Event Recap: D23's "All Aboard to Walt Disney’s Marceline" Once Again Provides a Great Opportunity to Experience Walt's Hometown
Last weekend, D23 hosted its latest event in Marceline, Missouri. As you probably know, the small town (with a population around 2,300) is where Walt Disney spent some of his formative years and is what he referred to as his hometown. Moreover, the city’s main drag helped inspire Main Street USA — in turn, Marceline’s Main Street USA features mouse ears on its signage.
For this visit, D23 enlisted a train theme, titling the event “All Aboard to Walt Disney’s Marceline." That motif not only pays homage to Walt’s well-documented love of trains but also to the city’s locations right along a very active railroad. In other words, it was an appropriate concept.
With hotel options in Marceline itself limited, the D23 event actually kicked off in Chillicothe, Missouri. From there, we were bussed to the General John J. Pershing Home State Historic Site and Museum in Laclede. While not directly Disney related, the museum did mention Walt’s involvement in the first World War. It was also a chance to check out some American history and enjoy the beautiful morning weather. After that, though, we were off the Marceline.
This was my second time visiting Marceline, having previously attended the D23 there in 2023. With this experience, I basically knew what to expect — or so I thought. As it turns out, this edition was quite a bit smaller and dare I say quieter than the other. There are a few reasons for that, including the fact that, last time, Citizen was selling additional tickets to the dinner portion of the evening, there was a city event happening in the park, and the whole Disney 100 celebration meant Mickey and Minnie were on hand to commemorate the occasion.
In any case, this edition of the event featured much of what I enjoyed about my first. Namely, I love that the loose structure allows you to explore the town at your own speed and do whatever you’d like to do. Personally, I vastly prefer this approach to being over-scheduled and having to watch the time. After all, midwest, small town living is all about taking it slow, so a laidback itinerary really fits.
Among the activities we could accomplish at our leisure were the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, visiting some of the shops on Main Street USA, checking out Walt Disney Elementary School (which was not the school Walt went to, for the record), and mailing a postcard from the Marceline Post Office. We were also provided with vouchers for lunch and we could pick up a complimentary Coca-Cola at Main Street’s own Coke Corner. Even though it was a nice, relatively cool day, the ice cold Coke in a glass bottle was still a surprisingly refreshing delight.
Despite the mostly-free schedule, there were a few times to be aware of. At 2:30 p.m., we convened in the Community Center to enjoy a Dusty Miller ice cream treat (which is a concoction invented in Marceline) while enjoying a conversation with guests Bret Iwan and Marcy Carriker Smothers.
Speaking of Carriker Smothers, she recently became a resident of Marceline herself. Guests were invited to stroll on over to her front yard where the author signed copies of her book. When we walked by, I couldn’t help but notice a concrete slab next to the main abode. Confirming my assumption, Carriker Smothers announced that the space would soon be a two-bedroom Airbnb unit complete with its own kitchen.
If you’re looking for another fun place to stay in Marceline, just across the street, we got to tour another property that will soon be available for short-term rental. Apparently, the property will be gaining some more Disney theming before going up on Airbnb, but the Haunted Mansion decor was already evident in one bedroom of the two-story house.
Around 6 p.m., we boarded back onto the buses for a quick ride over to the Walt Disney Family Farm. Upon arrival, guests could enjoy cocktails, listen to some great live music, and grab an appetizer. More importantly, they could explore part of the property, including a replica of Walt’s barn (where we were also invited to sign a beam, per tradition) and see the Son of Dreaming Tree. Yes, as mentioned in my prior post, the Dreaming Tree proper was struck by lightning, so a sapling was planted to keep the spirit alive.
Dinner was served in a tent on the property, where the live music continued until Bret Iwan took the stage once again to share a bit about his time in Missouri. Before voicing Mickey Mouse, Iwan actually worked at Hallmark in Kansas City. Funny enough, Iwan was also a part of the last D23 event in Marceline, so I think he gets honorary citizenship at this point.
To cap off the night, we were treated to a “kiss goodnight" fireworks show. By chance, as the sun set, I noticed that some fireflies had also come out to play (this was my first time seeing some this season and they don’t tend to stick around for too long so it felt special). After the display was over, we headed back to Chilichote — and then I drove the 3.5 hours home to Springfield.
Overall, I had another great time in Marceline. There’s something undeniably charming about the city — and the hospitality is unrivaled. And although there admittedly isn’t a ton to do, I loved just strolling around E.P. Ripley Park and the Walt Disney Hometown Museum.
Alas, while I didn’t personally pay for my ticket (my friend/boss picked up the tab), I do think the $380 ticket price that’s a bit steep for what you get on paper. After all, like I said, most of the event if just free time in town. Then again, there’s no doubt that visiting Marceline with D23 means accessing things you wouldn’t otherwise. Not only do some businesses in town stay open special hours for these events but other destinations — namely the Disney Family Farm — aren’t regularly open to the public. Therefore, if you’re been meaning to visit Walt’s hometown and want to get the full experience, I would recommend joining a future D23 pilgrimage.
P.S. Stay tuned for a Marceline addition of LP On Location, debuting on June 8th, 2025.