.This is my second D23. I went for a few hours on one day during the first year where the main expo halls were generally empty, no cosplayers, and there were no lines. However, there was not much to do and engage in. Clearly, much has changed between 2009 and the present. Disney acquired Star Wars and Marvel. Disney XD created shows that appealed to varying generations. By the 2010s, the comic con industry thrived - fandom wanted more. Not everyone can attend San Diego Comic Con, but even before D23, there were still one day passes available the day before.

D23 Expo, even with it's Disney magic and trained cast members, is not a perfectly run con. While it is one of the better cons I have attended, there was confusion as to which line to stand in during the day time. There was not much consistent communication between cast members and volunteers. The lines outside were long because there were two badge scanners funneling people through the metal detectors. Granted, even if there were 10 or so detectors, sometimes one of two detectors were functioning. I was quite surprised that this con has a "tent culture," there were people already camping out the night before just to be the first in line for certain panels. This was true of the live action features panel for Saturday. When we got out at 6:30PM on Friday, there were already people getting ready to get in for Saturday.

We didn't bother checking out panels in Hall D23. While it would have been nice to see the animated feature panel, we also felt like we were missing happenings on the showroom floor. D23 isn't your typical convention. It's a trade show with a fan feeling. I did like seeing random panels on the showroom floor, even if it was to sit down and chill. I always felt I got something insightful from checking in. It takes almost a day to go through everything in the showroom floor - lines for the pirates exhibit and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge included. If you do plan to attend for a day, definately make time to see the showroom floor and do check out a smaller panel or two to get the most out of your day badge. There's no night time programming; everything ends at 7PM in the evening. If you do plan to check out larger panels, I would recommend lining up at least 90 minutes early; there are no stage passes for Hall D23. However, there are still a lot of exciting and informative panels for Disney fans throughout the convention.

The fandom vibe I got at D23 Expo was very positive. Everyone who was there wanted to be there. People were generally happy. What I liked most were the cosplayers and the Disneybounding people. I admired everyone's creativity and it felt like no two Ariel's were the same. Everyone had their different spin on the characters they were portraying. I liked that people were thinking outside of the box - I saw people cosplay from park attractions such as Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Big Thunder Mountain, and Space Mountain. I also saw several Disney Afternoon cosplayers like Darkwing Duck and the Beagle Boys. No matter how obscure your character was, someone is bound to notice you. I liked that D23 Expo had people from different generations of Disney fandom. People were very friendly and it was really easy to talk to people in line or while browsing.

If you do plan to attend D23 Expo 2019, there is a lot of time to save up and plan. D23 Expo has people from all over the world attending. If you do plan to compete in the cosplay contest, do start your costumes early and do think outside of the box. We tried entering our Star vs. the Forces of Evil cosplays, but they were too plain jane for this contest. We were floored by what was accepted and felt we needed more time to level up to get to that level of costume mastery. Saving does help a lot - tickets do go on sale a year prior to the event. Get the earliest registration cost - I would not be surprised if cost does go up for 2019. When the schedule is out, it's wise to make plans on what panels to attend and what panels you might want a stage pass for. Most morning panels don't fill up; you can just walk right in. Do plan to bring a fully charged phone - you never know what Disney celebrities you might run into!

Overall, if you are into all things Disney, I would recommend getting the three day badge. If you are the least bit curious, I would recommend getting a one day badge. Do get badges as soon as possible; it did sell out this year. There is a D23 membership discount and there are no annual pass discounts. D23 membership might vary if this is something you want, but if you don't plan to use the benefits, going full price is not a bad option.

D23 was a very fun event. People were generally mature and kind. This is a con that needs some pre-planning to get the most out of it. If you are into Disney, definitely save up for the 2019 show. We hope to see you there!

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