D23 Expo 2015 - Who's in?

[SoraPandora]

Oh God… I was debating about buying my ticket, but first I decided to read reviews of past expos - and it actually sounds kind of horrendous! http://www.yelp.com/biz/d23-expo-anaheim-2

It sounds like you definitely spend the vast majority of the day in lines - whether it's to get in the building, look at things for sale, or see a panel. When I went to Comic-Con a few years back, there was a huge amount of people, but you could spend most of your time wandering around looking at stuff and going from vendor to vendor without waiting hours for each one. A lot of people also comment on the complete lack of organization at d23, which would drive me nuts. It's overcrowded, people cut in line, and the people who are supposed to be in charge have no idea what's going on.

I actually might skip this. I think I'd rather meet my Euro-friends for a day in the Park! Less stress all around.

Can anyone who's been to a past D23 expo comment on their personal experience?

 

[CarlandEllie]

Yay got Sorcerers, too! I will still need a regular 3-day ticket though, and would like to buy early bird, do they sell out?

 

[dancecats]

I was planning on going (Sorcerer's Ticket) until I ran into a lovely little snag courtesy of D23 ... I'm unable to sign into D23 and purchase tickets - any tickets. I'm also unable to sign up for D23.com, by the way. Apparently someone epically screwed up my account on my last renewal because my Charter Membership nNumber (the same number I've had on every Membership card issued to me since 2009) now no longer matches my first/last name and no longer exists in their database. Um ... what?

I've called and emailed D23 (since yesterday, when I found this out); now it's time to play the waiting game. I would have been disappointed but accepted it if I legitimately missed the Sorcerer's ticket, but to not even have a chance to purchase it because of D23-generated account problems ... . Since this mistake is their fault, I'm curious to see what they'll do to fix the situation for me.

 

[ethanwa]

Oh God… I was debating about buying my ticket, but first I decided to read reviews of past expos - and it actually sounds kind of horrendous! http://www.yelp.com/biz/d23-expo-anaheim-2

It sounds like you definitely spend the vast majority of the day in lines - whether it's to get in the building, look at things for sale, or see a panel. When I went to Comic-Con a few years back, there was a huge amount of people, but you could spend most of your time wandering around looking at stuff and going from vendor to vendor without waiting hours for each one. A lot of people also comment on the complete lack of organization at d23, which would drive me nuts. It's overcrowded, people cut in line, and the people who are supposed to be in charge have no idea what's going on.

I actually might skip this. I think I'd rather meet my Euro-friends for a day in the Park! Less stress all around.

Can anyone who's been to a past D23 expo comment on their personal experience?

If you were able to get a Sorcerer's Ticket then you can skip ALL of the lines except at the very small presentations. I was able to get a Sorcerer's Ticket in 2013 and upcoming 2015. It costs a LOT of money but is worth it in my opinion because of all of the benefits, ESPECIALLY the exclusive shopping time! I bought 2 princess pin sets in 2013 and got everything I wanted. The merchandise resale nearly pays for the ticket (if that is what you want to do with your merch).

Here are the costs, so you can bet 2017 will be at least $500 higher:

$500 in 2009
$1000 in 2011
$1500 in 2013
$2000 for 2015

Yes, that's for ONE ticket.

If you can't afford that (they are sold out for 2015 already) and still want to go, there is still the Collector's Forum which has no lines and lots of browsing. There are also lots of booths that you can walk right up to. But if I were going on a regular ticket, I would go for one day just to browse and do that stuff. Even the Imagineering area, which was awesome, sometimes only had a very short wait.

BUT if I wanted to go to the presentations and panels and some of the cooler stuff and go shopping in official Disney stores, I would NOT go without a Sorcerer's Ticket. The lines are just TOO LONG! In 2013 it was stuff like Tomorrowland, Disney Infinity preview, ABC Once Upon A Time ship, Disney Store, Mickey's of Glendale, Dream Store... and then all the presentations like movie announcements, animated film announcements, Sherman brothers concert, Legends ceremony, and Disney Interactive announcements (i.e. Disney Infinity give-a-way).

