Something very special opens this week at Disneyland Resort — something that has been 70 years in the making, if you will. “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” debuts at Main Street Opera House on July 17, on the 70th anniversary of the opening of Disneyland. This highly anticipated show features the first ever Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney himself.
As a former Disneyland Cast Member and someone who essentially spent every ounce of free time at the resort when I lived in Southern California, and as an avid lifelong Disney Parks fan in general, I know how much this attraction will mean to so many. With the expected turnout of eager fans over the coming months, here’s an introduction to the attraction, the new exhibit surrounding it, and what you can expect when you visit Disneyland Resort.
Walt Disney — A Magical Life
“Walt Disney — A Magical Life” is a new show at Disneyland Park, featuring the first ever Audio-Animatronic of Walt Disney himself. The show begins with a film adaptation of “One Man’s Dream” narrated by Walt Disney. Following the film, guests are transported to Walt Disney’s office where they will come face-to-face with the man that started it all.
While in Walt’s office, the audience will get glimpses into the stories and and reflections on his career. The audio heard in the attraction is taken from recordings of Walt spanning decades. The figure itself was, in Disney Park Blog’s words, “an enormous responsibility, and one our Imagineering team took very seriously through extensive research and innovation.” Here’s a sneak peek of Walt in his office:
I don’t know about you, but I’d make sure to pack some tissues if you’re including “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” into your plans at Disneyland.
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Exhibits and artifacts at Main Street Opera House
“Walt Disney — A Magical Life” is housed in Main Street Opera House, which you’ll find right after you pass through the main entrance to Disneyland and under the Disneyland Railroad tracks on the righthand side. As you enter the lobby, you’ll spot the iconic bench where Walt would sit and watch his daughters ride the merry-go-round — a moment when he would get his earliest ideas for Disneyland.
That earliest spark of an idea to create a place where adults and children could have fun together would eventually become the Disneyland Resort we know and love today. That “Evolution of a Dream” is depicted throughout the Main Street Opera House lobby.
This exhibited, curated by Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Archives, features pencil drawings and concept artwork of preliminary plans of Disneyland. Disney history buffs will definitely want to carve out some time ahead of Walt Disney — A Magical Life to check this exhibit out. Some of the site plans featured in this exhibit have never before been seen publicly.
Disney’s trademark has always been storytelling. In these exhibits, you’ll be able to see storyboards and images showcasing Disneyland Park’s lands, tracing their history from concept through to what they actually are today.
Fashion yourself a Disney merchandise collector? You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for vintage merchandise from the earliest days of Disneyland Resort.
Pencil drawings and renderings aren’t the only artifacts that built Disneyland into the Happiest Place on Earth. There’s the legacy of Walt Disney himself, which culminates in you experiencing “Walt Disney — A Magical Life.” The Walt Disney Family Museum has loaned out more than 30 artifacts to the Main Street Opera House, some of which have never been on public display until now.
Artifacts to look out for include furniture and decorations from Walt’s Disneyland apartment found above the Town Square Fire Station and a selection of Walt’s awards and humanitarian accolades.
The crowning achievement of “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” is the first ever Audio-Animatronic figure of Walt Disney himself. It’s only fitting, therefore, for the Main Street Opera House lobby to also feature an exhibit of the history of Audio-Animatronics, specifically during Walt Disney’s era.
The innovation behind Audio-Animatronics was one that put Disneyland on the map in its earliest years starting with The Enchanted Tiki Room in 1963. Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln in particular was an attraction that mattered a great deal to Walt when it premiered at Disneyland Park in 1965.
Continuing the tradition of “breaking technological boundaries” through state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics, while running “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” in rep with the show that helped pioneer the technology that made the new Walt Disney figure possible in the first place is, indeed, a full-circle moment.
Don’t skip past the exhibit on your way out from “Walt Disney — A Magical Life.” This newly redesigned hallway features a special exhibit dedicated to Disneyland Cast Members from the past 70 years.
As you exit, you are left with images, concept art, and renderings of projects currently in the works at Disneyland Resort. Because, as Walt Disney himself said, “We keep moving forward.”
What To Know
If you’re planning on checking out Walt Disney — A Magical Life on your next Disneyland visit, there are some important tips you’ll need to know. Due to the anticipated turn out for this new attraction, Disneyland is using its virtual queue system. There are two opportunities each day to join the virtual queue:
- At 7:00 AM, the first virtual queue will be available to join for guests with Disneyland Park reservations. Guests may have a one-park ticket to Disneyland Park or a Disneyland Park reservation with a Park Hopper ticket for that day.
- At 12:00 PM noon, the second virtual queue will be available to join for guests in Disneyland Park or guests in Disney California Adventure Park with Park Hopper privileges.
No word yet on how long Disneyland intends on using its virtual queue system for “Walt Disney — A Magical Life.” It will likely depend on continued demand after the show opens July 17.
Missing Abe Lincoln? After the initial run of “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln will return to the Main Street Opera House and the two shows will play in rep.
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First Look: Disneyland’s “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” Featuring the First Animatronic of Walt Disney originally appeared on The World of Spark.
