Thank you to D23 for hosting us at the D23 Media Event.

We spent a dazzling day at the Walt Disney Studio Lot this week learning all about what's to come to Disney's ultimate fan event, the D23 Expo! Eight exciting announcements caught our attention, from discounted D23 Expo 2019 tickets for D23 Gold Members to this year's haunting theme for the popular D23 Expo 2019 Design Challenge, where fans will be encouraged to create ghoulishly delightful designs celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland.

While the event itself was remarkable, what topped off the day was taking part in the celebrated Walt Disney Studio Lot tour, visiting the Archives at the Studio Lot, and Suite 3H: The Offices of Walt Disney, which Walt occupied from 1940 until his death in 1966 and, in 2015, was renovated and reopened as a permanent exhibit honoring Walt Disney. We'll share more on this later next week.

D23 Expo 2019 Tickets Prices and Announcements

On Thursday, August, 23rd, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will begin selling tickets for D23 Expo 2019, Aug. 24-25, 2019! The largest Disney fan event in the world, D23 Expo celebrates all the wonderful worlds of the Walt Disney Company under one roof, including the best of Disney, MARVEL, Pixar, and Star Wars across film, television, theme parks, products, online, music, live entertainment, and more.

This year, discounted single-day and multi-day D23 Expo 2019 tickets will be available exclusively to D23 Gold Members, and Gold Members who purchase their tickets from Aug. 23-Nov. 20, 2018, will enjoy an additional special ‘Early Bird' discount. Gold Family Members can save as much as $288 off the price of admission, based on the purchase of four three-day tickets at the D23 Gold Member ‘Early Bird' rate. General admissionD23 Expo 2019 tickets are $89 for a one-day adult admission and $69 for children. Three-day money-saving tickets are also available. Discounted hotel and Disneyland Resort park tickets are available to all Expo ticket purchasers. For more information on tickets and the ticket prices for Gold Members and general admission, visit D23expo.com.

A limited number of VIP Sorcerer Packages for D23 Expo 2019 will be available exclusively to both D23 Gold and Gold Family Members at $2,500 per ticket. The Sorcerer Package includes a three-day admission D23 Expo 2019 ticket with a commemorative Sorcerer credential; reserved seating at presentations; a preview day with a tour of the show floor and advance shopping opportunities; a Haunted Mansion-themed welcome reception; a packed D23 Expo gift pack, including an exclusive bag provided by D23 Expo 2019 sponsor American Tourister, and more. Members can purchase up to two Sorcerer tickets. Additional details and a complete list of Sorcerer Package benefits are highlighted at D23expo.com.

D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will also be entitled to special benefits throughout the weekend including exclusive discounts and offers at select Disney retail and partner locations; a commemorative gift; and limited priority queueing for Hall D23 and the Expo Arena. Look for announcements about these opportunities in the coming months. To join D23 and enjoy these benefits, visit D23.com/join.

Plus, Official D23 Expo merchandise will be available for purchase online before the expo! Get a first look at the merchandise below.

D23 Expo 2019 marks the return of fan favorites, including the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony, honoring the talented men and women who have made indelible contributions to the Disney legacy; an all-new exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives; Talent Central, where fans can meet their favorite Disney stars; and a daily parade on the show floor.

Plus, the Mousequerade costume contest is back with actress Yvette Nicole Brown and fashion designer Ashley Eckstein returning as judges for the popular event, which includes dozens of eye-popping creations from fans around the world.

The D23 Expo 2019 Design Challenge will be themed to the popular Haunted Mansion, which first opened at Disneyland in 1969 and will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. Fans are encouraged to create ghoulishly delightful designs, from paintings and drawings to sculptures and models, inspired by the beloved attraction and its 999 happy haunts. Twenty-three pieces of finalist artwork will be on display throughout the D23 Expo weekend at a gallery on the show floor. The winning artist will be chosen prior to the start of the D23 Expo and will receive a cash prize of $2,300. Details for Mousequeradeand the Design Challenge will be revealed this fall.

And did you know D23 is celebrating 10 fan-tastic years in 2019! Check out the official celebration logo announced at yesterday's event!

Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($79.99), Gold Family Membership ($104.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com and at shopDisney.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.