UNMEETING

Tickets are now available for the 2023 Carolwood Society UnMeeting coming up at the Walt Disney World Resort from October 5th through the 8th.

As 2023 marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Walt Disney Company, the Carolwood Society will observe this milestone by revisiting the origins and accomplishments of Walt Disney’s legacy.

During this centennial year, Walt Disney’s alter ego, Mickey Mouse, will reach his 95th year.  With this in mind, we are proud to announce that the 2023 Carolwood Society UnMeeting will be held Thursday, October 5ththrough Sunday, October 8th at the Walt Disney World Resort, with our very special guest, the voice of Mickey Mouse himself, Bret Iwan!

Suggestions of Bret’s participation in a Carolwood Society were first raised by members during the 2018 UnMeeting.  As the COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from gathering in 2020, Bret joined us for a Carolwood Conversation in which he and Michael Broggie revealed interesting parallels between Bret’s life and Walt Disney’s life.  As you likely recall, Bret has been a lifelong fan of both Disney and railroads and his work in art, illustration, and design is accompanied by his voice acting career, which, of course, all began with an audition for the role of Mickey Mouse.

Here is our 2023 Agenda:

  • Thursday, 10/5/2023
    • 9:30 am - 8:30 pm: Welcome Event at Test Track presented by Chevrolet (Epcot)
  • Friday, 10/6/2023
    • 10am - 12pm: 2023 UnMeeting Keynote Address at the AMC DINE IN 24 Theater at Disney Springs
  • Saturday, 10/7/2023
    • 10:30 am - 3pm: Society visit to the Carolwood Barn East at Central Pasco & Gulf Railroad
    • 7 pm - 9 pm: "Walt Disney's Railroad Story" at the Central Florida Railroad Museum, Winter Garden, FL
  • Sunday, 10/8/2023
    • 11 am: Farewell Luncheon at Geyser Point and a visit to the Carolwood Room at Wilderness Lodge

2023 UnMeeting Welcome Event at Test Track presented by Chevrolet

The 2023 UnMeeting will open with our return for a fun-filled day and evening at Epcot, including time spent at the General Motors Conference & Training Center at the Test Track pavilion. Your Welcome Event ticket, along with your own theme park admission and park pass reservation will enable you to participate in this limited access event.

From 9:30 am – 4 pm, ticketed attendees will be welcome to visit the General Motors Conference & Training Center, a.k.a. the Test Track VIP Lounge, enjoy the setting and view, a soft drink refreshment, and a complimentary Test Track Lightning Lane Admission. Visits to the VIP Lounge are limited to about 30 minutes each, but you are welcome to return as many times as you would like throughout the day to take a break from the park and/or get another Test Track Lightning Lane pass. This activity will end at 4pm with closure of the Test Track VIP Lounge to set up for the evening program.

At 6:30 pm, we will gather at the Blue Test Track marquee sign outside and in front of the attraction to check in for the evening program “How Does Disney Do That?” with Author James Warda and Veteran Imagineering Creative Executive, Theron Skees.

"How Does Disney Do That?" presentation description:

For so many of us, why is every third photo at home from a Disney Park? And why do children, and adults alike, cry as Bambi looks for his mother or upon seeing Cinderella Castle for the first time? Most of all, how does Disney make us feel this way? 

In the How Does Disney Do That? presentation at the “2023 Carolwood Society UnMeeting,” Theron Skees, a former Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Executive with over 23 years of experience at Disney, and James Warda, author of the coming How Does Disney Do That? book, will answer these questions, and more, through heartfelt and hopeful stories from Disney fans; former Disney Executives, Imagineers, and Cast Members; and many others, including Disney-related authors, podcasters, influencers, and even a few Carolwood Society members.

Attendees will also have the pre-release opportunity to receive a discounted, signed copy of the upcoming How Does Disney Do That? book coming out in Spring 2024 from Rivershore Press.

Itinerary

9:30 am until 4 pm EDT: VIP Lounge Access

9:30 am – 12 pm, 2 pm – 3 pm EDT: During these hours, check in with Carolwood Society staff at the General Motors Conference & Training Center/Test Track VIP Lounge. All ticketed members of each party will receive wristbands.

  • Primary registrant of each party must present a government-issued photo ID at the VIP Lounge elevator.
  • All members of each party must be together at check-in
  • Enjoy the view
  • Refresh with a complimentary soft drink or coffee
  • Each registered party will be offered a lanyard for one a complimentary Lightning Lane admission to Test Track (lanyards are not a souvenir item)
  • You are welcome to visit the Test Track VIP Lounge any time between 9:30am and 4:00pm EDT; however event check-in and daytime wristband distribution with Carolwood Society Staff will be from 9:30 am – 12 pm and 2 pm – 3 pm EDT.

To get to the VIP Lounge: When facing the Test Track attraction, there is an inconspicuous blue door in an alcove that is between the standby line and the gift shop. 

  • Walk through that door and down the long hallway. 
  • Ring at the elevator, present your government-issued photo ID to the camera, and say your name and that you are with the Carolwood Society group.
  • The receptionist will buzz you into the elevator. 
  • Please call Sara VanderHelm at 407-563-3029 with any questions/issues.

