WALT DISNEY ARCHIVES RESTORES WALT DISNEY'S OFFICE SUITE AS PERMANENT EXHIBIT SPACE

WALT DISNEY ARCHIVES RESTORES WALT DISNEY’S OFFICE SUITE AS PERMANENT EXHIBIT SPACE

DISNEY CHAIRMAN AND CEO BOB IGER AND MEMBERS OF THE DISNEY FAMILY DEDICATE THE SUITE, WHICH FEATURES WALT’S ORIGINAL FURNISHINGS AND MEMORABILIA.

BURBANK, Calif. – December 7, 2015 – The Walt Disney Company Chairman and CEO Bob Iger, joined by members of the Disney family, dedicated Walt Disney’s newly restored office suite on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank today. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Burbank studio, the Walt Disney Archives restored the space, located in the original Animation Building, to include Walt’s formal and working offices, along with original furnishings, some items from his collection of miniatures, awards, and his piano.

“We put this permanent exhibit together to serve as a source of inspiration,” said Iger during the ceremony, “a reminder to have great ambition, to take bold creative risks, to constantly innovate and push the limits of possibility, to relentlessly pursue perfection, and to tell fantastic stories that touch peoples’ hearts. That was Walt Disney.”

Walt Disney’s granddaughters Joanna Miller, Jennifer Goff, and Michelle Lund were on hand for the event, along with special guests including Richard Sherman (composer of Mary Poppins, “It’s a Small World,” and many Disney classics), Kathryn Beaumont (the voice of Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Wendy in Peter Pan), and former head of Walt Disney Imagineering Marty Sklar.

In 1970, when Disney Legend Dave Smith founded the Walt Disney Archives, Walt’s furnishings from his offices were removed, and, for the last 45 years, they were safely cared for by the staff of the Walt Disney Archives. Through exhibitions and loans from the Archives, millions of guests have seen special displays of items from the office at Disney’s theme parks in California and Florida and in museums around the country.

This new, permanent exhibit is dedicated to the creative genius of Walt Disney and presents the history of the man and the company he founded through artifacts and images. There will also be rotating exhibits on various Disney subjects to celebrate anniversaries, films, and events throughout the Company’s history from 1923 to the present day. The first exhibit is dedicated to Kem Weber, the architect who designed the look and feel of the Studio lot, which opened in 1940. Weber also designed furniture for the Studio, and his designs, along with concept artwork, will be showcased for a limited time.

Walt Disney’s office will be open to Disney employees, cast members, and studio visitors. In 2016 it will be added to tours of the Studio lot and Archives that D23: The Official Disney Fan Club regularly offers to its Gold Members.

About the Walt Disney Archives

For more than four decades, the Walt Disney Archives has carefully safeguarded the most treasured items from The Walt Disney Company’s history, including original scripts, movie props and costumes, Walt Disney’s correspondence and script notes, theme park artifacts, merchandise, millions of archival photographs, and many of Walt’s personal effects. Founded by Disney Legend Dave Smith in 1970, the Walt Disney Archives is a vital resource for every part of Disney, as well as an important research center for Disney scholars, researchers, and writers. The Archives also shares its countless pieces with Disney fans everywhere through its exhibitions and close association with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.

About D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year. Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($74.99), Gold Family Membership ($99.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com and at DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.