (it shows a little, right?). All of you above mentioned the TV streaming and I know the Expo would not want to just stream all over the expo (folks standing around watching, blocking traffic, etc.). What they CAN do next time is provide streaming feeds in the waiting rooms. already having to sit on the floor for 2 hours is a problem. and in a small enclosed room, with so many people (and lack of good ventilation) it would be great if they could stream some of the panels into those waiting rooms. It would be a great service for those missing out waiting for lines to the next panel.

of course they could not do this for any panel or presentation where cameras,etc., are not allowed - but it could be something. Heck - show Disney content if you have to.

[SJF510]

We attended all three days. I would echo the issues that most posters had. The issue that was our bugaboo was wheelchair seating. The policy seemed to change at each and every event. What seemed to be the standard policy was that the WC person and a companion could wait in the ADA waiting area and the rest of your party should go wait in "the regular line". Which is great if you have a big group, but since we were a party of 3, me, DH and Nathan, it seemed a bit unfriendly, particulary given the length of the wait. The topper was the Lion King presentation. Once we got in the arena, a helpful cast member directed me to park Nathan (a completely disabled 9 year old boy) in the line with the old ladies on scooters and take a seat a section behind him. They seemed strangely put out when I indicated that would not be an acceptable seating arrangement. They finally pulled out a seat from a row for Nathan and I sat beside him (and DH when he caught up from being in the "regular" line and was able to join us).

I thought it took a certain level of chutzpah by Disney to have you wait in a line, to get into a line, to get into a store to spend money with them, but people did. I did for that matter.

There was one shining moment of absolutely sparkling Disney magic for us though (and it has less to do with Disney than with one neat kid). On Friday, DH, Nathan and I were wearing our matching Perry the Platypus shirts. They're comfy, they're fun and people know we go together. We are wandering through the Expo and we hear "There you are, Perry". We look up and there is Vincent Martello flashing us a shy smile as he headed off with his friends. I was blown away. It was such a nice thing for him to do. It really made our day.

Based on 2009, we figured that was a great start to what would be an amazing 3 days, yeah, not so much on that. I really don't know if we will do 2013 or not. Maybe if they have a real people expensive ticket (like 2X standard admission) that allows for a certain number of arena guaranteed seats (or in some form or fashions shortens the waits). I did the Disney survey and one of the questions was "Was 2011 better or worse than 2009", I definitely had to tick "worse". Hopefully they will fix some of the issues and for 2013 (if we go), I can tick "better".

[jswtsang]

Sjf510,
I saw you and your family on friday in line to get in. at the time I did not know who perry the platypus was but I thought it was so cute that your whole family matched!
My thoughts:
My friends and I wore tutus and mouse ears. I had fun, but you definitely needed to be prepared to wait in line. A tip for next time, bring something you can eat in a pinch. The first year I made a pb&j, and this year I brought a pre packed tuna kit. This way I didn't have to wait in a massive food line while hungry. I only waited in one line because I wanted a mickey pretzel. This would avoid those issues where you're stuck in a 3 hour line and can't leave. Just don't pack so much it is a hassle to carry our someone confiscates it. I read the restrictions and you can bring in foods if you have dietary needs, and my excuse is that pizza and hamburgers (typical convention foods) make me sick, so I bring a little something to be prepared. If it gets taken, it gets taken, but so far no one has inspected my bag and said anything. I do buy my beverages there, to save on carrying around too much weight.