One of the buzziest events of the D23 annual fan convention is the Disney Legends induction ceremony, where iconic stars, longtime employees, and dedicated friends of the mouse get enshrined in what’s essentially the company’s hall of fame. On Sunday, Anaheim’s Honda Center was packed with enthusiastic fans cheering on the latest crop of inductees, which included Oscar winner Anne Hathaway; Disney Channel staples the Jonas Brothers; Tony, Emmy and Grammy winner Lin-Manuel Miranda; blockbuster star Dwayne Johnson; blockbuster producer Jerry Bruckheimer; veteran actors Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast, Hercules) and Alan Tudyk (Moana, Rogue One); and Disney’s most popular former CEO, Bob Iger.
Gold Derby was on hand to witness every starry cameo and surprise performance, and here are the best moments from D23’s grand finale.
Miranda’s greatest hits bring down the house
If we had to guess, the night’s easiest musical tribute to bring together was Miranda’s. Moana star Auli’i Cravalho introduced the actor-composer by passionately exclaiming, “You don’t just write music, you write masterpieces.” Then Jordan Fisher, who played John Laurens in Miranda’s classic musical Hamilton on Broadway, kicked off a medley that seamlessly wove tracks from his stacked career together. Cravalho paired with Tony winner Nikki M. James for a mashup of Moana‘s “How Far I’ll Go” (which earned Miranda his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Song) and Mufasa: The Lion King‘s “Milele.” James Monroe Iglehart, another Tony winner, took to the stage with Utkarsh Ambudkar for a spirited rendition of the viral TikTok Mufasa track “I Always Wanted a Brother” that also featured Fisher popping in with a bit of Encanto‘s chart-topping “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.”
Miranda finally came up to accept his new Disney Legend status with a self-composed (naturally) musical speech, which was tucked inside an old VHS copy of The Little Mermaid. He later got it signed by the animated classic’s star Jodi Benson backstage.
Jonas Brothers Pledge “Absolute Loyalty to the Mouse”
The screams in the arena hit fever pitch when it was the Grammy-nominated Jonas Brothers’ turn to be inducted. High School Musical alum Vanessa Hudgens introduced the trio by reminiscing about their shared days on the Disney Channel and commended the real-life brothers on maintaining an enviable career. Then Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas arrived onstage to recap their journeys to the House of Mouse: Joe’s love of Beauty and the Beast resulted in his first word being “Gaston,” Nick played Chip in the Broadway musical adaptation of the film… and Kevin? He “watched both a lot of times.” In typical Jonas fashion, hijinks ensued before their portion of the ceremony wrapped. The brothers passed around a Disneyland merchandise bag and procured three pairs of mouse-ear hats before loudly proclaiming, “Absolute loyalty to the mouse,” with straight faces. Fans shrieked with laughter.
Katseye Performs “I Won’t Say I’m In Love” for Susan Egan
Susan Egan was honored for her multiple performances as Disney princesses. Past and present Belles from various stage casts of Beauty and the Beast offered a gorgeous rendition of the musical’s title track on a B-stage for the visibly emotional Egan, who originated the role on Broadway. Then came one of the more surprising moments of the afternoon. The press section was full of confused whispers: “Is that Katseye?” one reporter wondered, looking to center stage. Several people laughed. “Why would Katseye be here?” another asked. The answer was to serenade Egan with “I Won’t Say I’m In Love,” the song she sang as Megara in the animated movie Hercules. The Grammy-nominated girl group looked ethereal in white as they harmonized together through the doo wop-inspired track.
Orlando Bloom salutes Jerry Bruckheimer
Another shocker was Orlando Bloom’s appearance to honor Pirates of the Caribbean producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bloom recalled receiving an expensive bottle of champagne from Bruckheimer after the completion of the franchise’s first film with a note that read, “To toast when it passes the billion-dollar mark.” The note, according to Bloom, is still hanging up in his house, even though the champagne “didn’t make it through the night.” Bloom stressed that Bruckheimer’s film legacy is more than just his history of blockbusters. “You’ve created some of the biggest movies in history,” Bloom said. “But behind all of the success is an incredibly loyal, generous man and husband.”
Anne Hathaway has full-circle Prada moment
Hathaway’s The Devil Wears Prada director David Frankel took the stage to gush about the Oscar winner, who got her start with Disney in Garry Marshall’s early 2000s hit The Princess Diaries opposite Julie Andrews. Then came a surprise message from former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, the inspiration behind Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestly in the Prada films. By the time Hathaway came up to accept, she was in tears, saying she was “humbled and overwhelmed” by all of the praise, adding that being pregnant made it even more special. She went on to thank every Disney employee, from Iger to the custodians at theme parks around the globe, and concluded with an emotional shoutout to her children, including the one “on stage with me.”
Emily Blunt teases Dwayne Johnson
Oscar nominee Emily Blunt appeared to induct her Jungle Cruise and The Smashing Machine co-star Dwayne Johnson, and despite singing his praises, she promised he wasn’t always perfect. “Not to say this one’s an angel, all right?” she deadpanned. “Because he’s not. He’s a non-conforming, rule-breaking, mold-breaking rebel. He’s funny as hell. He’s filthy, and he’s played some merciless pranks on me.” Blunt requested the audience to indulge in an arena-wide “Chee Hoo,” the phrase Johnson’s Moana demigod Maui shouts out constantly throughout the film, to call him up onstage. Once there, Johnson stressed the need for continued kindness in the world and thanked Disney for always prioritizing togetherness. He finished out his speech by getting the Honda Center to sing a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for his daughter Simone.
Bob Iger brings out the heavyweights
The final inductee of the night was former Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger, with fellow Disney Legends Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr., Diane Sawyer, Ellen Pompeo, and Al Michaels paying tribute. As Downey stepped up, he received some of the loudest cheers of the evening, which resulted in him smirking and turning to Ford and flashing an “L” sign, which had Ford laughing but rolling his eyes. When it was the Indiana Jones and Star Wars star’s time to honor Iger, however, the noise level skyrocketed. An even smugger Ford flipped around to Downey and mimicked his “L” hand gesture. Iger recalled being initially named CEO two decades ago and described his time with Disney as “the ride of a lifetime.” The audience jumped to its feet to give Iger one final standing ovation.
