D23 is the official fan club for all things Disney. They hold events all year long, but there are two fan events that stand out. Traditionally, Destination D23 takes place on odd years at Walt Disney World. D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (formerly D23 Expo) is held on even years at the Anaheim Convention Center. This isn’t written in stone, as 2020 showed us. While there are similarities, these are two very different beasts.
I’ll start with Destination D23. I’ve heard people refer to it as more of a conference than a convention, and I think that’s a fair assessment. It’s three days long, but the first day is only for shopping and picking up your gift. And a nice gift it is, at the last Destination D23 it was a Lug bag filled with goodies! I’ve seen similar bags online for well over $100. But I digress.
The second and third days of Destination D23 are panels. There will be news, lots of information, and looks back over the years. There’s a good mixture of history and glimpses into the future. There’s also lots of entertainment, and some surprise guests. There is only one panel at a time, and if you have a ticket you’re guaranteed a seat. You can also shop on Saturday and Sunday. A limited number of shopping spots open up for D23 Gold Members who don’t have a Destination D23 ticket, you must register in advance for those.
Saturday night at Destination D23 ends with a fun extra. In 2025 it was Kuzcotopia, a Disney After Hours event at Typhoon Lagoon based on The Emperor’s New Groove. The Kuzcotopia ticket was included with your Destination D23 admission. A limited number of tickets were available to D23 Gold Members who weren’t attending the event.
With Destination D23, you must be a D23 Gold Member or the guest of a D23 Gold Member to attend. Tickets are not available to anyone else, and they go fast!
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is a whole different ballgame. It takes place over three days, and those days are jam packed! There are panels all day long, often more than one at the same time. A ticket does not guarantee a seat in a panel, and some of the panels have a lottery-type system to try to get a seat. There are cosplayers everywhere! The show floor alone is worth the price of the ticket. There’s shopping, of course, with a lottery for some stores to get a spot. There are also exhibits galore! Many are interactive, and you’ll get plenty of hints at the future for movies, TV shows, parks, and more.
In 2024, the three largest panels (entertainment showcase, parks, and Disney Legends) were moved to the nearby Honda Center in the evening. It’s been announced that the same is planned for 2026. A ticket to D23: The ultimate Disney Fan Event did not include the Honda Center, it was an add-on. Transportation was provided between the Anaheim Convention Center and the Honda Center. If you bought the Honda Center add-on you bought an assigned seat. Tickets were not cheap, with the closest seats selling for over $2,500 a ticket. You could not buy tickets just for the Honda Center. While it hasn’t been confirmed, it’s safe to assume that we’ll see the same when tickets go on sale for 2026.
You do not need to be a D23 Gold Member to attend D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. That said, in 2024, tickets went on sale for Gold Members before tickets for the general public. By the time that tickets were available to all, most of the general tickets and all but the most expensive Honda Center seats were sold out.
Both Destination D23 and D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event have special fun leading up to them. For Destination D23 there were different events held at Disney Springs. For D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event the extras include D23 Day at Disneyland and bonuses at Angels Stadium. These are not included with your ticket.
If you’re a fan of all things Disney, you’ll probably enjoy both Destination D23 and D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Shopping can be packed at Destination D23, but the panels are a lot more relaxed. If attending D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, expect crowds around every turn. Both are informative and full of surprises. Just don’t try to compare the two, they aren’t the same.