How D23’s brand partners turn merchandise into experiences

D23’s 2026 show floor demonstrates how a consumer brand can contribute to fandom instead of simply placing its logo beside it. The announced partner activations combine products with games, photos, personalization and collecting—giving visitors a reason to participate.

Across the Anaheim Convention Center, Disney’s commercial partners will translate familiar characters and collaborations into experiences designed for a live audience. The result is a valuable look at modern sponsorship: visibility still matters, but the strongest partners earn attention by creating a useful or joyful moment.

M&M’S enters the Marvel spotlight

The M&M’S x Marvel activation invites visitors to “Be A Hero” alongside M&M’S characters auditioning for the Marvel Universe. D23 says the experience will include photo-booth moments, sampling and M&M’S Marvel Mini Poster Fan Pack giveaways.

It is a playful concept with a clear structure. The collaboration supplies a story, the photo moment gives the visitor a role, and the takeaways extend the encounter beyond the floor. M&M’S is also presenting Talent Central, connecting the brand with signings and meet-and-greets throughout the weekend.

Products become activities

Several partners are treating product discovery as an interactive event. Hasbro is planning Marvel Legends role-play photo opportunities and a look at the new Ultimate Grogu animatronic. Crocs will combine a prize-filled claw machine with a Jibbitz charm trading station and new merchandise.

Citizen is creating a light-inspired personality quiz, while Pandora will present a never-before-seen collection of Disney charms that includes charm mystery boxes. Little Words Project will invite discovery around bead kits and bag charms, and Loungefly will bring D23-exclusive mini backpacks and mystery blind-box apparel.

Each approach turns a product category into a verb: pose, trade, choose, discover or collect. That action is what makes the brand easier to remember after the visitor leaves.

Why partner activations matter at D23

D23 attendees arrive with strong knowledge and affection for Disney stories. That raises the creative standard. A collaboration needs more than recognizable artwork; fans look for details that show care, relevance and an understanding of the world being represented.

Partners that succeed give the audience something additive. They can make an accessory feel personal, reveal how a collectible works, connect two familiar brands through a new story or create a social moment friends can enjoy together.

What SHOWFLOOR.TV will be watching

The most instructive activations will balance four elements: an invitation visitors understand immediately, an activity worth their time, a product connection that feels natural and operations that keep the experience welcoming. Photography and giveaways can amplify that design, but the core experience still has to deliver.

D23 offers an unusually visible stage for that work. The brands that create genuine participation will not merely appear at the event—they will become part of how fans remember it.

Official resources

• Official D23 show-floor experiences
• D23 2026 sponsors
• SHOWFLOOR.TV’s D23 event guide

Programming, participating brands, products and activation details may change before the event. ShowFloor.TV reports from information available at the time of publication.

Featured image: Photo courtesy of D23 / Disney.