As we previously reported, a multi-year transformation of EPCOT is underway that will reimagine the park while keeping true to the original vision and Disney has confirmed that the park is getting it’s own Walt Disney statue.
The new Walt statue will be part of the new World Celebration neighborhood at EPCOT called Dreamer’s Point.
Disney Imagineer Zach Riddley shared this update about EPCOT on his Instagram as you can see below:
“Walt said, ‘EPCOT will always be in a state of becoming…’ and it’s that spirit of potential and possibility that inspires all we are bringing to life in the transformation of EPCOT, said Riddley.
The updated atomic ranch marketed as “Walt Disney’s Technicolor Dream House” has sold for the asking price of $1.095 million.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom residence on a quarter-acre lot in Indian Canyons was built for Walt and Lillian Disney in 1962, and it remained in the family until 2015.
Features of the 2,443-square-foot house include an open floor plan with living and dining areas that flow into the kitchen, mirror surfaces and some “hidden Mickeys.” Take a look at the interior below:
Sliding glass doors open to a covered patio, swimming pool, spa and lawn area at the rear of the property, which overlooks the second fairway at Indian Canyons Golf Resort North Course.
Michael Erives and Darcey Deetz of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate shared the listing, and Erives represented the buyer.
On this day in 1926, Walt and Roy Disney put down a $400 deposit on a lot at 2719 Hyperion Ave., where they plan to build a new animation studio in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles, California.
Their neighbors were a gas station and an organ factory. The new studio included two small offices for Walt and Roy Disney, a camera room, and a large partitioned work area for the animators and ink and paint staff. The building will serve as the Disney’s base for the next fifteen years.
The original Disney Studio had been in the back half of a real estate office on Kingswell Avenue in Hollywood, but soon Walt had enough money to move next door and rent a whole store for his studio. That small studio was sufficient for a couple of years, but the company eventually outgrew it, and Walt had to look elsewhere. He found an ideal piece of property on Hyperion Avenue in Hollywood, built a studio, and in 1926, moved his staff to the new facility.
It was at the Hyperion Studio, after the loss of Oswald, that Walt had to come up with a new character, and that character was Mickey Mouse. With his chief animator, Ub Iwerks, Walt designed the famous mouse and gave him a personality that endeared him to all. Ub animated two Mickey Mouse cartoons, but Walt was unable to sell them because they were silent films, and sound was revolutionizing the movie industry. So, they made a third Mickey Mouse cartoon, this time with fully synchronized sound, and Steamboat Willie opened to rave reviews at the Colony Theater in New York November 18, 1928. A cartoon star, Mickey Mouse, was born. The new character was immediately popular, and, a lengthy series of Mickey Mouse cartoons followed.
As Walt and his animators became more creative and innovative technically and artistically, the studio had to grow to meet the demands of Walt’s vision. During the next four years the original studio building went through several renovations and additions until a two-story building called “Animator’s Building # 1” and a sound stage were added in 1931. Walt and Roy purchased additional plots of land surrounding the studio and built the “Animator’s Building #2/Shorts Building”in 1934, Ink and Paint and Annex buildings in 1935, and a “Features Building” in 1937. Several other smaller buildings were constructed on the property, including a Wurlitzer Organ building, warehouse, film vaults, sound stage monitor room, camera room, and a garage for Mickey Mouse’s car.
Ron Miller, husband of Diane Disney Miller and son-in-law of Walt Disney, has passed in Napa, California at the age of 85.
“Everyone at The Walt Disney Company is deeply saddened by the passing of Ron Miller,” Disney’s current chairman and CEO Bob Iger said. “His life and legacy are inextricably linked with our company and the Disney family because he was such a vital part of both, as our CEO and Walt’s son-in-law.
At age 21, Ron, a member of the University of Southern California football team, was introduced to 20-year-old Diane Disney on a blind date. They were married in Santa Barbara on May 9, 1954.
