‘I’m extra and everyone here is extra’: Disney superfans flock to convention

Tens of thousands descend for the D23 conference - will familiar faces and bigger parks maintain their loyalty?

It was Friday night, and the southern California stadium was packed with cheering fans. They wore light-up bracelets and homemade costumes, and screamed every time a new A-list celebrity made a surprise appearance.

This wasn't a pop concert or a sports game. It was a marketing event for Walt Disney, a company with a legion of fans so devoted that about 15,000 were willing to buy a ticket and come to Anaheim, California, to see its newest film and TV advertisements first.