After months of planning, virtual queue strategies, panel requests, and trying to fit D23 and Disneyland into one long weekend, I’m finally home from my first D23 Ultimate Fan Event.
I’m also congested, exhausted, and recovering from the terrible cold that hit me at Disneyland after the Disney Legends ceremony. Apparently my body waited until the final night to admit what I had put it through.
Even so, it was an incredible weekend. We saw Disney legends, bought far too many soft and cozy sweatshirts, packed an absurd number of attractions into a two-hour California Adventure sprint, and experienced all three Honda Center presentations.
But would I plan the trip the same way again? Absolutely not.
Arrival Day: Starting With Disneyland
We arrived Thursday and made it to Disneyland around 3:00 p.m. We were starving, so our first priority wasn’t a ride—it was food. I found a walk-up opening at Café Orleans, and we only waited about 15 minutes.
I had purchased both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and individual Lightning Lanes, which helped us fit a lot into that first day.
At Disneyland, we rode:
- “it’s a small world”
- Matterhorn Bobsleds
- Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
- Snow White’s Enchanted Wish
- Indiana Jones Adventure
- Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin
Then we moved over to California Adventure for Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! and Soarin’.
We took the shuttle back to the Hilton around 10:30 that night. It was a very full arrival day, especially knowing we had to be up early the next morning.
Day One: Our First Virtual Queue Mistake
Our first D23 lesson came at 6:00 Friday morning.
We didn’t realize that we needed to begin in the D23 app. We were sitting in the Disneyland app refreshing, wondering why we couldn’t find the shopping queues. By the time I figured it out, two precious minutes had passed and almost everything was gone.
The only option left was Disney .YNSD, but we managed to get it.
The store itself was just okay for me. I don’t love that most of the clothing is unisex, although I did find a cropped T-shirt and a sweatshirt that I liked.
The Little Words Project booth was a much bigger success. They already had a new Disney collection that wasn’t officially launching until after D23. I wanted the new box set, but it wasn’t easily accessible at the booth. The manager gave me her personal cell number and told me to come back the following day and poke my head around the side of the booth.
I was a little apprehensive because it was an expensive set and I had already paid for it. But when we returned Saturday, she immediately saw us and said, “I have your box!”
It ended up being one of those small moments of excellent service that made the weekend feel special.
We also experienced the TVA attraction, which involved a very long wait for something cute but surprisingly short. We took some fun pictures and met several nice people in line, but the experience itself didn’t justify the wait.
Imagineering: Horizons was so packed Friday that it was difficult to see much of anything. When we returned on Sunday, it was much easier to explore—but even then, it wasn’t the earth-shattering Imagineering experience I had imagined.
The Entertainment Showcase—and Our Floor-Seat Reality Check
The Friday night Entertainment Showcase was one of the highlights of the entire trip.
Our floor seats were located about five feet from a special center stage. Whenever something happened there, the seats were phenomenal. Ming-Na Wen appeared right beside us during the Percy Jackson segment, and being that close to her was incredibly fun.
The downside was our view of the actual main stage. It was terrible. We watched much of the presentation on the video monitors instead of looking directly at the performers.
That was especially frustrating considering our Ultimate Preferred tickets cost nearly $2,500 each.
Still, the show itself was fantastic. Seeing Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans walk out was completely unexpected. I may have temporarily blacked out.
Lisa Kudrow and Mira Sorvino appeared in character as Romy and Michele to introduce their sequel. I loved the original movie, and my best friend and I lovingly refer to Lisa Kudrow as “Phoebe,” so that was a perfect surprise.
Three live numbers from the Greatest Showman stage production had me in tears. I hadn’t expected to be particularly interested in it, but now I absolutely want to see the full show.
Josh Gad singing Olaf’s new song was the perfect ending.
Getting back to the hotel was considerably less magical. The bus queue leaving the Honda Center was chaotic, and we didn’t reach our room until after 11:30 p.m. That eliminated any possibility of using our Disneyland ticket that day—and another 6:00 a.m. virtual queue was waiting for us the next morning.
The DCA Pivot That Worked
Saturday morning, we made a major change to our plan: we skipped Mousequerade and went to California Adventure.
Part of me still thinks Mousequerade would have been fun. But this was my best friend’s trip too, and we had already paid for park tickets that we hadn’t used Friday.
Thanks to Lightning Lane, we accomplished a ridiculous amount in approximately two hours:
- Incredicoaster
- Goofy’s Sky School
- WEB SLINGERS
- Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!
- Radiator Springs Racers
- Soarin’
We were back inside the convention center by 10:30 a.m.
It was the right decision. Next time, however, I would remove the conflict entirely by arriving earlier or staying later—or both. I wouldn’t plan to use park tickets during the three D23 event days.
Joe Rohde, Shopping, and the Experiences Showcase
The Joe Rohde panel was one of only two reservations we received through the RSP system, despite buying premium tickets. We sat in the third row, and much of the magic was simply being in the room with such an Imagineering legend.
