Credit: Walt Disney Archives Photo Library/DisneyD23 is going all in with Disney100, and this new offering is no exception!
When Walt Disney made his way out west and built the studio on Hyperion, things had only begun. Walt envisioned a creative community where each person involved with the creative process was as passionate as he was about the product. He imagined a studio that was different from the typical office setting, different from his competitors, and more like a campus. In 1940, the Walt Disney Studio became, if only for a time, just that.
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Moving from the studio they’d outgrown on Hyperion, the Walt Disney Studio blossomed in Burbank, where it still resides today. There was much more space on this campus; animators could stretch out, visit one another, have lunch in the commissary, and even enjoy the novelty of air conditioning. The new studio would even include sound stages where many Disney classics would be filmed, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Mary Poppins (1964), and many others!
Visitors to the studio can see it much as it existed back when it was built, including one original building from the first studio, the Hyperion Bungalow. D23, which hosts tours of the studio, is offering a special tour in honor of Disney100, and according to their event page, it will be one that D23 members won’t want to miss!
The two-and-a-half-hour tour promises to take visitors all around the studio, the Walt Disney Studio soundstages, the Disney Animation office exhibit, and even a trip to the Archives! That’s not all: perhaps the highlight of the tour will be a chance to visit Walt Disney’s personal office suite, as described on the event page:
Then, explore the rich legacy and historical collections of The Walt Disney Company during a tour of the Walt Disney Archives. To complete this epic experience, take a tour of Walt Disney’s restored 3H office suite, filled with original furnishings, awards, and items from the master showman’s personal collection. Upon exiting the suite, all guests will receive an exclusive gift to commemorate this memorable experience.
This latest offering goes to show that Disney is starting to remember its audience. Fans worldwide are nostalgic for the Disney of the past, for the Disney they grew up with, and in this way, they can recapture some of that! It’s also an opportunity for fans to take a step into Disney history, before their childhood or that of their parents, and see how the company was formed.
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The tours have already started, and any remaining tickets are sure to go fast! This tour promises to be an unforgettable limited offering, like many of the Disney100 events and celebrations! Combined with those other offerings, it really does seem like Disney is starting to pull out the stops again in an effort to bring back the magic, playing off nostalgia, yes, but celebrating the past and looking to the future!
What would you hope to see on this kind of tour? Let us know in the comments below!