D23

D23 is the official fan club of The Walt Disney Company, created in 2009 to celebrate Disney's history, fans, and entertainment. The "D" stands for Disney, while "23" refers to 1923, the year Walt Disney founded the company. D23 offers members exclusive events, content, merchandise, and experiences, and is best known for hosting D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, a major event where Disney shares announcements and celebrates its movies, television, animation, theme parks, and other franchises.

The Simpsons has participated in several D23 events. The series made its first appearance at D23 Expo 2019, following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox, and subsequently returned for the 2022, 2024, and 2026 editions. Across these appearances, members of the cast and creative team have participated in different panels and presentations celebrating the series, its history, characters, and continued place within The Walt Disney Company's entertainment portfolio.

History

2019 panel

D23 Expo 2019

The first The Simpsons presentation at D23 took place on August 24, 2019, during D23 Expo 2019 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. The panel, titled The Simpsons!, was held at 10:00 a.m. in the D23 Expo Arena. D23 announced the presentation as the series' first appearance at the convention.

The panel featured series creator Matt Groening, executive producers Al Jean and Matt Selman, supervising director Mike B. Anderson, and voice actors Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith, who respectively voice Bart and Lisa Simpson. D23 also announced that attendees would receive an exclusive collectible and that a signing session would be held following the presentation.

The presentation focused on the relationship between The Simpsons and Disney, particularly following Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox. The creative team discussed Disney's influence on the series and several of the references and parodies of Disney productions that had appeared throughout The Simpsons.

The Simpsons Trivia with Yeardley Smith

The panel also covered aspects of the show's production, including character design and the series' opening sequence. Exclusive footage from upcoming episodes was shown, followed by questions from the audience. A signing session with members of the panel was also held, with attendees able to receive an exclusive The Simpsons mini-poster.

One of the projects discussed was "Treehouse of Horror XXX," the 30th annual Halloween special. Footage from the special was shown, including a segment inspired by Stranger Things. The panel also discussed the upcoming season of the series.

The upcoming launch of Disney+ was also part of the presentation's broader context. The Simpsons was among the major properties being promoted as part of Disney's new streaming service, which launched in the United States on November 12, 2019.

On August 24, 2019, at 1:00 p.m., Yeardley Smith participated in The Simpsons Trivia with Yeardley Smith, an activity held at the Disney+ Pavilion Stage.

Homer and Winnie-the-Pooh

D23 Expo 2022

The Simpsons returned to D23 Expo on September 9, 2022, during D23 Expo 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Center. D23 announced a dedicated presentation celebrating the series and its record as the longest-running animated television series. The panel, again titled The Simpsons!, was held at 10:45 a.m. on the Premiere Stage and was moderated by Yeardley Smith.

The presentation focused largely on the series' continued development and its expansion on Disney+. One of the principal announcements was that season 33 of The Simpsons would become available on Disney+ on October 5, 2022.

The event also promoted the series' collection of Disney+ original shorts. Among them was "Welcome to the Club," which premiered on Disney+ on September 8, 2022, as part of Disney+ Day. The short follows Lisa Simpson as she attempts to become a Disney princess and encounters several of Disney's villains.

Simpsons Cinematic Universe

Other Disney+ shorts highlighted during this period included Maggie Simpson in "The Force Awakens from Its Nap", "The Good, the Bart, and the Loki", "Plusaversary", "When Billie Met Lisa", and "Welcome to the Club". D23 noted that "When Billie Met Lisa", featuring Billie Eilish, had received an Emmy nomination.

The presentation also included information concerning upcoming episodes and guest stars. The panel also revealed that the show would have two Halloween specials that year: the traditional three-segment "Treehouse of Horror" episode and a separate extended special adapting It, with Krusty the Clown portraying a character based on Pennywise. The panel also announced several guest appearances for the upcoming season. Lizzo was set to voice one of Maggie's toys in a musical fantasy sequence, while Albert Brooks was scheduled to make his ninth guest appearance and Henry Louis Gates Jr. was announced. The presenters also mentioned episodes centered on Kirk Van Houten and Carl Carlson.