Ron served in the Army and then played professional football for the Los Angeles Rams before his father-in-law recruited him to work at The Walt Disney Studios. There, he ascended from motion picture and television production roles to CEO of what is now The Walt Disney Company.
Ron first started working for Walt as part of the original Disneyland team, where he was employee number six. Ron’s first job in this capacity was serving as second assistant on Old Yeller (1957). Eventually, as CEO, Ron pushed the Company to expand and explore, creating Walt Disney Home Video, Touchstone Pictures, and The Disney Channel.
Ron, Diane, and Diane’s mother, Lillian, established Silverado Vineyards in 1981, four years after they purchased the property. This place, near the small town of Yountville, California, became Ron and Diane’s permanent residence.
Ron supported Diane’s pursuit in documenting the life and accomplishments of her father, from producing the documentary film Walt: The Man Behind the Myth (2001) to establishing The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio of San Francisco in 2009.
Ron was a passionate outdoorsman. Alpine skiing, hunting, fly-fishing, and golf were lifelong pursuits. He was an experienced horseman with a cattle ranch near Montrose, Colorado.
Ron and Diane were generous philanthropists, supporting many causes, including classical music and ballet.
Ron is survived by his children Christopher Miller, Joanna Miller, Tamara Diane Miller, Jennifer Goff, Walter Elias Disney Miller, Ronald Miller, and Patrick Miller; grandchildren Annabelle Rey, Nicholas Runeare, Ryan Scheer, Danielle Durham, Sam Goff, Lily Goff, Charlotte Goff, Sebastian Runeare, Haley Scheer, Reilly Miller, Madeline Goff, William Miller, and Elias Miller; and great-grandchildren Stella Durham, Finley Scheer, and Evelyn and Mason Goff.
Donations may be made to the memorial fund that The Walt Disney Family Museum has established in honor of Ron and Diane Disney Miller. Donations will support the museum’s ongoing education efforts, about which Ron was passionate. Donations and cards can also be sent to the family through The Walt Disney Family Museum, ATTN: Director’s Office; 104 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94129.
The magic never ends at Walt Disney World. The new Riviera Resort—opening in Fall 2019—has announced that a new travel-themed lounge known as Voyageurs’ Lounge, will be a part of the fun to be at the newest Vacation Club hotel.
Inspired by Walt’s love of traveling through Europe, this spot will showcase Walt Disney’s worldwide expeditions and the literary works he brought home as souvenirs. The Voyageurs’ Lounge will be located next to the Le Petit Cafe and will serve as a fun, comfortable place for families and friends to gather and share travel memories.
Much like the rest of the resort, the decor in the Voyageurs’ Lounge will represent the book collection of Walt Disney and will exhibit Disney’s unique connections to Europe. Modern design meets family tradition in this artfully-inspired resort.
Few things were as important to Walt Disney as family and travel. The Voyageurs ‘s Lounge inside the brand-new Riviera Resort is the perfect combination of the two.
Today in Disney History, December 5, 1901, the creator of Mickey Mouse and founder of Disneyland and Walt Disney World was born.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois, in their families two-story cottage at 1249 Tripp Avenue in a newly developed section of the city. His father, Elias Disney, was an Irish-Canadian and his mother, Flora Call Disney, was of German-American descent. He is the fourth Disney son and is named to honor the family’s pastor and friend Walter Parr, a preacher at St. Paul Congregational Church. His siblings were Herbert, Ray, Roy, and Ruth. Roy later helped his brother make the Disney Company a success.
Raised on a farm near Marceline, Missouri, Walt became interested in drawing early, selling his first sketches to neighbors when he was only seven years old. At McKinley High School in Chicago, Disney divided his attention between drawing and photography, contributing both to the school paper. At night he attended the Academy of Fine Arts.
Walt started McKinley High School in 1917 and he began to draw for the student newspaper. During the fall of 1918, Disney attempted to enlist for military service. Rejected because he was only 16 years of age, Walt joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas, where he spent a year driving an ambulance and chauffeuring Red Cross officials. His ambulance was covered from stem to stern, not with stock camouflage, but with drawings and cartoons. After the war, Walt returned to Kansas City, where he began his career as an advertising cartoonist.
