Disneyland Parades Notable Celebrities, Releases New Merch and Free Mickey Ears Ahead of D23 Expo

Ahead of the D23 Expo this weekend where we expect some major Disney Parks announcements to be made, the first-ever D23 Day at Disneyland Resort is taking place today.

There are several special offerings for D23 Day, from a themed cavalcade featuring notable Disney Legends to special shopping events. Disney previously announced the D23 Day events you can read all about here. Today, we are reporting from the parks and have a look at today's festivities, special D23 Day apparel and items, and more.

Keep reading for a look inside the first D23 Day at Disneyland Resort! You can see everything you need to know about this weekend's D23 Expo in our guide.

Special Medallions for D23 Day

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Starting today through August 11, guests can collect four new medallions with the D23 Day at Disneyland Resort logo on one side and Disneyland Resort artwork on the other. You'll get four medallions for $30, and the machine dispenses one of each design per purchase.

You can purchase these at Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen in Disneyland Park, Kingswell Shop at Disney California Adventure, and near the Downtown Disney LIVE! Stage and lawn.

Here is a closer look at the coins. The artwork features Tiana's Bayou Adventure, the Haunted Mansion, a Disneyland 70th anniversary logo, and the Walt Disney quote “To all who come to this happy place, welcome.”

See a closer look at the D23 Day at Disneyland Resort logo on the other side of the medallions:

The line for the medallion machine on Main Street U.S.A. was quite long this morning as you can see!

D23 Day Calvacade With Disney Legends

For D23 Day, there was a special themed cavalcade that took place featuring the Disneyland Band, 23 characters, and select Disney Legends.

There were some surprisingly notable Disney Legends who appeared in this, and it was a fun moment for people to witness! Big crowds were on Main Street as people were excited for this moment.

Near where we watched, fans were extremely excited in particular about the appearance of Jodi Benson who voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid.

D23 Day Free Mickey Ears

One of the coolest offerings of D23 Day was the limited quantity of free Mickey Mouse ear hats with the D23 Day at Disneyland Resort logo handed to guests entering Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. See the cute Mickey ear hat above!

Shopping Events at D23 Day

There are also some shopping events taking place during D23 Day. One standout is the designer from CRISLU signing jewelry boxes with purchases. CRISLU is usually only sold in the parks at Disney World at after-hours events, so this is a big deal for fans of this brand.

When we saw this, there was a double line that went from the middle of Main Street to the fire station, wrapping around a few switchbacks and then curving back.

Tarzan Collection Released Today

For D23 Day, a special merchandise collection honoring the 25th anniversary of Tarzan debuted. The Tarzan collection is available for a limited time at Disneyana at Disneyland Park, Off the Page at Disney California Adventure, and WonderGround Gallery at the Downtown Disney District.

The line for this at WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney was massive!

D23 Day Apparel and Items

There is also some special apparel and items commemorating D23 Day that guests can shop for. See the above D23 Day shirt, magnet, and bag from the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney.

Create Your Own Headband Returns

Disneyland previously announced the return of Create Your Own Headbands starting today on D23 Day while supplies last! For these customizable headbands, you pick Disney mini plush accessories to attach to them.

This popular offering is available at The Mad Hatter on Main Street, U.S.A., in Disneyland Park and Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff at Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure.

There was a huge line for this offering as fans have been anticipating its return!

D23 Complimentary Photo Downloads and Magic Shot

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For D23 Day at Disneyland, all guests get complimentary unlimited digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass photos taken today. There are also special Magic Shots that you can have some fun with! See this fun one with the Hatbox Ghost above.

D23 Display in Grand Californian Lobby

In the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa lobby, there is a special display for D23 featuring Sorcerer Mickey! This impressive display was hand-crafted by the pastry team. Sorcerer Mickey is made out of 60 pounds of powdered sugar, 40 pounds of fondant, 25 pounds of rice cereal, 15 pounds of white chocolate, 10 pounds of marshmallows, and 8 pounds of egg whites.

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