D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is a weekend of huge announcements, once-in-a-lifetime music performances, celebrity appearances, history presentations, and so much more. Fans have been eagerly awaiting details for the 2026 event since the last iteration of the event in 2024.
Disney just revealed ticket information, prices, and details from what to expect at 2026's D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, formerly known as D23 Expo. Keep reading to see what's in store for this exciting weekend and prepare to purchase tickets when they drop. This information was released along with the full lineup of Disney Legends Award honorees. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including a new Disney World hotel opening in 2027 and what's in store for the future of Disneyland Resort.
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When D23 Gold Members Can Buy Tickets
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will take place August 14-16, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The 2024 event sold out fast, leaving many interested fans empty-handed, which has generated a lot of interest in how ticket sales and options would be handled this year.
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In this first wave of ticket announcements, only information for D23 Gold members was provided. This could mean that, based on the unprecedented demand of the last D23, Disney may not expect tickets to be available for anyone aside from Gold members. This is not confirmed yet, but this ticket release does not include information for Disney Visa cardmembers nor general D23 members. If you have your heart set on D23, I would upgrade to a D23 Gold Membership to be part of this wave of ticket sales. Especially considering this fine print: D23 Gold Members who are unable to purchase tickets may join a limited-time waitlist after ticket sales close. Due to limited availability, tickets are not guaranteed. This likely means the D23 Gold Member might be the only sale, depending on how fast tickets are sold.
The good news is that Disney+ subscribers can access a complimentary Gold Member plan via Disney+ Perks or upgrade to a paid plan with a 20% off code. Membership tiers include the Essential Plan at $49.99 per year, the Choice Plan at $119.99 per year, which includes a choice of one 2026 Gold Member Premium Item, and the Complete Plan at $329.99 per year, which includes all the Gold Member Premium Items.
Ticket Sales for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 will begin on the following dates:
- March 31, 2026, at 10 AM PT for D23 Gold Charter members
- April 2, 2026, at 10 AM PT for D23 Gold Essential, Choice, and Complete members
- April 2, 2026, at 12 PM PT for all other D23 Gold members (including those who joined for free as Disney+ subscribers)
You will notice “first dibs” goes to D23 Gold Charter Members. To be considered a Charter Member, you must have maintained your individual D23 Gold Membership continuously since before December 31, 2009. In practical terms, this is targeting a very small group of longtime founding-era members. If you didn’t have an active paid Gold membership going back to before the end of 2009 and have kept it active every year since, you wouldn’t meet this requirement.
This means that most fans will be trying to secure tickets during the April 2, 2026, at 10 AM PT window for D23 Gold Essential, Choice, and Complete members. Each Gold Member may purchase tickets for themselves and up to five (5) guests (six (6) tickets total). Guests of D23 Gold Members do not need to be D23 Gold Members themselves to attend.
D23 2026 Ticket Options & Prices
Attendees can choose from a few different options, depending on how much of the event they want to attend and how many days they're visiting. The D23 Fan Pass grants access to the Anaheim Convention Center panels and activations for $99 daily, all day, $49 daily for later afternoon entry, or $297 for all three days. The afternoon-only ticket entry is a new ticket type added, which might be a good option for guests who mainly just want access to the convention floor.
The D23 Ultimate Fan Pass includes entry to the Anaheim Convention Center panels, as well as the evening presentations at the Honda Center, for $99 for one day or $297 for all three days.
The D23 Ultimate Preferred Fan Pass includes entry to the Anaheim Convention Center panels and activations, plus guaranteed floor seating at the evening presentations at the Honda Center, as well as opportunities to be selected randomly to purchase limited-edition pins for $1,299 to $2,599, depending on location in the Honda Center.
These prices don't include an $11.25 service fee and a potential $16 delivery fee.
This other pricing chart released by Disney also shows the breakdown of pricing, which includes notable empty spaces that could be filled in after D23 Gold Member sales for pricing for Disney Visa cardmembers or general D23 members. But as of now, these tickets seem to be primarily targeted to D23 Gold Members only. In this chart, we can also see the breakdown of pricing for those wishing to attend the events at the Honda Center with pricing depending on what section your seat is in for the Honda Center. Below, you can see the seating chart for the Honda Center.
Pricing starts at $99 for 400-level side-view seating to $319 for section 200 seating for a 1-Day ticket. For a 3-Day ticket, prices start at $297 for 400-level side-view seating to section 200 seating for $957. And of course, for the Ultimate Preferred Fan Pass that ranges from floor seats 110-112 for $1,299 to floor seats 101-103 for $2,599.
In the photo above, you can see the limited-edition pins that will be available for purchase to randomly selected guests who purchased the D23 Ultimate Preferred Fan Pass.
What to Expect at D23 2026
From 2009 to 2022, this biennial convention was known as D23 Expo. Starting in 2024, its name changed to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. It's still an official Disney function, and still hosted by D23, the official Disney fan club.
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The festivities begin on Saturday, August 8, with the opening of the Walt Disney Archives’ newest exhibition at the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center, Capturing Life, Creating Character: The Art of Live-Action, featuring rare photography, costume pieces, artwork, and interactive elements exploring the connection between live-action performance and animation. The celebration continues on Tuesday, August 11, with D23 Night at the Anaheim Packing District, offering music, trivia, fan activities, and the sixth annual World Taste of the Packing District. On Wednesday, August 12, fans can attend D23 Night at Angel Stadium, where the first 23,000 attendees will receive an exclusive Mickey Mouse bobblehead, including 2,300 gold variants. The events lead into Thursday, August 13, with D23 Day at Disneyland, kicking off the weekend with themed merchandise, a Mickey Ear Hat giveaway, a Disney Legends Cavalcade, exclusive photo opportunities, and more, with additional details to be announced.
The official D23 event will kick off on August 14 and run through August 16. During the daytime, panels, exhibits, merchandise opportunities, and activations will take place at the Anaheim Convention Center, located right next door to Disneyland Resort. In the evening, large-scale showcases from Disney's tentpole brands will be hosted at the Honda Center, an arena about three miles from the Anaheim Convention Center. The evening presentations in the Honda Center will include massive announcements for Disney movies and television on August 14 and theme parks on August 15. The induction of this year's Disney Legends will take place on August 16.
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