GALLERY: Every Car From “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show” at D23

By Courtney Potter

Over 30 incredible automobiles and other vehicles take up 24,000 square feet the Anaheim Convention Center for “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show,” the Walt Disney Archives’ brand-new exhibit for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Engine troubles and can’t make the event this weekend? Never fear! We’ll take a drive through the exhibit and check out the fun. Buckle up, and keep your hands and arms inside the (metaphorical) vehicle at all times...

Drive In to “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show” at D23

By Courtney Potter

Start your engines! The storied Walt Disney Archives, which has preserved Disney history for nearly 55 years, opens its vaults once more at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event to curate an all-new, truly incredible exhibit. “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show” pays homage to vintage car shows and Americana—from racing Fords and Ferraris to fan-favorite love bugs, fabulous pink convertibles, and Flubber-powered Model Ts—giving visitors an up-close look at dozens of vehicles from the Archives’ collection. A “Worlds Beyond” area showcases fantastical vehicles from distant lands, such as Rey’s speeder from Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and a transport rover from Prometheus (2012).

A model-T Ford is seen on the show floor in “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show” at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

Throughout the exhibit, guests will come bumper-to-bumper with more than 30 unique and memorable vehicles from around the worlds of Disney—some never before displayed for the public.
Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives, is particularly excited to see this display come to life. “This year’s exhibition is particularly special because it’s the biggest exhibition we have ever done,” she tells D23. “In the Archives for sure, but possibly at Disney overall. It’s 24,000 square feet—that’s a lot of space to fill! We have some of our biggest items here, including a tank,” she explains, chuckling. “The Prometheus rover is a Czechoslovakian military tank that’s been dressed up to ‘space age.’ It’s pretty special to have all these amazing things that I was hoping we’d find a place one day to display.” Check out this fun video of the rover driving onto the Anaheim Convention Center show floor:

She continues, “Every once in a while, in our exhibits, you can display one or two big pieces—but in here we have 32 cars, from tanks to a little teeny Interpol car from Muppets Most Wanted [2014]. So there’s something for everybody here, including two vehicles that Walt himself drove.”

Step on the gas to begin with some 1950s and ’60s kitsch! The first area we see is themed to resemble a display outside the Ford’s Magic Skyway pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this very year. An original Ford Mustang used in the Magic Skyway attraction—on loan to the Archives for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—is displayed on a gigantic turntable. During their visit to this particular space, guests will also see Cruella’s 1974 Panther De Ville from 101 Dalmatians (1996) and 102 Dalmatians (2000); Cruella’s 1987 Zaiker from ABC’s Once Upon a Time; “Herbie,” Maggie Peyton’s 1963 Volkswagen Beetle from Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005); the DHARMA Van, a 1971 Volkswagen Type 2, from ABC’s Lost; the 1967 Ferrari 330 P4 from Ford v Ferrari (2019); and many more.

A Ford Mustang, used inside the Ford’s Magic Skyway pavilion at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, is seen on the show floor in “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show” at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

The green lights continue into the next section: Kingswell Service Station. Named after the site of the first Disney Studio, Kingswell draws inspiration from classic Americana and service stations of the 1950s. Don’t miss Ned Brainard’s 1915 Ford Model T Touring from The Absent-Minded Professor (1961); Fern’s 2006 Ford E-250 Van from Nomadland (2020); Sam Flynn’s 2009 Ducati Sport 1000 from Tron: Legacy (2010); Sharpay’s 2008 Honda S2000 Convertible from High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008); and several adorable vehicles related to The Muppets—including Beauregard’s 1959 Austin A35 taxi from both the 1981 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Studio Backlot Tour (c. 1996-2014).

