The D23 Expo 2026 live stream is underway, with Disney+ carrying six official events from Anaheim across August 14 through August 16, 2026. Fans at home can catch several of the weekend’s biggest presentations without a ticket, though one major showcase remains exclusive to attendees inside the Honda Center.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event returned to the Anaheim Convention Center and the Honda Center this week, drawing thousands of fans for panels, exhibits, and merchandise drops. Disney confirmed its Disney+ streaming lineup ahead of the event, giving remote viewers a clear roadmap for exactly when to log on.
What’s Streaming and When
Disney+ subscribers get access to six confirmed presentations spread across the three-day event. All times below are listed in Pacific, with Eastern in parentheses.
- Walt Disney Animation Studios: Beauty and the Beast 35th Anniversary Celebration — Friday, August 14, 11 a.m. PT (2 p.m. ET)
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 Panel — Saturday, August 15, 3:30 p.m. PT (6:30 p.m. ET)
- Disney Rewind Encore Concert — Saturday, August 15, 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET)
- Horizons: A Carousel of Progress (Disney Experiences Showcase) — Saturday, August 15, 7 p.m. PT (10 p.m. ET)
- Disney Worldbuilders Panel — Sunday, August 16, 10:15 a.m. PT (1:15 p.m. ET)
- Disney Legends Awards Ceremony — Sunday, August 16, 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET)
Disney Princess: The Ultimate Concert Celebration also streams on Disney+ this weekend. That performance was recorded live at Disneyland Resort rather than broadcast in real time.
Tonight’s Big Draw: Horizons: A Carousel of Progress
The centerpiece of Saturday night’s programming carries extra weight for theme park fans. Horizons: A Carousel of Progress streams live at 7 p.m. PT, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris alongside Disney Imagineers, artists, and creative leaders who will walk through projects currently in development at Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, and Disney parks overseas.
This showcase traditionally delivers the year’s biggest theme park reveals, including ride concepts, land expansions, and hotel announcements. Because it streams live rather than airing later as a recap, viewers following the D23 Expo 2026 live stream get reveals in real time, alongside the crowd inside the Honda Center.
What Won’t Be Streamed
Not every marquee event made the Disney+ lineup. The Friday night Disney Entertainment Showcase, historically the venue for the largest studio film and television announcements, stayed an in-person exclusive this year. Disney has taken this approach at past D23 events, largely to protect release windows for projects still building toward theatrical marketing campaigns, including the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter.
Ke Huy Quan and Ginnifer Goodwin hosted the Friday showcase inside the Honda Center, with presentations spanning Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and 20th Century Studios. Disney chief executive Josh D’Amaro also took the stage, marking his first D23 appearance as CEO. Fans who could not attend in person had to follow real-time social media coverage under the #D23 hashtag instead of a live broadcast.
How to Watch From Home
Catching the streaming portions of D23 requires nothing more than an active Disney+ subscription. Here’s the simplest path for viewers tuning in remotely:
- Open the Disney+ app or website on a smart TV, phone, tablet, or browser.
- Navigate to the featured or live events section, where D23 programming is highlighted during the broadcast windows.
- Tune in at the scheduled Pacific or Eastern start time listed above, since these events air live rather than on demand.
- Check back after the weekend for select panels that Disney may add to its on-demand library.
No separate ticket or add-on purchase is required beyond a standard Disney+ membership.
Disney Legends Class of 2026
Sunday evening’s ceremony carries its own significance this year. Disney has confirmed that Bob Iger, Dwayne Johnson, and Lin-Manuel Miranda headline the 2026 Disney Legends class, joining the ranks of honorees recognized for outsized contributions to the company’s film, television, and entertainment legacy. The ceremony streams on Disney+ starting at 6 p.m. PT.
Why This Year’s Event Stands Out
D23 2026 marks the first time Josh D’Amaro has led the Entertainment Showcase as CEO, following his rise to the role after Bob Chapek’s departure years earlier. The shift gives this year’s presentations added narrative weight, since fans and analysts alike are watching closely for signals about Disney’s creative direction under new leadership.
The Anaheim Convention Center also expanded its show floor for 2026, billed by organizers as the largest in the event’s history. Exclusive merchandise collections tied to the Horizons showcase and the Walt Disney Imagineering Pavilion sold briskly throughout the weekend, with themed apparel, drinkware, and pins drawing long lines at Mickey’s of Glendale Pin Store and other on-site retail locations.
A Packed Weekend of Programming
Beyond the six Disney+ broadcasts, D23 2026 features an extensive in-person schedule across the Honda Center, the Premiere Stage, the Walt Disney Archives Stage, the Backlot Stage, and the Hyperion Stage. Talent Central and the Spotlight Stage add celebrity appearances, autograph signings, trivia, and musical performances throughout the weekend, none of which are part of the official streaming lineup.
For fans focused specifically on the D23 Expo 2026 live stream, the smartest strategy is treating Disney+ as the primary source for real-time reveals while following official Disney channels for photos and highlights from the panels that never made the broadcast schedule. Saturday night’s Horizons showcase remains the single event most likely to generate lasting news, given its focus on upcoming park attractions and its live, unedited format.
Disney has not confirmed whether any additional panels will be added to the streaming schedule before the event closes on Sunday. Viewers hoping for expanded coverage should keep an eye on official Disney Parks and Disney+ social accounts for last-minute updates, since scheduling changes have occurred in past years when demand for specific panels proved unexpectedly high.
Stick around and keep checking back, since the biggest D23 2026 reveals are still unfolding this weekend.