6:30 pm – 8:30 pm EDT: Evening Presentation Program

  • 6:30 pm: Meet at Blue Test Track marquee sign in front of the attraction entrance. Please do not proceed directly to the Test Track VIP Lounge.
  • Any ticketed attendees who haven't checked in earlier in the day will receive wristbands before entering the building.
  • Presentation Program promptly starts at 7pm
  • Adjourn and exit by 8:30 pm 

All attendees are required to provide their own park admission and park pass reservations.

Before you visit a park, you must have valid admission and may need a theme park reservation depending on type of admission and the date of your visit. 

Acquire park admission via the "Tickets and Passes" section of the Walt Disney World app on your mobile device or via the Walt Disney World website at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/admission/.

To enter a theme park, both a theme park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date are required for Guests ages 3 and older. Please note, however, that the 4-Park Magic Ticket does not require a theme park reservation to enter the parks.Prior to purchasing admission, be sure to check reservation availability. Theme park reservations are limited in number and subject to availability. Availability can change until the theme park reservation is finalized. You can check park pass reservation availability at https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/park-reservations/.

Once you purchase, you can make your theme park reservation(s).

In order to make your reservations, you will need a My Disney Experience account and valid Theme Park ticket linked to it.

The following table shows which admission types require a theme park reservation.By admission type, "Do I Need to Make a Theme Park Reservation?"

  • 4-Park Magic Ticket:No
  • 1-day ticket for a specific date and theme park: No*
  • 1-day ticket for a specific date with Park Hopper option or Park Hopper Plus option: Yes*
  • Date-based multi-day ticket: Yes**
  • Vacation package with date-based tickets: Yes**
  • Annual Pass: Yes***
  • Florida Resident Disney Summer Magic Ticket: Yes**
  • Florida Resident Disney 2-Park Explorer Ticket: Yes**
  • Florida Resident Disney Weekday Magic Ticket: Yes**
  • All other admission types (including Youth, Sport and Convention tickets): Yes**

*A theme park reservation is required for a 1-day ticket for a specific date and theme park; however, the reservation is automatically made for you when you purchase the ticket. If you purchase a 1-day ticket for a specific date and theme park with the Park Hopper option or the Park Hopper Plus option, you will need to make a theme park reservation for the first park you plan to visit.

**If you have a multi-day ticket, you will need to make a theme park reservation for each date of your visit.

***Annual Passholders may visit the theme parks after 2:00 PM without a theme park reservation, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom park. Applicable pass blockout dates apply. Annual Passes are subject to the Walt Disney World Resort Annual Pass Terms and Conditions and are subject to change without notice.

Learn more about Annual Passholder theme park reservations.

To learn more and to make your Theme Park reservation, please visit… https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/park-reservations/.

GET TICKETS HERE ($70 per person plus fees, non-refundable)

The Carolwood Society welcomes all with the interest in attending to join us for the 2023 UnMeeting Keynote Address as our organization celebrates the the legacy built by Walt Disney's company over its first hundred years that inspires continued creativity and innovation in the century ahead.

Keynote Agenda:

  • Doors open at 9:30 am and program begins promptly at 10:00 am
  • Welcome address from Carolwood Society Founding Chairman, Michael Broggie
  • Tribute to George Britton by Joe Bopp
  • "Loco About Motion" Panel: Motion as a common thread through the past pursuits of the Walt Disney Company that continues to inspire creativity and innovation (Walt Disney's experiences and discoveries, animation, live action, immersive storytelling). Bret Iwan (Moderator), Michael Broggie, Theron Skees, Steven Vagnini
  • Interactive Q&A with the panel

GET TICKETS HERE ($35 per person plus fees, non-refundable)

Society members will have the opportunity to ride the rails, peruse the exhibits in the Carolwood Barn East at the Central Pasco & Gulf Railroad within Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Spring Hill, Florida. The Carolwood Society will provide lunch to ticketed attendees.

Arrange your own transportation to attend this event. The location of this event is about 80 miles west of the Walt Disney World resort requiring around 2 hours in driving time.

All members are asked to park vehicles at the back of the park near the Carolwood Barn East. Please do not park near the Clubhouse as we will not be using that facility this year.

Each ticketed attendee will be required to sign a liability waiver to participate in this event.

GET TICKETS HERE ($15 per person plus fees, non-refundable)

The Carolwood Society is partnering with The Central Florida Railroad Museum, to offer the following special presentation during the 2023 UnMeeting:

Walt Disney’s Railroad Story

presented by Michael Broggie, Founding Chairman, the Carolwood Society

This event will be held at…

The Central Florida Railroad Museum

101 S. Boyd St, Winter Garden, FL 34787

Time: 7pm - 9pm (doors open at 6:45pm)

Admission: $15.00 per person plus a $0.38 processing fee.

Tickets are available through the Central Florida Railroad Museum’s website at

https://www.cfrhs.org/event-details/walt-disneys-railroad-story-carolwood-society

Society members will gather at Geyser Point at Wilderness Lodge at 11am (opening time) then take a stroll over to the Carolwood Room on Sunday, October 8th to enjoy each other's company for a while longer, relive our shared experiences, and bring the 2023 UnMeeting to a close.

Seating at this location is also on a first-come, first-served basis, but there may be a wait list during the lunch hour, so please be mindful of the efforts of the Cast to manage guests during lunch hour.