D23's Destination D: 75 Years of Disney Animation

I'm very excited that I've secured tickets to attend D23's Destination D: 75 Years of Disney Animation.

The two-day event will take place at the Disneyland Hotel's Grand Ballroom this August 11th and 12, 2012. Tickets went on sale this morning.

Destination D is a relatively intimate seminar-style event. Unlike the big Disney Expo, which requires lining up repeatedly to attend desired panel presentations, at Destination D everything comes to the ballroom.

This year promises to be very special. The weekend will include "an extraordinary reunion of Disney voice talent," a special 75th anniversary tribute to SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, a presentation on how Disney's animated films have influenced Disney parks, a Saturday evening concert by Dick Van Dyke, and a Sunday evening concert by composer Alan Menken.

I'm especially excited about the Menken concert, as he's written most of the music for Disney's modern-day classics, including THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989), BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991), ALADDIN (1992), POCAHONTAS (1995), ENCHANTED (2007), and TANGLED (2010).

As was the case two years ago, I'll be attending with my eldest daughter. She's a particularly big Menken fan and is especially excited about seeing him.

It's a bit ironic that I was disappointed there wasn't any room to see Van Dyke at last year's Disney Expo, as just a couple of months later I got to see him at a DICK VAN DYKE SHOW 50th Anniversary Celebration, and now I'll also have the opportunity to see him at Destination D.

The just-concluded TCM Festival included a special screening of SNOW WHITE; TCM even had a personal appearance by dancer Marge Champion, the live-action model for Snow White. I've only seen the film in a theater once, when my husband and I attended a rerelease in the early '80s, and I'm hoping that a showing might be part of the weekend's activities.

Previously: Destination D, Here We Come! (July 12, 2010); Today at Destination D: Disneyland '55 (September 24, 2010); Today at Destination D: Disneyland '55 (Day Two) (September 25, 2010).

Update: Reports on the 2012 Destination D: Day 1 (August 11, 2012); Day 2 (August 12, 2012).