The presentation concluded with an animated question-and-answer segment featuring Homer Simpson. During the segment, Winnie-the-Pooh appeared in a parody involving Homer's supposed theft of his honey. Homer also joked about possible future romances and other developments in the series. When asked about a sequel to The Simpsons Movie, the segment turned into a parody of Marvel Studios' Phase Five announcements. Homer presented a fictional "Simpsons Cinematic Universe" featuring projects such as Iron Moe, Sea Captain America, Groundskeepers of the Galaxy, SelmaVision, and Moon Knight, accompanied by spoof promotional posters.

The D23 appearance served as a promotional presentation for the series' 34th season and its Disney+ content, while also using the event to parody Marvel's increasingly interconnected cinematic franchise.

2024 panel

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2024

In 2024, The Simpsons participated in D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, held from August 9–11, 2024, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The series' presentation took place on August 10, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. on the Premiere Stage, as part of The Animation Greats + Cast and Creator Sessions featuring Bob's Burgers, Futurama, and The Simpsons, presented by Hulu Animayhem and 20th Television Animation.

The first portion of the presentation featured several prominent animation creators, including Matt Groening, Seth MacFarlane, Mike Judge, and Loren Bouchard. Groening participated as the creator of The Simpsons and Futurama.

The presentation subsequently featured the creative teams and voice cast of Bob's Burgers, Futurama, and The Simpsons. The official program described the format as a combination of clips, conversations, and fan questions.

Unlike the 2019 and 2022 editions, the 2024 presentation wasn't a standalone The Simpsons panel. Instead, the series was presented alongside other major animated productions associated with Hulu and 20th Television Animation as part of the Hulu Animayhem initiative.

"The Homer"

The 2024 event also featured members of The Simpsons cast in connection with the recognition of James L. Brooks as a Disney Legend. During the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony, held on August 11, 2024, at the Honda Center, Brooks was introduced with a special animated video featuring Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson. In the video, the Simpson family welcomed the audience to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in the irreverent style associated with the series before paying tribute to Brooks, who had served as an executive producer of The Simpsons since its origins as animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show.

A separate tribute video included commentary from Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, and Yeardley Smith, the principal voice actors behind members of the Simpson family.

"The Homer," a real-life replica of the car designed by Homer Simpson in the episode "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?," was displayed as part of the Walt Disney Archives' A Great Big Beautiful Car Show, an exhibition featuring vehicles from Disney films, television productions, and other properties. Based on a 1987 BMW 325, the vehicle was originally constructed as a promotional replica of the car featured in The Simpsons.

2026 panel

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026

The most recent participation of The Simpsons took place during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026, held at the Anaheim Convention Center. On August 14, 2026, the series received a dedicated presentation titled The Simpsons: Stories from Springfield, held on the Premiere Stage from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

D23 described the panel as a discussion with members of the cast and creative team of The Simpsons, focusing on storytelling in Springfield, including character-driven comedy, cultural satire, and the process of finding fresh stories for the series after more than three decades on television.

Members of the The Simpsons creative team participating in D23 activities that day included Matt Groening, David Silverman, Matt Selman, Tim Long, Rob LaZebnik, Michael Price, and Jessica Conrad. The creative team also discussed forthcoming material and provided attendees with information about upcoming episodes.

The New Simpsons Movie

The panel also featured a preview of upcoming episodes, including a screening of "Yellow Mirror," which was scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on August 26, 2026. The presentation also discussed Emma Thompson as a guest star and a new "Treehouse of Horror" installment featuring a body-swapping storyline.

Before the panel, members of the creative team behind The Simpsons participated in an autograph signing at Talent Central on August 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The activity was officially listed by D23 as an opportunity for attendees to meet the creative team behind the series.

The most significant The Simpsons-related announcement at D23 2026 came during the Disney Entertainment Showcase, held at the Honda Center. During the presentation, Dana Walden, president and chief creative officer of The Walt Disney Company, introduced a first look at The New Simpsons Movie, accompanied by Bart Simpson. Disney announced that the film is scheduled to be released theatrically on September 3, 2027.

The footage shown at the event included preliminary material from the film, while D23 also promoted the project through a dedicated show-floor photo opportunity.