There are so many Disney Legends but there are few who has as much esteem than Dame Julie Andrews. At D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event fans were able to view original film-used props from Mary Poppins as well as a concrete slab with Julie’s signature and handprints from 1991 when she became a Disney Legend.

Here’s a look at everything we experienced at the 2024 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

A sign posted at the location gives some context on the illustrious career of the esteemed Julie Andrews:

Julie Andrews was “practically perfect in every way” as Mary Poppins. In her feature film debut, she bowled audiences over with her charm and sense of fun and, as a result, won an Oscar for Best Actress of 1964.

As film critic Leonard Maltin wrote in his book The Disney Films, Julie captured “every nuance” of author P.L. Travers’ iconic character. Judith Crist, of the New York Herald Tribune, blurred the distinction between character and actress, writing, “Although she [Mary] pokes her pretty fingers into a world of sticky sweetness, she almost invariably pulls out the plum. All speeches and cream, with a voice like polished crystal, she seems the very image of a prim young governess who might spend her free Tuesdays skittering off to Oz.” Indeed, Julie was the very image of Mary Poppins and, to many Disney fans, she remains the magical nanny of their dreams.

Walt Disney first spotted Julie in the early 1960s when she was starring as Queen Guinevere in Camelot on Broadway. After seeing Julie perform, Walt Disney made a beeline backstage to offer her the title role in his upcoming musical fantasy. Mary Poppins went on to garner 13 Academy Award nominations and win five, including Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Film Editing, and Best Special Visual Effects. Julie‘s award for Best Actress in a Leading Role was the first competitive Oscar ever won by an actor in a Disney film.

As one of Julie‘s most enthusiastic supporters, Walt Disney allowed rival producer Martin Ransohoff to view her rushes for Mary Poppins; this led to her next film role, in The Americanization of Emily (1964). She then appeared in one of Hollywood’s top-grossing films of all time, The Sound of Music (1965). Directed by Robert Wise, the now-classic musical brought Julie another Oscar nomination. Among her other screen credits are Hawaii (1966), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), and Victor/Victoria (1982), for which she received another Oscar nomination. She reprised the famous role on Broadway in the mid-1990s and was named a Disney Legend in 1991.

Photos

See it for Yourself

D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event took place in Anaheim from August 9 – 11, 2024. 

MORE INFO: Check out all of our coverage for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at MouseInfo.com/D23

But Wait, There’s More!

Don’t miss out on any of our coverage across the MouseInfo TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads accounts for the latest from the event!