New D23 Expo Superthread! (6/24/2019)

[AulaniNutz]

Can someone that had Stagepass for Legends this morning share the procedure for getting into the building? I have Movies tomorrow. I'm planning on arriving at about 7:00 AM, but I'd love to hear other people's experiences from this morning! Thanks!

We arrived at about 4:40 at the building.
Everyone just goes downstairs and from there they direct you to the correct area. Gold will probably be gone by 7:00 tomorrow morning based on it being gone quickly today. But with Stagepass, you are guaranteed entrance, just a matter of which section you'll end up in. B section (center) will probably be full at 7???

 

[msteddom]

We arrived at about 4:40 at the building.
Everyone just goes downstairs and from there they direct you to the correct area. Gold will probably be gone by 7:00 tomorrow morning based on it being gone quickly today. But with Stagepass, you are guaranteed entrance, just a matter of which section you'll end up in. B section (center) will probably be full at 7???

Thanks so much! I really don't care where I sit, I just want to be there!

 

[HydroGuy]

Can someone that had Stagepass for Legends this morning share the procedure for getting into the building? I have Movies tomorrow. I'm planning on arriving at about 7:00 AM, but I'd love to hear other people's experiences from this morning! Thanks!

I had stage pass for Legends. The sad truth is no one checked my reservation. When in the stage pass line a Disney CM said that the gold member line was still open. So I and the two stage pass ladies next to me moved to Gold. We are all gold but no one checked. We got wristbands. We all arrived around 5am to security FWIW. I talked to a guy I posted about earlier in this thread who arrived at 7:20am with a stage pass and walked straight into line in Hall E.

I asked about tomorrow and was told those with stage pass for movies would be given special access to Hall E and taken out from the regular line upstairs.

I do not trust that and have a stage pass for Movies and plan to arrive around 5:30 just to be sure I can get in. Which is better than 2017 when I arrived at 2:45 for Live Action movies and barely made it. So a decent night’s sleep.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... They just brought up two dogs for GMA. Lady and the Tramp. They asked no photos be taken.

We saw Tramp in the parking lot on our way over to the ACC this morning! We saw Robin Roberts last night at the GCH. DH is highly amused that I was more excited to see Tramp than any of the other celebs we've seen so far.

So let's talk about food.... I hear there are food trucks out dead center of the ACC entrance.…. Don't have to eat ACC food... Any other suggestions?

We ate at the Indian/Pakistani truck and the Falafel/Hummus truck -- both very tasty. The women next to us got loaded fries and grilled cheese from the French fries truck (Spudrunners) -- two thumbs up from them.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Question: Which entrance, North or East, is being let on to the show floor first? This morning I think it was the North entrance. For the Gold Member line for the Arena in the morning, which entrance would work better?

Update on security: For day one, no problems. The bag check person started to look at my bag, but when I said that I had food for medical needs AND that I had a note, she got a nervous look and backed off. Never looked at my bag at all after that and told me to go through. We'll see what happens tomorrow. Rolling backpack was fine. Seat cushions -- pads and inflatables were fine.

 

[HydroGuy]

We saw Tramp in the parking lot on our way over to the ACC this morning! We saw Robin last night at the GCH. DH is highly amused that I was more excited to see Tramp than any of the other celebs we've seen so far.

Saw Robin Roberts at Tortilla Jo’s this evening....

 

[bluefunnel]

I had to miss out this year unfortunately but I will be living through this thread so thanks to everyone in attendance.

While there still seems to be problems, so far the panel procedures still sound a lot better than last time.

 

[dmeets]

Been standing alongside Katella for about a half hour. Looks like they’re going to clear the entire arena plaza area in front of the metal detectors before getting us off the sidewalk.

 

[surfca]

I've never been to D23 Expo. Can you guys give me the basics, please?

I'd really like to go to the Parks and Resorts presentation on Sunday (the only day I have a ticket for) but am not sure what time I should get there if I have a Gold membership. If I get there at 8am, will that be OK to get in the Gold priority line? Where do I go to line up? Is there good signage/directions?

I tried to get a reservation but of course didn't get one even though I was in the "queue" right at noon. I'm just a newbie but it seems like they didn't do that right. After that experience, I'm a little nervous about the chaos at the expo.

Thank you for any advice! There needs to be a website for newbies!

 

[Robinjay]

I arrived around 2:00 and the walk from Toy Story lot was a breeze. I had snacks in my backpack and had no issues at security.

I have no reservations/stagepasses all weekend (one of the people with the waking dude for 90 minutes the day they were available and nothing was basically left).

Dream store only had a 30 minute line but the items I want aren’t available until tomorrow. Mickeys of Glendale said it was a 90 minute wait, but it was basically 3 hours.

That is basically what I had time for. I hope to come earlier tomorrow!

Thanks for all of the updates everyone. They helped so much with my planning!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I've never been to D23 Expo. Can you guys give me the basics, please?

I'd really like to go to the Parks and Resorts presentation on Sunday (the only day I have a ticket for) but am not sure what time I should get there if I have a Gold membership. If I get there at 8am, will that be OK to get in the Gold priority line? Where do I go to line up? Is there good signage/directions?

I tried to get a reservation but of course didn't get one even though I was in the "queue" right at noon. I'm just a newbie but it seems like they didn't do that right. After that experience, I'm a little nervous about the chaos at the expo.

