Hello out there and welcome back to Disney Stuff. The second D23 Expo has come and gone. This particular writer and Disney fan happens to be very jealous of his MousePlanet friends and colleagues who were in Anaheim for this Disney love fest. Once again, Disneyland eludes me. I will make it there someday. I’ve promised myself that. What a pleasure it would be to be there for all the festivities associated with the Expo.
Of course, what I’m really missing is the opportunity to acquire some more really cool exclusive D23 Expo Stuff! Not only that, but I would get to check out all of the eye candy that is the 12,000 square foot Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit. Here I could see all of the really serious Disney Stuff; Stuff that I couldn’t dream of bringing home. I realize it’s not very classic-Disney of me, but I would love to get my hands on the Dharma Initiative Volkswagen van from LOST in the exhibition. Not that it’s for sale, but I can dream. It’s kind of like looking at that monorail car at the old MouseSurplus warehouse in Orlando. That actually was for sale. I guess someday if I get John Stamos money, I too can buy something as grand as the Disneyland sign. (Where does he keep that thing, anyway?)
But, alas, I didn’t make it to Disneyland for the D23 Expo this time around. This proud card carrying charter member of D23 has had to satiate his thirst for more cool Disney stuff by slumming it at the Polynesian for a week. Now that I’m home and hearing about all the coolness that is the Expo, I thought I’d take a gander at some of the very cool stuff that has come my way from D23 over the past two years. Let’s take a look.
As I’ve written about before, I’m a watch hound, especially Mickey Mouse watches. So, I was very happy to get this D23 watch in the mail one day as the yearly gift. It has a very subtle Bandleader Mickey on its face.
Yet another Mickey Mouse watch. Photo By Chris Barry.
I really love this exclusive patch that came with my copy of Disney twenty-three magazine one month. This patch is one of nine EPCOT Center symbols used on pamphlets, memorabilia, signage and attractions from EPCOT Center, as the park used to be known. This particular patch represents Spaceship Earth.
The Spaceship Earth Symbol Patch. Photo By Chris Barry.
I received another great patch thanks to my membership. According to the information on the back of the package this is …one of six created exclusively for D23 members using historical art designed to celebrate the first expansion of Disneyland on June 14, 1959. This commemorative art, rarely seen by the general public over the last five decades, decorated Main Street, U.S.A. and helped announce the opening of six spectacular new attractions.
The Matterhorn Bobsleds Patch. Photo By Chris Barry.
The holiday season brought a nice reproduction of Walt Disney’s 1932 holiday greeting card:
Walt's 1932 Christmas card. Photo By Chris Barry.
The summer heat brought a reproduction of a Disneyland souvenir fan from 1955:
This envelope contained the reproduction Disneyland fan. Photo By Chris Barry.
You can see the Tropical River Ride and Sleeping Beauty Castle here. The other “blades” of the fan feature attractions from the park’s inaugural year such as The Casey Jr. Ride and the Clock of the World:
Sleeping Beauty Castle on one end of the fan. Photo By Chris Barry.
The Tropical River Ride on the other side of the fan. Photo By Chris Barry.
The 2010-2011 calendar was a very cool gift:
The cover of the D23 Disney Undiscovered 2010-2011 Calendar. Photo By Chris Barry.
It features 23 different “Unrealized Masterpieces.” Each month highlights a never produced film like “Mickey Columbus” or undeveloped attraction like the “Enchanted Snow Palace” at Walt Disney World. It’s a great look at pieces of Disney art that never made it off the drawing board. Here are some of my favorites.
The plans for Edison Square. Photo By Chris Barry.
Mickey's Madhouse, an indoor roller coaster proposed for Disneyland in 1976. Photo By Chris Barry.
Art for Tokyo Sci-Fi City from 1997. Photo By Chris Barry.
Concept Art for the Herbie The Love Bug Ride at Disneyland. Photo By Chris Barry.
The proposed Epcot Switzerland Pavilion. Photo By Chris Barry.
A few days ago, my most recent D23 gift arrived. It’s this D23 hardcover journal. It’s perfect for a writer like me. I like Bandleader Mickey on the cover…
The cover of the D23 Journal. Photo By Chris Barry.
…and the different character sketches that adorn each page:
The Divine Miss Bell graces one of the journal pages. Photo By Chris Barry.
I especially like the Walt Disney quote inscribed on the back— It seems to me that we have a lot of story yet to tell.
I’ve been very happy with my D23 membership over the past two years. The magazine is fantastic and has filled the hole left behind since the demise of the old Disney magazine years ago. It’s a quality production with amazing behind the scenes details and great, informative writing. It’s been wonderful to be surprised by the occasional little extra that has appeared at my doorstep in a D23 package. These little bits and pieces of Disney memorabilia, despite being reproductions, have found definite places on this Disney collector’s shelves.
I didn’t make it to the first Expo and obviously, I’m didn't get to this one, but the magazine, the yearly gift, and all the other pieces of Disney stuff that have come my way from D23 have all made the membership worthwhile to me.
If you made it to Anaheim, let me know what was there that you loved and let me know what you loved enough to bring home.
If you’re like me and missed out on all the fun out there on the left coast, I hope you’ve got your own bits and pieces of D23 stuff to hold onto. Let me know which ones are your favorites.
Thanks for reading. Hopefully, I’ll see you at the next D23 Expo, but I’ll definitely see you next time with some more of that great Disney Stuff.