Early on, Walt decided to pursue a career in commercial art, which soon lead to his experiments in animation. He began producing short animated films for local businesses, in Kansas City. By the time Walt had started to create The Alice Comedies, which was about a real girl and her adventures in an animated world, Walt ran out of money, and his company Laugh-O-Grams went bankrupted. Instead of giving up, Walt packed his suitcase and with his unfinished print of The Alice Comedies in hand, headed for Hollywood to start a new business. He was not yet twenty-two.
The early flop of The Alice Comedies inoculated Walt against fear of failure; he had risked it all three or four times in his life. In August of 1923, Walt Disney left Kansas City for Hollywood with nothing but a few drawing materials, $40 in his pocket and a completed animated and live-action film.
Walt’s brother, Roy O. Disney, was already in California, with an immense amount of sympathy and encouragement, and $250. Pooling their resources, they borrowed an additional $500, and set up shop in their uncle’s garage. Soon, they received an order from New York for the first Alice in Cartoonland (The Alice Comedies) featurette, and the brothers expanded their production operation to the rear of a Hollywood real estate office. It was Walt’s enthusiasm and faith in himself, and others, that took him straight to the top of Hollywood society.
On July 13, 1925, Walt married one of his first employees, Lillian Bounds, in Lewiston, Idaho. They were blessed with two daughters — Diane, married to Ron Miller, former president and chief executive officer of Walt Disney Productions; and Sharon Disney Lund, formerly a member of Disney’s Board of Directors. The Millers have seven children and Mrs. Lund had three. Walt’s wife, Lillian suffered a stroke on December 15, 1997, exactly 31 years after his death and she passed away the following morning.
Mickey Mouse was created in 1928, and his talents were first used in a silent cartoon entitled Plane Crazy. However, before the cartoon could be released, sound burst upon the motion picture screen. Thus Mickey made his screen debut in Steamboat Willie, the world’s first fully synchronized sound cartoon, which premiered at the Colony Theatre in New York on November 18, 1928.
Walt’s drive to perfect the art of animation was endless. Technicolor was introduced to animation during the production of his “Silly Symphonies.” In 1932, the film entitled Flowers and Trees won Walt the first of his 32 personal Academy Awards. He still holds the record for most individual Academy Awards won. In 1937, he released The Old Mill, the first short subject to utilize the multiplane camera technique.
On December 21 of that same year, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated musical feature, premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. Produced at the unheard of cost of $1,499,000 during the depths of the Great Depression, the film is still accounted as one of the great feats and imperishable monuments of the motion picture industry. During the next five years, Walt completed such other full-length animated classics as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi.
In 1940, construction was completed on Disney’s Burbank studio, and the staff swelled to more than 1,000 artists, animators, story men and technicians. During World War II, 94 percent of the Disney facilities were engaged in special government work including the production of training and propaganda films for the armed services, as well as health films which are still shown throughout the world by the U.S. State Department. The remainder of his efforts were devoted to the production of comedy short subjects, deemed highly essential to civilian and military morale.
Disney’s 1945 feature, the musical The Three Caballeros, combined live action with the cartoon medium, a process he used successfully in such other features as Song of the South and the highly acclaimed Mary Poppins. In all, 81 features were released by the studio during his lifetime.
Walt’s inquisitive mind and keen sense for education through entertainment resulted in the award-winning “True-Life Adventure” series. Through such films as The Living Desert, The Vanishing Prairie, The African Lion and White Wilderness, Disney brought fascinating insights into the world of wild animals and taught the importance of conserving our nation’s outdoor heritage.
Disneyland, launched in 1955 as a fabulous $17 million Magic Kingdom, soon increased its investment tenfold and entertained, by its fourth decade, more than 400 million people, including presidents, kings and queens and royalty from all over the globe.