Finally, round the corner into an area themed to the park that started it all: Disneyland! Before Disney California Adventure Park was built, the Disneyland parking lot tram used to drop guests off directly in front of the park gates. It should come as no surprise, then, that this area showcases vehicles used at Disneyland. Keep your eyes peeled for Mickey’s 1939 Bantam Roadster from the Cruisin’ the Kingdom Cavalcade at Disneyland (c. 1995-1997); an early ’60s-era Main Street, U.S.A., Runabout Vehicle; and even a Parking Lot Tram Tractor and Car, used between 1968 and 1997.

A parking lot tram used at Disneyland Park is seen on the show floor in “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show” at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.

Once guests have taken their spin through the car show area, they can step through a portal—literally, a 20-foot-wide tunnel with over 200 LEDs!—that “transports” them to “Worlds Beyond”… where fantastical vehicles from distant lands, like Jakku from Star Wars and LV-223 from Prometheus, come to life within immersive environments. Slow down and make sure to admire the 2054 Lexus Roadster from Minority Report (2002); the 2089 Weyland RT01 Transport Rover from Prometheus (2012)—the biggest vehicle in the entire exhibit!; a Lightcycle from Disney California Adventure Park’s ElecTRONica (2010–2012) and the promotional tour for TRON: Legacy; and more.

Attending D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event? This is your (turn) signal to visit “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show,” located in Hall D on the 1st floor—to discover how various vehicles have helped drive creativity forward throughout the worlds of Disney.

Three Especially Admired Autos
Cline picks three treasures from “A Great Big Beautiful Car Show”—and tells us why they’re so exceptional:

  1. “The last blue and yellow parking lot tram that Disneyland had. We’ve been storing it for years, looking for a way to display it. And I was very happy to be able to finally find a good setting for it.”
  2. “Well, I love the Cruella de Vil cars. Yeah. We have three Cruella cars that are fabulous!”
  3. “One thing that’s really special—something that we borrowed—is the Ford Mustang from the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair; it has a place of honor with a rotating turntable. This is the 60th anniversary year of the fair, and to celebrate that, we were able to borrow from a collector one of the original Mustangs that went through the Ford Pavilion and was actually a ride vehicle! Guests rode on a real Mustang that went through the attraction. So that’s real special. I think fans of the New York World’s Fair, something that’s so important to Disney’s history, are going to be excited to see one.”

Disney Legends in Conversation: Exclusive Q&A with Kelly Ripa

By Zach Johnson

To cap off an unforgettable weekend, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will conclude on Sunday, August 11, with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony. The Disney Legends Award honors artists and visionaries throughout The Walt Disney Company’s history who have pushed the envelope of creativity, challenged conventional wisdom, and broken the restraints of the status quo in search of new possibilities and excellence. A 37-year tradition, this year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In an exclusive Q&A, Kelly Ripa—who is being recognized in the Television category—reflects on her contributions to the company and what it means to be named a Disney Legend.

You’ve been cohosting Live for years. During that time, you’ve been able to film at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, hosted the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade, and more. From those times, what are some of your favorite Disney memories?

I love watching the magic, the excellence, the pageantry, the precision of all of the performers and the Cast Members. Anytime something looks effortless, you know that there’s a tremendous amount of work that goes on behind the scenes. When it comes to Disney, you just never see the seams anywhere. It all appears so seamless. And being able to raise my kids year after year and to give them this unique privilege of getting to visit the parks—particularly when I was hosting the Christmas Day Parade—was such a fun time.

It’s such a beautiful time to be there and to celebrate the holidays in that way.

What are some highlights from your 30-plus years within the ABC family?

Getting my 30-year Jiminy Cricket award was a pretty big deal because that meant that I worked at Disney as long as my dad worked at New Jersey Transit. I don’t think my dad ever considered my job to be a real job until I reached that milestone! And so now I have been validated that I do in fact have a real job.

You met your husband, Mark Consuelos, on an ABC soap opera, and now you two cohost a talk show that’s syndicated by Disney Entertainment. Are you living a Disney fairy tale?

100%. I’m definitely living a Disney fairy tale without question. However, Mark seems to be Aladdin, and I’m more Ursula.

