How Disney Uses D23 to Connect Franchises Across Games, Streaming, and Parks

D23 is Disney’s official fan event and one of the company’s most visible tools for presenting its entertainment strategy. Rather than focusing on a single film or television series, the event brings together Disney’s studios, streaming services, games, consumer products, and theme-park businesses.

That structure reflects a broader business goal: make individual stories and characters useful across several parts of Disney’s portfolio. A franchise may begin as a film, continue on Disney+, appear in a video game, support merchandise, and eventually become part of a theme-park attraction or live experience.

Why games have a larger place in Disney’s strategy

Disney has increasingly treated games and digital entertainment as part of its core storytelling business. In 2026, the company announced a leadership structure that placed streaming, film, television, games, and digital entertainment within an expanded Disney Entertainment segment. Disney said the change was intended to reflect the many ways audiences engage with its characters and stories.

That helps explain why a game franchise such as Kingdom Hearts can receive attention at a major Disney event. The series combines Disney characters and worlds with original Square Enix storytelling, giving it value as both a game property and a bridge between different fan communities. D23’s 2026 programming also includes a celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary, showing how an established game can become part of Disney’s wider heritage and marketing calendar. (thewaltdisneycompany.com)

D23 as a portfolio showcase

The 2026 event is divided into major presentations for Disney Entertainment and Disney Experiences. The entertainment program covers upcoming films, series, television, games, and stage productions. The Experiences program focuses on theme parks, attractions, cruise ships, and other physical destinations.

The show floor extends that idea through immersive displays, shopping, collectibles, archival material, and interactive brand activations. Disney describes the event as its largest show floor yet, with areas devoted to Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, ESPN, Bluey, The Simpsons, and other properties. (d23.com)

Why the connected model matters

For Disney, the value of a franchise is not limited to ticket sales or streaming views. A successful property can generate licensing revenue, merchandise, theme-park demand, subscription interest, advertising opportunities, and long-term fan loyalty.

Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro has described Disney+ as a digital centerpiece that can connect stories, experiences, games, films, and other parts of the company. D23 gives that strategy a physical form: fans can encounter the same intellectual property in a presentation, a game, a collectible, a streaming title, or a future attraction. (thewaltdisneycompany.com)

The result is a convention designed not merely to announce projects, but to demonstrate how Disney’s businesses reinforce one another. That makes D23 an important window into the company’s long-term approach to franchise management and audience engagement.

How Disney Uses D23 to Connect Franchises Across Games, Streaming, and Parks

Why games have a larger place in Disney’s strategy

D23 as a portfolio showcase

Why the connected model matters

Sources

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