Disney CEO Bob Iger greeted a packed Honda Center Friday night to welcome fans from across the globe to the first night of D23, the biennial Disney fan convention in Anaheim.
For Iger, Friday night marked the first time that the longtime Disney executive addressed Disney fans since returning to the company to serve as CEO for the second time.
During D23, Iger, and Disney Parks and Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, addressed the future of the entertainment giant, promising several years of new ideas, as well as old favorites, both on the screen and in Disney theme parks.
Iger’s full address during Night 1 of D23 is below:
“I was going to say, ‘good evening and thank you for that warm welcome,’ but that was more than a warm welcome. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart. OK, it is just wonderful to be back here at D23, my first time in five years, surrounded by you, the biggest Disney fans in the world, and boy, did I miss this.
Now, over the years, I have witnessed time and again the special connection that Disney has with our fans. Your energy and enthusiasm fuels us and your passion drives us all to work even harder, to exceed your expectations. And I speak for everyone at Disney when I say there is nothing that we love more than to entertain you, to thrill you, to surprise you, and to fill your hearts with joy and wonder. And we know that when we do all of that, we’re doing our jobs right.
When you think about it, at any given moment, anywhere in the world, there are countless people interacting with Disney in meaningful ways: a child watching her favorite movie over and over again until she knows every song by heart, a group of friends cheering on their favorite team, a family visiting one of our parks for the first time, creating memories in that will last generations. the world needs to be entertained, maybe even more so now than ever before, and we take that responsibility seriously.
We are grateful for every moment, every memory that we’re fortunate enough to be part of, and we’re grateful to you for caring so much about the things we create, and inviting Disney into your lives in such profound ways. To demonstrate our appreciation, we have quite a weekend in store for you.
It’s here at D23 that we get the chance to pull back the curtain and offer you a glimpse of the vast array of creativity, talent and innovation that powers our wonderful company. And who else but Disney to pull off a weekend like D23, right?
Our deep bond with fans, forged over a century of storytelling, is stronger today than ever before, driven by the unmatched strength of our creative studios, the wide appeal of our brands and franchises, and innovative ways that we bring our stories to life in our theme parks and experiences. And while each of our businesses might seem different from one another, in fact, they fuel each other in ways that are just distinctly Disney, and they are bound on a common mission: to tell great stories and to bring you those stories in the most modern, relevant, compelling ways.
It is such a privilege for me to lead such a remarkable company that brings joy to so many people around the world, both to the young, and as Walt liked to say, ‘the young at heart.’
We have a lot to be proud of, and even more to look forward to.”
Among the major announcements made during Friday’s D23 event, Disney announced a third entry into the beloved “Incredibles” film franchise, new series from Pixar and National Geographic streaming on Disney+, and previewed some of the most highly anticipated films and shows the company has coming down the pike.
For more on the major announcements made by Disney Entertainment, click here.
The following evening, D’Amaro promised a slew of ambitious new projects coming to the company’s theme parks, including several in Anaheim at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, all of which are already in development.