Pluto

A Dog’s “Tail”: Celebrating 90 Years with Pluto

By Nicole Carroll, Walt Disney Archives Everyone knows that a dog is man’s best friend and classic companion. And, as Walt Disney once said, “Dogs are known and loved in every land.” This is certainly the case in the many worlds created by The Walt Disney Company. Countless new and old Disney favorites include a …

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Miranda Sisters

The Gang’s All Here: Carmen and Aurora Miranda

By Cesar Gallegos, Walt Disney Archives In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Good Neighbor Policy was created to foster better relations between the United States and various South and Central America countries. The entertainment industry took considerable steps to encourage these relationships: For 20th Century Fox this included films showcasing themes and talent …

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World of Motion

Fashion and Fun: Costume Art from World of Motion

By Nikki Nguyen, Walt Disney Archives World of Motion, an opening-day attraction at EPCOT, provided Guests with a fun-filled look at the history of transportation. Former Disney animator and train-enthusiast Ward Kimball came out of retirement to lend his characteristic sense of humor to the attraction’s action. As an art director, Ward helped shift the …

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Are You Walt Disney

D’scovered – “Are You Walt Disney?”

By Becky Cline, Director, Walt Disney Archives When doing research in the collections of the Walt Disney Archives, it’s always fun when you stumble across interesting tidbits from Disney History. One day, while looking in Walt Disney’s 1955 correspondence files (for something else entirely), I came across this very charming note to Walt­—and his equally …

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dumbo the flying elephant

Up and Up and Up: 65 Years of Twirling with Dumbo the Flying Elephant

By Kevin Kern, Walt Disney Archives Sometimes, the most memorable delights are those which are the simplest. Walt Disney’s Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction has withstood the tests of time to become not only a beloved tradition for families to seek out when visiting Disney Parks, but also as a sort of “rite of passage” …

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Brokedown Palace

Brokedown Palace – 20 Years Later

By Jennifer Vanoni, Walt Disney Archives Brokedown Palace, starring Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale, is on the cusp of turning 21 years old. Originally released on August 13, 1999, the 20th Century Fox / Fox 2000 Pictures drama is celebrating this milestone with a streaming debut on Hulu. Inspired by his own travels and the …

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alice through the looking glass

Alice Through the Looking Glass Wind-Up Toy

By Nikki Nguyen, Walt Disney Archives In Alice Through the Looking Glass, Time presents this wind-up toy to Iracebeth as a gift “made entirely out of love… and also a little bit of metal and wood.” The complex machinery of this prop is functional and in working order. As the crank is turned, the executioner lowers the …

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The Great Movie Ride

Halt, Unbeliever! Anything Can Happen in the Movies!

By Francesca Scrimgeour, Walt Disney Archives The Great Movie Ride attraction was a film lover’s dream, an experience that visited some of the most important and classic films of all time. As soon as the attraction vehicle passed under the neon-flashing marquee with “Hooray for Hollywood” swelling in the background, Guests knew they were in …

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wda acquiring the magic 2020

Acquiring the Magic: Fresh Off the Set

By Rick Lorentz, Walt Disney Archives The year 2020 finds many of our favorite television shows wrapping up storylines and coming to an end.   Fresh Off the Boat, Modern Family, Homeland, How to Get Away with Murder and Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. have either aired their final episode, or will be doing so in the …

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Ticket to Dream

Ticket to Dream: Disneyland Treasures from the Archives

By Kevin Kern, Walt Disney Archives Do you remember the first time you passed through the turnstiles and into a Disney Park? That unmistakable feeling of excitement—the sense that magic is just a few feet away within the many realms of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy—is shared by all who come to these happy places. It’s …

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