A pioneer in the field of television programming, Disney began production in 1954, and was among the first to present full-color programming with his Wonderful World of Color in 1961. The Mickey Mouse Club and Zorro were popular favorites in the 1950s.
But that was only the beginning. In 1965, Walt Disney turned his attention toward the problem of improving the quality of urban life in America. He personally directed the design on an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or EPCOT, planned as a living showcase for the creativity of American industry.
“I don’t believe there is a challenge anywhere in the world that is more important to people everywhere than finding the solution to the problems of our cities. But where do we begin? Well, we’re convinced we must start with the public need. And the need is not just for curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a community that will become a prototype for the future.”, said Disney.
Thus, Disney directed the purchase of 43 square miles of virgin land — twice the size of Manhattan Island — in the center of the state of Florida. Here, he master planned a whole new Disney world of entertainment to include a new amusement theme park, motel-hotel resort vacation center and his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. It would be his brother Roy who would helm the project and see it through after Walt’s passing. One week after Walt Disney died, Roy spoke to a group of Disney Company executives and creative staff in a projection room at the Disney Studio. He was going to postpone his retirement. “We are going to finish this park [in Florida], and we’re going to do it just the way Walt wanted it,” Roy firmly stated. “Don’t you ever forget it. I want every one of you to do just exactly what you were going to do when Walt was alive.” After more than seven years of master planning and preparation, including 52 months of actual construction, Walt Disney World opened to the public as scheduled on October 1, 1971. Epcot Center opened on October 1, 1982.
One of his first decisions was that the Disneyworld project would be officially renamed “Walt Disney World.” Roy was insistent that people be reminded that this was Walt’s project. Very few others in the company agreed with that choice because of marketing reasons. In a meeting, someone referred to it as “Disneyworld” and Roy’s hand went to his glasses as he focused on the offending word: “I’m only going to say this one more time. I want it called ‘Walt Disney World.’ Not Disneyworld, not Disneyland East, not anything else. Walt Disney World.”
Walts optimism came from his unique ability to see the entire picture. His views and visions, came from the fond memory of yesteryear, and persistence for the future. Walt loved history. As a result of this, he didn’t give technology to us piece by piece, he connected it to his ongoing mission of making life more enjoyable, and fun. Walt was our bridge from the past to the future.
During his 43-year Hollywood career, which spanned the development of the motion picture industry as a modern American art, Walter Elias Disney established himself and his innovations as a genuine part of Americana.
Walt Disney passes away on December 15, 1966 at the age of 65. He made so many amazing contributions in the fields of art, animation, film and theme parks that it would be impossible to list them all here. He was a visionary whose pioneering spirit and inimitable creativity made the impossible possible, turning dreams into reality and building the foundation of The Walt Disney Company of today.
If you’re a big fan of Walt Disney and history then you’ll be excited to find out that you can bring home a little magic with you when Van Eaton Galleries auctions off some of Walt Disney’s Personal items next month.
The auction includes some of the most closely related artifacts to the life of Walt Disney that have ever been offered for public sale. Collectors will be able to bid on one of Walt Disney’s business cards, a 1953 construction plot plan that Walt Disney drew on to show the boundary for Disneyland, an extremely rare Walt Disney signed “Laugh-O-Gram” stock certificate from Walt’s early animation studio and even a piece of Railroad Track from Walt Disney’s own backyard railroad.
Other rare highlights include a complete set of exceptional personal photographs of Walt Disney and the Rancheros Visitadores social club. The photo archives depict Walt Disney riding on horseback and camping during one of the Rancheros Visitadores’ yearly excursions through the Santa Ynez Valley. This set includes several never-before-published photos of Walt Disney who took part in the excursions in the late 1930s and into the 1940s.
“The ‘A Brief History of the Walt Disney Studios’ auction doesn’t just tell the story of the Studio, but it tells the story of Walt and his team of talented artists and individuals who helped build the company,” says Mike Van Eaton, Co-Owner of Van Eaton Galleries. “We consider this one of the rarest opportunities we have had to show the world a side of Walt Disney that few have ever seen, through personal photographs and personally-signed or hand-drawn items. Many of these items have never come to auction before and are among the only such examples of these items that we have ever seen. To say we are excited about this auction is an understatement. Anyone who recognizes the incredible value of such items from Walt’s personal life will understand how significant this auction is.”
