Disney D23

D23 is the first official Disney fan club for dedicated fans, sponsored by the Walt Disney Company. The Charter Year of D23 was in 2009.

History
D23 was introduced on March 10, 2009 by Robert Iger during the company's annual meeting in Oakland, California. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, the year when Walt Disney arrived in Hollywood and the company was founded. Walt only came with a little amount of money and no job, as he is quoted as saying: "I came to Hollywood and arrived here in August 1923 with forty dollars in my pocket and a coat and a pair of trousers that didn't match. And one half of my suitcase had my shirts and underwear and things and the other half had my drawing materials..." The goal of D23 is to communicate with Disney fans by "placing them in the middle of the magic."

D23 Expo 2009
When thousands of die-hard Disney fans were sitting at the D23 Expo, to their surprise, Johnny Depp&mdash;in full Captain Jack Sparrow regalia&mdash;emerged onto the stage and announced Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. The announcement was the first the public had heard of a fourth film and that it would be based upon Tim Powers' novel. "I was very pleased in 2006 when my agent told me that Disney had approached us wanting to option my book for a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie," Powers says. "And then for three years I kind of just watched Google News Hoping that it would happen."