New D23 Expo Superthread! (6/24/2019)

[msteddom]

Please post how long that takes! Hope it’s quick for you!

It was just about 3 hours

 

[dina444444]

In MOG now with a storepass. Checkout line is moving wow since there aren’t that many registers.

 

[CarolynFH]

I need some thoughts from y’all more experienced Expo attendees, please!

Yesterday and today we’ve done only Archives Stage presentations both with SP and standby. Our earliest was this morning at 10:00, arrived outside just before 8:30 but not allowed inside until nearly 9:30 (grrr!), not a problem since everyone else was let in late too. We saw CMs holding Hall D23 StagePass paddles who seemed to be directing people with SP elsewhere but didn’t talk to them to find out.

Tomorrow we have SP for 10:30 Parks. Official instructions say not to arrive later than 9:30, but I see recommendations here to arrive at 7:00 or earlier. If we arrive later than 7:00 (say between 8:30-9:00), it should only make a difference in where we sit, right, since we have SP? I know everything is speculation since SP is new this year - and it seemed that morning entrance procedures were different today from yesterday! - but wondered what your observations were for Hall D23 SP yesterday and today.

 

[tobikaye]

So, I was really afraid today was going to turn out to be a bust for my sister as we only got to do the Mickey Disco from her list of 3. We lucked out in place and got standby for DuckTales. So we got posters signed. She actually left the expo with a real smile after having a frown most of the day.

 

[dina444444]

I need some thoughts from y’all more experienced Expo attendees, please!

Yesterday and today we’ve done only Archives Stage presentations both with SP and standby. Our earliest was this morning at 10:00, arrived outside just before 8:30 but not allowed inside until nearly 9:30 (grrr!), not a problem since everyone else was let in late too. We saw CMs holding Hall D23 StagePass paddles who seemed to be directing people with SP elsewhere but didn’t talk to them to find out.

Tomorrow we have SP for 10:30 Parks. Official instructions say not to arrive later than 9:30, but I see recommendations here to arrive at 7:00 or earlier. If we arrive later than 7:00 (say between 8:30-9:00), it should only make a difference in where we sit, right, since we have SP? I know everything is speculation since SP is new this year - and it seemed that morning entrance procedures were different today from yesterday! - but wondered what your observations were for Hall D23 SP yesterday and today.

Correct, but I would still shoot to arrive earlier rather than later because of having to deal with all the people heading in for the show floor.

 

[HydroGuy]

End of Day 2 and I just attended the Aladdin session. Which was completely awesome. This has been, by far, the best Expo I have ever attended. I have made every one since 2011 and only missed the first one. After 2017 part of me wondered if I would come back as it was a bit of a downer. But 2017 ended on a high note with the awesome Lion King session.

Everything I have seen at 2019 has been well organized. I have not seen massive line cutting as before or massive line mismanagement. Efficient entry in the morning. Great plan to section off the entire ACC and not have access checked at the building entrance. D23 must have finally got some experts involved in handling large groups of people. The D23 staff in the blue shirts have been much better informed and trained than in the past.

Great job D23!

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Yes that Aladdin panel was amazing!!!

 

[dmeets]

Trying to decide when to queue up for Parks panel. I was shut out of SP so have to try and make it into gold.

 

[ashley0139]

Trying to decide when to queue up for Parks panel. I was shut out of SP so have to try and make it into gold.

Same here. We have no idea what time to go.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Echo all of the comments re find Aladdin music panel, best one of the expo thus far for me. Supposed to be an hour & went almost 90 minutes including an encore Friend like Me.

Re the Parks panel tomorrow - don’t know if this will help...last night when I left at 7, the studios line was back almost to Katella. tonight when I left at 7, the Parks panel line was maybe 50 people at most, not even back to the edge of the ACC Property.

 

[HydroGuy]

Same here. We have no idea what time to go.

If I were you two I would should for 6am for gold. If you want it for sure then 5am?

 

[Off to Neverland 7]

https://www.dancetraveljournalist.com/home/2019/8/24/7qbhopjn2tt2yknxjpnirrkgs393fm

 

[goingtoexpo!!]