Just some advice.

 

[SoraPandora]

If you were able to get a Sorcerer's Ticket then you can skip ALL of the lines except at the very small presentations. I was able to get a Sorcerer's Ticket in 2013 and upcoming 2015. It costs a LOT of money but is worth it in my opinion because of all of the benefits, ESPECIALLY the exclusive shopping time! I bought 2 princess pin sets in 2013 and got everything I wanted. The merchandise resale nearly pays for the ticket (if that is what you want to do with your merch).

Here are the costs, so you can bet 2017 will be at least $500 higher:

$500 in 2009
$1000 in 2011
$1500 in 2013
$2000 for 2015

Yes, that's for ONE ticket.

If you can't afford that (they are sold out for 2015 already) and still want to go, there is still the Collector's Forum which has no lines and lots of browsing. There are also lots of booths that you can walk right up to. But if I were going on a regular ticket, I would go for one day just to browse and do that stuff. Even the Imagineering area, which was awesome, sometimes only had a very short wait.

BUT if I wanted to go to the presentations and panels and some of the cooler stuff and go shopping in official Disney stores, I would NOT go without a Sorcerer's Ticket. The lines are just TOO LONG! In 2013 it was stuff like Tomorrowland, Disney Infinity preview, ABC Once Upon A Time ship, Disney Store, Mickey's of Glendale, Dream Store... and then all the presentations like movie announcements, animated film announcements, Sherman brothers concert, Legends ceremony, and Disney Interactive announcements (i.e. Disney Infinity give-a-way).

Just some advice.

Thank you SO much for all the info! That really helps me so much.

Yeah, there is no way I could ever afford a Sorcerers ticket, and even if I could it - it probably wouldn't be worth it to me personally, since I can't afford any high dollar merchandise - and I don't resell. I was mostly planning to come to the Expo to walk around and take in the sights.

It's really good to know that some areas (like the Collectors Forum) don't have crazy lines. I definitely won't be buying a three day ticket like I originally planned but I may still get a one-day!

 

[ethanwa]

Thank you SO much for all the info! That really helps me so much.

Yeah, there is no way I could ever afford a Sorcerers ticket, and even if I could it - it probably wouldn't be worth it to me personally, since I can't afford any high dollar merchandise - and I don't resell. I was mostly planning to come to the Expo to walk around and take in the sights.

It's really good to know that some areas (like the Collectors Forum) don't have crazy lines. I definitely won't be buying a three day ticket like I originally planned but I may still get a one-day!

Here's my advice... buy a one-day ticket and come around lunchtime on Saturday or Sunday. This way you don't have to wait outside for hours to get in... you'll most likely be able to walk right in around then. Browse, go to the Collector's Forum, and if lines are short for any of the booths or special areas (like an Imagineering area or something) jump in it. Ask others how long they have been waiting or how long the line is.

If you make it a "browsing" day, I promise it will be worth a one-day ticket. It's a cool experience just to say that you've been there. And then next time (2017) maybe you can plan it out a bit more if you feel like you missed stuff.

Oh, one other tip, stores like the Dream Store have next to NO line at the end of the day on Saturday and especially Sunday. You can walk right in. Many of the better items might be picked from the shelves, but again it's just fun to browse even if you don't buy anything.

One last tip: Stop at all the booths, even if they look lame. I got a really cool It's A Small World shopping bag for free at the Disney Publishing booth, I got some free stuff at the Disney Movie Club booth, won some prizes at the Planes spinning wheel, got a free "stock certificate" pin at the Disney Financial booth for filling out a survey, and got some free collectable cards at the Disney Interactive iPad area. All fun stuff, free stuff, and no lines.

 

[inabena]

Just got my 3-day tickets and will be attending the first time! Have never attended any conventions before so I'm both excited and scared given all these horror stories I've heard.:hs:

I definitely want to make it to Disney Store to see any new dolls they may have come up (hopeful at a chance to get D23 exclusive ones, if any!) and thinking I'll probably have to get there in the wee hours Friday morning. Probably make Friday a shopping day and Saturday and Sunday to check out all the presentations and exhibits.

