As Chief Marketing and Brand Officer of The Walt Disney Company, Asad Ayaz sits at the intersection of the stories, characters, and experiences that span every corner of Disney — from Animation and Marvel to Star Wars, Pixar, the parks, and beyond. Nowhere does that connection come to life more vividly than at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, which brings tens of thousands of fans together from around the world for a weekend of major announcements, exclusive previews, and celebrations of Disney fans and the stories they love.
As D23 kicks off this week at the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center in Anaheim, California, we sat down with Ayaz to talk about what makes Disney fandom so enduring, why no other company can host an event quite like D23, and where Disney fandom is headed next.
You’ve described D23 as “a powerful expression of the lasting connection Disney has with its fans.” Can you speak to what makes that connection so enduring, and why D23 is the ultimate stage to celebrate it?
Disney has always created stories and characters that stay with people. Whether they’re passed from one generation to the next or discovered for the first time, they have a way of becoming part of life’s biggest milestones and the everyday moments in between. This event gives fans a chance to experience that connection in a different way. It brings tens of thousands of people together from around the world for a weekend of major announcements, conversations with the creators behind the stories they love, Disney Legends, immersive experiences, and exclusive previews of what’s next. D23 is built for our fans, and it’s our way of celebrating the people who’ve made Disney part of their lives.
Many companies attend fan conventions, but Disney is uniquely able to host its own. What is it about Disney’s breadth of stories, characters, and experiences that makes an event of this scale possible, and why can no other company deliver something quite like it?
At Disney, there’s no single path to fandom. For some, it starts with Disney Animation. For others, it’s Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, a favorite toy growing up, a big ESPN moment, their first trip to one of our parks, or a favorite series on Disney+. What’s incredible is that those aren’t separate communities — they’re all part of the same Disney fandom. That’s what makes D23 possible. It brings together people from every corner of The Walt Disney Company for one shared celebration. The scale and breadth of our stories, characters, and experiences is unmatched, and seeing them all come together in one place reminds you there’s simply nothing else like it.
Fans don’t just consume Disney stories, they build communities, traditions, and memories around them. What have you learned from Disney’s fans that shapes how you approach D23?
One of the biggest lessons our fans have taught us is that inspiration goes both ways. Every day we see incredible fan art, theories, cosplay, and communities built around our stories. Their creativity inspires us just as much as we hope to inspire them. It’s a reminder that great stories have a life far beyond what we create ourselves, and we carry that into every D23.
With D23 expanding globally — D23 Brazil, and D23 Asia debuting in Singapore in 2027 — what does taking “the Ultimate Disney Fan Event” around the world say about where Disney fandom is headed next?
Disney has always had fans around the world. What’s changed is that fandom has become a truly global conversation. A moment on stage in Anaheim can ripple around the world in real time, with fans in São Paulo, Singapore, and beyond joining the same conversation almost instantly. Expanding D23 is our way of bringing more fans into those moments, with events that feel distinctly local and unmistakably Disney.
And as that community continues to grow, we want to keep finding new ways for fans everywhere to come together, celebrate what they love, and feel part of something bigger.
