September 15, 2011
My D23 Expo Weekend - By Timothy (an 8 year
old) and Frank Studebaker
Hi! I am Timothy. My family and I went to Disneyland
and the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center this past August.
The D23 Expo is where the Disney Company has EVERYTHING Disney on
display for their true fanatics. I was looking forward to meeting
all my Disney show stars as they were all going to the expo!!! We
planned ahead of time with my mom and dad to figure out how to see
all the Disney stars we watch on the Disney Channel!!! We couldn't
wait for the doors to open on the first day. The lines were sooooooo
long outside, we weren't sure there would be any room for us to walk
once we got into the convention center. Finally, we made it in and
the lines weren't that bad for where we were headed! To see the cast
of Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Good Luck Charlie! And
especially to see cute CHARLIE (played by Mia Talerico
)!
We got to the area they would be signing autographs and taking
pictures and guess what? A line! So, my mom got in line. My dad took
me to the Legends Ceremony where we waited in
line as well. Luckily, for my sisters, while we were in the Legends
Ceremony, they got to meet the cast of the Neverland Pirates! So
lucky! I got to see and hear the singing of 6 Disney princess voices
and inauguration into the Legends of Disney!

After about two hours, some bathroom breaks, and
some quick snacking, it was time to meet the cast of Good Luck
Charlie! Yeah! We were so excited! Little Mia was there! Yeah. We
waited our turn and just as about we were going to walk on stage to
chat and get an autograph with each member of the show, Mia had to
leave. L I was so sad. Oh no! I hope
this isn't how it will be when we try and see the casts of Shake It
UP! And A.N.T. Farm!!! I was bummed we missed Charlie, but we still
got to see Jason Dolley-plays PJ, Bradley Steven Perry- plays Gabe,
and Leigh Allyn Baker who plays Amy Duncan. Yeah! Here is a picture
of us with some of the cast of Good Luck Charlie!!!

So, we walked around the Expo and found a new Buzz
Lightyear Pin I had never seen, some Pirates of the Caribbean show
props (even a mermaid coffin from Pirates 4-see picture), the Disney
Dream Store which had lots of cool stuff, and many booths with free
offerings like free pictures to color, free pens, free cards, and
free luggage tags and travel stuff. J By the
time we finished walking around, it was already time to go back to
the hotel and get some dinner, take a shower, and get some rest for
day 2 of the D23 Expo!

On Saturday, Day 2, we woke up and walked over to
the convention center to get in line again. Lines, lines, lines,
lots of lines! Wow! I was worried we would miss the cast of Shake It
UP! (who were taking pictures on Sunday) and ANT Farm because of all
the lines and sold out events at the Expo. I was starting to worry.
Would we miss Bella Thorne from Shake It UP!? Oh no' When we walked
in, guess who everyone was getting in line for? Yes, you said it!
Phineus and Ferb! And PERRY! Yeah! My dad walked around with us
while my mom and Scarlett saved our spot in the line. After about an
hour it was time to meet the Phineus and Ferb Cast! We were sooooo
excited! We got our pictures with everyone!!!

So after lunch and a few hours at the Expo, we were
tired and wanted to go to DISNEYLAND! So, we walked back towards
California Adventure and Disneyland. As we were walking, we noticed
a couple of people in the lobby of the Grand Californian Hotel who
were part of the cast of ANT Farm (Disney channel show)! WOW! I went
up to them and gave them hugs and we took pictures. They talked with
us for a bit and then they had to go. It was sooooo cool to not have
to wait in line to meet some of the stars that I watch on Disney
Channel! So cool!
So then my mom and I went into California Adventure
and my dad and sisters went back to the hotel and went swimming. I
wanted to go on Screamin' and wasn't going to miss that ride this
trip! As my mom and I were walking to Screamin', guess who we saw?
Tinka from Shake It UP and the rest of the cast! WOW! How cool is
that? I went up to each of them and told them how much I liked their
show and took a picture! How cool is that?


Oh, and the best part of the ENTIRE TRIP, was
meeting my star from Florida, Brent Dodge and going on Splash
Mountain with a re-ride! Thanks Brent for closing the park down with
Timothy! J

So Saturday was over and we were ready for a fun
filled day on Sunday! We had no pressure to meet any of the stars we
wanted to meet because we got to meet them all (and some not even in
any lines!) How cool is that? So, we walked back to the Expo Hall,
waited in line for about 2 hours, and then strolled through the
Treasures Archives! That was really cool as well. We got to see Walt
Disney's Train Mickey Plush, Tron props, Pirates props, Alice in
Wonderland Props, and many, many others! We then got to spend some
time with our cousins and my Uncle David around the Carousel of
Projects which showed us all the new things happening at the parks!
So cool to see what I will be riding with my sisters, grandma,
grandpa, mom, dad, cousins, and aunt and uncle in the not so far
away future! J
Well, that is all for this trip. The common theme of
the D23 Expo was obviously lines and waiting, but with all the lines
and a little Disney magic, we had a great time and would definitely
go to the next D23 Disney Expo in a few years!!!! If you plan your
trip ahead of time and don't expect to see everything, you can enjoy
the Expo and have memories with your family that will last a
lifetime! J