Any tips from past attendees? I'm most likely going solo since I wouldn't want to put my husband through all that waiting in line haha.

 

[ethanwa]

Just got my 3-day tickets and will be attending the first time! Have never attended any conventions before so I'm both excited and scared given all these horror stories I've heard.:hs:

I definitely want to make it to Disney Store to see any new dolls they may have come up (hopeful at a chance to get D23 exclusive ones, if any!) and thinking I'll probably have to get there in the wee hours Friday morning. Probably make Friday a shopping day and Saturday and Sunday to check out all the presentations and exhibits.

Any tips from past attendees? I'm most likely going solo since I wouldn't want to put my husband through all that waiting in line haha.

Get there EARLY if you want to go in the Disney Store. And even then, in 2013 the Sorcerer's ticket-holders got to go to the Disney Store first before everyone else on Thursday (Sorcerer's get an extra day at the Expo), Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So right off the bat, even if you are first in line, there will be a 30 minute wait at least.

I'm assuming it will be the same way for 2015.

Good luck!

 

[cyke23]

3-day pass! I went in 2013 for the first time with a 3-day pass. I thought it was an amazing experience. What is Disneyland without lines? But going into Disney Store on Friday was quite short compared to the 2 hour lines I saw on Saturday (my poor sister and young nephew), although those free oversized Little Mermaid shopping bags were fantastic and worth it (my nephew was "buying" a t-shirt for his uncle and needed his own bag - yeah i'm bad, but my friend loved the extra bag I got). I think I spent 8 hours of 1 day in the Marketplace and spent almost an hour at Mickey's of Glendale (regret not getting the Haunted Mansion large pin bag). OMG so many pins to browse through. And then all the booths and presentations - Mary Poppins was great. Love taking pictures of people: My 3 favorite costumes I saw were 1) 2 people who were the Evil Queen and a bald guy who had the Slave in the mirror drawn quite well on the top of his head. Picture the Evil Queen holding a frame, and then the guy puts his head through the frame (head down) to show the Slave....the best. 2) 4 dancing couples from the Haunted Mansion ballroom scene. 3) redhead from POTC - spectacular details all of them. 1 year and counting!

 

[inabena]

Get there EARLY if you want to go in the Disney Store. And even then, in 2013 the Sorcerer's ticket-holders got to go to the Disney Store first before everyone else on Thursday (Sorcerer's get an extra day at the Expo), Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So right off the bat, even if you are first in line, there will be a 30 minute wait at least.

I'm assuming it will be the same way for 2015.

Good luck!

Early like previous night camp out early? Or more like 5AM early? Boy I hope the people are going to be nice about keeping the spot in line if I needed to use the restroom!

 

[kupo1121]

Good luck everyone going! $2000 was way too much to drop on a ticket in hopes that the merchandise next year will be good to repay everything back so if I do decide to go, I'll buy a ticket later this year just for a normal ticket ^_^

Honestly, after Disney received all those complaints last year, I'd be hesitant to be sure that the Sorceror's package will get all the merchandise like last year and another worry, what will the merchandise even be next year?

Last year was LM's year so Ariel made sense, this year was SB's so Aurora made sense, next year is looking to be Aladdin, so if it's an Art of Jasmine line, you can expect the secondary prices on those pins to flop since Jasmine is one of the least popular princesses in pin trading (which is GREAT for Aladdin fans >_< I wish Ariel wasn't so popular a lot lol). Also, in terms of Designer sets, its obvious that as Disney continues to hark on more and more Designer stuff, the prices are just falling every year and with Disney completing the Designer Fairytale Couples set this year (as evidenced by the leaked dolls), I'm not sure what they will do about next year.

So case and point, $2k for was too much for me when its such a big gamble @_@

 

[CarlandEllie]

There haven't been any Frozen Designer Pins yet...

 

[dancecats]

There haven't been any Frozen Designer Pins yet...

Don't even ... just don't ... . Seriously, don't even go there.

