Over 43,000 Disney Guests Denied Entry After Lengthy Waits

Disney has once again gravely messed up the online ticket queue process for what they deem is their biggest fan event of the year.

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is a gathering dedicated to all facets of Disney, specifically tailored for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. Taking place biennially, it serves as the ultimate gathering for Disney enthusiasts, bringing together the essence of what makes Disney so enchanting — from state-of-the-art theme parks and groundbreaking technologies to timeless narratives featuring unforgettable characters.

This year, the event, which is meant to run from August 9th to August 11th, just had their tickets go on sale to D23 Gold Members, essentially, the Disney fans that pay over $100 each year to be a part of the fan club, to get first dibs.

Sadly, as we have seen with Disney in the past, the virtual queue is failing. 

When guests like Stitch Kingdom are making it through the queue, which has over 43,000+ people in it (we just rejoined the line to see an average guest count) they are being directed to what looks to be a blank page.

Well this seems broken? #D23

Well this seems broken? #D23 pic.twitter.com/NnV5WTdyK3

— Stitch Kingdom has BUM WORMS (@stitchkingdom) March 26, 2024

Another hopeful D23 Expo guest, Ozzie Mejia, shared their page after getting through the queue. For Ozzie, there were selections, however, none of them were clickable. If we take a deeper look at the options, we can see that according to the boxes, tickets are not on sale until August 7 and 8th, 2024, which is likely a big culprit of the problem here, as that is in the future just before the event.

You cannot be for real, D23. NONE OF THESE BUTTONS ARE RESPONDING!!!

You cannot be for real, D23. NONE OF THESE BUTTONS ARE RESPONDING!!! pic.twitter.com/jAyg2Frlpi

— Ozzie Mejia (Minion #789201) (@Ozz_Mejia) March 26, 2024

Now, the D23 ticket queue reads a new message, “Message last updated: 12:38 PM PT: We are currently aware of a technical issue that guests may be experiencing with the ticketing site and hope to resume the pre-sale shortly. Thanks for your patience!”

There is no hint as to when the tickets for the event will reopen, and when they do, how that will affect the current standings of each of the 43,000+ individuals in line.

Overall, fans on X (formally Twitter) are furious and are sharing that upset online. Many are disappointed that Disney was not ready for a ticket release that they have so highly publicized.

One fan, Mally Mouse, said: “So tell me why I waited 4 hours early to get D23 expo tickets, only to be glitched at the 12PM release, as soon as I log in, and am now sitting on an infinite timer that just resets, and has un-clickable buttons 🙃 very cool system you got here @DisneyD23 👍🏻 I’m now currently in line on my phone, in place 38,113th.”

https://twitter.com/MallymkunMousey/status/1772711355759693995

For many fans like Mally, who logged into the waiting room queue hours before the ticket drop, all of that was now for nothing.

Online virtual queue ticket sales seem to be a very weak point for Disney, even when they are expecting high demand. During the 2023 Oogie Boogie Bash drop, the Halloween Party at Disneyland Resort, the virtual queue also broke down, causing a similar effect that we are seeing today.

Unlike Oogie Boogie Bash, 23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event has multiple tiers, with only some of them being affordable to guests. This year, the entertainment, parks, and Disney Legends panels will all be at the Honda Center instead of the Anaheim Convention Center and guests who choose to purchase the D23 Ultimate Fan Pass (aka the pass that does not just include the show floor, but the panels as well) will get assigned seating.

This guarantees you a seat and avoids the 6+ hour waiting game that many fans have played in the holding room at the Anaheim Convention Center in the past, but that also means there are tiers.

As one can see below, if you are looking to go to all three panels, the 400 upper row section is $297, which is the most affordable, but if those sell out, you could end up being forced to pay more — and the tiers go up to over $2,500. So, if you are on a budget, securing a limited amount of lower-cost tickets is important.

Ticket price breakdown:

• D23 Ultimate Fan Pass 3-Day Ticket: This ticket grants access to a reserved seat for evening shows at the Honda Center for all three days, along with three-day admission to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center. Prices begin at $297 per ticket.
• D23 Ultimate Fan Pass 1-Day Ticket: This ticket provides a designated seat for the evening show at the Honda Center on the specified date, as well as same-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center. Prices start at $99 per ticket.
• D23 Preferred Ultimate Fan Pass 3-Day Ticket: Exclusively available to D23 Gold Members, this ticket option includes a three-day floor seat for evening shows at the Honda Center (with the same seat allocated each night) and three-day access to all experiences at the Anaheim Convention Center. Prices start at $999 per ticket.

Online, some fans are even comparing this ticket malfunction to the great Ticket Master debacle with Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour ticket failure.

This is not the only controversy surrounding the event. Disney has decided to enact the “no bag” policy at the Honda Center for all three panels, which means if you go to the show floor and buy anything or if you need to bring even a little backpack for your full day at the convention for essentials, you will not be allowed entry into the Honda Center. This new policy will force guests to either bring and buy nothing or have to go back to their car, home, or hotel to drop off their things. 

This year, the presentations will be split into three main categories: the Disney Entertainment Showcase, highlighting Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and Disney films and series; the Disney Experiences Panel, centered around theme park updates; and the Disney Legends Ceremony, recognizing distinguished figures such as celebrities, Imagineers, and more. The latest inductees into the Disney Legends include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

As the schedule initially stated, D23 Gold and General Members who also hold Visa cards will have the opportunity to purchase tickets starting March 27, 2024, at 12 p.m. PT, during an exclusive pre-sale event.

Tickets for all D23 Gold and General Members will become available on March 28, 2024, at 12 p.m. PT. Please note that membership with D23 is required to purchase tickets. If you’re not already a member, you can sign up as a complimentary General Member or upgrade to Gold Membership at JoinD23.com.

However, with Gold Members entitled to priority purchase and ticket sales being on a pause before ever going live, this release schedule could potentially switch.

Did you try to purchase D23 tickets today? 

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