Joe Rohde

Joe Rohde, legendary Disney Imagineer, created iconic attractions like Animal Kingdom and Pandora, blending art, storytelling, and conservation into immersive experiences.

Doris Hardoon

When Doris Hardoon arrived in 1979 for an interview at WED Enterprises—as Walt Disney Imagineering was then called—three future Disney Legends sat in judgment of this recent graduate from San Francisco’s California College of the Arts: Marty Sklar, John Hench, and Rolly Crump. Her creativity and design experience at a small animal-themed park in Northern …

Rob’t Coltrin

Culminating a nearly 30-year career at Walt Disney Imagineering that included work on some of Disney’s most popular attractions, Robert “Rob’t” Coltrin was named a Disney Legend in 2020. To his surprise, Rob’t was notified of this prestigious honor on August 25, 2020, during a private presentation at home with a few friends and his …

Wing T. Chao

For 37 years at Disney, Wing T. Chao played a vital role in designing and developing exceptional and inspiring projects, worth more than $12 billion, at Disney Parks and Resorts worldwide. Wing served as Vice Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for Asia Pacific Development, as well as Executive Vice President of Walt Disney …

Wayne Jackson

Wayne Jackson began his career as an Imagineer in October 1965, and in the decades that followed he would put his technical skill and know-how to great use in the development and installation of Disney attractions around the world. Wayne was the first employee of MAPO—Walt Disney Imagineering’s manufacturing and production arm. Originally trained in …

Collin Campbell

Collin’s first full-time assignment [with WDI] was the Enchanted Tiki Room, which he helped develop. For the World’s Fair he sculpted cavemen for Ford’s Magic Skyway, built models and sets for It’s a Small World, and designed concept art for the Carousel of Progress. With Claude Coats he developed Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland; Collin built the model for the attraction’s Blue Bayou area and designed its trademark flat-bottomed boats.

Tony Baxter

Some of Tony’s recent accomplishments include the restoration of the Disneyland submarines (a sentimental favorite of Tony’s) with Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage (2007), the re-opening of an enhanced Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough (2008), an upgraded restoration of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln (2009), Star Tours — The Adventures Continue (2011), and Fantasy Faire (2013).

Mary Blair

Animator Marc Davis, who put Mary’s exciting use of color on par with Matisse, recalled, “She brought modern art to Walt in a way that no one else did. He was so excited about her work.”

Ward Kimball

Among the many memorable Disney characters Ward Kimball brought to life were Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio, Tweedledee and Tweedledum in Alice in Wonderland, and Lucifer the Cat in Cinderella.

Ub Iwerks

As an animator, Ub worked at record-breaking speed. He animated the first Mickey Mouse silent cartoon, Plane Crazy, entirely by himself within a three-week period, completing as many as 700 drawings a day.