You’re being presented with this award by your former Live co-host, Ryan Seacrest. How does that make it extra special? 

It’s special that Disney does recognize our co-dependence with each other, and I think it makes sense. We can only give and receive awards from each other, so it is very special, and it gives me a chance to of course harass him on a public stage, which I never get tired of doing.

How does it feel to be honored as a Disney Legend?

It feels surreal. I feel like the job is the gift, and I feel like the longevity is the gift. And so, the honor on top of the job just feels kind of gluttonous, if I’m being honest. But it’s a privilege and a true honor.

Disney Legends in Conversation: Exclusive Q&A with Martha Blanding

By Zach Johnson

To cap off an unforgettable weekend, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will conclude on Sunday, August 11, with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony. The Disney Legends Award honors artists and visionaries throughout The Walt Disney Company’s history who have pushed the envelope of creativity, challenged conventional wisdom, and broken the restraints of the status quo in search of new possibilities and excellence. A 37-year tradition, this year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In an exclusive Q&A, Martha Blanding—who is being recognized in the Parks & Resorts category—reflects on her contributions and what it means to be named a Disney Legend.

How does it feel to have been the first Black VIP Tour Guide and the first Black female leader at the Disneyland Resort—to know you paved the way for others?

Being the first Black Permanent Tour Guide, VIP Hostess and becoming the first Black Female in Management in my eyes was amazing. I felt that I had achieved a challenge that for some would have felt uncomfortable being the only one. My parents taught me to always put my best foot forward and always do my best, and that’s what I did.

What are some of the highlights from your 50-year Disney career?

I have witnessed many changes in the company, [like] adding new lands and attractions in the park. I am most proud of being part of the growth of cultural diversity, equity, and inclusion for young Cast Members of color coming behind me. I saw the evolution of BERG diversity groups and was one of the founders of PULSE (People, United, Lead, Serve, Excel), which is the Black diversity group.

What about working for Disney has stood out the most to you?

Creating the magic for our guests and Cast Members. Designing events that our guests will remember and share with family and friends. Meeting all kinds of people from Hollywood and all over the world.

What’s it been like to chronicle your experiences in the book Groundbreaking Magic?

Being able to relive my journey has been interesting, and now it is on paper for people to read. Hopefully they will be inspired to reach their goal in life and help others.

What does it mean to you to be honored as a Disney Legend?

Becoming a Disney Legend was not something that I thought would happen to me. I was totally surprised when I received the call. I [began at Disneyland as an hourly] Cast Member and moved up the ladder, working hard with many wonderful co-workers along the way. This makes me proud because I am proof that an hourly Cast Member can become a Disney Legend.

Disney Legends in Conversation: Exclusive Q&A with Colleen Atwood

By Zach Johnson

To cap off an unforgettable weekend, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will conclude on Sunday, August 11, with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony. The Disney Legends Award honors artists and visionaries throughout The Walt Disney Company’s history who have pushed the envelope of creativity, challenged conventional wisdom, and broken the restraints of the status quo in search of new possibilities and excellence. A 37-year tradition, this year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In an exclusive Q&A, Colleen Atwood—who is being recognized in the Costume Design category—reflects on her contributions to the company and what it means to be named a Disney Legend.

How does it feel to be the first costume designer to be named a Disney Legend?

To be the first costume designer to receive the Disney Legends Award, I am thrilled! It is an honor from a company founded by artists and remains one that has always supported the art of film.

What’s the secret to creating unique costumes that are distinctly Disney?

The secret to creating costumes that are uniquely Disney lies in taking the character that has been made familiar to audiences as a starting point and building a new world around it.

What is it about working with Disney that has helped your creativity in creating these costumes?

I think the support that Disney has always given me as a designer, along with the belief in the filmmakers I work with expands creativity.

There’s often a dark edge to your designs, which work well in films like Alice in WonderlandInto the Woods, and Dumbo. What appeals to you about this aesthetic?

