The D23 Expo, presented this year by Visa, was held two weeks ago at the Anaheim Convention Center, from Fri., Sept. 9, through Sun., Sept. 11. The last Disney event held at this location was Star Wars Celebration, which featured exciting news with special guest appearances from Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. 

This D23 weekend was filled with action packed announcements, upcoming releases and magical moments for fans with never before seen footage and a whole array of news from Disney park plans to the long anticipated return of “The Mandalorian.” 

Star Wars had a major showcase hosted by Lucasfilm president, Kathleen Kennedy. Kennedy was joined by various influential guests familiar to the Star Wars universe which included names from showrunners, Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, to The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal. 

The beloved duo, The Mandalorian and his little partner, Grogu, are returning to a galaxy far, far away for a third season. Favreau, Filoni, and Pascal, were there to join the crowd’s excitement. To share in that were castmates of the show ranging from Gincarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon) to Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan) to many more. It was an eventful morning as they discussed the new trailer and the upcoming season. 

The Mandalorian’s return means a lot for many people, especially for Erica Spohr, senior who is ecstatic about Mando’s return, Spohr said, “The Mandalorian, the new season three I am most excited for.” Spohr continued, she “connects the best with the story of  The Mandalorian.” The Mandalorian relates to many and even touches the hearts of so many fans worldwide. Follow these iconic characters into season three next year streaming only on Disney+. 

To further the exciting news, Lucasfilm was joined by an emotional Harrison Ford, to promote the fifth movie in the famous blockbuster series, Indiana Jones, which will be released next year on June 30, 2023. 

On the Disney parks side, news was shared about the remodeling and expansion in Disneyland’s California Adventure Park. A major remodel is coming to the Pacific Wharf where it currently displays a carnival style setup. Over the course of time, it will be transformed into a brand new exciting place from the movie “Big Hero 6,” called San Fransokyo. 

When asked what their most anticipated project from D23 was, Desiree Sarkis, Concordia senior and Disneyland employee, was thrilled to talk all about the addition of San Fransokyo, “I am excited for there to be an Asian inspired food area.” Sarkis explained the importance of new cultural food while the added bonus for her is Asian food. Sarkis’ is hopeful this new cuisine will be popular among many other eager fans too. 

An additional expansion is also taking place in the New Orleans area of the park. Sarkis said, “I am most excited for ‘The Princess and the Frog’ area - turning it into Tiana’s dress shop and hopefully a Tiana restaurant.” Sarkis is overjoyed by the inclusion of new cultures making their way over to Disneyland and the importance it has on others feeling culturally accepted. 

After hearing about such a fulfilling D23 weekend, Sarkis and Spohr both expressed interest in attending a future D23 Expo, Sarkis even added how she would love to cosplay, “As an attendee, I would love to go to D23 as Princess Jasmine.” While some love to go all in, others like to take it all in, Spohr said how she “would go for the experience.” No matter the reason - D23 seemed like a great event for Disney fans to attend.

With all of the news released over a spectacular weekend, there is a lot to look forward to so be sure to catch the action exclusively at Disney parks, in theaters and with a Disney+ subscription. 

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