November 4, 2009

A Magical Experience

Fans get an inside peek at the wonderful world of Disney at the D23 Expo

By TFK Kid Reporter Claire Epting

From September 10 to 13, across the street from "The Happiest Place on Earth"--otherwise known as Disneyland--there was perhaps the second happiest place on earth. After all, what else would you call a convention center packed with tens of thousands of Disney fans? They were there for the first-ever D23 Expo.

COURTESY EPTING FAMILY TFK Kid Reporter Claire Epting talks to Disney actresses Chelsea Staub (left) and Tiffany Thornton.

The big event took place at the Anaheim Convention Center, in Anaheim, California. The expo was a dream-come-true for Disney lovers. The convention center was filled with booths showing off Disney artifacts, Disney food and Disney toys. People who were dressed up as famous Disney characters roamed the aisles. Fans were also treated to a peek at future plans for Disney parks.

What is D23

D23 is a club for Disney fans that was formed about a year ago. It was named D23 because 1923 was the year that Walt Disney left Kansas City, Missouri, and moved to Hollywood. It was also the year he created the Walt Disney Company. The club gives Disney fans special access to Disney information through their website and a special quarterly magazine called Disney twenty-three.

There were many interesting people at the expo, including LEGO master builder Erik Varszegi. LEGO was there to showcase a new line of building blocks, based on Disney/Pixar's Toy Story. Varszegi showed D23 attendees how he puts together his LEGO masterpieces and invited them to help him build something. Varszegi has built many LEGO creations, but he says one of his favorites is the Buzz Lightyear sculpture, which was displayed at the expo.

Disney Stars Come Out

Some of Disney's biggest stars showed up at the event, sometimes unexpectedly. The day TFK stopped by, JONAS star Chelsea Staub and Sonny with a Chance actress Tiffany Thornton were there, too.

The actresses were there on behalf of Disney's Friends for Change, a program that encourages kids to take action to save the environment. "It's good for kids to be aware of this issue because we are the next generation," Staub told TFK. "Someday the earth is going to belong to us. We can [help preserve it] by doing small things, like turning off the water or the lights when we're not using them." Kids can learn more about the program at disney.com/friendsforchange.

The D23 Expo provided many with an amazing experience. Disney fans can look forward to it again next year.

Back to all headlines