D23 2026 Reveals Its Full Programming Lineup, Including a Saturday Disney Experiences Showcase Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris
Disney has pulled back the curtain on what fans can actually do at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026. On July 13, D23 announced the full all-day programming lineup for the August 14 to 16 event in Anaheim, and while it is packed with movies, music, and milestone anniversaries, the piece theme park fans will care about most is a single Saturday night showcase.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 runs August 14 to 16 in Anaheim. Image: Disney.
Three big nights at the Honda Center
The event is split between the Anaheim Convention Center, where five stages host panels and presentations all day, and the Honda Center, which hosts three marquee evening showcases reserved for Ultimate Fan Pass and Ultimate Preferred Fan Pass holders (there is no standby for these). Each night has its own focus:
- Friday, August 14, Disney Entertainment Showcase: An evening of film and series previews, live stage and music, and surprise celebrity appearances across Disney's movies and television.
- Saturday, August 15, Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase: Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, this is the parks show. Imagineers, storytellers, and artists dig into the future of Disney Parks and experiences worldwide, with behind-the-scenes looks and announcements that build on the projects revealed in 2024.
- Sunday, August 16, Disney Legends Awards Ceremony: Hosted by Ryan Seacrest, honoring the 2026 Disney Legends class, which includes Dwayne Johnson, Anne Hathaway, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Jonas Brothers, Bob Iger, and Jerry Bruckheimer, among others.
Why Saturday is the one to watch
If you follow theme park news, the Saturday Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase is the marquee. It is the successor to the 2024 Disney Experiences presentation that dropped a wave of park announcements, and it is where Disney typically unveils new lands, attractions, and resort projects across Walt Disney World, Disneyland, the cruise line, and its international parks. If there is going to be big parks news out of D23 this year, this is the session it lands in.
This year's D23 event spans three days in Anaheim, with the Disney Experiences showcase on Saturday. Image: Disney.
Parks and Imagineering sessions worth flagging
Beyond the main showcase, the Convention Center schedule has several sessions aimed right at park fans:
- Floating Mountains: A Conversation with Joe Rohde: The legendary Imagineer behind Disney's Animal Kingdom and Aulani discusses his memoir and career.
- Searching for the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House: Kevin Kidney explores the 1960 film and the Disneyland attraction it inspired.
- Worlds of Tinker Bell: Never Land to Pixie Hollow: Host Ashley Eckstein traces Tinker Bell from Peter Pan to the parks.
- Disney Experiences Auction, Rare and Remarkable Finds: Host Bret Iwan presents verified theme park and resort collectibles available through Heritage Auctions, with live and online bidding.
- Disney and Nat Geo: Capturing the Wonder of Nature: Storytellers on the conservation and animal work that inspires Disney.
Everything else on the schedule
The rest of the lineup is a sprawling celebration of Disney past and present. Anniversary panels include Zootopia: Ten Years (tracing the franchise from theaters to the parks), Beauty and the Beast turning 35, 75 Years of Alice in Wonderland, a Kingdom Hearts 25th anniversary session, and a celebration of Walt Disney's 125th birthday. Music fans get a rare one-man Alan Menken concert and The Muppets Musical History with Seth MacFarlane, while film and TV programming spans the road to the 2027 Bluey theatrical movie, Percy Jackson and the Olympians season three, Camp Rock 3, and a Scrubs revival panel. There is even a D23 Mousequerade costume contest hosted by Nina West.
How to attend and reserve programming
The quick facts: D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 runs August 14 to 16 at the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center. Ticket options include the 3-Day Ultimate Fan Pass, the 3-Day Ultimate Preferred Fan Pass, the Sunday D23 Fan Pass, and Afternoon Only passes (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) at $49 each. A randomized Reservation Selection Process for select presentations runs July 20 to 24 (up to 6 people per group), standby queues are available for most Convention Center stages, and reservation confirmations go out beginning August 7.
The bottom line
As D23 head Michael Vargo put it, "At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the magic never stops... every hour is filled with something extraordinary." For park fans, though, one hour matters more than the rest. Clear your Saturday night, keep an eye on the July 20 reservation window, and watch the Horizons showcase for whatever Disney has planned next for its parks.
Sources
- D23: All-Day Programming Lineup Announced
- D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 (Everything Announced)
Image credits: Disney.