Afterward, we had one of our only truly rushed moments of the convention: getting from the Joe Rohde panel to our D23 Marketplace shopping return time.
That shopping trip produced one of my favorite purchases of the weekend. We walked into the store, and a Cast Member handed me the last castle Iconics plush available that day. Clearly, it was meant to come home with me.
Saturday night’s Experiences Showcase was another great production, although our floor seats had the same problem: wonderful for the center stage, bad for the main stage.
Neil Patrick Harris was a fantastic host. I loved the Carousel of Progress theme, the guest stars, and seeing him play the role of the attraction’s “Father.”
I had hoped for more Disney Cruise Line announcements, but with another cruise event planned for October, the lack of major news made sense.
The Dreamfinder reveal at the end, however, was legen—wait for it—dary.
Third Morning’s the Charm
After missing Mickey’s of Glendale for two mornings, we finally received Group 13 on Sunday.
It couldn’t have worked out better. We had an early group, so it didn’t interfere with the Disney Legends ceremony. I had worried that I might have to choose between the store and Legends.
Mickey’s of Glendale was everything I had hoped it would be. I found Duffy and ShellieMay sweatshirts, pouches, bag charms, a ShellieMay bag, T-shirts, and gifts for friends.
Ironically, it wasn’t even where I spent the most money. That honor belongs to Little Words Project.
Still, getting into Mickey’s of Glendale completed the weekend for me. It was the final major thing I wanted to experience.
The Ceremony We Almost Skipped
Before the Disney Legends ceremony, I offered to skip it and go to the parks if my best friend preferred. She said we should attend—and I’m so glad she did.
One of my favorite parts was watching Lin-Manuel Miranda react as performers covered his music. I wish the camera had stayed on him the entire time.
It was also funny watching everyone thank Bob Iger. For a moment I thought, “Oh, Bob must be here—that’s so cool!” Then I remembered that he was also being honored. Of course Bob Iger was there.
Seeing RDJ, Harrison Ford, Diane Sawyer, Ellen Pompeo, and Al Michaels was incredible. RDJ and Harrison Ford especially brought the house down for me.
Afterward, we headed straight to Disneyland and rode Autopia, Space Mountain, Alice in Wonderland, Storybook Land Canal Boats, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Then we returned to California Adventure for one last ride on Guardians and Soarin’.
That was when the cold finally hit me. I’ve spent the week since D23 congested and exhausted—but at least my body waited until the weekend was practically over.
What Worked—and What I’d Change
Staying at the Hilton Anaheim was absolutely the right decision. Having direct convention-center access was invaluable, and the $6.99 daily Disneyland shuttle was an excellent deal.
Next time, I would stay there again—but I would request a room much closer to the elevators. Our room was an exhausting walk after already spending all day on our feet. I had chosen its location hoping for a park view, but all we could see was a sliver of Incredicoaster.
I would also:
- Arrive earlier or stay later for dedicated Disneyland days.
- Avoid planning park time during D23 itself.
- Learn the shopping virtual queue process before the first morning.
- Return to popular show-floor experiences during quieter periods.
- Use the hotel as a rest and merchandise-drop location again.
- Choose Honda Center seats in the 200 level instead of floor seats.
- Build recovery time into the trip—and perhaps start taking cold precautions before the event.
Were the Ultimate Preferred Tickets Worth It?
This is where my feelings become complicated.
The Honda Center presentations were some of the best parts of the entire weekend. Before the event, I wondered if we should have skipped them in favor of nighttime panels at the convention center. After experiencing all three, I’m very glad we attended.
But I don’t believe the Ultimate Preferred benefits justified a price of nearly $2,500 per person.
Our Honda Center views were poor whenever the action was on the main stage. We received only two panel reservations, one of which we ultimately skipped. We weren’t given priority shopping access, exclusive shopping time, or additional help with the brutal virtual queue system.
The only other notable premium benefit was access to the pin RSP—which was essentially permission to spend more money.
For that price, I expected a genuinely premium experience: better seats, more guaranteed panel access, priority virtual queues, private shopping time, or some combination of meaningful benefits.
My Final Verdict
My first D23 was overwhelming, exhausting, expensive, and absolutely unforgettable.
The convention was enormous, but we rarely felt rushed. We had time to wander, shop, meet people in lines, revisit areas, make spontaneous changes, and still experience the things that mattered most.
I’m happiest that we attended all three Honda Center presentations. I’m glad we skipped Mousequerade for our wildly productive DCA morning. I’m glad my best friend convinced me not to skip Disney Legends. And I’m especially glad that a Cast Member handed me the last castle plush.
I would go to D23 again.
I would stay at the Hilton again.
I would buy even more cozy merchandise.
But next time, you’ll find me in the Honda Center’s 200 level.
After months of planning, virtual queue strategies, panel requests, and trying to fit D23 and Disneyland into one long weekend, I’m finally home from my first D23 Ultimate Fan Event.
If you want to see how the plan evolved, start with my original D23 planning panic and then read how our RSP results changed the weekend plan.
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