Our Favorite Quotes from Disney Legend Don Hahn in Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives

John Gleim, director of Adventure Thru the Walt Disney Archives, and Don Hahn give viewers the chance to go behind the scenes of the Archives.

“We’re Going to Walt Disney World”: Full House

By Matt Moryc, Walt Disney Archives If you grew up watching television in the 1980s and ‘90s, there is an objective argument to be made that some of the greatest family sitcoms of all time were produced during this era. The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) was at the forefront of this golden age of adolescent …

20th Century Fox “Spooktacular” – 1990s: The X-Files

By Christina Pappous, Walt Disney Archives Halloween is here at last! We are ready to don our festive costumes and fill up our Trick-or-Treat bags with delicious candy. But first, let’s glean a little investigative inspiration from the final installment of our 20th Century Fox “Spooktacular.” We are hot on the case of The X-Files, …

High-Flying Heritage: A Walt Disney World Moment 50 Years in the Making

By Becky Cline and Kevin M. Kern, Walt Disney Archives Every now and then, we here in the Archives have the honor of spotlighting historical materials so unique from our collection that the objects themselves seem to transcend matters of just Disney history and cross over into a realm documenting a wider moment from popular …

Fleeting Keepsakes: A Closer Look at Mementos from the Grand Opening of Walt Disney World

By Matt Moryc, Walt Disney Archives It’s been 50 years since Walt Disney World first opened to the public on October 1, 1971. In the months leading up this milestone anniversary, many employees from across The Walt Disney Company have asked the Walt Disney Archives to search our collection for vintage merchandise, graphic designs, and …

20th Century Fox “Spooktacular” – 1980s: Predator

By Christina Pappous, Walt Disney Archives This film is for mature audiences. Halloween is just a couple weeks away and with it, all manner of spooky, scary creatures have begun haunting us… Among these ghouls and goblins, there may be a particularly scary creature lurking in the shadows of the jungle. Get to the chopper …

50 Years of The Vacation Kingdom of the World

By Francesca Scrimgeour, Walt Disney Archives With the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World underway, what better way to celebrate than by looking back at the grand opening celebration of the Magic Kingdom Park? After the success of the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair, Walt Disney recognized the impact an East Coast theme park and …

Legendary Handprints – Manuel Gonzales

In 1936, the Disney studio needed new artists to work on its first feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Open auditions for artists were held at Rockefeller Center in New York, and Manuel Gonzales was one of 33 selected from thousands of applicants to join the Disney ranks. In 1938, Gonzales took over penciling …

20th Century Fox “Spooktacular” – 1970s: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

By Christina Pappous, Walt Disney Archives This film is for mature audiences. Halloween is creeping up ever closer, and with the eerie flicker of jack-o’-lanterns lighting our way through a stormy evening, we are continuing our journey through some of the most “spooktacular” films from 20th Century Fox. What awaits us now is perhaps the …

Remembering Disney Legend Ruthie Tompson

By the D23 Team Ruthie Tompson, who began her career at The Walt Disney Studios as a painter in the Ink & Paint Department, and went on to major roles in final check, scene planning, and the Camera Department, passed away peacefully in her sleep Sunday at her home at the Motion Picture and Television …