D23, the official community for Disney fans, has announced a two-day event for its members, celebrating the 55th anniversary of Disneyland.
The event, called Destination D, is set for Sept. 24-25 and will offer D23 members an exclusive look at the design, creation, debut and history of the original Disney theme park.
Held in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel, Destination D: Disneyland ’55 will feature two full days of special presentations, panels, screenings and guest speakers. Future Destination D events will explore other aspects of Disney history.
Early plans for panels include:
‘ ‘Disneyland: The Way We Were’ ‘ Disney’s Chief Archivist Dave Smith will look back at highlights from Disneyland history;
‘ ‘Disney Undiscovered’ ‘ An exploration of never-built projects and attractions developed for Disneyland;
‘ ’23 on 55’ ‘ The Walt Disney Archives celebrates Disneyland’s 55th anniversary;
‘ ‘Weird Disney’ ‘ A showcase for some of the quirky, little-known facts, places, people and ideas that even the most avid fan might not know.
Destination D will be a biannual event that will alternate with the D23 Expo, which debuted in September.
Disney also has announced the dates for the second D23 Expo, which will be held Aug. 19-21, 2011, at the Anaheim Convention Center. Tickets will go on sale Aug. 19, 2010.
‘The first D23 EXPO, surpassed all of our expectations, and our 2011 Expo is already shaping up to be a jaw-dropping, not-to-be missed showcase of the best and brightest Disney has to offer,’ said Steven Clark, head of D23. ‘We’re very excited to also be creating an entirely new event with DESTINATION D, which will bring Disney’s fascinating history to D23 Members in ways no other Disney fan can experience.’
