Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore — What Is Next For Disney’s D23?
This month's newsletter will tackle what's next for Disney's fan club and the recent shake-up at Walt Disney Animation.
Welcome back to Boardwalk Times: Stories from the Seashore!
In this issue, we will be covering:
What Is Next For Disney’s D23? 💡
Disney Animation Shake-Up 🎨
Podcast Plugs 🎙
Links of the Month 📰
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What Is Next For Disney’s D23? 💡
Is Disney D23, perhaps Disney’s sleeping giant?
As someone who frequently studies the business of Disney, you often hear discussions about the parks, streaming, and the box office. Yet you don’t often hear about Disney’s fan club, which puts on a massive event every other year and hosts a variety of fandom events throughout the year.
I think D23 may be a bigger opportunity for Disney than most realize.
Today I want to highlight why I believe evolving D23 could be a win for Disney and the fans.
D23 is a business built for the superfans — yet it attracts casuals due to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
The live event business is extremely lucrative if managed correctly. Fans also crave IRL (in real life) experiences now more than ever.
D23 utilizes the entire Disney flywheel and often introduces its fans to new sections of fandom (within Disney of course).
Now I think there are a few moves that can evolve D23 even further, and that is doing more premium branded events focused on dedicated fandoms within Disney.
AvengerCon
To me AvengerCon is a no-brainer. A D23 Marvel-themed event would sell out in seconds and could be a way for D23 and Disney to host their own version of a proper comic-con. It’s an event that wouldn’t need to be as big as the main D23 event either but with Disney’s backing the panels, meet and greets, and exhibits would be top-tier. The entire event being laser-focused on Marvel would be easy to curate as well.
D23 at Sea
With the jaw-dropping expansion of Disney Cruise Line, I think it could be worth exploring doing a D23 at Sea so to speak. Part Disney Cruise, part Disney fan event. I think your DCL diehards would do this in a heartbeat and it would be an event that would create massive FOMO. Plus Disney has plenty of Disney Cruise Line updates to share for years to come so giving DCL its own mini D23 may not be a bad play. Exclusive experiences sell and a D23 at Sea would be full of them.
Walt Disney World and Disneyland Specific Events
Destination D23 is Florida’s version of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event and it’s tremendous (please Disney don’t change anything about it — it’s so chill and wonderful). Now imagine if Disneyland got their own Destination D23? Your West Coast D23 fans would love it and Grand Californian seems like the perfect venue. Now imagine if D23 did events at Walt Disney World and Disneyland that were even smaller scale. Usually, D23 does an event when an attraction opens and that’s awesome but there’s also an opportunity to do more specialty events at both resorts. I’m thinking maybe Imagineer Talks, Behind-the-Scenes experiences, and more.
Continue or Bring Back Early Access Screenings
I know some cities discontinued early access screenings but this is the one area where D23 could dominate. Disney fans would love to see these films and select Disney+ series early in theaters. Just continue to build that out. I foresee Disney doing more screening events specifically at Disney Springs AMC as well.
Expanding D23 Into A Four Day Event Potentially
Finally, I chatted with friends about this during D23 this year.
I think it’s time Disney makes D23 a four-day event.
At the very least allow the option to do show floor experiences and shopping on the Thursday night before the event officially kicks off. D23 is such a massive event and it’s hard getting to do panels, a massive show floor, and to shop within the time you're allowed. Not to mention having to travel to the Honda Center eliminates your time from that as well. The expansion seems necessary just like how it was necessary to move those big panels into the Honda Center (although doing so somehow meant guests weren’t given as many giveaways… Despite paying more).
Lastly, I think D23 membership could eventually integrate into the Parks more.
Give members discounts at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Create a lounge specific to D23 members to enjoy at the parks.
I also believe D23 members could be in line for more perks on Disney+ too. Make the membership more valuable for the members, and I’m sure you will see business pick up across the board. I’d also argue that not every D23 event needs to be an extra purchase, members are already paying a yearly fee, so it would be nice to get some additional value here and there.
I’ve thought about how D23 could be more for a long time. There’s a part of me that thinks the fan club is going to shift in this direction. Only time will tell if I was ahead of the curve here.
