Disney D23 is “The largest Disney fan event in the world,” and this year’s expo will be no different. This year’s D23 Expo celebrates the wonderful worlds of The Walt Disney Company, including Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars, across film, television, theme parks, and more!
However, when Disney CEO Bob Chapek took the stage earlier today, some Guests in attendance gave him a not-so-warm welcome.
You can check out the short video down below, thanks to a tweet from Thomas Lipscomb (@tmmylps):
Walt Disney’s Gulf Stream I plane, affectionately known as “The Mouse,” is currently on display at the D23 Expo. After painstakingly dismantling it in Florida and lovingly piecing it back together after transporting it to California, it has delighted Expo guests. Many have marveled at the opportunity to see such an iconic piece of Disney history up close. Recently we’ve learned the fate of Walt’s beloved plane, and it’s perfect.
Walt Disney Company CEO, Bob Chapek, took the stage Thursday evening during a media preview to announce that at the conclusion of the D23 Expo, the plane would be headed to Palm Springs, California, to be displayed, beginning October 15, as part of the Palm Springs Air Museum collection.
Then on December 4 (Walt Disney’s birthday), a brand new exhibit at the museum will open featuring the plane and showcasing its significance to the history of the Walt Disney Company.
Walt Disney Archives director Rebecca Cline said, “We are so happy to have Walt’s plane make a ‘landing’ at the Palm Springs Air Museum, just a few miles from where Walt and his family had vacation homes at Smoke Tree Ranch. It is the ideal setting for this incredible icon.”
The plane, which was recently refurbished to include new paint, wing edges and windows, will be on long term loan to the museum. The museum is looking forward to having such a lovingly restored plane on display. The exhibit will also feature the instrument panel, which sports some rare navigational instruments that are increasingly hard to find in good condition. This is a monumental addition to aviation history.
Disney has revealed the company’s selections for the 2022 Disney Legend Award recipients, and each one is to be honored at a special ceremony during the 2022 D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Over the years, the Disney Legend Award has been given to actors, actresses, Imagineers, Walt Disney Company employees and executives, animators, musicians, and other very special individuals who have made unique contributions to The Walt Disney Company.
What is a Disney Legend?
Per Disney Fandom, being named a Disney Legend is quite an honor, one that is awarded to those who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. The Disney Legends program was established in 1987, and award recipients are honored during a special ceremony.
Selections are carried out by a committee, made up of several key people with The Walt Disney Company:
Recipients are chosen by a selection committee, formerly appointed and chaired by the late Disney Legend Roy E. Disney, Walt Disney’s nephew, former vice chairman, and director emeritus of The Walt Disney Company. The committee consists of long-time Disney executives, historians, and other authorities. Roy Disney died on December 16, 2009. Disney’s corporate headquarters in Burbank, California, features a plaza honoring the recipients outside Team Disney – The Michael D. Eisner Building. Each honoree is represented by a bronze plaque; the plaque features the recipient’s hand prints and signature if they were living when named a Disney Legend.
Who is among the Disney Legends Class of 2022?
The Disney Legends Class of 2022 is an impressive one. It includes actors, actresses, Imagineers, a very special Marvel hero, and many others. The list of 2022 Disney Legends also gives off some very “frozen” and “black-ish” vibes. Here are just a few of the honorees.
Anthony Anderson
Anthony Anderson’s impressive acting career spans many years. Part of his most recent projects include executive producing and appearing in the ABC sitcom black-ish spinoff series titled, grown-ish and mixed-ish.
Kristen Bell
Kristen Bell hardly needs an introduction. Her first Disney role involved lending her voice to Hiromi in the Studio Ghibli classic The Cat Returns, for the its United States DVD release in 2005. But she’s best known for lending her voice to Princess Anna in Disney’s Frozen and Frozen 2.
Chadwick Boseman
Chadwick Boseman will be named a 2022 Disney Legend posthumously. Per D23:
Boseman joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the African Super Hero Black Panther in Captain America: Civil War before bringing the character to the forefront of his own solo film, Black Panther, which received critical acclaim, broke global box office records, and had a social and cultural impact felt globally. The film received seven Academy Award® nominations, including Marvel’s first-ever Best Picture nomination.
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey has enjoyed a long acting career. Dempsey is a two-time Golden Globe® nominee and SAG Award® nominee for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series. Fans will remember him for his iconic role in Disney’s Enchanted, in which he played divorce attorney Robert Phillip alongside Amy Adams’ character, Giselle.
Dempsey returned for the second installment of Enchanted, in production now. The film, Disenchanted, will be released on the Disney+ streaming platform later this year.
Josh Gad
Funny man Josh Gad–the voice of Olaf the Snowman in Disney’s Frozen and Frozen 2–is also being honored with a Disney Legend Award for 2022. Gad has gone on to reprise his role of Olaf in several shorts related to the smash hit feature films, and in a new series of shorts, just released in November 2021, called Olaf Presents.