Nearly 600 items will be offered in the “A Brief History of the Walt Disney Studios” auction that range from furniture from the 1940’s Walt Disney Studio in Burbank, original Disneyland props, animation art from Disney cartoons and films from the 1920s through the 1980s, and much more.
The “A Brief History of the Walt Disney Studios” auction will take place on July 7, 2018 at Van Eaton Galleries located at 13613 Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, California. Starting bids will range from $50 all the way to $100,000.
Disney Parks Imagineers are the the creative force that imagines, designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions and cruise ships worldwide. Recently these extraordinarily creative, intelligent and inspirational cast members sat down for a panel to discuss storytelling at Disney Parks.
Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting 25 of the country’s top female journalists at the Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) Campus in Glendale, California. Members of the Online News Association’s Women’s Leadership Accelerator Program took time from a week-long event at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism to tour of the campus.
The visit included a panel of some of our top creative executives, who discussed the art, passion and creativity of storytelling in a way that captures the hearts of our guests around the world. The panel was moderated by our own Disneyland PR Director Michele Himmelberg, who was also an award-winning journalist. Panelists included:
Charita Carter, Producer: Charita’s scenic illusion team is responsible for advancing new creative technologies to bring storytelling to the next level, including Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Jeanette Lomboy, Regional Executive WDI Pacific: Jeannette has been a creative force at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, and Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, among others.
Robin Reardon – Executive Creative Producer: Robin is one of the top creative executives working tirelessly on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The Imagineers discussed their unique work at WDI and how it impacts our guests every day. Take a look at the video below for more.
The Disneyland Railroad was one of the opening-day attractions at Disneyland park on July 17, 1955. Walt Disney held a lifelong passion for trains, one that was further inspired by the encouragement and collections of fellow railroad enthusiasts and Disney Legends Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston.
More than 60 years later, the Disneyland Railroad continues to carry passengers on a grand circle tour around Walt’s original Magic Kingdom.
In the early morning, Disneyland Railroad technicians and conductors inspect every vehicle and length of track before a new day’s operation.
The beautiful north bank of the Rivers of America creates a rustic scene as guests travel across the elevated trestle. A steam engine chugs through the jungles of Adventureland, a stretch of line that hasn’t changed much since Walt signed off on the design more than 60 years ago.
For train enthusiasts interested in an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the history of the Disneyland Railroad, “The Grand Circle Tour” offers a unique perspective, including the opportunity to board the lavish parlor car, the Lilly Belle.
On your next visit to the Disneyland Resort, be sure to sit back, relax and soak in the views of Disneyland park aboard the Disneyland Railroad!
Have you ever wondered what happened to Walt’s plane after it was removed from the Studio Back Lot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Well after the famous plane, known as “The Mouse”, was recently spotted from high above, we now have the answer. Satellite Imagery shows the plane in good condition and out of public sight.
There were some initial reports that the plane was severely damaged and maybe even crushed, while it was being moved to a backstage location elsewhere on property. We now know that isn’t the case thanks to recent satellite images.
The twin prop plane is surrounded by barricades and being kept safe in a restricted backstage area.
The area is easily recognizable as the wastewater treatment plant operated by the Reedy Creek Improvement District. As we mentioned the area is off-limits so it’s best not to try to sneak a peek.
If you’ve ever experienced The Backlot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, chances are you’ve seen “The Mouse” – a white airplane with a Mickey Mouse icon on its tail. Before it made its home as part of the attraction the plane was actually used by Walt Disney himself.
The plane has a storied past and was used from everything from giving Walt a bird’s eye view to survey the future Walt Disney World property to shuttling Imagineers over to Florida to start their work on the project.
