As you approach the vast cluster of buildings that comprise the Anaheim Convention Centre, on the footstep of Los Angeles's iconic Disneyland, what looks to be a queue of hundreds turns a corner and reveals itself to be much, much longer.
Tens of thousands of fans will pass through the gates at the D23 Expo; a fan convention for Disney-philes, which is held every two years.
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The Last Jedi: Behind the scenes
The filming of the new Star Wars film is complex and expansive.
The structure is much like its larger cousin, Comic-Con, which is held annually in San Diego: a blend of memorabilia market and fan cosplay, paired up with a movie marketing machine which hopes to generate buzz for its upcoming titles.
What makes D23 such a stunning masterclass in marketing is that the target demographic don't just turn up, they actually buy tickets. Three-day passes cost $US238 with discounts for D23 members and early purchasers.
The 23, which recurs in Disney's corporate marketing, represents 1923, the year in which Hollywood pioneer Walt Disney founded the studio.
Inside there are vendors selling licensed merchandise from Disney properties as varied as Star Wars, the Marvel films and Mickey Mouse, as well as presentations and screenings.
Ground zero is Hall D which is D23's version of Comic-Con's Hall H. This is where everything that matters happens.
It's where the first glimpse of footage and stills from Disney's Mary Poppins sequel – Mary Poppins Returns – were met with rapturous applause.
And it is where the first look at the live action version of The Lion King left the audience screaming for more; accompanied by the animated film's now iconic opening song – The Circle of Life – it blends a flawlessly rendered CGI Simba with sequences featuring real animals.
The clip was breathtaking and director Jon Favreau, who appeared on stage with Walt Disney Studios chairman Alan Horn, was also met with a standing ovation.
Horn assured the crowd – as though, between the applause and cheering, they even needed re-assurance – that the rebooted Lion King would be "respectful and faithful to The Lion King you already know and love."
Though Mary Poppins Returns and The Lion King are not, seemingly, connected, what they share is that they both come from The Walt Disney Studio.
And, perhaps for the first time at a fan event such as D23, those assets seemed to have a much stronger traction in the room than either of the Disney-owned fan magnets, Lucasfilm (which makes Star Wars) and Marvel (which seems to make everything else.)
At a time when Star Wars and Marvel properties (much like Warner Bros-owned DC Comics) seem to dominate cinema, it was interesting to see such a strong shift away, albeit in the direction of still more sequels and remakes.
A preview of another live-action Walt Disney Studio film, A Wrinkle In Time, was also met with a huge reaction, largely because it has, so far, mostly flown under the radar and has an incredible cast.
The film, based on the 1962 novel, is directed by Ava DuVernay and stars Storm Reid as a young girl whose father discovers the secret of time travel and then vanishes.
Reid's character Meg Murry sets off after him and meets, along the way, Mrs Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), Mrs Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs Which (Oprah Winfrey).
The four-day convention was, in entertainment news terms, an avalanche of press releases and announcements, some more significant than others.
Among the major announcements made was news that Frozen 2 will be called that, no subtitle, no change of title.
But before it is released, a short film, Olaf's Frozen Adventure, will be released in cinemas later this year to accompany the Pixar film Coco; it is 21-minutes long and will feature the original Frozen cast and four new songs.
Surprisingly, there was no trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, though rumours are swirling one will come soon.
Instead, the audience was treated to a behind-the-scenes clip and appearances on stage by cast members Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro, and director Rian Johnson.
Noticeably absent was Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, who is in London tending to the studio's troubled Han Solo spin-off movie. (Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were let go last month and replaced by Ron Howard.)
Chatter among the fans seemed to suggest they were expecting an announcement of the film's title – presently it is just "Untitled Han Solo Film" – but nothing was forthcoming: no title, no clip, and barely a mention on stage as the roadshow rolled on.
In slightly more promising news for Star Wars fans, the Disney studio's theme park division outlined more detailed plans for its Star Wars-themed addition to Disneyland, which now has a name, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
The park will feature two major rides, one set on the famous freighter the Millennium Falcon, and the second on board an Imperial Star Destroyer.
Walt Disney Imagineering portfolio creative executive Scott Trowbridge told the audience the park would utilise a handful of key Star Wars characters, notably Chewbacca, the Wookie co-pilot of the Falcon, the droid BB-8 and Solo's fallen Jedi son, Kylo Ren.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge will open at both Disneyland in Los Angeles and Disney World in Florida in 2019.
More intriguingly, Disney announced plans to turn part of their Star Wars theme park into a more "immersive" experience, less like Disneyland and more like Westworld.
"We are working on our most experiential concept ever," Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Bob Chapek said. "It combines a luxury resort with immersion in an authentic environment."
Guests would be processed in a department that would costume them, and they would be issued with a digital wristband that would function as room and park key and credit card.
They would then be accommodated in an environment – the interior of a starship, or a frontier town such as the iconic spaceport Mos Eisley – which would be populated by other guests and park employees playing the parts of locals.
"It will invite you to live your own dedicated, multi-day adventure in a galaxy far, far away," Chapek said.
Disney holds the D23 Expo every two years; 2017's event was the fifth held since 2009.