Walt Disney World guests can celebrate the 4th of July 2023 in multiple different ways across the resort. Magic Kingdom will have the annual “Disney’s Celebrate America! — A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky.” This fireworks spectacular will be performed at 9:20 p.m. on July 3 and July 4. The celebration returned last year after a hiatus due to COVID-19 with new narration. Watch last year’s “Disney’s Celebrate America! — A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” below.
There will also be DJs throughout Magic Kingdom.
At EPCOT, the “Heartbeat of Freedom” tag will be performed at the end of “EPCOT Forever.” The tag was previously performed after “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” on Independence Day, and then was suspended for a few years due to COVID-19. Last year, it was performed after “Harmonious.” This will be the first (and potentially only) time it plays after “EPCOT Forever.”
A cappella group Voices of Liberty will also perform classic American songs in The American Adventure and Disney characters will appear at the pavilion in “Spirit of ’76” attire.
Fourth of July-inspired food items returning to Walt Disney World Resort this year include the Fourth of July Fruit Tart at Contempo Café in Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the Fourth of July Liege Waffle at Connections Café in EPCOT.
Oscar-winning actor Alan Arkin passed away at his home in Carlsbad, California on June 29 at the age of 89.
AP
Arkin’s sons Adam, Matthew, and Anthony said in a statement, “Our father was a uniquely talented force of nature, both as an artist and a man. A loving husband, father, grand and great grandfather, he was adored and will be deeply missed.”
Arkin, who was also a director and screenwriter, began as a Broadway actor and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for “Enter Laughing” in 1963. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play in 1973 for directing “The Sunshine Boys.”
He moved to screen work, acting in “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” (1966), for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. He was nominated for the Oscar again, two years later, for “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter.” He won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Little Miss Sunshine” (2006) and was nominated for this award again for “Argo” (2012). For these roles, he also won and was nominated, respectively, for the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Arkin was also known for “Wait Until Dark” (1967), “Popi” (1969), “Catch-22” (1970), “The In-Laws” (1979), “Edward Scissorhands” (1990), “Glengarry Glen Ross” (1992), “Thirteen Conversations About One Thing” (2001), and “Get Smart” (2008).
For Disney, he appeared as Peevy in “The Rocketeer” (1991), Dr. Oatman in “Grosse Point Blank” (1997), Bud Newman in “The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause” (2006), Ray Poitevint in “Million Dollar Arm” (2014), and J. Griffin Remington in the live-action remake of “Dumbo” (2019). For Disney’s Touchstone Pictures, he portrayed “Uncca” Lou Handler in “Indian Summer” (1993) and Ernie Lazzaro in “The Jerky Boys” (1995).
In March 1980, Arkin was the guest star in episode 96 of “The Muppet Show” and he later had a cameo appearance as the Muppet Studios tour guide in “The Muppets” (2011).
His final film role was as the voice of Wild Knuckles in “Minions: The Rise of Gru.”
In addition to his sons with ex-wives Jeremy Yaffe and Barbara Dana, Arkin is survived by his third wife, Suzanne Newlander Arkin. Arkin took the name Newlander for his final TV role in “The Kominsky Method” from 2018 to 2019.
Trattoria al Forno sits on the BoardWalk, and if you time out your dinner right, you’ll have a beautiful sunset to watch while you wait for your table. When I arrived, the restaurant was already starting to get busy.
I checked in with the host and took a seat while I waited for a text telling me my table was ready.
Host stand
Once it was time, I was led through the dining room — a warm space with dark wood, red accents, and gold light fixtures. During the renovation, the restaurant got new floors, which looked fresh and fit the decor.
Dining Room
Off to the side, an open kitchen gives you a glance at the magic in action.
Open kitchen
In addition to this impressive kitchen, you’ll see the pizza oven, adorned with wooden pizza trays and open for the chefs to pass the pies out to servers.
Pizza oven
Let’s take a look at the menu!
Menu
Once seated, I was given two menus. First, the wine list:
Wine menu
This featured a ton of options of rare wines by the glass and by the bottle.
