Today at the Disney Shareholders meeting, it was announced that there would be no Disney D23 Expo in 2010. However, D23 will not let fans expecting an event down as a smaller, two-day event will be held at Disneyland in September.

The new event is called “Destination D” and it will be held exclusively for D23 Members on Sept. 24-25, 2010 at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

“Destination D” will alternate annually with the D23 Expo.

The first event, called “DESTINATION D: Disneyland ’55″ will take D23 Members on a journey through the design, creation, debut and magical history of the world’s first Disney theme park. The first DESTINATION D will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel.

DESTINATION D: Disneyland ’55 will offer two full days of special presentations, panels, screenings and guest speakers that let fans meet and talk with key figures in Disneyland’s history. Future DESTINATION D events will explore other important aspects of Disney’s creative legacy.

“We’re very excited to also be creating an entirely new event with DESTINATION D, which will bring Disney’s fascinating history to D23 Members in ways no other Disney fan can experience,” said Steven Clark, head of D23. “There’s nowhere on earth quite as special as Disneyland, and we want fans to see it as they never have before.”

The first “Destination D” event will include:

· “Disneyland: The Way We Were” – Disney’s Chief Archivist Dave Smith will look back at highlights from Disneyland history;

· “Disney Undiscovered” – An exploration of never-built projects and attractions developed for Disneyland;

· “23 on 55” – The Walt Disney Archives celebrates Disneyland’s 55th anniversary;

· “Weird Disney” – A showcase for some of the quirky, little-known facts, places, people and ideas that even the most avid fan might not know.

More details on the programming and events planned for DESTINATION D: Disneyland ’55 – as well as details about the 2011 D23 EXPO – will be available soon at www.disney.com/D23. Tickets will go on sale early this summer.

At the 2010 Disney Shareholders meeting, CEO Bob Iger announced that beginning tomorrow, 3/11/10, a new annual pass option will be available allowing guests unlimited access to all six Disney theme parks within the United States. It will be called the Premier Passport. No pricing is available yet.

The price for the new Premier Passport is $700. Upgrades for current passholders are available.

Here are the perks for Walt Disney World:

* Unlimited admission for a period of one year to all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks, including park hopping privileges
* Unlimited admission to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach Water Parks
* Unlimited admission to DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (valid only on event days; some events require an additional admission charge) and Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course (greens fee only. Tee time reservations are required and subject to availability)
* Parking at all four Theme Parks
* Subscription to Mickey Monitor, a collectible Passholder-only publication

And at Disneyland Resort:

* Unlimited admission to both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure Parks for a period of one year, including park hopping privileges
* Parking at any pay-on-entry parking lot
* Subscription to Backstage Pass.
* Complimentary subscription to Disney’s Family Fun Magazine (one per household)

The new Premier Passport will be automatically sent to all who currently own annual passes to both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

There will be no blackout dates for the Premiere Passport.

The Premier Passport will be valid for entry into Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme parks as well as Disneyland Resort’s Disneyland Park and Disney’s California Adventure theme parks.

More information can be found on the Official Disney Parks blog.

At Disney’s annual Shareholders meeting today, CEO Bob Iger officially announced that there will not be a D23 Expo in 2010.

The next D23 Expo will be held in Anaheim, Calif. on Aug. 19-21, 2011.

Tickets will be available on Aug. 19, 2010, one year before the 2011 D23 Expo begins.

Last year’s first-ever D23 Expo was an enormous gathering in Anaheim, bringing thousands of Disney fans together to witness announcements, presentations, and other special events.

More information about the 2011 D23 Expo can be found on their official web site.

A few days ago, on Feb. 22, 2010, Epcot quietly opened a new exhibit at Innoventions oddly titled “Take a Nanooze Break.”

Based upon the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported children’s magazine and Web site Nanooze,the exhibit features a series of interactive, continually updated displays that allow visitors to manipulate models of molecules, study everyday items at the nanoscale, and interact with scientists and engineers who conduct the latest nano research.

Frequent visitors to Epcot’s Innoventions might be thinking, “Didn’t they already have something like this?” Well, yes. The former “Too Small to See” Innoventions exhibit was a precursor traveling exhibition that helped pave the way for Take a Nanooze Break.

“The experience is immersive and gives guests a number of ways to view a world that is too small to see,” says Carl Batt of Cornell University, the lead researcher for the project. “It also gives guests a view of nanotechnology from real scientists”

“Nanotechnology will bring multiple, fundamental changes to the way we work to create goods, develop sustainable approaches, advance medicine and improve quality of life.,” says Mike Roco, senior advisor for nanotechnology at NSF. “About $80 billion worth of products incorporated nanoscale components in the United States in 2010, and one can envision mass use of nanotechnology by 2020. The Nanooze exhibition informs and inspires the public about this fast-arriving future society.”

In addition to teaching about nanotechnology, the exhibit offers plenty of available seating - hence the “take a break” aspect of it. If there’s anything that’s a welcome addition to a Disney theme park, it’s more air-conditioned areas to sit and relax.

This is the final video from yesterday’s Captain EO Tribute opening at Disneyland. Interviewed here are original “Captain EO” cast members Debbie Lee Carrington (played Idy), Renee Colette (dancer), and Gregg Sargent (dancer). They each weigh in on their experiences working with Michael Jackson, Francis Ford Coppola, and George Lucas.

(Video/interviews by Jeremiah Daws for Inside the Magic)