Day 1 of D23 Expo 2019 began with great anticipation. Although the lines were tremendous early in the day to attend various events it all seemed to fall into place once the events were about to commence. Reservations helped in arranging the day, and I was “off and running” quickly.
I attended the Mousequerade at 11:00 with Jim Babcock as the master of ceremonies. He was joined by three judges, Jen Leonard, president and designer for Raw Threads; Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ashoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, and Star Wars Forces of Destiny. She also owns and designs for Her Universe, a “fashion-forward” line of clothing. The third judge was Yvette Nicole Brown, an actress, voice actress, and host, known for many roles over the last 20 years in TV, films, and video games.
The Mousequerade competition had five categories: once upon a costume, worlds of adventure, heroes villains, inspired by Disney, and cast of characters. The costumes were judged on design, craftsmanship, elements of design, and showmanship (how costumes were presented during the show). Once the winners of the five categories were chosen, the “best in show” was selected for a prize of $2300.
Once Upon a Costume
Let the most beloved tales from the lands of make believe and fantasy be the inspiration for your magical transformation into a beloved Disney character. Costumes may include animated and live action characters.
There were 14 competitors in “Once Upon a Costume” category with Coco, Luminere from Beauty and The Beast, Star Wars, Cinderella, Frozen, Monsters Inc, Up, Alice in Wonderland, and many other movie interpretations represented. The Winner in this category was Allen Waiserman’s Luminere from Beauty and the Beast.
Worlds of Adventure
Arrrgh! And may the Force be with you! From swashbucklers on the high seas to royalty from another galaxy, these Costumes rock the most adventurous Disney spirits.
In the “World of Adventure” category, again there were 14 competitors, representing many varied renditions of movies and Tahirah Agbamuche’s Shuri from Black Panther. The “Heroes and Villains” category had 13 individuals competing, including several Ursula renditions, a Darth Vader Maleficent, two dragon maleficent, and a steampunk Maleficent. The Ursula by Nyssa Sara Lee won in this category.
Heroes & Villains
Inspired by Disney
Bring the unique imagination of Disney to your creation from attractions to animation, theme parks to cruise lines, architecture to television and beyond! Let your inner Imagineer run wild!
When the mousequerade came to the “Inspired by Disney” category, there were eleven contestants. Each and every one of the designs were amazing, showing minute details at every turn. Some of the designers took 2-3-4 years to complete their costumes, hand stitching each seam and sewing tens of thousands of sequins to complete the design. The winner in this category, Tina Elliot, presented each “scene” from the Haunted Mansion ride, in an automated dress, called “Grim Grinning Gown”. Even the Doom Buggies were able to spin.
Casts of Characters
Friends and family all come together to create their favorite cast of Disney characters. Team entries (up to 8 total Team members) may participate.
The final category, “Cast of Characters,” included 13 “teams” of participants. From Beauty and the Beat, Star Wars, The Jungle Cruise, Pixar Princess, Alice in Wonderland, Coco, Marvel, and more, all the participants did a terrific job representing their “Cast of Characters.” Each and every one was great, but only one could be the winner, and Katherine Regnier won with the “Mad Princess Party Teacups.” The Princess dresses had “strings to pull up and turned into teacups.”
Of the five category winners there was one “Best in Show” winner selected. Tina Elliot, with her “Grim Grinning Ghosts Gown” (Haunted Mansion) won overall with the $2300 prize.
I had a great time viewing all the costumes and look forward to more designs in the future.