Wine list
There was also a page describing what the different classifications of wines mean…
Wine List Details
…as well as a map to describe the regions!
Italian regions
The second menu had the food and a few drink selections.
Menu
There were some craft cocktails…
Drinks
…and a selection of beer, grappa, and non-alcoholics.
Beer list
For appetizers, you’ll find options like Calamari, Tomato Bruschetta, and Coastal Mussels. For Main Courses, selections include the Truffle Gnocchi, Oak-grilled Strip Steak Florentine, and the Veal Osso Buco.
Appetizers
From the brick oven, there is a selection of pizzas, like the Pizze Margherita, Pizze Pepperoni, and Pizze Carni. As a side, you can order Polpette, Garlic Bread, Crispy Pancetta Arancini, Shrimp Scampi, or Olives.
Menu
Don’t forget to look at the dessert menu! You can decide between Tiramisu, Panna Cotta, House-made Gelato, and Affogato al Cafe.
Dolci
Let’s dig in!
Eats
First, I was served complimentary bread service. Here, that means a wonderful house-made ciabatta served with a garlic and olive oil dip.
Bread service
The bread was amazing. It was soft with a beautiful crunch on the outside, and the oil on the side was a nice touch. The oil was rich and bold with a hint of a sweet balsamic vinegar to balance it out. The garlic was soft and a little sweet, but still had a little bit of a bite.
Garlic and olive oil
For an appetizer, I tried the Charcuterie Board for $15, which was a selection of Cured Meats, Cheeses, and Pickled Garden Vegetables, served with Ciabatta Bread.
Charcuterie Board
For the cheeses, there was Fresh Mozzarella, Aged Provolone, and Herbed Ricotta. The mozzarella was soft and milky, with a delicate sweetness. It was topped with a bit of olive oil that balanced it nicely. The aged provolone was very unique! It was a harder cheese, a little salty, and with a bit of a bite. It reminded me a bit of Parmesan! The star, in my opinion, was the ricotta. It was fresh and creamy and a little sweet — I could have eaten a whole bowl of it, to be honest.
Cheeeeese
Mortadella, Prosciutto, Capocollo, and Calabrese were the meat options that day. All of them were extremely fresh and offered a unique addition to the plate. I particularly liked the prosciutto, which was shaved thin, had a beautiful marbling, and was delicate and salty. The chef wanted to create a nice balance of textures throughout the board, and I’d say very successfully carried that out.
YUM
On the side was the Giardiniera, a bright and fresh selection of pickled veggies that rounded out the dish. The celery was crunchy and light, and the peppers added a spicy kick. As a whole, this had a strong vinegary taste that brightened up the meats and cheeses.
Veggies
For my entrees, I tried. the Lasagna al Forno and the Pizze Stagionale.
Full spread
First, the Lasagna al Forno, for $30, was made with Blended Italian Cheeses, Beef, Veal, Pork, and Herbed Ricotta. I was surprised by its presentation! The pasta was rolled with the blend of meats and cheeses and then propped upright and topped with breadcrumbs.
Lasagna
While the look of this dish was unexpected, the flavors were incredible. The blend of beef, veal, and pork made the filling taste complex and tender. The pasta itself was perfectly al dente, and altogether it was a tasty combination of meat, cheese, and pasta — what’s not to like?
Lasagna
However, if you prefer a saucier lasagna, this one might leave you wanting more. The rolled-up noodles were sitting on a bed of béchamel and marinara, which was delicious, but I personally would have liked it to be more prevalent throughout the dish.
Lasagna
Lastly, I got the Pizza Stagionale for $23. This is a Chef’s Seasonal Pizza Selection that changes from time to time. For me, it was made with Arugula, Cipollini Onions, Mushrooms, Gorgonzola Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze.
Pizze Stagionale
This was delicious! The crust was the perfect texture — soft but with enough structure to hold all of the toppings. It tasted just like it was fresh out of a wood-burning pizza oven, with a slight char on the sides of the crust.
So much going on
All of the toppings gave this pizza a ton of flavor. The cheese was rich and creamy, but sharp-tasting and a little salty. The balsamic and onions added a delicious sweetness to balance out the sharp cheese, and the arugula on top was fresh and a little nutty.