Per D23, Gad’s Disney credits are many:
“Some of his notable Disney credits include Mickey’s 90th Spectacular (2018), The Disney Family Singalong (2020), Murder on the Orient Express (2017), Modern Family (2011), and Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom (2020).”
Jonathan Groff
Another member of the voice cast of Frozen and Frozen 2 is being honored with a Disney Legend Award as well. Jonathan Groff has a long resume of credits to his name, but Disney fans may recognize him best as the voice behind Kristoff, the Sami ice harvester who falls in love with Princess Anna in Disney’s 2013 Frozen.
Idina Menzel
Yet another voice actress from Disney’s Frozen film franchise is being honored for her contributions with a Disney Legend Award. Idina Menzel is best known for sharing her voice with Queen Elsa from Disney’s Frozen, Frozen 2, and related short films. Her powerful voice and impressive range give her a singing quality unlike any other’s.
These are only a few honorees in the Disney Legends Class of 2022. Honorees will receive their Disney Legend Awards during this year’s D23 Expo on September 9, 2022 as part of the Opening Ceremony festivities.
To say Disney Parks have gone digital would be an understatement. With the addition of MagicMobile, mobile ordering, Play Disney Parks, and Magic Band+, a trip to the theme park is more dependent on devices than ever. Disney has created a whole digital world guests must navigate to experience the parks fully. With that in mind, a new way for guests to express themselves in the digital Disney world. Introducing “DisneyMe”!
DisneyMe will be an all-new digital avatar in the Play Disney Parks app. With their avatar, Disney says guests will be able to “express their Disney style” with a customizable avatar that you can create to look just like you (or not, that choice is 100% up to you). There will be various styles, clothing, and accessories to choose from, and some events will allow you access to exclusive accessories and apparel for your digital doppelganger.
This exciting new offering will debut on September 9, 2022, at the D23 Expo Fan Event and feature exclusive opportunities for guests of the convention. Guests will be invited to embark on a quest during the D23 expo, where they will discover specially-designed Disney Wish and D23 Expo digital clothing and accessories for their DisneyMe. Further details on the specifics of the quest are sparse and will likely be revealed to attendees at the expo, but it’s a sure bet that it will be something akin to the now defunct scavenger hunt- Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.
After the expo, DisneyMe will be available for use in the Play Disney Parks app, where we hope we will be able to embark on in-park quests. This would not only be a great storytelling aid that could put Disney World guests right in the middle of their own Disney story, but it would also help soothe our broken hearts over the loss of Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. Since the mechanisms for the interactive scavenger hunt are already in place, it’s a good bet this is Disney’s plan.
On April 4, Disney announced that its newest roller coaster, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, would be opening on May 27. Cosmic Rewind will be located in the World Discovery area of EPCOT and has taken over the spot of Ellen’s Energy Adventure. The building that Ellen’s Energy Adventure was in has also been transformed into the Xandar Pavilion. The ride will be a one-of-a-kind experience for Guests and will be Disney’s first-ever reverse launch roller coaster.
While Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will officially open to regular Walt Disney World Resort Guests on May 27, there are some Guests who will be able to experience the ride prior to that date. One of those groups is D23 Gold Members. D23 is the official Disney fan club and Gold Members pay $100 per year minimum for their membership.
This exclusive attraction preview will be available on May 15 — nearly two weeks before the ride opens! The cost is $35 per person and spots are limited. Tickets for the event will go on sale on April 12. Having the chance to be one of the first people to ride Cosmic Rewind is very exciting, but your ticket to the event gets you some other incredible perks.
Parking and park admission with park reservation to EPCOT after 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 15, 2022
$20 dining card to enjoy the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival (or other dining location of your choice)
Reserved viewing for Harmonious
Exclusive entry to preview of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Check-in will be open from 3:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., with park admission beginning at 4 p.m. Members are able to explore EPCOT until the reserved viewing area for Harmonious opens at 8 p.m. for the 9 p.m. show. The evening concludes with an opportunity to preview of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, receiving a commemorative gift upon departure.
If you are a D23 Gold Member and are interested in attending this event, there are a few important notes to keep in mind. First, Cosmic Rewind has a strict height requirement of 42 inches. Anyone who does not meet this height requirement will not be able to ride. There will also only be a limited number of tickets available and each D23 Gold Member can purchase up to 4 tickets. D23 has also shared that there will be no merchandise purchasing opportunity at this event, meaning the new Treasures of Xandar store may not be open.
News of the opening of the official opening was exciting to some, but not all that surprising to others. A couple of months ago, Disney’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Geoff Morrell tweeted that the Disney coaster would be opening on Memorial Day Weekend. While Morrell deleted the tweet, many took what he said as confirmation since he is so high up in the company.
If you are not yet a D23 Gold Member, but would like to be able to experience the attraction preview, you still have time to become one! You can learn more about D23 Gold Membership by clicking here.
