Walt Disney was a man with many dreams and ideas. After he and his animators conquered the animated feature film, he set his sights on another form of family entertainment, amusement parks. Wanting a space that both adults and children could enjoy, he started brainstorming his “Mickey Mouse Park” that started out as a small space adjacent to his studio in Burbank. Eventually his ideas outgrew that small area, and his team settled on acres of orange groves in Anaheim, which up until then had been a relatively quiet farming community. Many thought Walt would fail, but here we are 70 years later, and Disneyland has continued to grow, and has spread around the world with Disney parks in a variety of countries.

Disneyland is been celebrating its 70th anniversary all year, but July 17 marked its actual birthday, and I joined a few friends for a day at the park reflecting on the impact Walt and his Imagineers had. And now, more than ever, Walt’s impact is on full display, as Disney has introduced a brand new experience, Walt Disney – A Magical Life, located in the Opera House on Main Street. Currently the Opera House lobby is filled with concept art featuring various sketches of Disneyland, artifacts from the Archives, and even Walt and Lillian’s personal furniture that once resided in the apartment he had above the Fire Station, on loan from the Walt Disney Family Museum (which we have visited before, and you can check out here.)

Audio-Animatronics, the name given to the talking and moving figures in Disney attractions, started with a small mechanical bird that Walt found at an antique shop in 1949. He showed it to his Imagineers and they began developing “The Dancing Man” miniature based on the movement of actor Buddy Ebsen. Eventually this research lead to larger birds with the Enchanted Tiki Room and then life size figures as well as the children of “it’s a small world.”

Once done browsing the unique retrospective, Guests are ushered into a theatre to watch a mini biography of Walt, and then get to see the man himself, well, sort of, an audio-animatronic of him. I’m not afraid to admit I did not enjoy the experience. While similar to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, the two shows vary in one major way, actual footage of the man they showcase. President Abraham Lincoln died before his likeness was ever captured on film, or his voice recorded. We have no solid evidence of what he moved and sounded like, outside of written accounts. Walt Disney however was filmed countless times over the years for interviews and publicity, and regularly in the living rooms of Americans with his television show. We know exactly how Walt moved and sounded. When Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair there was no one alive who personally knew Lincoln who could reflect on the accuracy of the audio-animatronic. We as a society were so far removed from Lincoln that in a way it wasn’t totally jarring. However there are still many people alive today who personally knew and worked with Walt. Making the proximity to him in a way being brought back to life a little more weird. Then there is just how he looks…as the kid’s say, “it ain’t it.” The reviews of the experience are mixed, but on social media at least it seems to be a little more on the negative side. I’m eager to see how the show will be received in the coming months and if changes will be made in the future.

While I admit, Walt was, and remains a revolutionary figure in both movie making and theme park influence, I wouldn’t say I subscribe to the “Cult of Walt” who think he was a perfect man. He was flawed in many ways, and had a large team of fellow creatives that helped the company achieve incredible success and I hope that anyone who adores Walt also takes the time to learn about those who made Walt’s ideas a reality.

One of the things I do love about Disneyland is that it has something for everyone. I may not care for the Walt figure, I still enjoy the gallery in the lobby with its retrospective on the long road it took to build Disneyland. Disneyland’s 70th anniversary is slated to last until at least the end of the year, so you still have plenty of time to enjoy the festivities!

 

 

 

Outfit
Ears, Tee, Necklace, Ring, Purse: Disneyland
Shorts: Hammies
Magical Moments Disneyland Penny Bracelet: Made by Patrick and myself
Shoes: Re-Mix