Disney Lorcana Takes the Backlot Stage at D23 2026
Ravensburger brings Disney Lorcana to Anaheim for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, with a Friday night panel and three days of signings at Talent Central.
Todd Ruffner-Schoenfeld
Editor in chief. A knack for the fine print, and likes it.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event returns to Anaheim from August 14 through 16, 2026, filling the Anaheim Convention Center and Honda Center with three days of Disney celebration. Among the panels and show floor moments waiting for fans this year is a dedicated spotlight for Disney Lorcana, the trading card game that Ravensburger and Disney brought into the world in 2023 and have kept growing ever since.
The Quests Ahead arrives Friday night
The centerpiece of the weekend for Lorcana fans is a panel called The Quests Ahead for Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game. It runs Friday, August 14, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the Backlot Stage. For a community that has spent three years building decks and chasing foils, having a full hour carved out on D23’s schedule feels like a genuine milestone.
The panel is described as a chance to hear directly from the Disney Lorcana team at Ravensburger. Attendees can expect a look back at what it has taken to build the game so far, along with a forward-looking conversation about where it heads next. Nothing about the specific announcements has been confirmed yet, so the room on Friday night is the place to be for the real news.
What to watch for from the Backlot Stage
Ravensburger has signaled that the panel will touch on set releases planned for 2027 and beyond, along with upcoming events fans will want to circle on their calendars. None of the specific card reveals or set names have been locked in publicly ahead of time, so those details remain something to watch for rather than something to report as fact. What is confirmed is the format: a behind-the-scenes conversation about developing the game, paired with what organizers have called some exciting announcements for the year ahead.
For a game built around collecting glimmers of beloved Disney and Pixar characters, that kind of transparency from the people making it has become part of the appeal. Fans who have followed Lorcana since its debut know that Ravensburger tends to use these big stage moments to set the tone for the year that follows.
Talent Central signings run all weekend
Beyond the Friday panel, Disney Lorcana has a steady presence at Talent Central across all three days of D23 2026. Card artists Tom Bancroft and Max Ulichney are on hand to sign complimentary prints of their Lorcana artwork, with afternoon and evening sessions on Friday and Saturday plus one more on Sunday evening. Given the demand these signings tend to draw, both artists are focused on the prints rather than signing other items brought from home.
Author Jacob Rennaker and artist Aubrey Archer are also signing throughout the weekend, tied to their book Quest of Wonders: An Illumineer’s Lorebook. Their sessions are set for mornings across all three days, with an additional Friday evening slot as well. Rennaker and Archer are also holding reading and signing sessions for the book over at the Ravensburger Gaming Area, giving fans of Lorcana’s lore a second chance to connect with the story behind the cards.
More Lorcana on the show floor
The Ravensburger Gaming Area in Hall D is where the hands-on side of Lorcana lives at D23 this year. Friday morning and afternoon bring speed puzzling team events, where groups race to finish a themed puzzle before the clock runs out. Saturday and Sunday shift the focus to competitive play with a Disney Lorcana Challenge Championship Qualifier, giving registered players a shot at advancing through the game’s official tournament program.
Ravensburger has also put together a D23 show bundle for the occasion, built around the Quest of Wonders book and a Winnie the Pooh themed foil playmat, with a set of collectible pins and a promo card thrown in and pickup available at the Ravensburger Main Sales Booth during the event. It is one more way the weekend brings Lorcana’s collecting spirit off the cards and onto the show floor itself.
A young game with a growing story
It is worth remembering just how new Disney Lorcana still is. Ravensburger released the game’s first set in August 2023, inviting players to become Illumineers who summon glimmers, animated versions of Disney characters, using colored magical ink to gather lore points and win the game. In just a few years it has grown from a single starter set into an expanding card game with its own tournament circuit and its own storytelling universe, and now its own dedicated hour on the D23 stage.
That growth is exactly why The Quests Ahead feels like such a fitting title for Friday’s panel. Whatever Ravensburger chooses to share on the Backlot Stage, the Lorcana community heading into D23 2026 has plenty to be excited about already, from a full weekend of signings to a tournament stage of their own and a panel built just for them.
This is part of our coverage of Games at D23 2026 at D23 2026.
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