D23 Expo 2015 Disney Infinity Fans Meetup

No problem! I don't mind if you tag along but I will be busy at times handling stuff for the DITV podcast

Found after all these D23 expos, that when you are in line with people for hours, you make a lot of new friends. Maybe for the first day if you haven't been before, going on the floor instead of the D23 Hall might be better. There's so much swag and interesting booths. If you saw any pictures of Disney Interactive at E3, you could spend a whole day in there... The archives upstairs is amazing, the booths have a lot of actors/singers/artists at them.

@fdanielix I went to the last D23 Expo in 2013, so this will be my second one.

If you preordered your ticket earlier, it will be mailed to you (mine arrived today), but if you ordered it later you may need to pick it up the night before.

There are two lines in the beginning of the day: one for D23 members and one for non-members. Additionally, there may be a separate line for a morning presentation. So make sure you get in the correct line! You'll want to be out early, and I recommend eating breakfast in line if you can.

Be prepared to line up for anything you want to see up to several hours ahead. A lot of people sit on the floor and wait, so you may want to consider something cushy to sit on if you'll be there all 3 days. Also, there are limited plugs available for charging your phone, so keep that in mind if you want to use your phone while you wait in line

Definitely pick up a guide book! There was also an app last time that was very helpful. There are a lot of cool things to see, but they often overlap (I suspect that's for crowd control), so you'll want to remain flexible on any plans.

Certain events have a "fast-pass" where you can reserve a spot, but you can only get so many passes per day, so be sure to check online/at the special desk to be sure of what's available.

The temperature was pretty good outside and inside of the convention center, but I recommend bringing a lightweight jacket. Comfy shoes and clothes are a must!

There will be a lot of freebies to grab, and last time they had free totes for carting everything around in. USPS is also supposed to have a booth there if you need to mail any goodies back home.

Some presentations (like the animation one in Hall D23 with John Lasseter) require that you silence your phone and put it in a special bag. You can keep any device that fits in a bag on your person, but large video/photo equipment had to be left behind. I only came across one panel that this happened on, but be prepared for it.

There are two food courts within the convention center, in the center back on the left and right sides (I found the right side to be less crowded/noisy) and food cannot leave the court. There are also good food options in the basement of the Hilton across the pathway, and the Marriott (to the right) supposedly has a Pizza Hut and Starbucks.

There are some Disney celebrities roaming the floor and at booths. Last time I saw Bill Farmer (Goofy), Pat Carroll (Ursula), Ridley Pearson (author), Steven Clark (big cheese at D23), and more. Some ask for money to get an autograph/photo, others do it for free.

Do you mind if I ask how far you are coming in from? (Train, bus, flight, car, etc)

The ART bus (Anaheim Resort Transit) has a lot of routes in the area, including stops at the convention center, nearby hotels, Disneyland parks and Downtown Disney, and the new ARTIC station. Passes are available online and in Anaheim (when I was there they didn't accept cash at the bus, so make sure you get a pass if you plan to ride). The walk from the convention center to Downtown Disney or the Disney hotels can be tiring after walking all day at the Expo, so you may want to consider getting a pass (it's cheaper than a taxi).

Most people are pretty nice, and you can make friends anywhere. And of course, HAVE FUN!!

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Very well stated! All great advice

@InfinityApprentice Wow! That's a lot of stuff going on! The thing is I don't know if I will get a regular ticket or some sort of fast-pass. Disney Infinity is offering us Summit attendants tickets for D23, and to be part of the Disney Infinity booth. It sounds like we will be with the staff instead of being in the audience (In which case, we'd skip the line?), but I'm not sure.
The flight is approximately 8 hours from Florida to California.

@fdanielix Are you arriving at the LAX or Orange County airport?

@fdanielix I was speaking to another summit attendee about your time at the booth. Last expo the Disney Interactive booth had a stage of its own. I am willing to bet your time "on stage" would be showing off your ToyBox at the booth's stage. The big panels are extremely rehearsed and almost never impromptu.

Ok! just caught up on the thread, I'll be going alone so I would love to tag along with someone more experienced. Went on only Sunday last time and kind of wondered around grabbing swag until the Infinity presentation. I DEFINITELY want to go the the animation, live action and Disney Interactive panels and would prefer not having to sit alone as my phone dies, lol, so any one going to those I'd love to meet up with. Before the expo as well would be great too!

@sketchfox7 I will be arriving the Wednesday prior and applied to attend the summit Thursday. I plan on hitting all of those panels you mentioned.