The National Times - Standing ovation as Harrison Ford presents new 'Indiana Jones' at Disney expo

Thousands of fans from around the world flocked to the entertainment giant's biggest party held in Anaheim, California, to see their favorite characters brought to life and watch the first images of long-awaited movies and series.

The second day of the expo began with a preview of what Disney, Lucasfilm, Marvel and 20th Century Studios have in store for the coming months.

Eighty-year-old Ford received a standing ovation from some 6,000 attendees as he presented a teaser for the new "Indiana Jones" film, which also stars Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

"I'm very proud to say that this one is fantastic," said Ford, choking back tears.

"And this is one of the reasons," he added, pointing at Waller-Bridge.

"Keeping up with this guy is exhausting," replied the British actress.

- 'Very exciting' -

Lucasfilm unveiled a teaser trailer for its popular space western series "The Mandalorian," with actors Pedro Pascal, Giancarlo Esposito and Katee Sackhoff received warmly by the audience.

Another highlight was a trailer for the upcoming "Star Wars" series "Andor," a "Rogue One" spinoff based on adventures of rebel spy character Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna.

Mexico's Luna, also an executive producer on the project, addressed the audience in Spanish, to applause.

Other teasers featured Jude Law in "Skeleton Crew," Christian Slater in "Willow" and Jon Favreau in "Ahsoka."

There were also previews of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania," premiering in 2023, with an all-star cast that includes Paul Rudd, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Douglas and Bill Murray, as well as of the Halloween special "Werewolf by Night," starring Gael Garcia Bernal.

Marvel Studios pulled the curtain back on the second season of the series "Loki," starring Tom Hiddleston, who flew in from Britain, where the episodes are being filmed, to attend the expo.

Fans also got a snapshot of "The Marvels," starring Brie Larson, as well as a teaser for "Thunderbolts," featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Florence Pugh.

Finally, with the help of 3D glasses, attendees got to immerse themselves in the world of "Avatar: The Way of Water," the long-awaited sequel to James Cameron's "Avatar."

"I wasn't expecting this," said Peter Farrow, who traveled to Anaheim from San Francisco.

"I got here at five in the morning today and even with high expectations I didn't expect this, it's very exciting."

- 'We all accept each other' -

The festivities began Friday at the vast Anaheim Convention Center.

Celebrating its centennial, Disney said it will include "100 Years of Wonder" in its logo and introduced fans to Disney100: The Exhibition, which tells the story of the company founded in October 1923 by Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney.

A prominent part of the exhibition: the Mickey Mouse One, an aircraft that belonged to Walt Disney himself.

Thousands of fans of "the happiest place on Earth" lined up early to get a taste of all on offer.

Princesses and Peter Pan, witches, storm troopers and an array of fantastical creatures filled the halls as the Expo -- normally held every two years but canceled last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic -- returned.

"Feels like I've got to get emotional, because I've been so looking forward to come back," said actor Allen Waiserman, who arrived on opening day disguised as Cinderella's wicked stepmother.

Waiserman said he had worked for months on his outfit, and the transformation on Friday took five hours.

"It's not just about the Disney brand anymore. It's about all the fans that we've met, who become like family for us -- who accept you for whoever you are," he said.

"All of my friends here accept me for being dressed in drag," he added.

"We're just so happy to be back together."

D23 runs through Sunday.

L.Graham--TNT