Disney+ hosted a Throwback Experience for fans June 12-15 in Los Angeles.Photo: Courtesy of Creative Riff
LOS ANGELES—We've said it before: Y2K is having a moment in the event world. And it's not just us saying it. Last month, Disney+ embraced the 2000s (plus a bit of '90s thrown in) to recreate the looks and locations of some of its most beloved movies and TV shows of that era—all of which are currently streamable on the platform.
From June 12-15, the brand ran the Disney+ Throwback Experience in Los Angeles at a space on Melrose Avenue. The multiroom journey was produced and executed by Creative Riff and featured numerous original costumes and props from the Walt Disney Archives. Fans with tickets could experience some of their favorite '90s- and '00s-era IP like Boy Meets World, Hannah Montana, The Cheetah Girls, and The Princess Diaries.
The activation was an in-person celebration promoting Disney+'s summer-long "Throwback" campaign.
"With immersive rooms, iconic photo moments, and curated fashion, the space was designed to delight fans and fuel their feeds," says Creative Riff founder and CEO Ryan Coan. "We wanted to showcase a variety of Disney's most beloved shows and movies with recreated spaces that guests could step into IRL—all nostalgic hits that can be streamed on Disney+ or Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers."
Coan says he and his team naturally leaned into the Y2K aesthetic. Think: bright colors and bold prints all "playfully loud in execution," he says. Standout elements included Hannah Montana's closet, Mia's makeover mirror from The Princess Diaries, and the Tipton Hotel's bellhop desk from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
"When designing the specific IP elements, we wanted each transition to feel uniquely distinct from the last," Coan says. "We embraced the color and layered it with texture and easter eggs from each series. We wanted every turn to be a surprise and to keep the energy high as they made their way through the entire activation."
Keep scrolling to see inside the activation, plus key vendors and more insights and fun facts from Coan...
VENDORS
Decor: Dawn Dunning
Fabrication: Rock Steady
Lighting: Advantage Event Solutions
Memorabilia: The Walt Disney Archives
Security: JRM Security
Vintage TV Rentals: Media Pollution
Vintage Clothes: ThredUp
![From there, they stepped through a set of lockers into Hannah Montana's closet. 'We had one visitor shed a tear in [here], saying 'This is my childhood,'' Coan says.](https://img.bizbash.com/mindful/bizbash/workspaces/default/uploads/2025/07/copy-of-copy-of-copy-of-disney-cr-spearhead-2025-brianngophotos-05970.oxQxIjFpnS.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
