D23 MEMBER GIFT FOR 2016 OFFERS A RARE GLIMPSE INTO DISNEY’S RICH LEGACY

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club didn’t have to look far for inspiration for its 2016 Gold Member gift, “From the Office of Walt Disney.” To celebrate the restoration of Walt Disney’s office suite on the Studios’ Burbank lot, the Walt Disney Archives worked with D23 to meticulously reproduce 23 unique pieces from Walt’s career that trace his path from America’s heartland to the world stage.

Included in the assortment are items from Walt’s early years in business such as his 1923 Laugh-O-gram Films Inc. business card and the famous 1928 “Everything OK” telegram, which Walt cryptically wired his brother Roy when he lost the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Also in the collection are the 1955 Disneyland invitational press preview pass and Walt’s notes on pages from the “EPCOT Film” script from 1966. Pieces representing animation, live action, television, and theme parks—as well as Walt’s own personal life—make up this one-of-a-kind set.

The gift comes in a “book” designed specifically to hold all the items and will be sent to all D23 Gold and Gold Family Members who join or renew from January 1 through December 31, 2016. Guests can see images from the gift—and learn more about the 23 rare items—at D23.com/OfficeOfWaltDisney. As previously announced, D23 Gold Members will have the opportunity to tour Walt Disney’s restored office during tours and select special events throughout 2016.

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. D23 Members save when renewing their membership and may renew up to 90 days prior to their membership expiration.

*Source D23 Press Release

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

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.

*Source D23 Press Release