“Main Street Music Co.,” reads the Magic Kingdom window: “Ron Logan Leading the Band into a New Century.” Ron Logan’s 23-year Disney career did, indeed, lead the concept of Disney and live entertainment from humble origins into the 21st Century.
From a starting point of simple marching bands and costumed characters, Logan delighted Disney Guests with spectacles, fireworks, music spectaculars, and Broadway-style stage musicals, all within the gates of Disney.
Ron was born in 1938, and grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he studied trumpet, violin, piano, and dance. He began performing professionally when he was in the ninth grade, and has played in bands and orchestras nationwide. He has also performed as a trumpet player and singer on recordings, television, motion pictures, and with name bands and lounge acts throughout the United States.
He graduated from UCLA, holding both his B.A. and M.A. degrees in music and music education. It was during this time that he began his career at Disneyland as a trumpet player, and also played with the fanfare trumpets as part of the Disney-produced pageantry for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California.
From 1965 to 1978, he was director of bands and jazz studies at Long Beach City College in Long Beach, California. In 1978, Ron moved to Florida as Walt Disney World music director. He returned to Disneyland in 1980 as the Park’s director of entertainment, and, in 1982, went back to Walt Disney World as vice president of entertainment. In 1987, he was promoted to vice president of creative show development for all of Walt Disney Attractions.
In his last role at Disney, Ron was executive vice president, executive producer, for Walt Disney Entertainment. He was responsible for creating, casting, and producing all live entertainment products for The Walt Disney Company, including Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Paris, The Disney Institute, Disney Business Productions, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Entertainment Productions, and Walt Disney Entertainment Worldwide. He was also executive vice president of the Walt Disney Special Events Group, and Executive Vice President of Disney Special Programs, Incorporated. He produced all live entertainment shows for the Disney Parks worldwide as well as five Super Bowl halftime shows.
Ron was a founding member of the International Foundation for Jazz, a corporate advisory council established in support of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE). He is a board member of the Orlando Repertory Theatre (UCF), and serves on the Board of Directors (USA) for the Famous People Players (Canada) and the International Theatre in Long Beach, California. He is an associate professor at the University of Central Florida, Rosen College of Hospitality Management in Orlando, Florida.
Although he retired in 2001, Ron continues to pursue activities in music and theater around the world.