If you follow Disney news for any amount of time, eventually you are going to see three characters pop up again and again: D23.
Maybe you have seen the massive crowds in Anaheim. Maybe you have watched clips of fans cheering as new theme park attractions, movies, television projects, or characters were revealed onstage. Or perhaps you have heard someone say, “They might announce it at D23,” and wondered exactly what D23 even is.
If that sounds familiar, you are in the right place.
D23 is much bigger than a convention that happens every couple of years. It is The Official Disney Fan Club, bringing together fans of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, the theme parks, animation, television, collectibles, Disney history and just about everything else under The Walt Disney Company umbrella.
So before we dive deeper into D23 coverage here on CoasterMedia, let’s start at the beginning.
So, What Does “D23” Mean?
The name actually has a pretty simple meaning.
The “D” stands for Disney, while the “23” represents 1923, the year Walt Disney founded the studio that eventually grew into The Walt Disney Company we know today.
D23 officially launched in 2009 as Disney’s first official fan organization, with the first D23 Expo taking place later that same year in Anaheim, California.
That history is important because D23 was never created around just one corner of Disney.
It is meant to celebrate the entire company.
You can be a massive Walt Disney World fan without knowing every Pixar movie. You can collect Marvel merchandise without riding roller coasters. You can love Star Wars, classic animation, Disney history or anything in between.
D23 puts all of those fandoms under one roof.
D23 Is the Fan Club — Not Just the Big Event
This is probably one of the biggest points of confusion for newer fans.
D23 itself is the official Disney fan club.
The giant event everyone talks about is currently called D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Those are connected, but they aren’t exactly the same thing.
D23 operates throughout the year with member events, screenings, studio tours, special experiences, discounts, sweepstakes and other fan opportunities. Disney currently offers a complimentary General Membership along with paid Gold Membership options that provide additional benefits and access to certain exclusive experiences.
Then there is the Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
That is when the volume gets turned way up.
What Happens at the Ultimate Disney Fan Event?
Imagine Disney bringing its theme parks, movies, streaming shows, animation, Imagineering, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, merchandise, archives and creative talent together for one enormous fan celebration.
That gets you pretty close.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event includes major presentations, smaller panels, exhibits, shopping, displays, celebrity and creator appearances, cosplay gatherings, historic artifacts, fan experiences and plenty of surprises.
And yes, there can be announcements.
Lots of Disney fans — particularly theme park fans — watch D23 closely because major presentations can provide a look at what Disney has planned for the years ahead.
But D23 isn’t simply an announcement machine.
Some panels explore Disney history. Others celebrate films or television shows. The Walt Disney Archives regularly has a presence. There are opportunities to hear directly from Imagineers, filmmakers, animators, actors and other people responsible for creating the things fans love.
Sometimes the coolest part of D23 isn’t a giant new attraction announcement.
Sometimes it is hearing a story you never knew about something you have loved for years.
Why Theme Park Fans Pay So Much Attention
For CoasterMedia readers, this is probably where things get especially interesting.
Disney Parks presentations have historically made D23 one of the major events to watch for future developments across Disney’s theme parks and resorts.
Concept art can appear.
New attractions can be discussed.
Previously announced projects can receive names, timelines or additional details.
Sometimes we finally get a better idea of what Disney has been teasing.
That makes D23 particularly exciting if you follow Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort or Disney’s international parks.
There is also an important difference between what fans hope Disney announces and what Disney actually announces.
Speculation can get wild leading into a D23 event. That is part of the fun of being a fan, but once the presentations begin, we will separate the wish lists and rumors from the projects Disney officially confirms.
It Goes Far Beyond the Parks
Theme parks may be a huge piece of our coverage, but D23 goes much further.
Disney uses the fan community to celebrate projects and franchises from across its entertainment portfolio. That can include Disney Animation, Pixar, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, television, streaming projects and more.
That means one D23 weekend can jump from a new theme park attraction to Marvel, then Star Wars, then an animated movie, followed by a look into Disney history.
For someone who enjoys several corners of Disney fandom, that variety is exactly what makes the event so interesting.
You never really know which part of Disney will deliver your favorite moment.
Disney History Has a Home Here Too
One of my favorite things about the idea behind D23 is that it isn’t exclusively focused on what comes next.
It also spends plenty of time looking backward.
The Walt Disney Archives has been an important part of D23 experiences, helping showcase artwork, props, costumes, photographs and stories from throughout Disney history.
Then there are the Disney Legends.
The Disney Legends Award recognizes people whose contributions have made a lasting impact on Disney. The ceremony returns as part of the 2026 Ultimate Disney Fan Event, continuing a tradition that celebrates the people behind generations of Disney entertainment.
For longtime fans, those historic pieces can be just as fascinating as hearing about the next attraction.
What About D23 Membership?
You do not necessarily need to travel to Anaheim to be part of D23.
D23 currently offers a free General Membership, while Gold Membership provides additional benefits such as access to select member experiences, offers and other exclusives.
Individual events can have their own membership and ticket requirements, so it is always worth checking the official information before planning around a particular D23 experience.
For example, purchasing tickets for the 2026 Ultimate Disney Fan Event requires a D23 Gold Membership.
That distinction is another reason it helps to think of D23 as a year-round fan organization rather than simply the name of a convention.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026
And that brings us to why you are probably going to hear a lot about D23 over the next several days.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 takes place August 14–16 in Anaheim, California.
Disney says the 2026 event will feature an expanded and more immersive show floor at the Anaheim Convention Center, additional shopping opportunities and major presentations and entertainment at the Honda Center. The celebration also extends beyond the main three-day event with D23 activities happening throughout Anaheim during the surrounding week.
So while August 14 is technically the beginning of the main event, the D23 celebration stretches beyond those three days.
And for Disney fans watching from home?
Expect plenty to follow.
Why D23 Matters
Ultimately, D23 matters because it is one of the rare places where virtually every corner of Disney fandom can intersect.
It celebrates where Disney has been.
It gives us a glimpse at where Disney could be going next.
It brings fans together.
And every once in a while, it delivers one of those announcements that immediately has you looking at the calendar and wondering, “Okay…when can I experience THAT?”
You certainly do not have to attend D23 in person to enjoy it, either. Following the announcements, watching Disney release new concept art, discussing the presentations and seeing what fellow fans are excited about has become part of the experience itself.
That is exactly what we will be doing here.
Start Your D23 Journey Here
Consider this your starting point.
As D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 gets underway, CoasterMedia will be following the news, announcements and interesting developments coming out of Anaheim — especially the stories connected to theme parks, entertainment, Marvel, Star Wars and the wider worlds of Disney.
Whether this is your first time following D23 or you have been watching these events for years, there should be plenty to talk about.
And now when somebody asks, “What exactly is D23?”
You know where to start.