Anyone done an arena panel in the morning? Where are you directed? I saw someone did dancing with the stars but can't find the post.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Anyone done an arena panel in the morning? Where are you directed? I saw someone did dancing with the stars but can't find the post.

I did one last year at 10 - go to the Arena area and all sections are marked between Gold, Stage pass, and stand by.

 

[justlai87]

With only passes for Friday and Saturday, my time at the expo has ended. All of the discussions about the rules, reservations, etc, were very helpful. Thank you.

While preparing for the expo was stressful and frustrating, I'm happy with how my time there turned out. I did everything I set out to do even with only 1 reservation. I would've loved to do more, but I did what were for me a necessity.

Good luck to everyone attending tomorrow and hope you can just enjoy your time there.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... Everything I have seen at 2019 has been well organized. I have not seen massive line cutting as before or massive line mismanagement. Efficient entry in the morning. Great plan to section off the entire ACC and not have access checked at the building entrance. D23 must have finally got some experts involved in handling large groups of people. The D23 staff in the blue shirts have been much better informed and trained than in the past.

Great job D23!

Agree that, overall, this Expo is showing improvement in management and organization.
Regarding a) massive line cutting: we heard this morning at the East Entrance that many people with Stage Passes to get downtstairs were being held outside because access to the building had been cut off. Earlier, many people had lied about having SP and had gotten downstairs, thus shutting out many people who really did have SP. The people cut off outside were not happy.
b) massive line mismanagement: You weren't at the HM 50th panel at the Arena this morning. CMs told me not to line up because "there is no line," but that when the line did form, "it will be a stampede." Well, thank you -- so what are you going to do to prevent that from happening? As usual with D23, nothing. The crowd was allowed to form a mass line/horde, then pushed back and told to go away, then allowed to reform, pushed back again, then allowed to regroup and get bigger. Someone said the police were there to disperse stubborn crowds who refused to disperse. I didn't see any policemen, but I was sort of crushed in the middle of the mass. The pressure on the ropes/CM barrier was too great and they had to break. We were allowed to run through while CMs tried to shout, "No running!"
c) Morning line ups have been better -- much shorter than in past years. This morning, we waited about an hour to be let in the East Entrance.
d) Agree with everyone else that the Aladdin panel was terrific! Not sure why the Broadway panel started so late, but it was quite a trek getting from Hall D23 to the Arena in time for the show!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

@WonkaKid: D23 Expo isn't run by the parks (although we wish that it were!), so it is its own experience unto itself. Disney, and yet bizarro Disney, all at the same time. We're having fun, but I'm glad tomorrow is the last day -- don't know if I could keep this up for more than 3 days!

 

[AulaniNutz]

Trying to decide when to queue up for Parks panel. I was shut out of SP so have to try and make it into gold.

Studio Gold was done at midnight...
Legends Gold was done around 4:45AM
So..... I hear Parks has lots of interest... At least from me... so I will probably be there by 4:45 AM or earlier (even though I'm tired of getting up early) and if I don't make Gold, I'm hopeful I'll get a good standby like I did today at 4:15 AM or so.. We were the last standby row today, maybe 100 people behind us. We ended up far stage left (at the edge of section C), next to curtains with maybe 20 rows behind us...

 

[theluckyrabbit]

https://www.dancetraveljournalist.com/home/2019/8/24/116fja4f710n4lafbg1qlg661zv9hi

Glad you had a good time. I think a little pre-trip research in this thread would have helped a lot. Many of the things addressed have been covered in this thread since they are issues commonly experienced.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

My husband and I went to the Disney Movie Reward event tonight and had a fun time. A twilight ticket was included with the event. We met Mickey, there was a lot of food and drinks (including alcohol), and gift bags. There however weren’t many tables so there was still a lot of standing, and after Expo that was tough. We met and chatted with two terrific ladies! So that was cool. A viewing of Fantasmic included but we were too tired and still had some packing to do so we left before that.