Disney’s D23 fan event started out as a booth at Comic-Con. It’s now bigger than ever

D23, Disney's official fan club, has been thriving for 17 years, and its membership has only grown stronger. The club offers two levels of membership, including a free option and three premium plans, each with exclusive benefits. The fan club's biennial event, renamed D23: The Ultimate Fan Event for 2024, kicks off this weekend.

Initially starting as a booth at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009, it has evolved into Disney's premier fan celebration, hosted biennially in Anaheim, California. The event has expanded globally, with recent exhibitions in Japan and São Paulo, Brazil.

Attendance has surged, with previous events drawing over 65,000 attendees in 2013, and estimates suggesting that more than 100,000 fans have attended over the years. This year's D23 is set to be the largest yet, featuring more than 50 panels and presentations across two venues, including the Anaheim Convention Center and the Honda Center. The event will also include a Disney Princess concert celebration and is the first to offer livestream access to global audiences.

Disney's D23 caters to a wide range of fandoms, from Marvel and Star Wars to Disney on Broadway and Disney+. The company emphasizes that their ability to create this scale of event is unique, as they are "the only company and the only collection of brands" that can bring together such diverse fan communities. Despite the evolving media landscape, D23 has successfully maintained its relevance by adapting to livestreaming capabilities and social media engagement.

Fans are not only attending the event but also generating content online, extending the event's reach and impact.