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Disney Animation Shake-Up 🎨
Disney Animation CCO Jennifer Lee stepped down this month to return to filmmaking full-time. Jared Bush (Zootopia, Moana, Encanto) is now the new CCO of Disney Animation.
Walt Disney Animation Studios had some ups and downs during Lee’s tenure. Granted, Disney Animation went through a pandemic, streaming strategy shifts, and Disney C-suite changes (twice). From 2021 onward, Disney Animation films haven’t hit their typical box office milestones. Strange World and Wish come to mind first. Earlier this year I wrote about the uncertain future of Walt Disney Animation Studios, and it seems like I wasn’t the only one curious about the wellbeing of the studio.
Disney Entertainment Co-Chairman Alan Bergman may have gently nudged Jennifer Lee to step down so she could focus on Frozen III and Frozen IV. Bergman may have realized Lee was better positioned as a filmmaker than a creative exec. After all, these Frozen films are pivotal as it is a cornerstone franchise for Disney. The move also may give Bergman, a potential Iger successor, a notable win if Bush can get films to perform better. (Although we won’t see the fruits of Bush’s creative leadership until 2026 at the earliest, and we probably won’t see a film that was greenlit by Bush not Lee until way later).
The promotion of Bush isn’t surprising when you look at his track record. He also follows in Lee’s footsteps as he is a writer-at-heart taking on the role of CCO. Besides being a part of creative leadership since 2014, Bush has worked on Zootopia (writer/co-director), Moana (writer), Raya and the Last Dragon (executive producer), Encanto (director/writer), Moana 2 (writer/executive producer), Zootopia 2 (writer/co-director), and he is even a writer on the live-action Moana.
Bush has two big projects in Moana 2 and Zootopia 2 before he can fully focus on being CCO. As for Lee, she will be working on the next two Frozen films. She is confirmed to be directing Frozen III and writing Frozen IV. I suspect we will learn more about this history-making dual production soon.
Despite the leadership shake-up, Walt Disney Animation Studios still has a lot to figure out in the coming months and years.
How can you get your audience to turn up for an original film? That will be a question that needs to be answered in 2026.
Why was Tiana not switched to a feature film? Did Disney Animation feel it worked better as a series as opposed to a film?
How can you make your business model work so that not every Disney Animation film needs to make $600 million to $1 billion worldwide? Do you make some films with less staff and smaller budgets?
Will Disney Animation explore adaptations of Disney’s own IP such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Kingdom Hearts, Dinosaur, TRON, Hamilton (?!?), etc.?
Moana 2 and Zootopia 2 both feel like sure bets, yet the future of Walt Disney Animation Studios still feels largely uncertain. Although the leadership change may spark some enthusiasm it still remains to be seen what Disney Animation has in store beyond Moana, Zootopia, and Frozen.
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Podcast Plugs 🎙
The Zach Perilstein Show had two major episodes this month. Zach chatted with theme park journalist Scott Gustin and the director of Meet the Robinsons and Winnie the Pooh, and author of Disney In-Between, Stephen Anderson! (Spotify) (Apple)
This is the Waycast returned with an episode about the future of Star Wars in the Disney Parks. (Spotify) (Apple)
Zach and Savannah discuss the future of Marvel in the Disney Parks. Plus our Agatha All Along after-show is now happening. (Spotify) (Apple)
LINKS OF THE MONTH
— He Raised Disney Park Prices—and Fans Still Love Him. Now He’s on the CEO Shortlist. (The Wall Street Journal)
— New York Times reporters Brooks Barnes and James B. Stewart chronicle the Bob Iger-Bob Chapek saga. The article at times feels like a book… perhaps this evolves into a DisneyWar sequel? (The New York Times)
— “It’s a Cult, and Walt’s the Messiah”: Meet the Couple Who Sued Disney Over Secretive Club 33. (The Hollywood Reporter)
— The curious history of Disney cover albums. (Vulture)
— A behind-the-scenes look at the marketing of Deadpool & Wolverine. (Fast Company)
— Disney High Book Explores What Post-High School Musical Fame Was Like for Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens (Teen Vogue)
— Potential next Disney CEO Dana Walden answers 20 questions about Disney and the industry at large. (Bloomberg)
— Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro spoke at HubSpot’s INBOUND this month. (HubSpot YouTube)
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