Twenty-five years is a long time to wait for Disney to do something properly celebratory with The Princess Diaries, and the wait is apparently over. Disney just announced an immersive pop-up experience at the filming location of the Genovian Consulate for the 25th anniversary of the 2001 film, and the details are exactly what a certain generation of Disney fans has been wanting without knowing they were waiting for it.
The catch is that this is a D23 members-only event. If you are not a member, this is the paragraph where you open a new tab.
What Disney Just Announced
The D23 Genovian Pop-Up Experience takes place at the Doheny Mansion in Los Angeles, the historic building that served as the Genovian Consulate in the original Princess Diaries film. This is not a recreation of the set. This is the actual building, staged with original furnishings and decor from the movie, turned into a photo-ready walkthrough of the scenes that an entire generation of kids watched on repeat in the early 2000s.
Guests can stand in the parlor where Mia first met Queen Clarisse. They can visit the dining room from the royal dinner where Mia broke a glass, set a guest’s sleeve on fire, and generally demonstrated that becoming a princess is a process rather than an event. They can walk through the ballroom where she officially accepted her crown. Every room is the actual room from the film, staged to look the way it did on screen.
The Walt Disney Archives is opening its vault for the event, which is genuinely significant for anyone who appreciates what that means. Tiaras, jewels, costumes, and props from both The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2 will be on display. This is the first time the Doheny Mansion has hosted an event officially themed to the franchise and the first time these specific archive pieces have been made accessible to fans in this format.
What Is Included With Every Ticket
Every ticket covers the full Genovian Consulate walkthrough, a red carpet entrance with a photo opportunity in front of the mansion, access to the full Walt Disney Archives display, and the ballroom finale. Guests also receive an exclusive swag package that includes a themed junk journaling kit with a soft-cover journal inspired by Mia’s own diary, custom sticker sheets, die-cuts, and a commemorative event lanyard.
Why The Princess Diaries Deserves This From Disney
The film came out on August 3, 2001, and it was built on a foundation of genuinely remarkable creative decisions that get more interesting the closer you look. Anne Hathaway fell out of her chair during her audition, and director Garry Marshall cast her partly because of it.
Julie Andrews returned to Disney for the first time since Mary Poppins in 1964, specifically to work with Marshall, filming on the same soundstage where Mary Poppins had been shot, a stage later dedicated to Julie Andrews, with Dick Van Dyke in attendance.
Whitney Houston produced both films through BrownHouse Productions. Chris Pine made his motion picture debut in the sequel. Julie Andrews sang in a film for the first time since undergoing throat surgery in 1997. She helped write the song herself.
The mattress surfing scene in the second film was performed without a stunt double. Which is impressive, as she was in her mid-sixties. Stan Lee made a cameo at Mia’s wedding because, of course, he did.
The fictional country of Genovia is said to be located somewhere between Spain and Italy, according to Marshall. While other crew members believe it may be near France. Despite its elusive location. Genovia has a “fully operational” consulate in Los Angeles, AKA the set of the film. Yet it has never appeared on any actual map.
The Part That Requires Action
Tickets went on sale on May 15. The event is exclusively for D23 members. This is the first time the Genovian Consulate filming location has been opened for a franchise-themed event, with access to the Walt Disney Archives included.
For millennials who spent their early teenage years watching Mia Thermopolis learn to walk in heels and navigate social situations without causing international incidents, twenty-five years is a significant milestone. Disney is celebrating it accordingly.
D23 membership is a requirement. The Doheny Mansion is the location. The archive vault is open. The tickets are available right now.
Go get one.