Walt purchased the Grumman Gulfstream 1 (G1) in 1964, and worked with his wife, Lillian, to select the plane’s interior design and color scheme. The plane seated 15 and featured a galley, two couches and a desk. Walt even designed his own special seat in the plane, which was in the rear left cabin. The seat was equipped with a special altimeter and air-speed gauge, which Walt added to satisfy his endless curiosity about flying.
The tail number on the plane has been N234MM since 1967, but it was N732G back when Walt Disney used the plane. Back then the plane was known as “George”. The new tail number of N234MM was originally called by the proper designation of “two three four metro metro,” but soon the FAA replaced the “metro metro” with “Mickey Mouse,” and so it was known for the remainder of its life.
The plane’s first trips took Walt and his Imagineers to and from California and New York to oversee the final preparations for Disney’s contributions to the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Later that year, Walt (pictured above, center) began surveying land in Central Florida, considering the site a possibility for his second theme park.
The plane also led Walt to find inspiration for the look of one classic Disney attraction. According to Mark Malone, son of Pilot Chuck Malone, Walt spotted El Morro fortress while flying over San Juan, Puerto Rico, and remarked that it would be the perfect look for his new Pirates of the Caribbean, which at the time was still in the planning phase.
In addition to taking Walt on his secret trips, the plane also took Disney characters on goodwill tours and visits to children’s hospitals around the United States. An estimated 83,000 passengers have flown aboard the plane, including Disney animators and several famous faces, including former Presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, as well as Disney Legends Julie Andrews and Annette Funicello.
One of the most exciting things you may notice is the fact that it appears as though the plane has been repainted to its original colors. In some photos found on Nearmap by Blog Mickey you can see a much closer look at the plane and it looks like it’s in great condition.
Take an inside look at this amazing piece of history in the video below.
The airplane’s last flight took place Oct. 8, 1992, when it touched down on World Drive, west of Disney’s Hollywood Studios before it became part of The Back Lot Tour. What is most important is that it looks like Disney is taking good care of it and we hope the fact that it’s been repainted means that it will eventually end up on display again somewhere.
Walt started McKinley High School in 1917 and he began to draw for the student newspaper. During the fall of 1918, Disney attempted to enlist for military service. Rejected because he was only 16 years of age, Walt joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas, where he spent a year driving an ambulance and chauffeuring Red Cross officials. His ambulance was covered from stem to stern, not with stock camouflage, but with drawings and cartoons. After the war, Walt returned to Kansas City, where he began his career as an advertising cartoonist.
On December 21 of that same year, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length animated musical feature, premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. Produced at the unheard of cost of $1,499,000 during the depths of the Great Depression, the film is still accounted as one of the great feats and imperishable monuments of the motion picture industry. During the next five years, Walt completed such other full-length animated classics as Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi.
In 1940, construction was completed on Disney’s Burbank studio, and the staff swelled to more than 1,000 artists, animators, story men and technicians. During World War II, 94 percent of the Disney facilities were engaged in special government work including the production of training and propaganda films for the armed services, as well as health films which are still shown throughout the world by the U.S. State Department. The remainder of his efforts were devoted to the production of comedy short subjects, deemed highly essential to civilian and military morale.
Thus, Disney directed the purchase of 43 square miles of virgin land — twice the size of Manhattan Island — in the center of the state of Florida. Here, he master planned a whole new Disney world of entertainment to include a new amusement theme park, motel-hotel resort vacation center and his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. It would be his brother Roy who would helm the project and see it through after Walt’s passing. One week after Walt Disney died, Roy spoke to a group of Disney Company executives and creative staff in a projection room at the Disney Studio. He was going to postpone his retirement. “We are going to finish this park [in Florida], and we’re going to do it just the way Walt wanted it,” Roy firmly stated. “Don’t you ever forget it. I want every one of you to do just exactly what you were going to do when Walt was alive.” After more than seven years of master planning and preparation, including 52 months of actual construction, Walt Disney World opened to the public as scheduled on October 1, 1971. Epcot Center opened on October 1, 1982.