The dark edge in design goes hand in hand with the sort of stories these movies have; there is a feeling of characters that are dark, much like old fairytales. To me, it is fun to design the scary folks alongside the innocent beauties.

Out of all the costumes you’ve created, which one is the most deceptively complex?

The Red Queen dress in Alice was cheated in a way that was a fun challenge. Her head was larger than normal, so I had to make the bodice and collar look like they fit with big head while Helena [Bonham Carter] was wearing the costume.

When you think of your Disney oeuvre, what makes you most proud?

For me, Alice remains my favorite accomplishment. The technology was new to us and the challenges of merging real with bits of animation made it unique for all times.

Disney Legends in Conversation: Exclusive Q&A with Frank Oz

By Zach Johnson

To cap off an unforgettable weekend, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will conclude on Sunday, August 11, with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony. The Disney Legends Award honors artists and visionaries throughout The Walt Disney Company’s history who have pushed the envelope of creativity, challenged conventional wisdom, and broken the restraints of the status quo in search of new possibilities and excellence. A 37-year tradition, this year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In an exclusive Q&A, Frank Oz—who is being recognized in the Film & Television category—reflects on his contributions to the company and what it means to be named a Disney Legend.

How does it feel to be honored as a Disney Legend—and to get to share in this year’s celebration with Harrison Ford following the previous inductions of George Lucas, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, James Earl Jones, Jon Favreau, and Ming-Na Wen?

It’s very nice to continue being in that Star Wars family.

Yoda means a lot to many people, but what does he mean to you?

He means struggle, humor, responsibility, steadfastness, and gravitas to me.

You played a number of beloved characters on The Muppet Show, and you did it alongside Disney Legend Jim Henson. What stands out about that time in your life?

The relationships with the Muppet writers and Muppet workshop, and playing with my fellow performers, and the fun and the hard work, and the fun of doing hard work with gifted people I cared about.

How did you transition into directing, and which Disney film are you most proud of?

I always wanted to direct—theater, actually. But when Jim asked me to direct Dark Crystal with him, that opened a whole new groove that spoke to me. And because of Jim’s support I was able to transition into directing full time.

As for which Disney film I’m most proud of, I directed two things for Disney. One was a short segment about how sound was used in movies. It starred Mel Gibson, Pee Wee Herman, and Darryl Hannah; I felt I did a good job on that.

And I also directed What About Bob? for Disney with Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus, which I think turned out pretty good.

You reprised your role as Dave in Inside Out 2, which is now the biggest film in Pixar’s history. At this point in your career, what’s it like to be part of such a success?

It’s awesomely difficult.

In Inside Out 2, Dave Goelz and I reprised our roles of the two guards from the original Inside Out. We were very happy to have been asked again, but we feel we can’t keep carrying the success of Pixar’s movies on our shoulders. I just hope in the future Pixar will be able to create other movies that are not so dependent on us for their success.

Disney Legends in Conversation: Exclusive Q&A with Mark Henn

By Zach Johnson

To cap off an unforgettable weekend, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will conclude on Sunday, August 11, with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony. The Disney Legends Award honors artists and visionaries throughout The Walt Disney Company’s history who have pushed the envelope of creativity, challenged conventional wisdom, and broken the restraints of the status quo in search of new possibilities and excellence. A 37-year tradition, this year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In an exclusive Q&A, Mark Henn—who is being recognized in the Animation category—reflects on his contributions and what it means to be named a Disney Legend.

How does it feel to be honored as a Disney Legend?

It feels both exciting and humbling being honored as a Disney Legend.

What inspired you to be an animator?

I was inspired by Disney Animation growing up as a small boy. Both Cinderella and The Reluctant Dragon played an important role in inspiring me to become a Disney animator.

Your first major assignment at Disney was animating Mickey Mouse in Mickey’s Christmas Carol. How would you summarize that experience, and—given that he is one of Walt’s original creations—did it deepen your appreciation for the character?

