It’s officially that time of year again! San Diego Comic-Con 2026 is just days away, and as hundreds of thousands of pop culture fans descend upon the Gaslamp Quarter, the familiar, electrifying buzz is definitively back in the air. While Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday and Hall H loom over the San Diego Convention Center, convention-goers need to know that the real action isn’t strictly inside the building.
Year after year, giant studios attempt to capture the hearts of fans out on the streets. However, Disney Entertainment Television has completely perfected the art of the offsite activation. Instead of just setting up a basic photo backdrop, they execute a flawless game plan by building massive, immersive, walk-through worlds that are completely free to the public.
If you’re heading downtown for the Con this week, here is the starting lineup of what Disney is bringing to the turf for 2026—and exactly why you need to put these activations at the very top of your SDCC bucket list.
Step Inside Poseidon’s Trident: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Located right at the main entrance of the Gaslamp Quarter (corner of 5th & L Street), Disney+ is bringing back the demigods in a massive way.
They are building serious hype for Season 3, which tackles Rick Riordan’s The Titan’s Curse. This year’s Percy Jackson activation literally invites fans to step inside a titan-sized trident. Once inside, you get to execute your own playbook. You will choose to embark on a quest alongside Percy, Annabeth, or Thalia.
Disney Entertainment Television has released the official details for the returning experience, following up on last year’s wildly popular execution. You will journey to defeat the evil Titans. Throughout this journey, fans will scour the interactive environment for hidden Season 3 Easter eggs. You can decode prophecy-led clues, hit up themed photo moments, and score exclusive Camp Half-Blood giveaways.
The Percy Jackson Experience will be open on the following dates:
- Thursday, July 23: 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Friday, July 24: 10:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday, July 25: 9:30 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, July 26: 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Meanwhile, Hulu is bringing back its legendary Animayhem setup. It is located just down the road at the Palm Trees Garden. When it comes to adult animation, Hulu’s heavy-hitting roster is absolutely unmatched. Consequently, this year’s offsite doubles as both a visual spectacle and a literal pitstop for fans to recharge their batteries.
For SDCC 2026, Hulu Animayhem is bringing to life the worlds of Futurama and King of the Hill in their ultimate “Fandom Fuel Up”. Fans are invited to step off the sidelines. You will join your favorite time-travelers, aliens, and quirky neighbors in a fan-first immersive environment.
Furthermore, guests can expect character-inspired photo ops and incredible on-site goodies. Most importantly, you can grab themed food and drinks straight from the shows. Keep your energy up for the convention grind with Fry’s “100 Days of Cold Brew” and Bobby Hill’s Robata Chane yakitori.
Fuel Up at Hulu Animayhem: Fandom Fuel Up
Hulu, the go-to streaming destination for adult animation, is bringing Animayhem back! This year, Hulu Animayhem will be bringing to life the worlds of Futurama and King of the Hill in their Hulu Animayhem: Fandom Fuel Up. Located at Palm Trees Garden in the Gaslamp Quarter, fans are invited to join their favorite time-travelers, aliens, family men, and quirky neighbors in a fan-first immersive experience. Guests can expect character-inspired photo opp moments, themed food and beverage offerings and on-site goodies.
The Hulu Animayhem: Fandom Fuel Up will be open the following dates:
Thursday, July 23 – Saturday, July 25: 10:30 AM- 7:00 PM
Sunday, July 26: 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Inside the Convention Center, Disney isn’t letting their foot off the gas. Here is a look at the announced panels happening throughout San Diego Comic-Con week:
Here’s a look at Disney Entertainment Television’s panel lineup:
Thursday, July 23
PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS (20TH TELEVISION / DISNEY KIDS & FAMILY / DISNEY+), 10-11 A.M., HALL H
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” — A new quest awaits. Percy Jackson and the Olympians returns to Hall H with an exclusive first look at the highly anticipated third season. Series stars Walker Scobell, Aryan Simhadri, Charlie Bushnell, Tamara Smart, Levi Chrisopulos and Olive Abercrombie join executive producers Craig Silverstein and Dan Shotz on a panel moderated by Juju Green to share behind-the-scenes stories, introduce the new characters and offer a glimpse at the adventures ahead as “The Titan’s Curse” comes to life later this year on Disney+.
