Longtime Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who was instrumental in the development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is retiring from Walt Disney Imagineering.
Rohde oversaw a trio of major projects in recent years, including Pandora — the World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom; the Guardians of the Galaxy-themed update of Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure; and the Villages Nature Eco-Resort next to Disneyland Paris.
Rohde, who will retire in January, reflected on his career in an Instagram post as you can see below:
Given his multi-decade-long tenure, he said the “strange quiet time” of the pandemic affords him the opportunity to step back.
“It has been 40 years since I stepped foot in the door at age 25, not knowing anything about theme parks, Disney, or what it meant to work for a big company,” Rohde wrote. “Every day of my life since then has been a learning experience. I’m very glad to have had that opportunity, and proud of the work that has been done, not just by me, but by all my fellow Imagineers, and especially those who worked by my side over the decades.
Early in his tenure he worked as a model designer for Epcot Center, which opened in Florida in 1982. He went on to supervise design work for Animal Kingdom, which opened in 1998 just outside of Orlando. One signature, fan-favorite attraction at the latter park is Expedition Everest, which boasted a lifelike, animatronic yeti that Rohde had been pledging to refurbish in recent years.
“I’m not that old yet and there are things I want to do that cannot be done here,” Rohde wrote.
Rohde’s last day with Disney will be January 4, 2021.