Last weekend Disney fans from across the globe descended upon Anaheim for D23 Expo, a three day event that celebrates all things Disney (including Star Wars, Marvel, and even FX, Hulu, ABC, and 20th Century Fox projects). The weekend is packed with exhibits, panels, experiences, demos, and shopping.

Often the biggest highlight of the event is what the Walt Disney Archive brings to the Expo. Often the archive reflects on big anniversaries, so I had expected a big exhibit about Donald Duck, as he turned 90 this year, but instead it was all cars. Which was also pretty darn cool.

1964 Mercedes-Benz 230SL, personally owned by Walt Disney, and used in the 1965 film That Darn Cat! where it was driven by Roddy McDowall.

1963 Volkswagen Beetle, lovingly known as “Herbie” used in the 1997 TV movie version of The Love Bug, with Bruce Campbell.

Herbie for the 2005 film Herbie: Fully Loaded.

In 1964, Disneyland worked with Ford for the 1964/65 New York World’s Fair to create the Magic Skyway where guests hopped in a Ford vehicle, if they were lucky they would sit in one of these, the brand new Mustang, and time travel to see cavemen, dinosaurs, and more. After the closure of the Fair, the dinosaur portion would make its way to Disneyland where it can now be seen along the Disneyland Railroad.

Various Cruella cars. From the top down, 1974 Panther De Ville used in 101 Dalmatians (1996) and 102 Dalmatians (2000), 1987 Zaiker from series Once Upon a Time, and another 1974 Panther De Ville used in the 2021 film Cruella.

Detail from the Volkswagen “Electric Mayhem” bus.

1972 Beetle from Once Upon a Time.

1915 Ford Model T Touring, used in the 1961 film The Absent Minded Professor.

Main Street USA Roundabout, built in 1960 and used by Walt Disney.

Parking lot tram, used to take Disneyland guests to the front gate and back from 1967 to 1997.

LightCycle used in Tron: Legacy

Another fun experience was the Marvel TVA walkthrough. Those familiar with the show Loki and the latest Marvel film Deadpool and Wolverine, will know about the TVA, the Time Variance Authority, and its amazing retro vibes. Similar to a haunt style maze, attendees entered the TVA escorted by Minutemen and encountered Miss Minutes, time doors, where costumes from various Marvel films were displayed, and even got to chat with Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy, before encountering the Witches’ Road showcasing costumes from the upcoming series Agatha All Along. At the end we were given our official role at the TVA, where I was fittingly given the title of archivist.

As for panels, several do not allow photos, but we really enjoyed many that took place at the Pixar and Disney Animation stage, including live demos on how they paint cels, a panel on title cards, and one on Patrick’s favorite Disney work, the three episodes from the Disneyland show talking about space travel. The three episodes, “Man in Space,” “Man and the Moon,” and “Mars and Beyond” showcased how we planned to go to space, and Disney worked with the leading rocket scientists at the time, including Dr. Willy Ley, and Nazis recruited via Operation Paperclip, Dr. Heinz Haber and Wernher von Braun.

After sitting in lines and then sitting in panels, it can be nice to stretch your legs and we enjoyed a few rounds of Pixar mini golf. The only time I got any photos of me! I opted for a comfy look all three days, pairing a different tee with a different pair of Hammies shorts each day.

The Expo is also a time when Disney announces future projects, including movies, series, even Broadway shows, as well as new experiences for Disney parks and resorts. For the last two D23 Expos I have been expecting a revamp of Tomorrowland, and this year I was once again hoping for a Tomorrowland announcement, however if I had made a bet, I would have lost…again. Instead the Disneyland Resort announcements included a revamp of Disneyland’s Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln to now include a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic, the re-theming of Critter County to Bayou Country, a Coco attraction for Disney California Adventure, an expansion of Avengers Campus, and the arrival of a new land in DCA, inspired by Avatar.

Boy, do I have thoughts and feelings here. The Walt animatronic will be interesting to say the least. I am glad Lincoln is not being removed. Being the first human Audio-Animatronic, it is a pioneering marvel in the industry for the Company. But I’ll pass judgement on the Walt one until I see it. The very beginning of Pirates of the Caribbean, when you float through the bayou is my favorite part of the whole attraction, so I am excited to see bayou theming be extended. However I can’t help but think Winnie the Pooh attraction is horribly out of place. Winnie the Pooh stories were written by an English author, with the Hundred Acre Wood was inspired by a forest south of London – not exactly the bayou! So I won’t be surprised if we bid farewell to Pooh sometime soon.

Coco is incredibly popular, and is instrumental during the fall season at the Disneyland Resort, with a corner of the Disney California Adventure being transformed into Plaza de la Familia, so I can see the Coco attraction taking over the area where Goofy’s Sky School, Corn Dog Castle, and Seaside Souvenirs currently reside. I have never been a big fan of Avengers Campus for a variety of reasons that I’ll spare you, but I think that if it’s going to be a part of DCA, it should be larger, as it is very cramped.   The biggest news was the announcement of an Avatar themed area being added to DCA, likely taking over all of or part of the Hollywood Land area. To say I hate Avatar would be an understatement, but I’ll leave it there. Needless to say, I’m not exactly hyped for it.

While I love Disneyland, I am able to see its flaws. I think the Disneyland Resort has lost sight of a lot of things. When Disneyland opened Fantasyland was the only land that had attractions with already established (or IP, intellectual property) characters. The rest of the park was filled with new and innovative experiences. When DCA opened, it did not rely heavily upon IP either, and it chronically suffered from an identity crisis. Eventually DCA found its stride, with each area representing an idealized place and time within California. The lone exceptions being Bug’s Land, and Cars Land. However, the way I viewed it, that was ok. Bug’s Land could take place anywhere really, Patrick joked you were in the lawn of the Tower of Terror, and Cars Land had elements of California in it. Today the park is being overrun with IP, and has entered a new era of identity crisis. Recently Disneyland Paris’ second park, initially known as Disney-MGM Studios, has been renamed Disney Adventure World, as it will now incorporate themed lands from various films. I can only assume it’s a matter of time before that happens to DCA. I personally think the heavy reliance on IP is a mistake. If you look at Universal Studios, it has had to change rides time and time again to keep up with popularity and demand. Within 30 years, Terminator has changed to Minions, Back to the Future has become The Simpsons, and E.T. has become The Mummy, just to name a few. So what will become of these areas when the films they are based upon do not secure their status as timeless classics and their popularity fades away? Shanghai Disneyland has had great success with its original attraction Mystic Manor, and Paris has experienced the same with Phantom Manor. I think Disney would benefit from learning from Universal’s turnover and waiting on films and series securing their appeal before spending millions.

If you attended D23, what did you enjoy? If you missed out, but still love Disney, what would you have wanted to experience and what are you excited for?