Walt Disney Imagineering has once again partnered with renowned Disney artist Eric Robison for a new painting to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Tokyo Disney Resort.
On their official Instagram page, Walt Disney Imagineering gave the first look at the original, hand-painted work. This one-of-a-kind artwork is meant to capture “all the magic that has been created over the last 40 years.”
The painting draws heavy inspiration from iconic concept art created by legendary Imagineer Herb Ryman during the conception of Tokyo Disneyland in the 1970s and 80s, shown below.
The concept art depicts Cinderella Castle and the hub area around it. To the far left is World Bazaar, complete with its distinct canopy. In the distance, we see Space Mountain and the spires of Tomorrowland, and, of course, on the right is Cinderella Castle itself, cloned from its original Walt Disney World home for the Japanese park.
In Robison’s 40th anniversary reimagining, many of the same features can be seen. Set under a pink and purple sunset, the Partners statue can be seen in a bed of wildflowers at the center as Walt Disney seemingly points to the fireworks above Cinderella Castle inside Tokyo Disneyland.
To the left of the castle, in place of World Bazaar, Tokyo DisneySea is framed underneath a cherry blossom tree. We see Mount Prometheus and the Fortress Explorations, home of S.E.A., in its depiction. At the bottom of the painting, a descriptor reads, “Tokyo Disneyland Resort 40th Anniversary 2023.” In the bottom right, Robison’s signature has been painted by the renowned Disney artist in the same lime green.
As seen above, Robison has put the finishing touches on the Cinderella Castle in Tokyo Disneyland. Robison’s 40th Anniversary commemorative painting of Tokyo Disneyland was inspired by Herb Ryman’s original painting of the Tokyo Disneyland hub. A long-respected artist and Imagineer, Ryman was originally hired by Walt Disney in 1954 to create the original concept drawings for Disneyland in California.
Disney Artist Eric Robison
Robison was discovered by Walt Disney Imagineering President Marty Sklar, who liked the artist’s unique portrayal of Disney characters and helped to launch his art career with a position among the highly-esteemed Walt Disney Imagineers. As a concept designer, he worked on projects associated with Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, and Disneyland Resort in California.
Among his repertoire, Robison has become a renowned and best-selling artist with original Disney art including the 30th Anniversary of the Haunted Mansion, Disney Decades for Disneyland’s 50th Anniversary, The Pirates of the Caribbean, The Matterhorn painting [tribute to Herbie Ryman], and the original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Tokyo Disney Resort “Dream-Go-Round” 40th Anniversary Celebration
Tokyo Disney Resort is now celebrating its 40th Anniversary, dubbed “Dream-Go-Round” after officially debuting on April 15th. The celebration is set to take place until March 31, 2024, and will feature decorations across both parks, special food, merchandise, and entertainment. The biggest addition by far is the new “Disney Harmony in Color” daytime parade, as is tradition with a Tokyo anniversary celebration.
Decor has also been added to Cinderella Castle for the first time in ten years along with decorations at World Bazaar and around the Tokyo DisneySea entrance. Take a look at the new decor that dons Cinderella Castle at the center of Tokyo Disneyland.
What do you think of the new painting commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Tokyo Disney Resort? Let us know if you’ll be looking out for prints of this new Eric Robison artwork or if you plan to visit Tokyo Disneyland for the 40th Anniversary celebration in the comments below!
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