Animating Mickey Mouse for Mickey’s Christmas Carol was a major opportunity for me. I always thought how cool it was to start my animation career animating Mickey Mouse. Needless to say, I had rather large shoes to fill.

From Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine to Mulan, Giselle, and Tiana, you’re the Disney Princess expert. What’s the key to making them unique but also distinctly Disney?

Having animated many of Disney’s princesses, the challenge is making each one a unique personality. They each must support the role they perform in their respective films. Each princess needs to be accessible so the audience can relate to them. Plus, I think all of our princesses are just very nice people.

What’s it like to mentor the next generation of hand-drawn animators at Disney?

It’s hard to believe I’m now at the other end of my career acting as the “elder statesman,” when it seems just like yesterday I could go to [Disney Legend] Eric Larson to get help and inspiration from him. I thoroughly enjoy working with our new animators. They come into the studio with the same drive and energy to carry on the tradition of Disney Animation that my generation had following Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men. It has been my role to help in any way that I can to pass along all the knowledge I have and to encourage them along their way.

Disney Legends in Conversation: Exclusive Q&A with Jamie Lee Curtis

By Zach Johnson

To cap off an unforgettable weekend, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will conclude on Sunday, August 11, with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony. The Disney Legends Award honors artists and visionaries throughout The Walt Disney Company’s history who have pushed the envelope of creativity, challenged conventional wisdom, and broken the restraints of the status quo in search of new possibilities and excellence. A 37-year tradition, this year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In an exclusive Q&A, Jamie Lee Curtis—who is being recognized in the Film category—reflects on her contributions to the company and what it means to be named a Disney Legend.

How does it feel to be honored as a Disney Legend?

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, the city of Angels. Disneyland was and is such a big part of California history, and for me to become an actor and then work many times for The Walt Disney Company in such successful and loved films is the [greatest] honor. The Legend status I can’t even wrap my mind around.

How did working with Disney help you evolve your scream queen persona?

I started my career as a scream queen. I was thrilled to be able to get a solid footing in an industry which can often feel like quicksand. From that footing, I’ve been able to then leap higher into many different genres and my work with Disney was a big catapult with Freaky Friday.

You’re reprising your role as Tess Coleman opposite Lindsay Lohan in a sequel to Freaky Friday. Why did you want to revisit this character, and what can fans expect?

I am the catalyst for the new film because while on a tour of the world promoting the Halloween franchise, the most asked question, wherever I went, and whatever language was, “Are you gonna make a Freaky Friday sequel?’ When I returned from that trip, I called Bob Iger and suggested that they take very seriously the possibility—and now we are in the process of making that film. It’s a relatable question. What would it feel like to walk a mile in someone else’s shoes? We have a few surprises in this new film, and a lot of old favorites.

In addition to the Freaky Friday films, you’ve developed quite a Disney oeuvre, from Beverly Hills Chihuahua and You Again to Haunted Mansion and Ella MacKay. What’s your favorite part about making these movies for The Walt Disney Studios?

I love the movies because they allow people to group together and have a communal experience while having a very personal one. Disney exemplifies that, and it also shows how diverse The Walt Disney Company is in its storytelling and audiences.

Are there any Disney roles still on your bucket list?

I think my dance card has been filled with the most unexpected and delightful work that I’ve been able to do. I’m just grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of such an important entertainment giant.

Disney Legends in Conversation: Exclusive Q&A with Joe Rohde

By Zach Johnson

To cap off an unforgettable weekend, D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa® will conclude on Sunday, August 11, with the Disney Legends Awards Ceremony. The Disney Legends Award honors artists and visionaries throughout The Walt Disney Company’s history who have pushed the envelope of creativity, challenged conventional wisdom, and broken the restraints of the status quo in search of new possibilities and excellence. A 37-year tradition, this year’s honorees include Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, Martha Blanding, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, Joe Rohde, and John Williams.

In an exclusive Q&A, Joe Rohde—who is being recognized in the Imagineering category—reflects on his contributions to the company and what it means to be named a Disney Legend.