 

[JKrolak]

If you had the money and good fortune to be able to get one, the Sorcerer's Package was the better buy. I'll be there but only on a normal 3 day pass.

 

[JKrolak]

Oh God… I was debating about buying my ticket, but first I decided to read reviews of past expos - and it actually sounds kind of horrendous! http://www.yelp.com/biz/d23-expo-anaheim-2

It sounds like you definitely spend the vast majority of the day in lines - whether it's to get in the building, look at things for sale, or see a panel. When I went to Comic-Con a few years back, there was a huge amount of people, but you could spend most of your time wandering around looking at stuff and going from vendor to vendor without waiting hours for each one. A lot of people also comment on the complete lack of organization at d23, which would drive me nuts. It's overcrowded, people cut in line, and the people who are supposed to be in charge have no idea what's going on.

I actually might skip this. I think I'd rather meet my Euro-friends for a day in the Park! Less stress all around.

Can anyone who's been to a past D23 expo comment on their personal experience?

As a veteran of the San Diego Comic con and all 3 prior D23 events, I'm sad to say that much of what you have said is true.

You will send a lot of time in the lines. For some reason the convention center and staff want to channel everyone through a single entry point at the start of the day instead of multiple entry points that might require more organization and staffing. Unless you have the Sorcerer's ticket or are local and prepared to camp out, you can pretty much forget about any high demand collectables. (And bring your shark repellant for that line if you do decide to brave it.) If you do brave the line, be prepaired to kill a good 90 minutes if you hit them at "off peak" times. The WDI store was worth the wait and had hundreds of pins form their collection as well as other items of interest. Their pin bag at D23-2013 even had the old style pages. The Disney "collectable" store featuring Ariel was well and truly looted of all but the normal items on the first day. The huge Ariel shopping bag still made it worth the experience, until they ran out of those early Sunday afternoon.

The treasures of the Disney archives was another long line but was worth the wait. It moved pretty quickly even if in true Disney fashion, wound it's way through a complex cue in several rooms. Signing up for the Auction nets you a collectable or two as well as the chance to win some genuine Disney treasures. Helpful hints: Most of use are not that deep pocketed. You won't be able to easily transport them home on the plane. But it's been fun playing the last three conventions and you never know....

Vendors / exhibitors are well worth the time to visit. Some of the official Disney booths will have additional collectables that are overlooked by the crowd stuck in the line cues. The Disney Volunt-ears group takes just a few minutes of your time for a good cause in return for a pair or Ears or collectable bag. The Frozen exhibit sold me on the movie and showed several of the tricks used in production.

The new line to get tickets for the signature events is a mixed blessing. It is certainly better than waiting, hoping and missing the event in its entirety. But is can be soul crushing to find out that everything you wanted is "sold out" before you were even able to get into the line.

Pin trading at the event was practically non-existent last D23. I don't recall any official trading area or organized activity unlike the first 2 events. They did have a display showing future pins.

I'm still coming back again for D23 Mark 4, with the hopes that I can see at least one of the special events. But you know, an afternoon at the parks with friends is not a bad consolation prize or a nice way to spend the evening after the convention closes and you were shut out of special events.

 

[calie]

2013 was my first time and I was part of the paranoia that was the line for the Fairytale Designer Pins. Not only did I not end up getting it even after a painfully long camp-out, that whole incident left a bad taste and terrible memories of the expo for me. The lies, the cutting, the aggression, the lack of respect for others -- it made me lose a lot of faith in the pin trading community and the D23 expo.

A friend of mine is thinking about going but I haven't decided yet. Guess that depends on the featured merch they will have.

 

[ethanwa]

2013 was my first time and I was part of the paranoia that was the line for the Fairytale Designer Pins. Not only did I not end up getting it even after a painfully long camp-out, that whole incident left a bad taste and terrible memories of the expo for me. The lies, the cutting, the aggression, the lack of respect for others -- it made me lose a lot of faith in the pin trading community and the D23 expo.

A friend of mine is thinking about going but I haven't decided yet. Guess that depends on the featured merch they will have.

