2019 D23 Expo – D23 Expo Arena Panels

D23 has started releasing panel information for the D23 Expo Arena! Below is a list of panels by date and time. Please feel free to bookmark this article as we will be adding more D23 Expo Arena panel information as it is announced!

Friday, August 23

  • 10 a.m. – Dancing with the Stars and Disney! -Good Morning America’s Ginger Zee hosts a behind-the-scenes peek into the most magical night in the ballroom: Disney Night! Join Zee, show host Tom Bergeron, show judge Carrie Ann Inaba, Mirrorball champions Rashad Jennings and Jordan Fisher, and Dancing with the Stars executive producer Andrew Llinares for a celebration of the Dancing with the Stars and Disney connection. There may even be a hint at what’s to come on Dancing with the Stars 2019 this fall on ABC.
  • 12:30 p.m. – The Music and Sounds of Star Wars: Galaxy’s EdgeSound design is an instrumental layer of storytelling found throughout every Disney park, resort, and cruise ship. Join Imagineering Music Studio lead Matt Walker in discussing the creative process behind the original music and sound design heard throughout Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Join Imagineers and collaborators who will share how they developed all-new iconic soundscapes while taking inspiration from the rich legacy of Star Wars music and sound design, from the land’s epic John Williams-composed musical score to the sounds of low-flying starships..
  • 3 p.m. – Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D – Stars and executive producers from ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. come together to honor the past six seasons of the show while looking forward to the forthcoming thrilling conclusion of the series in summer 2020. Executive producer and head of Marvel Television, Jeph Loeb, will host the presentation with cast members Clark Gregg, new Disney Legend Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Elizabeth Henstridge, Henry Simmons, and Jeff Ward as well as executive producers Jed Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen, and Jeff Bell.
  • 5:30 p.m – High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Sneak Peek Screening and Panel – Before the global phenomenon returns in a brand-new series on Disney+, Expo guests are invited to a special advance screening of the first episode and panel with the talented new cast on the arena stage.

Saturday, August 24

  • 10 AM – The Simpsons – Creator Matt Groening, Executive Producer Al Jean, Executive Producer Matt Selman, Supervising Director Mike B. Anderson, and stars Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith will all be in attendance, and you can expect lots of surprises, including an exclusive Simpsons collectible item for everyone in attendance. This panel will be followed by a one-hour autograph signing session of an exclusive The Simpsons mini-poster 
  • 12:30 p.m. – Haunted Mansion: Celebrating 50 Years—Celebrate Disney’s famed home of 999 happy haunts. The attraction’s rich history has generated global fandom from both the living and the unliving. Our ghost host has assembled a procession of bodies you will be dying to meet!
  • 3 p.m. – The “ish” Universe: black-ish, grown-ish and mixed-ish –
    Headlined by Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Yara Shahidi, and Tika Sumpter, the stars from ABC’s black-ish, Freeform’s grown-ish, and ABC’s newest spinoff mixed-ish come together to highlight the expanding “ish” universe. Fans won’t want to miss this star-studded panel where anything could happen!
  • 5:30 p.m – A Musical Celebration of Aladdin – To celebrate the in-home releases of the all-new live-action Aladdin and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Aladdin Walt Disney Signature Collection, hosts Scott Weinger (“Aladdin”)and Linda Larkin (“Jasmine”) take us on amusical-magic-carpet ridethrough your favorite tunes from Aladdin both on stage and on screen. Special guests include Brad Kane (“Aladdin” singing voice), Deedee Magno Hall (“Jasmine” in Disney’s Aladdin—A Musical Spectacular), Jamal Sims (choreographer, Aladdin live action), Clinton Greenspan (Broadway’s next “Aladdin”), Lillias White (Hercules), and Norm Lewis (Scandal, The Little Mermaid on Broadway). You never know what surprises the Genie may conjure up!

Sunday, August 25

  • 10 AM – The Little Mermaid: The 30th Anniversary Celebration! – Presented by H2O+ – Fans of the classic film are invited to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of The Little Mermaid, recognized around the world as one of the greatest animated films of all time. Hosted by the voice of Ariel herself, Jodi Benson, it will be an unforgettable “Under the Sea” celebration.
  • 12:30 p.m.  – National Geographic Brain Games – Get a first look at the reboot of Brain Games, National Geographic’s wildly popular series, during Power Up Your Brain With Keegan-Michael Key. Get ready for those wheels to start turning, because in this panel, you’ll be playing some fun, mind-bending, interactive challenges with Brain Games host Keegan-Michael Key (Toy Story 4, The Lion King). Top-class mentalist Lior Suchard will be joining him on stage, and will no doubt deliver a mind-blowing experience.
  • 3 p.m – Disney Character Voices, Inc: The 30th Anniversary Celebration – For 30 years, Disney Character Voices has kept the voices of Disney characters alive and well for fans through toys, games, apps, theme park attractions, and much more. Take a journey with Rick Dempsey, SVP of Character Voices, and many of those beloved voices—including Tony Anselmo (“Donald”), Jodi Benson (“Ariel”), Bill Farmer (“Goofy” and “Pluto”), Bret Iwan (“Mickey Mouse”),and Linda Larkin (“Jasmine”), with more special guests to be announced—as they step out from behind the microphone to celebrate this joyous anniversary through stories and amazing voices!
  • 5:30 p.m – Two Worlds, One Family: The Making of Tarzan -Twenty years later, the team who brought the animated classic to life “swings” into the D23 Expo to give a behind-the-scenes look at how the Walt Disney Animation Studios film came to be! Guests include directors Chris Buck (Frozen 2) and Kevin Lima (Enchanted); animators Bruce W. Smith, Ken Duncan, and Disney Legend Glen Keane; and producer Bonnie Arnold, as well as a very special performance by Matthew Morrison (Glee) from his forthcoming Walt Disney Records album.