How does it feel to be honored as a Disney Legend?

Frankly, it was an unexpected honor. All the work we do is done by teams and I always thought of myself as part of a team—kind of the like the team editor. So, it wasn’t top of mind that I was going to be honored in any way. But it is humbling and delightful at the same time to be thought of as an integral part of the history of The Walt Disney Company.

There’d be no Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park without you. Where did the inspiration for that park come from, and how did you turn that dream into a reality?

I think it’s a bit of an overstatement to say that there would be no Disney’s Animal Kingdom without me. It was Michael Eisner‘s idea, and from day one I worked with partners to see it come to life. I think the part that I can take credit for is that I was the chief spokesperson and negotiator for the project, the one who had to do the talking not only to explain it but to enlist supporters, advocates, and advisors.

The day to day of getting Disney’s Animal Kingdom done was a combination of intensive research to support the realism of the park and to learn the rules of the zoological and conservation world. [It required] some invention to create the newer elements, like the Tree of Life and animal habitats, and redirect the design and production skills of Imagineering towards a style that was less fantasy and more photorealistic.

Here is something that was important about the development of the park and that had impact on the rest of my career. We had to overcome two hurdles. One was that people thought they already knew what it would be—just a big zoo—and that this would not work. We needed to reboot that thinking. And more than that, even if we convinced people it could be a theme park, we still needed to contradict many of the rules that made theme parks work.

So, once people understood that it might be something different, the problem was to prove that it was feasible. More than showing that it could be exciting, our chief challenge was proving that it could be done.

That experience bred into me and my teams a strong bias towards presenting all projects not so much as exciting opportunities that might be possible, but as rational investments that were possible and were also exciting… but doable first. Sort of a reduced focus on pure Blue Sky and more like trying to outsmart the analysis so that a proposal could be both rational and surprising at any given moment. Less “Wouldn’t it be cool if…” and more “This makes perfect sense andit’s amazingly cool.”

You were also behind two of the theme park’s most popular expansions with Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain and Pandora – The World of Avatar. What are some of your fondest memories of working on those two projects?

It’s no secret to those who know me that I love the Himalayas. I’ve been there many times, and would go back in a heartbeat, so working on Expedition Everest was a particularly personal joy. It’s common with projects that some of my fondest memories are from the moments right before we open when the project is nearly complete; [it’s] an entire world unto itself, but not yet up and running, so you can wander through it wandering through your imagination. Everest was like that. Almost every space in that attraction is stunningly realistic, so walking around in it is like walking around in my memory of being in the Himalayas.

One thing that nobody gets to do, and was a great memory, was to be inside the structural interior of the mountain while it was running. It’s a forest of gigantic pieces of steel—massive steel ride track columns and spiderwebs of architectural steel, like some science fiction cathedral. In a way it’s too bad guests can’t see that, because it’s very impressive. Of course, traveling to the Himalayas with the team research trips and on our conservation expedition, Mission Himalayas, was one of the great adventures of my life, from the moment we threw our duffel bags out of a hovering helicopter along the Kali Gandaki River and jumped out onto them to be met by a horse team taking us into the fortified town of Kagbeni, it was my dream come true.

Pandora was another thing altogether. I was terrified of this project when it began, and certain that it would be the disastrous end of my career. It’s a matter of public record that I wrote multiple memos to the company advising them not to acquire the property because it was so impossible to build out of real material in the real world. Then, of course, we had to do it.

It ended up being one of my favorite projects. I very much enjoyed working with the irreplaceable Jon Landau, whom I will miss terribly, and had wonderful long conversations with [Disney Legend] James Cameron, often about stuff that had nothing to do with the project at all—just history, science, and nature.