More, please.
This was a great mix of sweet and savory that I really enjoyed, but it was pretty unique. The bold cheese combined with the mushrooms and sweet components won’t be for everyone. This was a surprisingly flavorful combination that I would get again.
For dessert, I ordered the Tiramisu for $10, which was Lady Fingers soaked with Espresso and layered with Italian Mascarpone Cream.
Tiramisu
This was light and creamy — a perfect way to end a heavier meal, with a nice coffee flavor to give you a pick-me-up.
Tiramisu
The lady fingers were soft and delicate, and the mascarpone was rich and thick but still fluffy.
Something sweet
To tie it all together, the touch of alcohol gave it a little kick.
Nosh or Not
Head on down to the BoardWalk and give Trattoria al Forno a try if…
You love Italian food. We aren’t always impressed with the Italian food on property, but you can find some rather enjoyable meals here at Trattoria.
You are staying at an EPCOT resort or want to enjoy the BoardWalk. The atmosphere on the BoardWalk is really something. It’s worth a stop on its own, but if you’re looking for a satisfying meal for your evening in the area, this is worth considering.
You want to spend date night on the BoardWalk.
Skip Trattoria al Forno if…
You want a quiet meal. This location can get loud and feel a little frenzied. This is a popular spot, and families with tired children seem to gravitate here.
You are looking for something the whole family will enjoy. As noted, this isn’t a super enjoyable spot for a little one who has been in the parks all day. There isn’t really any Disney theming and the atmosphere feels a bit more grown-up.
You are on a budget. This isn’t a cheap dining location, so if you’re hoping to save some money, you might want to look elsewhere.
Overall
Overall, this was a pretty good place to find some quality Italian food. It is a little pricey, but compared to other fine-dining restaurants in the area, it’s reasonable. The service I received was some of the best I’ve had in Disney World. My server, Andrea, was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and made me feel right at home.
Full spread
However, this place can get very busy, and it is not quiet. There were quite a few unhappy children here, and if you are looking for a quiet, romantic meal, that might throw a wrench in your plan. It is worth considering if you are a fan of Italian food, but keep in mind it can feel a little hectic in the dining room.
As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news and food reviews!
The EPCOT Food & Wine Festivalis an annual celebration of global cuisine in Disney World, and this year’s festival runs from July 27th – November 18th.
What’s better than eating your way around the World Showcase?! We know exactly what — listening to some iconic bands and artists while you do it! The Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival draws some pretty big crowds, and it looks like new artists have been announced.
Eat to the Beat 2022
Disney has added Orianthi, For King & Country, The Bacon Brothers, Ayron Jones, Phillip Phillips, Raul Acosta and Oro Solido, and We The Kings to this year’s schedule! You can check out the full list and dates for these performances below.
Enjoy your music or movie to your heart’s content…just with your headphones in please!
These concerts are free with EPCOT admission and typically take place three times nightly through the festival. Well-known bands and artists typically perform Fridays through Mondays, while local bands perform Tuesday through Thursday evenings. You can catch the shows nightly at 5:30PM, 6:45PM, and 8PM.
Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it’s a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience.
If you’re planning a day or a week at the festival, we’ve got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it’s a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU!
We all know exactly where to find Cinderella Castle in Disney World. Everyone knows about the good old “it’s a small world” attraction, too. But there are TONS of lesser-known things hiding in Disney World. Do you know about them?
Magic Kingdom
Prepare to be AMAZED by a side of Disney World you never knew existed. (Yes, frequent flyers — that goes for YOU TOO.)
Check out our video: 50 Amazing Things You Never Knew Were in Disney World
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Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Disneyland Paris has shared a short new video showcasing the rehearsals for the new show TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure, which premieres July 15th at Walt Disney Studios Park. What’s Happening: Debuting in summer 2023, this new musical adventure – a Disneyland Paris original and exclusive production – will celebrate some of the most beloved Pixar […]
Disneyland Paris has released a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals for the “Finding Nemo” scene of their upcoming Pixar stage show, “Together: a Pixar Musical Adventure.”
