This year marks the 65th anniversary of Disneyland and therefore the 65th anniversary of the Disney Park. D23 plans to celebrate the milestone with a special stand-alone issue of Disney twenty-three loaded with rich stories and stunning photography exploring the history of the Disney theme park.
- The cover for the special issue (seen above) was created by Disney artist Ricky De Los Angeles and features colorful illustrations of iconic attractions.
- The issue also includes a special “Editor’s Letter” from Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro.
- Some of the stories featured in the issue include interviews with:
- Disney Legends Tony Baxter and Wing T. Chao
- Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald and Bhavna Mistry
- Original Mouseketeer Bobby Burgess
- Walt Disney Imagineering President Bob Weis
fall 2020 twenty-three
- Other stories featured in the issue will include:
- Walt’s Map to the Magic: A deep dive into the inspiration, planning, and creation of Disneyland penned by Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline and publication editor Max Lark
- Dateline Disneyland: July 17, 1955: A guided tour of Disneyland on opening day by D23’s Manager of Content Curation (and former Disneyland Park tour guide) Justin Arthur
- Picturing the Parks: A curated look at some of the most beloved attraction posters from Disney’s parks around the world written by Disney Publishing’s Editorial Director Wendy Lefkon
- National Treasures: Stunning images from several of National Geographic’s many trips to the parks from National Geographic’s Caitlin Holbrook
- Rooms with a View: The evolution of Disney’s immersive resorts and vacation experiences from the Disneyland Hotel to a galaxy far, far away by Disney Vacation Club’s Ryan March
- Character Analysis: Park Stars: Beloved characters created just for Disney parks, from the Orange Bird and Figment to the Country Bears and Chandu, written by Disney Parks’ Charles Stovall
parks pin set
- D23 is also celebrating with some additional special offerings, including:
- Expanded Digital Storytelling: More than a dozen original features on D23.com looking at the Disney theme park, from a look at movies filmed at Disney parks (Saving Mr. Banks and Tomorrowland) to delicious vintage parks recipes.
- An Exclusive Pin Set (pictured above): Available only to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this 6-pin set features some of the colorful artwork from Ricky De Los Angeles’ cover of Disney twenty-three, including Sleeping Beauty Castleat Disneyland Resort, Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland Resort, Ratatouille: The Adventure at Disneyland Paris, Spaceship Earth at Walt Disney World Resort, Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and one inspired by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. The limited-edition set will be available for $49.99 on August 31 at shopDisney.com.*
- Disney Imagineers Celebrate 65 Years of Disneyland Park: From August 21 through August 23, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will have the chance to watch an exclusive virtual panel created by Walt Disney Imagineering celebrating the 65th anniversary of Disneyland with Imagineering leaders Jeanette Lomboy, Kim Irvine, and Scott Trowbridge, along with Disney Legend Tony Baxter, and moderated by Leslie Iwerks, director and executive producer of The Imagineering Story on Disney+.
- D23 Trivia Night: 65 Years of the Disney Theme Park: Disney parks trivia aficionados are invited to join a fun evening of trivia spanning every Disney park around the globe. On August 28, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members can join the fun to celebrate 65 years of favorite places and attractions—classic and new.
- D23 Magical Summer Sweepstakes: Starting August 10, all D23 Members will be able to enter to win exciting prizes, including a new D23 Gold Membership and the exclusive 6-pin set.
- Special Gold Member Gift: Just for D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this issue of Disney twenty-three will include a set of six postcards—each representing a different Disney resort around the world.