Friday, July 24
ADVENTURE TIME: SIDE QUESTS SPECIAL PRESENTATION AND Q&A (CARTOON NETWORK STUDIOS / HULU / DISNEY+), 11-11:45 A.M., INDIGO BALLROOM
Finn the Human and Jake the Dog are back to punch evil’s butt across the epic, fantastical land of Ooo! Join members of the creative team and voice cast as they dive into the all-new fun adventures. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the series is now streaming exclusively on Hulu and Disney+ in the U.S.
KING OF THE HILL (20TH CENTURY ANIMATION / HULU), 4-4:45 P.M., INDIGO BALLROOM
Fresh off the premiere of its latest season on Hulu, join co-creators and executive producers Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, showrunner and executive producer Saladin Patterson and cast Kathy Najimy, Stephen Root, Lauren Tom, Toby Huss and Ashley Gardner for an inside look at the new era of King of the Hill and what’s new for Arlen’s favorite residents.
Saturday, July 25
BOB’S BURGERS (20TH CENTURY ANIMATION / HULU), 10-10:45 A.M., BALLROOM 20
Creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard, supervising director Bernard Derriman and cast H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Larry Murphy come together to discuss the latest adventures of the Belcher family, share fan-favorite moments and tease what’s ahead for the Emmy®-winning series.
FUTURAMA (20TH CENTURY ANIMATION / HULU), 11-11:45 A.M., BALLROOM 20
It’s the wildest panel since EVER! Futurama returns weekly, starting on Aug. 3, on Hulu with 10 splactacular new episodes. But why wait like a sucker when you can see top-secret world-premiere footage right now, presented by Matt Groening himself! And not just himself — he’ll be joined by head writer David X. Cohen, executive producers Claudia Katz and Ken Keeler, moderator Lee Supercinski and megastars Billy West, John DiMaggio, Lauren Tom, Phil LaMarr, David Herman and Maurice LaMarche! All who do not attend will be destroyed.
THE SIMPSONS (20TH CENTURY ANIMATION / DISNEY+), 11:45 A.M.-12:30 P.M., BALLROOM 20
The Simpsons is back at San Diego Comic-Con for the one millionth time! Matt Groening will be joined on stage by writers, animators and top-secret special guests for a celebration of this record-breaking millionth appearance in Ballroom 20. And to honor this millionth anniversary, “The Simpsons” will be showing an exclusive world premiere sneak preview of a chilling brand-new “Simpsons” story that will challenge everything you thought you knew about Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie (and Barney). It’s not every day a cartoon show takes the stage at a convention literally a million times — DO NOT MISS IT!!!
AMERICAN DAD! (20TH TELEVISION ANIMATION / HULU), 12:45-1:30 P.M., BALLROOM 20
As the Smiths gear up to celebrate their milestone 400th episode, join stars Scott Grimes and Dee Bradley Baker and writers Nic Wegener, Zack Rosenblatt and Parker Deay for a sneak peek at what’s ahead in Langley Falls, including the upcoming season.
FAMILY GUY (20TH CENTURY ANIMATION / HULU), 1:30-2:15 P.M., BALLROOM 20
Join stars Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Arif Zahir, Jennifer Tilly, animator Peter Shin and showrunner and executive producer Rich Appel for another unforgettable panel packed with exclusive footage, special announcements and a sneak peek at what’s next for television’s most irreverent family.
THE ROOKIE (20TH TELEVISION / ABC / LIONSGATE), 1:45-2:45 P.M., INDIGO BALLROOM
Creator and executive producer Alexi Hawley, executive producer and star Nathan Fillion, and stars Melissa O’Neil, Richard T. Jones, Alyssa Diaz, Eric Winter, Mekia Cox, Shawn Ashmore, Jenna Dewan, Lisseth Chavez and Deric Augustine discuss the upcoming ninth season premiere, its streaming growth, becoming a viral hit with young viewers and much more.
Disney has been setting the gold standard for San Diego Comic-Con inside the convention and on the outside with it’s offsites and activations. My favorite things to do in years past at SDCC would definitely be checking out what is cooking when when Disney Entertainment Television goes all in on their beloved franchises. Nexus Point News will be boots on the ground all week at San Diego Comic-Con. We will be bringing you all things Comic-Con right as the action happens. Stay tuned!