My opinion is that if you aren't a Sorcerer's ticket holder, don't even try to get in the Disney Store for the good items. I was a Sorcerer's ticket for 2013 and my wife and I each bought a princess pin set. I think if I recall we could have bought two each that day. The next day we had the opportunity to buy two more but passed because we didn't realize the value of them at the time!

Even on that first day for normal guests, Friday, they ran out of wristbands for the princess sets for the Sorcerer's! So I don't think a single normal guest got a set that day.

By the time it gets to regular paying guests of the Expo, most Disney Store items are picked clean, even if you camp out at 3AM.

 

[calie]

My opinion is that if you aren't a Sorcerer's ticket holder, don't even try to get in the Disney Store for the good items. I was a Sorcerer's ticket for 2013 and my wife and I each bought a princess pin set. I think if I recall we could have bought two each that day. The next day we had the opportunity to buy two more but passed because we didn't realize the value of them at the time!

Even on that first day for normal guests, Friday, they ran out of wristbands for the princess sets for the Sorcerer's! So I don't think a single normal guest got a set that day.

By the time it gets to regular paying guests of the Expo, most Disney Store items are picked clean, even if you camp out at 3AM.

They did wristbands for normal guests too but that happened ONLY on Saturday for some reason. Friday was just a chaotic mess all around. In spite of that, a handful of normal guests were able to get away with the pin sets.

I wasn't too desperate to get a pin set because I was only in line to support a friend who was an avid pin collector. I was a spectator in this situation and was just appalled by the behaviors of people. I know this does not reflect the majority of the pin trading community, but just seeing that kind of thing happen in a place where we all share the joys of Disney love was not a sign of love at all.

Lesson learned. If there's a limited set next time, I'll be sure to get a Sorcerer's Package.

 

[CarlandEllie]

Don't even ... just don't ... . Seriously, don't even go there.

Lol I was just joking xD I'm annoyed by all the Frozen releases myself. I used to collect the first releases but quickly dropped out.

 

[Brandi.in.Wonderland]

Hi All! This will be my first time going to D23. I am very excited, but of course I would like to make the most of it. Even though I wasn't about to get the sorcerer's package, would waiting in line early to get in help my chances of getting these pin sets that will be available? In regards to camping out, what would be a good time? Is it like 8 pm or closer to 2 am..
Also, will there be a prior announcement about the pins or is it a surprise?
Thanks all!

 

[starry_solo]

Hi All! This will be my first time going to D23. I am very excited, but of course I would like to make the most of it. Even though I wasn't about to get the sorcerer's package, would waiting in line early to get in help my chances of getting these pin sets that will be available?
Also, will there be a prior announcement about the pins or is it a surprise?
Thanks all!

Unless you want to spend the night sleeping on the street/sidewalk outside of the convention center, no, waiting in line early won't help.

There is no prior announcement about any pins, they are usually a surprise.

 

[fireheadfred]

i am so excited to see you all. We are staying in a house, LITERALLY across the road....

 

[sweetalissum]

I'm going to D23 for the first time next year, but honestly I do not expect to be able to get at pins or exclusive merchandise. I don't have the kind of money for a Sorcerer's package, so I'm going to check it out, have fun with my friends, and enjoy some Disney dress up and fellow costumes. This is the event I'm most excited to make costumes for all year. I can do some deep cut Disney stuff and unique ones like the Designer series and they will actually be appropriate for the event. I'm still deciding on my cosutmes but I have some ideas.

 

[Jazzy B Bunny]

I'd love to go, but I doubt I'll be able to afford all the flights and things

 

[starry_solo]

I'm going to D23 for the first time next year, but honestly I do not expect to be able to get at pins or exclusive merchandise. I don't have the kind of money for a Sorcerer's package, so I'm going to check it out, have fun with my friends, and enjoy some Disney dress up and fellow costumes. This is the event I'm most excited to make costumes for all year. I can do some deep cut Disney stuff and unique ones like the Designer series and they will actually be appropriate for the event. I'm still deciding on my cosutmes but I have some ideas.

There is a costume contest you can enter and hopefully win great prizes for! Good luck!