Thank you for any advice! There needs to be a website for newbies!

If you look over the last few pages of this thread, you'll see many posts from DISers who were in line (Gold Member and Stage Pass and Stand By) for the Legends Ceremony this morning (Fri.). That will give you a good idea of what to expect on Sunday. 8 am is probably not going to be early enough for you to arrive, go through security, and still get a good spot in the line downstairs. Reading through what people went through this morning will really help prepare you for Sunday -- people posted in real time.

 

[dina444444]

I've never been to D23 Expo. Can you guys give me the basics, please?

I'd really like to go to the Parks and Resorts presentation on Sunday (the only day I have a ticket for) but am not sure what time I should get there if I have a Gold membership. If I get there at 8am, will that be OK to get in the Gold priority line? Where do I go to line up? Is there good signage/directions?

I tried to get a reservation but of course didn't get one even though I was in the "queue" right at noon. I'm just a newbie but it seems like they didn't do that right. After that experience, I'm a little nervous about the chaos at the expo.

Thank you for any advice! There needs to be a website for newbies!

I would plan to arrive by 5/6am at the latest if you are aiming to be in that gold line.

 

[ThisIsHowWeDo]

Can someone that had Stagepass for Legends this morning share the procedure for getting into the building? I have Movies tomorrow. I'm planning on arriving at about 7:00 AM, but I'd love to hear other people's experiences from this morning! Thanks!

For Legends, arrived at 6am on the north Katella end and went through security. Cast members had closed off going anywhere in the north hall but will call upstairs, and the holding area downstairs. Once in the giant room cast members directed you to either the Legends side or the Footsteps with Walt/ showfloor sides. We then waited a while and cast members walked through the line to give wristbands to those who had reservations. After waiting for an extended amount of time, groups were walked from the north hall to Hall E. You then chose what section, reservations or standby, and got the associated wristbands to wait.

 

[tobikaye]

So, I had a not so successful first day. We arrived at ACC security about 5:30 am. Security was not bad and we were directed to North Hall. Most of us were told they had the other waiting room already full and everyone else was to wait in North Hall. There, they did not care if you had a reservation or were a gold member. We were in the fourth row filled for Legends. They kept filling the rows for about 7 more rows before capping the lines to reservations only.

Late in the morning, they finally came around and gave those with reservations wrist bands. Then about 90-120 minutes before, they started pulling StagePass row by row. They pulled the first 2 rows then came back 20-30 minutes later for the next 2 rows. Finally, someone finally came and took all the other reservation holders. As they took StagePasses, the lines would move up so many were half full.

When they finally started taking standby, they took the first 2 lines. Then about 5 minutes later, they basically released everyone row by row, without any breaks between rows. It became a who could walk fastest. Since my sister and I had to deal with the elevators, we ended up about 100 people behind where we should have been.

They told us the line was full and our line was now the standby for Disney+. We waited for a bit in the line, but my sister was a bit anxious by then, so we did head to the show floor.

Now, I did later find that those at the front of that standby did make it into Legends. Also, when we got to the hotel last night, a couple that had reservations told us that many seats were actually empty. This seems like it was more a timing issue and not an actual full room.

 

[Mathmagicland]

I arrived basement door at 3:20- Gold priority queue for the studios panel Is already full. Standby line still has space available.

For the show floor lines, all are noticeably shorter this morning.

Steady stream thru security, seemed busier than yesterday morning at 4:00, but no lines there and again no issues with food or bottled water.

There are new signs at the entrance to the basement that I don’t remember from yesterday - no inflatables, chairs, sleeping bags, Pillows. However I did see one small collapsible chair in the hall D23 standby line.

 

[Mathmagicland]

@theluckyrabbit, were you able to get your Disney rollerbag yesterday? I saw a few new bags on the floor and one of the biggest ones in one of my stage panel queue.

 

[FrozenCrown]

I arrived basement door at 3:20- Gold priority queue for the studios panel Is already full. Standby line still has space available.

For the show floor lines, all are noticeably shorter this morning.

Steady stream thru security, seemed busier than yesterday morning at 4:00, but no lines there and again no issues with food or bottled water.

There are new signs at the entrance to the basement that I don’t remember from yesterday - no inflatables, chairs, sleeping bags, Pillows. However I did see one small collapsible chair in the hall D23 standby line.

View attachment 428799

Im on standby too I woke up at 2am and I read up online that gold were already gone. What line are you in? I'm on standby A and its 6 and a quater full out of 7. Just trying to help people know how much space is left. Im on row 6 so Im not sure Im getting in but cant say I didnt try.

 

[Mathmagicland]

Im on standby too I woke up at 2am and I read up online that gold were already gone. What line are you in? I'm on standby A and its 6 and a quater full out of 7. Just trying to help people know how much space is left. Im on row 6 so Im not sure Im getting in but cant say I didnt try.

I’m in the show floor line not the Studios panel line.

Good luck hope you get in for being here this early.

 

[FrozenCrown]

I’m in the show floor line not the Studios panel line.

Good luck hope you get in for being here this early.

Oops I misread and fingers crossed!

 

[Mathmagicland]

Ouch - people one person ahead of me in the show floor line just figured out they are not in the Studios panel line. They’ve moved to what looks like the new overflow Section B standby queue...

Someone just said they’ve closed the standby line for the studios panel as they would not let him join it,