Walt Disney Studios is jumping on the D23 Expo bandwagon by adding four days of exciting programming that includes major overviews of upcoming films by Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook and Disney-Pixar Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter, plus a full schedule of events spotlighting new releases and newly restored digital versions of classic favorites. This adds to the already exciting line-up of evens occurring at the expo.
Cook will present exclusive sneak peeks at such highly anticipated Disney features as “Disney’s A Christmas Carol,” Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” “Old Dogs” (with Robin Williams and John Travolta), “Prince of Persia” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (both from producer Jerry Bruckheimer), “Tron: Legacy,” plus updates on many more exciting projects.
Lasseter will discuss and show materials from such upcoming Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios’ motion pictures as “The Princess and the Frog,” “Rapunzel,” “Toy Story 3,” etc. Both presentations will be held at The Anaheim Convention Center in a 4000-seat arena.
All other film screenings and programs will take place in The Walt Disney Studios Theater (at the Anaheim Convention Center), a custom-built state-of-the-art venue with 3D capability, located within the Convention Center. All Disney Digital 3D™ presentations will be shown in RealD 3D, the world’s most widely used 3D cinema technology.
Among the U.S. premieres at the D23 Expo will be new Disney Digital 3D™ versions of “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” the digital conversion of the original “Tron,” and a newly restored digital version of the Walt Disney classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
Expo guests will get an exclusive look at all things Muppets, as well as meet the filmmakers and see exclusive presentations for such highly anticipated new Disney features as “The Princess and the Frog,” “Toy Story 3” (from Disney-Pixar), “Tron: Legacy,” “Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure” (from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment), and the new ABC-TV holiday animated special, “Prep and Landing.”
The Expo will also debut selected scenes from the upcoming Disney Digital 3D™ version of the Studio’s 1991 modern classic, “Beauty and the Beast.” Other highlights of the four-day event include a program devoted to the music from “The Lion King,” a panel discussion and screening of “Sleeping Beauty,” and the first U.S. screening of “Trail of the Panda” (Disney’s second co-production with China). There will also be presentations on two recent documentaries – “the boys: the Sherman brothers’ story” and “Walt & El Grupo.”
A special screening series, “Fifty and Fabulous,” will show at 10:00 pm in the Studio Theater on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights spotlighting films that are celebrating their 50th anniversary – “Darby O’Gill and the Little People,” “The Shaggy Dog,” and “Sleeping Beauty.”
Schedule of Events
Thursday 9/10
1:00 pm: “Beauty and the Beast” panel discussion; and screening of selected scenes in Disney Digital 3D™
4:00 pm: “The Lion King” music program
7:00 pm: “the boys: the Sherman brothers story” panel discussion/ screening
10:00 pm: “Darby O’Gill and the Little People” screening
Friday 9/11
11:00 am: Dick Cook / Walt Disney Studios presentation (in the Arena)
1:00 pm: Screening of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in Disney Digital 3D™ plus Tim Burton shorts, “Frankenweenie” and “Vincent”
4:00 pm: “Tron”/ “Tron: Legacy” presentation; Digital debut screening of original “Tron”
7:30 pm: “Walt & El Grupo” presentation; Followed by screening of “Saludos Amigos”
10:00 pm: “The Shaggy Dog” screening
Saturday 9/12
10:00 am: Disneynature presentation
12:00 pm: “Snow White” panel discussion; Followed by screening of Restored Print
3:00 pm: “Princess and the Frog” presentation
5:30 pm: “Prep and Landing” presentation
7:30 pm: “Trail of the Panda” screening
10:00 pm: “Sleeping Beauty” screening
Sunday 9/13
11:00 am: John Lasseter / Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios presentation (in the Arena)
1:00 pm: “Muppets” presentation
4:00 pm: “Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure” screening
6:30 pm: “Toy Story 3” presentation;
7:00 pm: “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2” debuts in Disney Digital 3D™
Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available at http://www.D23Expo.com. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can be purchased for single days or for the full four days of festivities. Admission is $37 for a one-day adult ticket and $27 for children 3-12. Four-day passes are $111 for adults and $81 for children. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on up to four admissions, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 EXPO for themselves and their guests.
