D23 2026: Disney fan expo is biggest ever, despite humble origins

D23, Disney’s official fan club, has been around for 17 years, and it’s stronger than ever.

Here’s how the fan club works: It has two levels of membership. There’s the free option and there’s the gold level, which offers three plans—Essential ($49.99 per year), Choice ($119.99 per year), and Complete ($329.99)—each of which offers exclusive benefits and perks. 

The fan club is also known for its biennial event, which in 2024 was renamed from D23 Expo to D23: The Ultimate Fan Event. It kicks off today and runs through the entire weekend. Think of it as Disney’s own Comic-Con where thousands of attendees descend to celebrate their favorite fandoms. 

While D23 initially started out as a booth at San Diego Comic-Con in 2009, it eventually turned into what was previously called the D23 Expo, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in California in the fall of that year.

It’s also international, with D23 fan events hosted in Japan in 2013 and in São Paulo, Brazil in 2024. 

While this main event takes place in Anaheim every two years, it will continue to expand in other countries, with the regional D23 Asia event set to make its debut in Singapore next summer. 

“Our biggest D23”

Attendance has also grown for the event. It was reported in 2013 that the D23 Expo brought in 65,000 attendees, while media outlets like The New York Times estimated that well over 100,000 fans have attended the events in the years that followed.