D23 Expo

So on a whim I just said the hell with it and went to the D23 Expo. I have never been to this kind of expo and was unsure what to expect. I have been wanting to go to comic con but have staved off. It was not all of what I expected, but I am sure part of that is the fact that it is the first year. In the end I am just glad I went.

I decided to only go on Sunday being that the bulk of the Pixar and Animation panels would be going on. It was really great. The lines were long and it took hours but the panels were great. John Lasseter was the Keynote Speaker on Sunday and he did not dissapoint. Saw some great footage of upcoming animated movies and shorts and I have to say I am really excited. And not just about the upcoming Pixar offerings, but the Disney films as well. I am skeptical of the princess and the frog. It hasn't quite grabbed me but I will go see it none the less. I really want to go see it at the Disney backlot showing.

I also went into the Imagineering Pixar Panel and was pleasantly surprised. I debated going but in the end I am glad I went. I am not an avid fan of going to the parks. They have lost a lot of magic for me. But from what I saw and heard I have to say I am excited by what they are bringing to the parks and I am really excited to see these attractions when they open.

Finally I went to the Toy Story 3 panel. It was great to have Lee Unkrich and Darla Anderson on hand to introduce the great footage we saw. A lot of people left after the TS3 footage, and I honestly fought with myself about staying. I kept saying after TS. Then that was over, and I said ok just a little bit of TS2, and ok after woody gets cleaned up, and on and on. Before I knew it both movies were over. I have seen them both countless times. Even though this was 3D it was only an enhancement to something that was already great. I definitely was amazed that these movies still have the power to make me laugh and get lost in their world. It was great to see all my favorite Toy Story characters on the big screen again where I initially fell in love with them. And from someone who is kind of learning the basics of 3D animation I see the artistry that went into making those characters real. And making me love those characters like they are real.