“Special Surprise” Announced for Ultimate Disney Fan Event Attendees

Disney has announced a “special surprise” for fans and guests who will be attending Destination D23 at Walt Disney World this month.

After the success of the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, in 2022, Disney announced the return of Destination D23 at the end of last year. As part of the company’s 100 Years of Wonder celebration, the “biggest Disney fan event” — D23 — returns to “The Most Magical Place on Earth” in 2023. D23 will celebrate Disney fans, Disney Imagineers from Walt Disney Imagineering, and more from coast to coast to honor the company’s 100th anniversary.

Now that we’re around a week from the event, Disney is sharing exciting details about what guests can expect when they attend the event. Journalist Scott Gustin took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share that Disney announced a “special surprise” for guests: the Saturday evening event for DestinationD 23 attendees would be “An Evening at EPCOT with D23.”

The event will happen after the day’s final presentation, “EPCOT: Always in a State of Becoming,” and will also feature its own set of “special surprises,” which will be announced during Destination D23.

The Saturday evening event for Destination D23 attendees is confirmed to be “An Evening at EPCOT with D23” at the conclusion of the day’s final presentation, “EPCOT: Always in a State of Becoming.”

“Special surprises for this event will be announced during Destination D23.” pic.twitter.com/PVkgNr5fIc

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) September 2, 2023

The Saturday evening event is all about “celebrating the magic of possibility.” Attendees will all be able to enter EPCOT after 5 p.m. even if they haven’t already arranged for theme park reservations and tickets for that day, provided they have their Destination D23 badge on them all day.

You can read more about the event on D23’s website.

This year’s Destination D23 is also particularly special because of an appearance by Disney Parks chairman Josh D’Amaro; D’Amaro will host “a fun and entertaining presentation about what makes a Disney experience so magical and memorable for guests and fans around the world.”

What is Destination D23?

Destination D23 is a three-day fan event from September 8-10 this year at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, hosted by the official Disney fan club, D23. The event features exciting panels, exhibits, and shopping experiences. Guests will also have the chance to get a unique sneak peek into magical moments in Disney history from people who lived and experienced them and even get a look into the future.