D23 live updates: From movies to theme park rides, here's everything announced at Disney fan event

ByKimberlee Sakamoto, Amy Becker, Crystal Benitez and Ryder Maldonado OTRC logo
Last updated: Sunday, August 16, 2026 7:15AM GMT
D23 reveals future plans for the Disney parks and experiences
ABC News' Ginger Zee is at Anaheim, California, sharing​ all of the exciting Disney experiences to come around the world.
Disney

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- From newly announced movies to rides and lands under construction at Disney parks around the world, we're bringing you all the live updates from D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

This gathering of official Disney fan club members takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center in Anaheim, California through Sunday.

The Honda Center was home to the Disney Entertainment Showcase Friday night and the Disney Experiences Showcase Saturday night.

Follow along now for live updates from the Disney Legends Award Ceremony.

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1 hour and 11 minutes ago

Jonas Brothers honored as Disney Legends by Vanessa Hudgens

The Jonas Brothers are being honored as 2026 Disney Legends at D23 by fellow Disney Channel icon Vanessa Hudgens.

"Seems like just yesterday we were just kids running around the Disney lot," she said. "And now look as us - we have kids!"

The trio shared their connection with Disney started early.

Joe said he watched "Beauty and the Beast" so many times, his first word was "Gaston." And Nick noted that his first job was playing Chip the teacup in "Beauty and the Beast" on Broadway.

Nick went on to say, "To our incredible fans, thank you for letting us be a part of your childhood and growing up alongside you all these years. You gave three brothers from New Jersey, a life beyond anything we could have imagined. We're so grateful."

Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas and Joe Jonas get their handprints at D23 on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.
Kevin Jonas, Nick Jonas and Joe Jonas get their handprints at D23 on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Composed of brothers Nick, Joe and Kevin Jonas, the Jonas Brothers are a Grammy-nominated pop group that rose to fame as Disney Channel stars in the late 2000s, starring in "Camp Rock" (2008), "Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam" (2010) and their series "Jonas" (2009-2010). The New Jersey natives have sold more than 20 million albums, logged three consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 chart and earned 26 Billboard Hot 100 hits.

After pursuing individual efforts, the group reunited in 2019 with their platinum-certified album "Happiness Begins," led by the 5x-platinum single "Sucker," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

The trio received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023, followed by a Hand and Footprint ceremony in 2025. To mark their 20th anniversary in 2025, the band hosted the JONASCON fan event, starred in "A Very Jonas Christmas Movie" on Disney+, released the album "Greetings from Your Hometown," and launched the "JONAS20: Greetings From Your Hometown" tour. Their most recent Disney project includes returning to Disney Channel for "Camp Rock 3."

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1 hour and 22 minutes ago

Kim Irvine honored by Ming Na Wen at Legends ceremony

Kim Irvine is being honored as a 2026 Disney Legend at D23 by fellow Disney Legend Ming Na Wen.

"Thanks to your vision, your leadership and most of all your love of Disney, you have given park lovers new attractions to look forward with each visit," she said to Irvine. "We are eternally grateful for pouring so much passion into the Happiest Place on Earth, where we all get to play."

Irvine later shared that in 1970, when she started her career, she was only going to work for the summer.

Kim Irvine gets her handprints done at D23 on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.
Kim Irvine gets her handprints done at D23 on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

She noted that all the original Imagineers were still working there and would come down to the model shop where their drawings and dreams came to life.

When she was asked in 1990 to lead a team of Imagineers to take care of Disneyland, she said, "I was so honored by that and so happy to have done that for all of those years."

Kim Irvine is a self-described "second-generation Imagineer" and Southern California native who spent 55 years preserving and enhancing Disneyland. The daughter of Disney animator Harvey Toombs and Disney Legend Leota Toombs (the face of the Haunted Mansion's Madame Leota), Irvine began her career at WED Enterprises in 1970 as a model builder and painter.

Under the guidance of Disney Legends John Hench and Marty Sklar, Irvine helped establish the first on-site Imagineering office in Anaheim in 1979 to ensure Disneyland received dedicated creative focus. As Executive Creative Director of the Walt Disney Imagineering Anaheim office, she oversaw concept design, color styling, and architectural aesthetics for major Disneyland projects, including the Disneyland Dream Suite, Rancho Del Zocalo, the Club 33 expansion, and multiple Sleeping Beauty Castle refurbishments. Notably, in 2001, she stepped into her mother's iconic role to project Madame Leota's face for the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay.

