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Finding Disney: Enjoying the D23 Expo from Home

Extraordinary Magic in Everyday Life

It’s like Christmas in the summer. 3 whole days of treats, surprises, special announcements, celebrity appearances, and so much more. All areas of The Walt Disney Company Chip and Dale Expoand the hardcore members of its fan army gathered together under 1 roof for a weekend. No doubt about it, the D23 Expo will be the highlight of your year… if you’re there.

If you’re not, then it’s a pretty effective form of torture.

Every Expo, I tantalizingly check for updates as Disney rolls out all the stops for attendees. And every Expo, I kick myself for not going. “An expansion is coming to Fantasyland?!?!?! Why was I not in the audience to participate in the collective roar of applause?” “The Muppets are doing a meet & greet?!?!?! Why did I miss that chance?” “Talking Mickey is there?!?!?! WHHHHHHYYYYYYY???”

Then, when I’m finished banging my forehead against the wall, I promise myself to go next time… and then next time rolls around and the process repeats itself all over again.

I may not be going to the D23 Expo, but that doesn’t mean I can’t join in on the fun from home. If you’re like me and you’d like to still feel like you’re part of the magic from your very house, here are some ways to bring the Expo to you:

Plan a major announcement. Pretend Bob Iger is getting ready to go on stage to deliver a huge reveal of what’s next for Disney. What would you want him to say more than anything? Think for a minute about what you really hope is in store for the future of this company we all love so much. It can be anything, relating to any area of Disney you’d like.

Map out your imaginary day. Oh, like you haven’t looked at the schedule and chosen all the panels you’d attend if you were really going?? (Ok, maybe it’s just me. It’s not that pathetic, is it? Don’t answer that question.) D23 has the full weekend schedule available online. Go through and pick what you would like to see if you were there. This isn’t just another form of torture, I promise – make a note of the time of those panels, then make sure you’re logged onto Twitter at that time so you can tune in with what’s happening as you read updates from people who are really there. Bam!

Have a Disney movie marathon. If I persuade myself hard enough, I’ll be convinced that everyone in Anaheim enjoying Alan Menken and Richard Sherman in concert really wishes they were instead in my living room watching Saludos Amigos. They’ll be SO JEALOUS.

Get excited. Even if we’re not really there, a lot of what it unveiled at the D23 Expo will play a large role in the near future of Disney events and projects, and as such relates very much to all fans whether we’re there when it was announced or not. I wasn’t at the 2009 Expo for the announcement of New Fantasyland, but I remember the months (and even years) leading up to the expansion’s opening were some of the most excited I’ve ever been for something new in the parks because it was fun being part of a community who shared that anticipation with me. So celebrate and do a happy dance when stuff is revealed at the Expo that interests you! Because, really, there’s never going to be a better time than this to nerd out.

Blake is a college student focusing on Creative Writing and Media Studies. He enjoys making his family of six watch the parade on Main Street and then sprint to Frontierland in time to see it again. You can follow Blake’s random Disney ramblings on Twitter at @blakeonline, or at BlakeOnline.com.

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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