The D23 2026 schedule has arrived, and it is the clearest picture yet of just how massive The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will be when it returns to Anaheim next month. Taking place August 14 through 16, 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center, the biennial celebration will feature more than 50 panels and presentations across five stages, three marquee Honda Center showcases, the largest show floor in D23 history, and a week-long slate of events spread across the city of Anaheim. Full details are available in the Disney Parks Blog announcement and on the official D23 event page.
A Week-Long Celebration Across Anaheim
D23 2026 is far more than a three-day convention this time around. The festivities officially begin Saturday, August 8, when the Walt Disney Archives opens its newest exhibition, Capturing Life, Creating Character: The Art of Live-Action Reference, at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim. The exhibit features rare photography, costume pieces, artwork, and interactive elements exploring how live-action reference shaped Disney animation, and it runs through November 1, 2026.
On Tuesday, August 11, D23 Night at the Anaheim Packing District returns as a free event with a DJ spinning Disney tunes, trivia, and the separately ticketed sixth annual World Taste of the Packing District. Wednesday, August 12 brings D23 Night at Angel Stadium as the Angels take on the Texas Rangers, where the first 23,000 fans through the gates receive a themed D23 Mickey Mouse bobblehead, including 2,300 exclusive gold variants. Then on Thursday, August 13, D23 Day at Disneyland Resort kicks off the main event weekend with a Disney Legends Cavalcade, complimentary Mickey Mouse ear hats while supplies last, and the Disney Jr. Let’s Play! Party at Disney California Adventure for families with young children.
Honda Center Showcases: Where The Big News Drops
Each of the three main event days features a marquee presentation at the 17,000-plus-seat Honda Center. The Disney Entertainment Showcase on Friday, August 14 at 7:00 p.m. covers film, television, and streaming, where fans are expecting updates on the Marvel, Star Wars, Walt Disney Animation, and Pixar slates. Saturday, August 15 at 7:00 p.m. brings the Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, a notable departure from the Disney executives who have traditionally led the parks presentation. Inspired by the Carousel of Progress, the showcase will take fans deeper into the creative vision behind the future of Disney Experiences worldwide, building on the ambitious projects announced in 2024. This is historically where the biggest theme park announcements land, and in 2024 it was the presentation that delivered the Villains Land reveal for Walt Disney World.
The Honda Center slate concludes Sunday, August 16 at 1:30 p.m. with the Disney Legends Award Ceremony, hosted once again by Ryan Seacrest. The 2026 Disney Legends class includes Chris Berman, Jerry Bruckheimer, Susan Egan, Eric Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Bob Iger, Kim Irvine, Dwayne Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Alan Tudyk.
Friday, August 14: Convention Center Highlights
Friday’s Anaheim Convention Center programming is headlined by the Disney Rewind Concert, a live mixtape-style show celebrating Disney hits of the 1980s and 1990s, spanning Powerline, the Disney Afternoon, and the Muses. It premieres at 7:00 p.m. with a cast of Broadway veterans including Jared Dixon, Alyssa Fox, Arielle Jacobs, Josh Strickland, and Raena White, plus appearances by Disney Legends Bill Farmer, Jodi Benson, and 2026 honoree Susan Egan.
Friday also features Walt Disney: 125 Years of Inspiration, a birthday salute to Walt himself; Ink & Paint at Disney Animation, a live demonstration of the classic cel animation process; 20 Years of Enchanted with host Nina West and director Kevin Lima; Houses Walt Built with The Walt Disney Family Museum; a Disney Lorcana panel from Ravensburger covering upcoming events and set releases; and the first-ever Disney Lorcana speed puzzling events at D23, held at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 5:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 15: Tinker Bell, Marvel History, And More
Saturday brings an encore of the Disney Rewind Concert at 6:30 p.m., giving fans without Honda Center tickets a marquee evening option. The day’s panels include Worlds of Tinker Bell: Never Land to Pixie Hollow hosted by Ashley Eckstein; Disney | Marvel: A Legacy of Stories, tracing the companies’ shared history through classic comics and crossovers; Disney Style Around the World with Disney Consumer Products creative leadership; and Great Moments with Walt Disney, featuring rare video footage presented by historian Tim O’Day and Disney Files editor Ryan March.
Sunday, August 16: Alan Menken Closes The Weekend
Sunday’s Convention Center slate is anchored by A Whole New World of Alan Menken at 6:00 p.m., a rare one-man concert from the eight-time Academy Award winner behind The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Hercules. The day also includes The Disney Experiences Auction: Rare and Remarkable Finds, hosted by Bret Iwan, the official voice of Mickey Mouse; a 65th anniversary celebration of One Hundred and One Dalmatians featuring rarely seen art from the Animation Research Library; and Searching for the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House with Disney artist Kevin Kidney.
Show Floor, Lorcana Championship, And Remaining Tickets
The show floor features the Marvel Studios TVA Experience, the Lucasfilm Pavilion, a combined Pixar and Walt Disney Animation pavilion with previews of Frozen 3 and Gatto, Mundo Pixar: The D23 Experience, the Disney+ Hulu Experience with its 4D theater, Walt Disney Archives: Uncrated, ESPN’s Road to the Super Bowl, a Mickey F1 display with a full Formula 1 car, and activations inspired by Bluey, Camp Rock 3, and The Simpsons. The Disney Lorcana Challenge Championship Qualifier takes place Saturday with finals on Sunday, with separate $75 tournament entry tickets going on sale July 14 at 12:00 p.m. PT through Eventbrite.
Most ticket types that include Honda Center access have sold out, though full-day Sunday D23 Fan Passes and Afternoon Only D23 Fan Passes for all three days remain available per Disney’s latest announcement. Very limited quantities of 3-Day D23 Ultimate Preferred Fan Passes, which include Honda Center floor seating, were reportedly still available as of May. For more on what is coming to the event, check out our coverage of the D23 2026 programming announcement and how the Jonas Brothers will record Hey Jonas! live at D23.
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