Before her retirement in 2025 during Disneyland's 70th anniversary, Irvine became the first female recipient of the prestigious Buzz Price Thea Award for Lifetime Achievement (2011). Her legacy continues through her mentorship of global Imagineers and her daughter, Ali Irvine-Wheeler, a third-generation Imagineer.

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1 hour and 31 minutes ago

Alan Tudyk honored as a Disney Legend by Ginnifer Goodwin

Alan Tudyk, who's voiced more than 25 Disney characters, was honored by "Zootopia" star Ginnifer Goodwin on Sunday.

She noted that he's created an entire universe of characters - villains, heroes, pirates, weasels - and made each and every one feel unique.

"Over the years you have quietly and humbly become one of the most beloved and versatile performers in the Disney family," she said.

Alan Tudyk get his handprints done at D23 on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.
Alan Tudyk get his handprints done at D23 on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Once onstage, Tudyk shared a heartwarming story in which he met a little fan, whose favorite character is Hei Hei the Rooster.

While he doesn't create the characters, he said "I get to be the ambassador of so much joy" as the voice of these iconic roles.

Alan Tudyk is an actor and voice artist known for his vocal versatility, having performed in every Walt Disney Animation Studios feature film since 2012.

A Texas native who attended Juilliard, Tudyk built a career across stage, film and television, including roles in Broadway's "Monty Python's Spamalot," the film "A Knight's Tale" (2001) and the TV series "Firefly." He earned an Emmy nomination for writing, directing and starring in the web series "Con Man," as well as an Emmy nomination for voicing the droid K-2SO in the Disney+ series "Andor," a role he originated in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016).

In animation, Tudyk won an Annie Award for his debut Disney role as King Candy in "Wreck-It Ralph" (2012). His extensive Disney voice credits include Duke Weaselton in "Zootopia" (2016) and "Zootopia 2" (2025), Heihei in "Moana" (2016) and "Moana 2" (2024), Knowsmore in "Ralph Breaks the Internet" (2018), Tuk Tuk in "Raya and the Last Dragon" (2021), a toucan in "Encanto" (2021), and Valentino the goat in "Wish" (2023). Beyond animation, he motion-captured and voiced the robot Sonny in "I, Robot" (2004) and voiced characters in 20th Century Studios' "Ice Age" franchise.

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1 hour and 39 minutes ago

Lin Manuel Miranda honored by Auli'i Cravalho, star-studded performance

"Moana" star Auli'i Cravalho honored Disney Legend Lin Manuel Miranda at Sunday's ceremony.

"There are songwriters," she said. "And then, there's Lin Manuel Miranda."

Calling him the latest in an incredible lineup of Disney songwriters, she called him one of the "defining musical storytellers of our, my, generation."

The new Disney Legend was later honored with a musical tribute from his hit Disney films by stars like Cravalho, Jordan Fisher and many more.

To a rousing standing ovation, Lin Manuel Miranda stood onstage and soaked it all in.

While holding a book from "The Little Mermaid," he read an incredible revised version of "Part of Your World."

"And I'm grateful for you, for believing in me, you see that line where the sky meets the sea. God, what a time. Grateful that I'm, part of your world."

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning songwriter, actor, producer and director. Best known as the creator and original star of Broadway's "Hamilton" and composer of "In the Heights," Miranda has received the MacArthur Foundation Award and Kennedy Center Honors for his contributions to stage and screen.

Lin-Manuel Miranda gets his handprints at the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: Legends on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.
Lin-Manuel Miranda gets his handprints at the Disney Entertainment Showcase at D23: Legends on August 16, 2026 in Anaheim, California.

Crediting Disney musicals like "The Little Mermaid" (1989) for inspiring his career, Miranda wrote songs for "Moana" (2016), earning a Grammy Award and an Academy Award nomination for "How Far I'll Go". He later composed eight songs for "Encanto" (2021), including the chart-topping hit "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and Oscar-nominated "Dos Oruguitas," which named him Billboard's top Hot 100 songwriter of 2022.

His Disney work also includes starring as Jack the Lamplighter in "Mary Poppins Returns" (2018), producing and co-writing new songs for the live-action "The Little Mermaid" (2023), composing songs for "Mufasa: The Lion King" (2024), playing Hermes in Disney+'s "Percy Jackson & The Olympians," and contributing music to the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy. Miranda most recently serves as a producer and music collaborator on the live-action "Moana" reimagining.