The logo for the Walt Disney Archives 55th anniversary, set on a black background, features a 1920s-era, black-and-white-style Mickey Mouse in gray shorts holding a pencil next to a large number “55” set in gray. Below these icons is a logo reading “Walt Disney Archives” in white. Below it is a white line separating the slogan “Preserving the Magic,” with “1970–2025” on the bottom line.

D23 Celebrates 55 Years of the Walt Disney Archives

This past June, D23 shook up the start of our summer season with a bicoastal Spotlight Series celebrating 55 years of the Walt Disney Archives! Fans got a sneak peek into the inner workings of the department charged with collecting, preserving, and sharing Disney history, and left with enough knowledge to be certifiable junior historians themselves!

(Left): A display of a Winnie the Pooh live-action reference stand-in from Christopher Robin (2018). The stand-in is large with soft yellow fur and rounded plush limbs and is wearing a red shirt with short sleeves that leave its belly exposed. The doll is held in a display case and sitting atop a black tablecloth. To the stand-in’s right is a retouched image from the film Christopher Robin, of the stand-in being held by an actor. The image is in black-and-white but Pooh is highlighted in vibrant color. (Middle): D23 fans pose with one of Walt Disney’s Electric Runabout cars in front of the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California. The turn-of-the-century-inspired vehicle is aluminum-bodied with a curved dashboard design, and sports a forest green color with cream trim. Behind the vehicle is a photo backdrop of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park. The guests posing wear mid-century-inspired outfits—on the left, black sunglasses and a plaid dress, on the right, a bright green dress. (Right): A glass slipper from Cinderella (2015) on display during D23’s Spotlight Series event celebrating 55 years of the Walt Disney Archives. The slipper’s various facets reflect soft and bright blues, purples, and yellows. Next to the slipper is a placard from the Walt Disney Archives, and a retouched image from the film Cinderella featuring the glass slippers highlighted in vibrant color against a black-and-white background.

We jumped into June with our first event in Glendale, California, where the historic Grand Central Air Terminal hosted a series of panel discussions spotlighting Disney Legends, company experts, and crown jewels from the Walt Disney Archives collection. Guests were first greeted by one of Walt Disney’s Electric Runabout cars from Disneyland, then got some facetime with fan-favorite archival items, including iconic Star Wars droid BB-8, a Winnie the Pooh live-action reference stand-in from Christopher Robin (2018), a 1930s-era Mickey Mouse Charlotte Clark plush doll, and the legendary glass slipper from Cinderella (2015)! The “sole” connections continued with to the Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion attraction at Walt Disney World Resort, who joined guests as eager audience members for the upcoming panel.

D23 Inside Disney’s Lisa Cabello served as a thoughtful host for our multi-part presentation, beginning with an intro to all things Archives led by the head of the Walt Disney Archives (and D23!) Michael Vargo and the director of the Walt Disney Archives, Becky Cline. The ensuing discussion highlighted the ingenious ways the Archives supports numerous teams across the Disney company, including Disney Publishing (like assisting Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Disney author Don Peri with their recent book on Disney animation directors!), helping create experiences for Disney Cruise Line, and inspiring new company merchandise collections, such as those for the Disneyland 70th anniversary celebration. Then, D23 Members got an in-person peek behind the magic of how the Archives team receives new items into its collection. Some of the recent additions that were shared included props from the new Lilo & Stitch (2025), a smiling Kermit the Frog puppet used by Disney Legend Jim Henson, and even a harmonica used by Academy Award® nominee Timothée Chalamet in Searchlight Pictures’ A Complete Unknown (2024).

(Left): An on-stage shot from D23’s Spotlight Series event celebrating 55 years of the Walt Disney Archives. Pictured are the Walt Disney Archives’ Senior Manager Cesar Gallegos and Exhibitions Manager Matthew Adams in a navy suit and purple dress shirt, respectively. Above the speakers on a large projector screen is a photo collage of live-action reference models side-by-side with scenes from classic Disney animated films, including Peter Pan (1953), Pinocchio (1940), Cinderella (1950), One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Snow White (1937). Middle): Muppets Studio and Live Characters producer Dani Iglesias shares the stage with D23 Inside Disney’s Lisa Cabello while presenting objects from the Walt Disney Archives, including a prop Scrump doll from Disney’s Lilo and Stitch (2025), Kermit’s banjo from The Muppet Movie (1979), and a smiling puppet of Kermit the Frog. The hosts smile at the objects with delight and awe. (Right): A close-up shot of a harmonica from A Complete Unknown (2024), which was used by Timothée Chalamet in his role as Bob Dylan for the film. The display also includes a silver harmonica rack, which holds the orange-colored instrument. Next to the display is a placard from the Walt Disney Archives describing the items; in the background is the event hall of the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, California.

Closing out the event was a panel of Disney Legends, luminaries, and creatives, who shared even more special stories about working with the Archives. We had a “wheely” good time learning about Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine’s restoration of Disneyland’s Adventureland Treehouse inspired by Walt Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson, and got wind of Disney Legend Martha Blanding’s (humorous) frustrations with Walt Disney gossip she’d overheard over the years. Plus, Tron: Ares producer Justin Springer talked about the value of working with the Archives in support of the upcoming film, and Disney Legends Don Hahn and Bill Farmer shared fond memories of fellow Disney Legend and Walt Disney Archives founder Dave Smith and the Archives staff through the years.

(Left): An audience and presenter image from D23’s Spotlight Series event celebrating 55 Years of the Walt Disney Archives in Orlando, Florida. In a large auditorium, D23 guests are seated in rows and listening to a presenter (Director of the Walt Disney Archives Becky Cline). Onstage are a row of director’s chairs, under a large projector screen of the event logo—a black-and-white Mickey Mouse next to a large “55” with smaller text with the Walt Disney Archives logo. (Right): A bright close-up image of a Robin puppet from The Muppets. Robin is a small frog with prominent white eyes and black pupils on the top of his head. His mouth is open in a smile-like form. Texture-wise the puppet is made of a felt-like cloth material. His left arm is slightly raised, assisted by a thin black rod from the lower right of the image.

The Archives anniversary celebration continued eastward in the Sunshine State a few weeks later, with Michael Vargo; Becky Cline; Steven Vagnini, Content Strategy and Development Manager; and Kevin M. Kern, Regional Archives Manager, bringing the fun to D23 guests at Disney Springs. Flying in from California with Becky was another froggy friend: an authentic Robin puppet from The Muppets, to say hello to our fans! The magic didn’t stop there—we searched high and low for a, well, figment, of the well-loved purple-pigment dragon type, who made an appearance in figural form as part of the East Coast’s new asset showcase.

After learning about the history of the Archives and its many collections and past projects, the Archives team then welcomed friends from various departments around the company, including John Gleim (Senior Creative Producer, Visual Media Production), Ken Ricci (Executive Creative Development, Walt Disney Imagineering), Ryan March (Manager, Creative Content, Disney Vacation Club), and Richard Terpstra (Senior Manager, Graphic Design, Disney Consumer Products), who illuminated the Archives’ role in so many areas of company projects that the public often doesn’t learn about. For example, did you know that the Archives has artifacts on display in the lobby of Impressions de France at EPCOT? C’est magnifique!

As a finale, D23 Members on both coasts were the very first to view a special picture created to celebrate this year’s anniversary—a heartwarming new short film called A Daring Journey Into the Walt Disney Archives. Continue this historic celebration by watching it here!