I have been just as curious as everyone else to see what D23 Expo would be like, and yesterday I finally got my chance! Willie and I went over to the Convention Center yesterday with our GM, Jonathan, to see just what D23 was all about!
Friends- it is a Mousketeer’s dream come true!
There was a dedicated Collector’s Forum featuring pins, toys, sketches, drawings, animation stills, paintings, t-shirts, bags, antenna toppers, attraction posters, figurines and and and and and!
Then, for the Disneyphile looking to connect with other Mouse Fanatics, three illustrious online communities- MousePlanet, MiceChat and LaughingPlace– all had booths brimming with prizes, giveaways, information and friendly forum members ready to welcome you into the fold!
The Parks and Resorts exhibit was truly magical! [
I dont want to give too much away for those of you who haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but please make sure that you stop by!]
If that’s not quite enough to pique your interest, I’d also like to mention that they’ve got great previews of the brand new Cars Land coming to California Adventure, as well as storyboards and models of rides that will be new for Hong Kong Disneyland- which is a wonderful opportunity to take a closer look for those of us who don’t have any international travel planned at the moment. [Video:: HKDL Mystic Manor Revealed]
Another featured highlight of the Expo is the much anticipated ‘Treasures from the Disney Archives’. The folks at MiceChat were lucky enough to be given an exclusive first look, and they were kind enough to post a little sneak-peek for the rest of us! The collection appears to be the perfect blending of nostalgia, drama, history and magic that I have come to associate with Disney; that feeling of perfect happy, choked-up, blissed out, teary wonderment that I keep going back for, again and again.
It’s a feeling that the people at Scrapblog have found a way to help us enjoy all year round!
Working in conjunction with Disney, they’ve created software that allows you to ‘tell your own Disney story’ using your family photos and creativity! As soon as I saw a few of the samples that they had available to look at- I immediately thought a few things:
- These are so cute!
- I want to make one! Now!
- These would be PERFECT as countdown calendars!
- Or as a way to ‘Break the News’ of an upcoming surprise Disney trip to family members!
Scrapblog can also be used to make your own personalized greeting cards and photobooks- and you can even post your finished products on your Facebook profile!
[They’re running a contest until September 15th. The winner receives a free D23 membership and a Scrapblog prize package! There’s a video on their site, here, with more information.]
So if you’re in town and you have a chance to stop by- I highly recommend checking it out! If it’s not feasible for you to get here this weekend- keep your Mouse Ears to the ground; hopefully they’ll be doing it again next year!
Have a great weekend, everybody!
Lorealle