I have several great memories here. One of them was the day we realized that the robotic shaman figure was capable of a deeper and more convincing psychological performance than we had realized. That led us to redevelop the entire script to take advantage of the remarkable performance quality of this figure. The other moment was one day in the simulator building, long before completion of the attraction, that we realized that Avatar Flight of Passage was going to be a more emotional experience than we had imagined and that we might have something here that was a real game changer, far above the technical achievement of getting it done—something like a real work of art. And lastly, as always, those days before we opened when I could wander around the landscape of Pandora as if it was a real national park of some kind, forgetting that it was all of us who had made it so.

You were instrumental in creating the Disney Conservation Fund, which launched in 1996. How did it come to be, and what are some of your proudest accomplishments?

The Disney Conservation Fund came into existence because it simply had to come into existence if we expected to ever build Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It started as a kind of logical and inevitable proposition: If we wanted to have a legitimate venue that held live wild animals, we would have to be part of a broader national and global effort to protect and conserve those animals, and that would involve creating a conservation fund. This was made clear to us by one of our first advisors, Dr. William Conway, and from the moment that it was clear I closed literally every single executive review with the same caveat, that none of this was possible unless we formed a conservation organization. Once I had acquired some internal advocates, like Judson Green, it became easier to advance the cause.

Well before the park opened, we began forming the actual organization. We wanted to disburse lots of smaller allocations, but mainly to field applications where the funds would go the most good. That is still the case having now given out over $125 million to conservation causes around the world.

You retired as portfolio executive in 2021 after 40 years at Walt Disney Imagineering. Given your varied contributions, how do you want to be remembered?

Most of my career was occupied with projects that did not touch upon fantasy or animated characters. Even before Disney’s Animal Kingdom, my work tended to be focused on exploration of what else Disney could mean. Pleasure Island and The Adventurers Club were just part of years of work on urban entertainment centers. Disney’s Animal Kingdom was an experiment expanding what a theme park could be. [Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa] was a collaboration with indigenous Hawaiians. Les Villages Nature Paris was a sustainable eco resort. There’s just not a lot of classic IP in my portfolio. If I have a legacy, I suppose it is that… to leave a body of work that shows just how much more and how much else Imagineers are capable of.

And further, I hope that I have established a sense of discipline, deep study, and gravitas to the work. Over the years I have come to believe that what we do is far and away the most complex and technically sophisticated art form in the world. No film, no opera, no theatrical or architectural enterprise comes close. It deserves intellectual sophistication that is equal to its technical sophistication.

Everything Coming to Disney+ in August 2024

By Cecilia Sarantopoulos

Disney+ is gearing up to keep the excitement alive with a fresh slate of content arriving this August. Get ready for an adventure with Jimin and JungKook as they travel around the world in Are You Sure?!, and dive back into the galaxy of Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures Season 2, premiering on August 14. This season follows the Jedi younglings as they continue their training and embark on even bigger missions across the galaxy.

All titles coming to Disney+ in August are listed below:

Friday, August 2
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (Shorts) (Season 2 Premiere – All Episodes Streaming)

Wednesday, August 7
grown-ish (S6, 18 Episodes)

Thursday, August 8
SuperKitties: Su-Purr Adventures (Shorts) (S1, 6 Episodes)
Are You Sure?! (Two Episode Premiere)

Wednesday, August 14
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures (Season 2) (Premiere – Episodes 1-11)

Thursday, August 15
Are You Sure?! (Episode 3)

Monday, August 19
OceanXplorers (S1, 6 Episodes)

Wednesday, August 21
Me & Winnie the Pooh (S2, 4 Episodes)
Playdate with Winnie the Pooh (Shorts) (S2, 5 Episodes)
Selenkay (S1, 8 Episodes)

Thursday, August 22
Cursed Gold: A Shipwreck Scandal (S1, 3 Episodes)
Are You Sure?! (Episode 4)

Friday, August 23
Marvel’s Spidey and his Amazing Friends (S3, 5 Episodes)

Wednesday, August 28
Som E a Silaba, O (S1, 8 Episodes)
SuperKitties (S2, 4 Episodes)

Thursday, August 29
Are You Sure?! (Episode 5)