‘Finding Nemo’ Scene of ‘Together: a Pixar Musical Adventure’
Video: first look at rehearsals and costume design for the “Finding Nemo” scene in “TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure”. The show premieres on July 15 at Walt Disney Studios Park. pic.twitter.com/kbEZYp2R4i
DLP Report shared the video on Twitter and you can watch it above.
It features performers practicing their dance moves and using character puppets that may look familiar — they are the same design as the puppets used at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!”
Some of the projections and stage lighting look similar to the Florida show, too.
But this is only one sequence of the new Walt Disney Studios Park show, which premieres at Studio Theater on July 15. Here’s the official description of “Together: a Pixar Musical Adventure”:
This innovative show will celebrate some of the most beloved Pixar stories, traveling into the worlds of “Toy Story,” “Coco,” “Up,” “Finding Nemo,” and “Monsters, Inc.” It will invite guests to embark on a spectacular and poetic journey and experience how music and friendship bring us together.
“TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure” is guided by a bold artistic direction that blends traditional and state-of-the-art technology, creative lighting, multisensory effects, and contemporary choreography, all accompanied by iconic music, as well as an original score. Show Directors Arnaud Feredj and Matthieu Robin have created a fully immersive, surprising, and heartfelt show that blurs the line between fantasy and reality.
Music plays a major role in “TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure.” During every performance, live musicians will pay homage to the timeless beauty of Pixar’s most memorable soundtracks while also performing an original score. The mix of a live musical ensemble and a soundtrack recorded with 54 musicians at the Nashville Studios will truly bring guests on an emotional journey.“TOGETHER: a Pixar Musical Adventure” is a testament to the talent of our artistic and technical teams – costume designers, puppeteers, dancers, musicians, prop decorators, lighting and special effects designers, engineers,and many more. They have also worked alongside Pixar Animation Studios and renowned external talents such as Romain Rachline-Borgeaud (“France’s Got Talent” finalist, tap dancer, and founder of the RB Dance Company), Céline & Cain Kitsaïs (multidisciplinary choreographers and founders of “Le Labo” dancing concept), and Anne Gravoin (trained violinist and Executive Producer in charge of selecting the musicians for the ensemble). These successful collaborations of creative in-house and external talents have resulted in a powerful show with a uniquely French touch.
Disney World is a place that many of us visit to feel happy, nostalgic, and care-free for a few days. After all, it’s known as The Most Magical Place on Earth for a reason!
Isn’t she lovely?
However, as much as Disney does try to distract us from the stressors associated with the realities of everyday life, there are some things that even pixie dust can’t fix. Sometimes, bad things happen — even at Disney World. Sometimes, when you take a closer look at things, they don’t seem so magical after all. Disney has handled a global pandemic, countless hurricanes, and even hurricanes and fires. How does Disney prepare for these things, and how do they recover? Let’s talk about it!
Cast Members at the Disney Parks are trained for the worst case scenario on many fronts. Whether it be a natural disaster, unruly park visitors, or a health emergency, they’re trained to handle it all. We’re going to dive into some scenarios and talk about what might happen at Disney World if any of them were to occur. Let’s go!
Hurricanes
This is probably the most likely ‘worst case scenario’ that occurs at Disney World. Seemingly every year, the parks close at some point due to inclement weather caused by a hurricane. Rest assured that Disney World property is likely one of the safest places you could be during a storm of this extent.
Hurricane Ian
First, Disney World is located in Central Florida — away from the coast. The brunt of the storm typically subsides before it heads inland, so by the time it reaches Disney World, the winds associated with the storm are usually not nearly as strong as the winds that hit the coast. Even though this is the case, each building on property is built by code to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.
Hurricane Ian in Disney World
Further, Disney World also has backup power generators, food, and water in the event of extreme situations.
Fires are the disaster that the Cast Members are probably trained the MOST to be able to handle. At Disney World, a “Signal 25” means fire. Cast Members have secret little ways at each location to communicate a Signal 25 with each other before panic ensues among Disney World visitors.
