Any D23 members wondering what will be on the official Disney Fan Club’s schedule for 2013 don’t need to wait any longer. The official D23 website and the official Disney Parks blog have both posted announcements of the fan club’s 2013 events.
The most exciting news to come out of D23 for 2013 is the announcement of a second year of Fanniversary. The event, which is open to the public (but D23 members get first registration), is a must-attend celebration for any Disney fans. It’s hours spent reveling in the best of Disney movies, history, park attractions, and more. Special highlight goes this year to the anniversaries of Disney Park favorites: Disney’s Animal Kingdom (15th), Tokyo Disneyland Resort (30th), Enchanted Tiki Room (50th), and Horizons (30th).
The best part about the Fanniversary is that this year, it’s touring the country. It’s stopping in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. It’ll tour the country in March and April of 2013. Specific dates haven’t been mentioned yet, but we’ll post them here as soon as we find out.
Other popular D23 events are the film screenings. This includes special previews of upcoming films; last year that included “Brave,” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” so this year D23 members should keep an eye on their fan club news to see when they might be invited to screeners for “Monsters University” and “Frozen.”
Another popular D23 film series is “50 and Fabulous,” celebrating Disney films that turn the big 5-0 that year. For 2013 the movies and dates are “Son of Flubber” (on April 13), “Summer Magic,” (on June 8), and “The Sword in the Stone” (on September 15). The final film series announced is “From the Vaults,” which dusts off old films from the Disney Vault and renders them back on the big screen in glorious digital restoration. In 2013 that’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” to play on November 16. Specific dates/times will be mentioned later.
Special tours for D23 members will continue in 2013 as well. On April 13 and June 8, Mickey’s of Glendale (the Imagineering store in Glendale, CA) will open its doors to D23 members. D23 guests can buy limited edition merchandise, and view the grounds at the Imagineering headquarters. Special D23 events at Disney Stores around the country will also be held in 2013.
D23 Days at the Walt Disney Studios/Archives will be held on May 4, June 1, September 14, and November 2 in 2013. The “Sip and Stroll,” a D23-exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival will be back, and in 2013 the fan club is adding a special holiday event at the parks as well. It’s called “Holiday Splendor,” and while there aren’t any details yet, expect them later in 2013.
Now for the big news I’m sure everyone’s waiting for: the 2013 D23 Expo will be held on August 9-11 at the Anaheim Convention Center. Of course there aren’t any details of panels or guests yet, but rest assured it will be awesome as always. Special “early bird,” discounted tickets are available for anyone through December 31 of this month, and D23 members get a special discount as well. To purchase tickets, visit the official Expo website.
It hasn’t even started yet, and 2013 is shaping up to be a great year for 2013. Keep your eyes on the official fan club website for more details on all events as they become available.
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