If it seems like San Diego Comic-Con was just yesterday, that’s because it basically was. Disney couldn’t possibly have more news to break after the surprise Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom announcement, right? Well…
The 2024 edition of D23, a “multi-day fan experience showcasing the very best in creative storytelling and innovation from across the worlds of Disney,” goes down this Friday, August 9, until Sunday, August 11 (you can find out a lot more here). Wondering which panels are worth checking out in person or, in some cases, through streaming? We’ve got you covered.
Below, you’ll find nine D23 panels, three per day, that deserve your attention. Note: I left off the three marquee events inside Anaheim’s roomy Honda Center that will be wildly covered — the Disney Entertainment Showcase (TV shows and movies, mainly); Disney Experiences Showcase (theme parks); and Disney Legends Awards Ceremony (this year’s honorees include Harrison Ford, Joe Rohde, and Miley Cyrus) — and focused on other parts of the schedule.
Friday, August 9
Making A Goofy Movie: The Road to Lake Destiny
5:00 pm-6:30 pm, Walt Disney Archives Stage
1995’s A Goofy Movie is rightly hailed as a Disney classic (and “the Blackest movie of all time”). To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary, the team behind the film — including director Kevin Lima, storyboard artist Steve Moore, and the voice of Goofy himself, Bill Farmer — will discuss all things Powerline, Hi Dad Soup, and Leaning Tower of Cheeza. There will also be clips from the upcoming documentary Not Just a Goof, about the making of the movie.
30 Years of Toy Story
1:30 pm-2:30 pm, Premiere Stage
A Goofy Movie isn’t the only animated masterpiece with a banger soundtrack turning 30 next year. In the “30 Years of Toy Story” panel, Finding Nemo and WALL-E director Andrew Stanton, producer Bonnie Arnold, and Pixar creative chief Pete Docter, among others, will share “never-before-heard anecdotes” about Toy Story, which I still contend is Pixar’s best movie.
Bringing the Worlds of Disney Animation to Life in Disney Parks
3:45 pm-5:00 pm, Premiere Stage
Here’s one for the theme park nerds (guilty): “Team members from Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney Animation Studios discuss bringing the worlds of Disney Animation to life in Disney parks around the world,” including World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland), Zootopia in Shanghai Disneyland, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.
Saturday, August 10
Stay Tuned: You’re Watching Disney Channel
4:30 pm-5:45 pm, Walt Disney Archives Stage
What’s your favorite Disney Channel original film, or DCOM as the real fans call it? Is it Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century? Or Halloweenteen? Or Under Wraps, which I watched approximately 37 times as a kid for some reason? If you answered High School Musical, come on, that’s the normie pick. Maybe you’ll learn some of the deeper cuts (Stepsister from Planet Weird anyone?) during “Stay Tuned: You’re Watching Disney Channel,” featuring DCOM stars.
The Animation Greats + Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, and The Simpsons Presented by Hulu Animayhem
5:30 pm-7:30 pm, Premiere Stage
Four of the biggest names in primetime animation — Matt Groening (The Simpsons, Futurama), Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad), Mike Judge (King of the Hill, Beavis and Butt-Head), and Loren Bouchard (Bob’s Burgers) — come together for a conversation about the secrets to their long-long-long-long-running success. Then, the Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, and The Simpsons teams will take questions from the crowd (“What are we to believe, that this is a magic xylophone or something?”) and screen clips.
Pixar’s Win or Lose Watch Party!
6:15 pm-7:15 pm, Backlot Stage
I caught some of Pixar’s first original long-form series (every episode is told from a different perspective on the path to a middle school softball championship game) at D23 in 2022, and really liked what I saw. D23 2024 attendees will be able to watch the first two episodes and participate in a Q&A with filmmakers Carrie Hobson, Michael Yates, and David Lally. Win or Lose is expected to premiere on Disney+ sometime this year.
Sunday, August 11
Dream Chasing: Four Decades with Walt Disney Imagineering
11:45 am-12:45 pm, Walt Disney Archives Stage
Here’s another one for the theme park nerds (still guilty): “Join Leslie Iwerks [daughter of Disney legend Ub Iwerks] and Bob Weis [former president of Walt Disney Imagineering] for an intimate conversation spanning four decades of creating Imagineering projects from Anaheim to Paris, Tokyo to Shanghai. Audiences will be inspired to believe any dream worth doing is worth chasing.”
Jolly Holiday: A D23 Musical Celebration of Richard M. Sherman
12:15 pm-1:30 pm, Premiere Stage
Richard M. Sherman, who passed away earlier this year, is one-half of the songwriting duo known as the Sherman Brothers, along with his sibling Robert. Together, they wrote some of the most memorable songs in the Disney theme parks, including “It’s a Small World (After All)” and “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.” They also won two Oscars for the Mary Poppins score and soundtrack. “Jolly Holiday” is a joyous musical tribute to Sherman’s work.
Donald Duck’s 90th Quacktacular
1:45 pm-2:45 pm, Walt Disney Archives Stage
Enough about that Mickey Mouse guy. The best animated Disney character is obviously Donald Duck. Combustible? Unintelligible? Doesn’t wear pants? He’s just like me. The “Quacktacular” comes 90 years after Donald made his Disney debut in 1934’s The Wise Little Hen, and features screenings, never-before-seen artwork, and Tony Anselmo, who has voiced Donald since 1985.
You can find the full D23 2024 event schedule here.
