By the D23 Team
On Saturday, June 29, 2024, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club joined forces with Street Food Cinema to celebrate the 60th anniversary of everyone’s favorite nanny, Mary Poppins! With many of our supercalifragilisticexpialidocious D23 Gold Members in attendance, Griffith Park in Los Angeles, CA, was filled with a magical aura like “winds in the east, mist comin’ in”... Our members enjoyed an especially delightful treat, as sweet as a “spoonful of sugar,” when they had the chance to visit the park’s iconic merry-go-round—the very inspiration behind Walt Disney's creation of Disneyland! Fans also received a lesson about the history of this iconic attraction.
In front of the carousel, fans found another hidden gem from our friends at Disney+: a TARDIS from the series Doctor Who! It helped fill the atmosphere with even more excitement...
D23 Gold Members enjoyed early entry to the event, allowing them extra time to savor the enchanting atmosphere. They also had first access to delicious food trucks—and appreciated premium seating, which became even more memorable with the introduction of our guest presenter, Randy Thornton, supervising producer and music historian at Walt Disney Records. His presentation delved into the moment Walt Disney first “met” Mary Poppins, and how events aligned to give us the film we know today. Our guests had the privilege of hearing an audio recording from P.L. Travers, the author of the Mary Poppins book series that inspired the film; they also heard special recording of Richard Sherman performing “Feed the Birds” which was Walt Disney’s favorite song.
Then, the sun went down and snap—the charming story of Mary Poppins began to unfold in front of the guests’ eyes. Attendees got to watch the beloved nanny fly into the lives of the Banks family, weaving a tale of transformation and changing their lives for the better.
Smiles filled Griffith Park as the movie ended... but for our D23 Gold Members, there was still one more extra touch of magic before departure. They each received an exclusive D23 Mary Poppinspostcard and patch—cherished mementos commemorating 60 years of the film and the delightful “jolly holiday” they just shared together.
Some guests fully immersed themselves in the spirit of Mary Poppins! Most notably, there was a fan who had made many Mary Poppins-inspired friendship bracelets—and shared them with other guests. Fans also dressed as the animated penguins from the movie, complete with menus and towels!
Make sure to join us for our final Street Food Cinema screening collaboration this summer: The Incredibles on August 5. It promises to be positively super!
In fact, as D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event draws near, be sure to explore our exciting lineup of events scheduled for the whole week leading up to the event—including D23 Day at Angel Stadium, the aforementioned The Incredibles screening, D23 Night at the Anaheim Packing District, and D23 Day at Disneyland Resort. We hope to see y’all there!
Our “practically perfect fans” had such a great time at the Mary Poppins 60th Anniversary screening. Check out this gallery full of smiles... See ya later, pals!
