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D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, also known as Disney D23 or simply D23, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, the D23 Expo. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company.

History

Early history

D23 was introduced on March 10, 2009 by Robert Iger during the company's annual meeting in Oakland, California. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, the year when Walt Disney arrived in Hollywood and the company was founded. Walt only came with a little amount of money and no job, as he is quoted as saying: "I came to Hollywood and arrived here in August 1923 with forty dollars in my pocket and a coat and a pair of trousers that didn't match. And one half of my suitcase had my shirts and underwear and things and the other half had my drawing materials..." The goal of D23 is to communicate with Disney fans by "placing them in the middle of the magic."

2009 D23 Expo

The first D23 Expo was held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on September 10-13, 2009. It featured pavilions from Walt Disney Imagineering, showcasing models and tests for future attractions, as well as costumes and props from the Walt Disney Archives, and more. At the second day of the D23 Expo on September 11, the Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook took the stage and began presentations chock-full of breaking news and never-before-seen trailers from the newest Disney films. There had been two hours of non-stop film clips, announcements, and celebrity guest appearances. This was before the final message in an incredible presentation made to Disney fans.

When thousands of die-hard Disney fans were sitting at the D23 Expo, to their surprise, Johnny Depp—in full Captain Jack Sparrow regalia—emerged onto the stage. After greeting Disney chairman Dick Cook, in swaggering character, Depp asked about a "talking frog", referencing either Disney's previously announced The Princess and the Frog or The Muppets.^[1] Together, with a logo banner above them, Depp and Cook officially announced Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and that it was going to be released in Summer 2011.^[2][3] This announcement was the first the public had officially heard of a fourth Pirates film, after being confirmed in development a year prior during a Disney event at the Kodak Theater, and it was eventually confirmed that it would be based upon Tim Powers' novel of the same name.^[4]

2015 D23 Expo

The fourth D23 Expo was held on August 14–16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. It featured various presentations from Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, and Lucasfilm presented a look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Walt Disney Pictures showcased their films, including Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Pete's Dragon, and The Finest Hours.^[5][6]

On August 14, before the floor opened, there was an exhibit showcasing a first look at Shanghai Disneyland. Of the six themed lands included Treasure Cove, a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed land which included the Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure attraction.^{[7][8][9][10][11]}

Actor Johnny Depp was also honored as a Disney Legend, the studio's highest award, given to individuals who have contributed to the world of entertainment. "So I don’t know why I'm here," Depp joked. During his speech, Depp broke into his Captain Jack Sparrow voice after an audience member shouted out the word "parlay." The actor also took issue with the word "fan" saying, "I never really liked that word, because it sort of implies that someone is above and someone is beneath in a weird way. So I would say that you are in fact my 'employer.' Thank you for giving me this great opportunity to basically do stupid stuff for a living. For watching me."^[12][13]

On August 15, at the Walt Disney Studios panel, Sean Bailey talked about the fifth installment, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, set for release on July 2017. As the cast list appeared behind him, Bailey talked about the film's cast, including Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow, Javier Bardem as Captain Salazar, Geoffrey Rush as Captain Barbossa, Brenton Thwaites as Henry, Kaya Scodelario as Carina Smyth. While the latter cast were already announced beforehand, Bailey officially announced in D23 that Orlando Bloom would return as Will Turner. Afterwards, like in D23 Expo in 2009, the presentation ended with a surprise visit by Johnny Depp, who showed up on stage completely decked out as Captain Jack Sparrow to help announce the film.^[14]

2026 Street Food Cinema

In 2026, in partnership with D23, Street Food Cinema hosted events for two Disney films in honor of their respective anniversaries: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest 20th anniversary on May 23, and Muppet Treasure Island 30th anniversary on June 6.^{[15][16][17][18][19][20][21] [22][23]} The original movie costumes and props courtesy of Disney Archives included the Dead Man's Chest, Elizabeth Swann Wedding Dress, Tia Dalma Locket Necklace,^[20][21] and Will Turner's wedding suit.^[23]

Trivia

• During the D23 2015 presentation for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Sean Bailey was quoted in saying, "There's another character in this tale, in this franchise, that we think the audience particularly cares to see Jack Sparrow interact with. It's official — Orlando Bloom's Will Turner is back!" However, Jack and Will never interact with each other in the film.

See also

The Pirates of the Caribbean Wiki has a collection of images and media related to D23.

• The Walt Disney Company
• Walt Disney Pictures
• Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

External links

• Disney D23 - Official website
• Disney D23 on Wikipedia
• Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) on Facebook
• Disney D23 (@disneyd23) on Instagram
• Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) on YouTube
• Disney D23 (@DisneyD23) on Twitter

Notes and references