A very G-rated image of fire
General locations have been evacuated, but parks as a whole have not been evacuated due to a fire. Further, several precautions are placed around the parks to try to prevent the possibility of fires spreading. For example, the tops of the buildings in Magic Kingdom have sprinklers that turn on nightly so that sparks and debris from the fireworks don’t cause a fire to break out.
Terrorist Attacks
This is one of the worst of the worst-case scenarios. It’s a scenario that you can’t prepare for, and a scenario that if it does happen, you have to implement policies swiftly and without mistake. Cast Members are in fact trained briefly on how to handle terrorist attacks. The best way to describe how a situation like this might be handled is through a story that some of you might remember very vividly.
Magic Kingdom
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the only times Disney World closed the gates to the parks for over 24 hours (for reasons unrelated to inclement weather) was on September 11th, 2001. Cast Members found out about the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center while in their respective break rooms, and leaders slowly began getting pinged that the Cast Members should start directing guests out of the parks. They were strictly told to not share with guests the reason behind the park’s closure.
EPCOT
The guests didn’t know what was happening. They were confused and angry that they were losing the money they’d spent on tickets. The haunting message that played over and over on the park speakers in Magic Kingdom will forever be ingrained in the minds of Cast Members working that day: “Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Magic Kingdom is now closed. Please follow the direction of the nearest Cast Member.”
Main Street
No one knew what the next target of attack would be. Since Disney World was such a large tourist destination, officials feared The Most Magical Place on Earth might be next to be attacked. Of course, the “Disney way” is to distract guests from the harsh realities of life. Unless they were one of the few with a cell phone in 2001, no one knew what was happening until they exited the park.
If anything like this were to happen today, the Cast Member protocol would be to calmly direct guests out of the park — focusing on chaos control since everyone would likely already know what was happening due to the modern digital age.
Health and Mental Health Crises
This is another extremely common scenario. Health crises happen in the parks seemingly everyday. Cast Members work hard to discreetly handle situations like accidents and mental health crises in the parks and on Disney property.
Disney World
As you might already know, code language is used for Cast Members to communicate needing an ambulance — referring to them as “Alpha Units.”
Disney World
Food Shortages
Food shortages were especially common in the months following the pandemic, when shipping was backed up and there weren’t enough workers to make supply chain efforts flow efficiently. If anyone remembers the Great Ketchup Shortage of 2021, you know EXACTLY what we mean.
Staff shortages became a huge issue at Disney World due to the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to be an issue as Cast Members left Disney due to wage issues and hours, and also the fact that the Disney College Program was cancelled for a while.
PhotoPass Cast Member
Unfortunately, one of the ways that Disney World mitigates staff shortages is to close attractions for extended periods of time. Whether this be days, weeks, months in a row or simply closing before the park closes.
We love Cast Members
Thankfully, this isn’t as much of an issue anymore and we’ve seen almost everything return from pandemic closures.
Pandemics
Last but not least: the one we’re all pretty familiar with. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cast Members at Disney World worked to make sure Disney World visitors like you and me have as close to a normal experience as possible.
Cast Member at Pizzerizzo
For starters, everyone wore masks. Cast Members stood outside sweating without relief while visitors were able to have brief respites when entering attractions and dining locations.
Pinocchio Village Haus Cast Member
On top of that, rides and commonly-touched surfaces were sanitized every two hours. That took up a LOT of time out of the day! Oh, and can we please take a moment and talk about all the plexiglass? It truly felt like we were living in Elsa’s ice palace with all the transparent barriers. Can we take another moment to talk about the social distancing signs and markers on the ground to ensure everyone was 6-feet apart? (We kind of miss the 6-feet apart thing.) Oh, and how could we forget about the temperature checks upon entering the parks?!
Cast Member
All this is to say that those in charge at Disney World did all they could to run the theme parks smoothly while still keeping everyone as safe as possible. Shoutout to every Cast Member who worked during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cast Member
Well, there you have it! Those are all the worst case scenarios we could think of — other than maybe the “it’s a small world” dolls coming to life and running rampant over the parks, or all the Kilimanjaro animals escaping and taking over the ride operations, or maybe even a Plastic Cheese shortage. (Can you even IMAGINE? Okay, we’ll stop talking now.)
