Ticketmaster was decidedly the biggest supervillain of 2023 after millions of concertgoers (looking at you, Swifties) were swindled out of attending one-in-a-lifetime events. As the saying goes, “If a head is cut off, two more shall take its place”—one of which is mouse-shaped, with Disney’s latest fiasco.
Whether you failed to snag tickets to the Eras Tour, Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, or even a local IMAX showing of Dune: Part Two, there’s no denying that the state of ticket sales is nothing short of a royal pain in the, well … admit one.
And perhaps no media conglomerate is quite as familiar with high-demand ticket sales as the Walt Disney Company, which regularly sees Disney Adults (and casual fans alike) hashing it out in online queues for Magic Key Passes, Disneyland After Dark events, and other such happenings in the “Happiest Place On Earth.” But now, the Mouse of Mouse might’ve gone a little too far with its next buzzy event, the 2024 D23 Expo.
What is the D23 Expo?
Founded in 2009, the bi-annual D23 Expo looks to celebrate all things Disney. Every year, the event, held in Anaheim, California, sparks a full-blown media firestorm, with CEO Bob Iger and Co. using the publicity to announce and promote upcoming projects. Likely contenders for this year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event include Lucasfilm’s (strangely controversial) next Disney+ outing, Star Wars: The Acolyte, Inside Out 2, and possibly even a sneak peek at Moana 2. Self-congratulatory much?
The 2024 D23 Expo, which runs from August 9 to August 11, will also see the induction of Harrison Ford, Angela Bassett, Miley Cyrus, James Cameron, and Jamie Lee Curtis, among others, into the Disney Legends Awards program. You can catch special presentations, immersive experiences, panels, and even a “Mousequerade” costume contest—all for the low, low price of $2,599 per person!
Well, that’s not exactly the case, as one-day passes for D23 Gold Members actually start at $79 per person, with the cheapest three-day ticket coming in at $209. Prices vary depending on where attendees want to sit relative to the stage, and how desperate they are to prove that they are, in fact, the most committed Disney Adults in all the land. The exuberant $2,599 price tag is for the highest tier offered to those wanting to be up close with all the action, a.k.a. the D23 Ultimate Preferred Fan Pass.
If that’s not confusing enough, here’s what makes this year’s D23 Expo even more of a head-scratcher: Tickets sold out on Wednesday during pre-sales for Visa card holders, with all Ultimate Fan Pass three-day tickets being officially sold out as of Thursday afternoon. However, not every fan hoping to attend this year’s event got their happily ever after.
Fans heartbroken over sold-out D23 tickets
A myriad of issues have made the process of buying a D23 pass somewhat of a nightmare for those looking to score a seat at Disney’s Biggest Night(s), despite the company’s best efforts to implement a smoother ticketing system in 2024.
For one, the D23 Ultimate Fan Pass 3-Day Ticket sold out before general D23 members could snag a pass, leaving customers understandably frustrated after waiting for hours in the virtual queue. On Wednesday, Visa cardholders also experienced technical difficulties, with the line pausing and unpausing all afternoon, only for some to be told that they’d simply have to try again tomorrow. When customers rejoined the queue on Thursday, certain passes had sold out.
Other social media users reported waiting upwards of an hour to enter the online ticketing portal, only to be told that hundreds, if not thousands of buyers were ahead of them in line. On X (the platform formerly known as Twitter), @SnowWhiteNews—who pays $99.99 per year for Disney’s D23 Gold Membership status, mind you—joined the virtual queue, and was startled to learn that they were “20,000 in line.” Not exactly great odds!
Unfortunately, this isn’t a completely uncommon occurrence in the Disney community, as fans have previously fought tooth and nail for tickets to Disneyland’s annual Oogie Boogie Bash (a.k.a. its family-friendly Halloween spooktacular), which has a history of selling out within minutes. The devil may work hard, but Disney Adults work harder.
Given that the 2024 D23 Expo was bound to be a highly in-demand event, it’s not exactly surprising that people managed to crash the ticketing website during pre-sale. As of now, all passes have sold out, and if past events are anything to go by, Disney is likely going to crack down hard on scalpers and resellers. Better luck next year?
Needless to say, remember check in on your Disney friends. It’s been a pretty stressful 48 hours for them, all things considered.
(featured image: Disney)