Delicious plastic cheese
We’ll continue to keep you updated with any and all Disney news, so make sure to follow along for more.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Disney’s Riviera Resort is home to luxurious hotel rooms, stunning views, Skyliner access, and some of our favorite spots to grab a bite! We stopped by Le Petit Cafe to check out a new 4th of July treat just in time for the holiday — the Patriotic Top Hat!
LOOK AT THIS TINY HAT
This adorable little chapeau is made out of White Chocolate with Vanilla Bean Cheesecake with Morello Cherries on a Riviera Brownie and you can get it for $9.99. First of all, how cute and tiny is this thing?! But, it is tiny, and for $10, it’s not exactly a sharable dessert.
She cute
Luckily, the taste made up for it — the cheesecake was creamy and the cherries burst with a fresh, tart flavor. The brownie was more like a cake, too, it was soft, moist, and not dry like some other Disney World brownies we’ve had in the past.
The cheesecake melts really quickly inside the top hat, though, which made for a seriously messy eating experience — consider this your warning. If you like cheesecake, cherries, and brownies and are looking for a fun Patriotic themed treat, this might be it! But if you’re looking for something more substantial, this is not it.
You tried so hard, and got so far.
WE KNOW – there are SO many great snacks at Disney World! Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining + Snacks Bundle for all the details you need to plan your snackin’ and spending. You can even download them to your phone – it’ll be like we’re right there with you in the parks!
Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney World snack news and more!
The Sword in the Stone at Hong Kong Disneyland has been surrounded by construction walls to be removed and replaced by a new Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statue. A few days ago, Hong Kong Disneyland Ambassador Tony Dick confirmed the Sword in the Stone would be removed.
— Disney Magical Kingdom Blog (@DMK_Blog) June 30, 2023
Disney Magical Kingdom Blog shared photos of the construction walls around the Sword in the Stone’s previous location in Fantasyland.
Source: Disney Magical Kingdom Blog
The Sword in the Stone was located between Cinderella Carousel and the Castle of Magical Dreams. It has been a fixture of Hong Kong Disneyland since it opened in September 2005. A ceremony featuring Merlin from “The Sword in the Stone” was periodically performed as the wizard sought the rightful King of England.
The Sword in the Stone will be replaced with the new Dream Makers statue, and concept art on the construction walls shows the back of the statue as it faces the carousel.
While other Disney Parks usually have their Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse statues in front of their castle, this statue will be behind the castle.
Dream Makers honors the moment when Walt, sitting on a bench and watching his daughters on a merry-go-round, dreamed up the idea for Disneyland, hence why it’s next to Cinderella Carousel.
The statue will be unveiled in October.
Walt Disney Statues at Disney Parks
Several Disney Parks feature statues of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. The most famous is the Partners statue created by Blaine Gibson. The original was unveiled in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland on Mickey’s birthday, November 18, 1993. A plaque below it reads, “I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place…where parents and children can have fun…together.”
Versions of Partners were eventually installed at Magic Kingdom (1995), Tokyo Disneyland (1998), Walt Disney Studios (2001), and Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris (2002).
Gibson said of the statue, “I chose to depict Walt as he was in 1954. I think that was when [he] was in his prime. It was tough trying to match the media image of Walt Disney, the one the public knows, to the real Walt, the one we knew. I think Walt is admiring the park and saying to Mickey, ‘Look what we’ve accomplished together,’ because truly they were very much a team through it all. ‘Look at all the happy people who have come to visit us today.’”
Gibson also sculpted Sharing the Magic, a statue of Roy O. Disney and Minnie Mouse, which was installed at Magic Kingdom in 1999.
The Storytellers statue, designed by Rick Terry and Ray Spencer, was installed in Disney California Adventure in 2012. Storytellers depicts a younger Walt as he would have looked when arriving in Los Angeles in 1923, and an earlier design of Mickey. Versions were added to Tokyo DisneySea (2013) and Shanghai Disneyland (2016).
The “
