One of the perks to being a D23 Member is the free events planned all throughout the year. The latest event even happened in my part of California! The Walt Disney Family Museum welcomed a select number of D23 members to enjoy a sneak preview of the museum before it opens to the public on October 1st, 2009.
To quickly sum up the entire experience, let me just say… WOW! I tip my hat (with ears on it of course) to the Walt Disney Family Foundation and ALL of the creative men and women that put together, in my opinion, one of the BEST museum experiences ever.
One of the first things you will notice in this write-up is that there are no pictures. They have a very strict no photos or video policy and it is strictly (but nicely) enforced.
The museum is housed in San Francisco at the old Presidio Army Base. Specifically, the museum is housed in the old barracks buildings on the bases main post. The museum takes up three buildings which face the old parade grounds. In total it takes up an impressive 77,000 square feet. It is comprised of the main exhibit galleries (10 in total), a 114 seat screening facility, a learning center, museum store and a café.
While this event was free to D23 members, admission to the museum will be $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for Seniors (over 65), $15.00 for students (with valid id), $12.50 for children (ages 6-17), and free for children under age 6 (with an adult admission). Tickets are purchased for a specific time of entry. If you buy a ticket that says 10:45am, you will not be allowed to enter before that. This really helps to keep the crowds in control, and allows you to thoroughly enjoy all there is to see.
My tip for you planning on visiting, is buy a ticket for as early an entry as you can, and plan on staying at least 4-5 hours to truly see everything. Our entry was for 3:15, and with the museum closing at 6, we had to run through the last 5 galleries, and missed a lot.
Ok onto our visit! First parking is free and located right in front of the museum, and there is plenty of it! When you walk up to the main doors of the museum you are greeted by one of the friendly staff that you will see all throughout the exhibits. It starts off your experience right and lets you know that the Disney magic is alive and well here too!
While you wait for your time to enter the exhibits, the lobby is FULL of Walt Disney artifacts to more than help you pass the time. On display were a wide variety of awards given to Walt and the company from organizations around the world. From keys to the city, to honorary citizenships and much more. The original academy awards for the nature films, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and other notable technical achievements are shown. There is also a table, chairs, table lamp, and portraits from Walt’s apartment above City Hall in Disneyland on display. This is really truly the tip of the iceberg, and sets the stage nicely for all of the exhibits waiting in the next room.
Once it was our time, we had our ticket scanned and entered the first of the ten exhibit galleries. The galleries celebrate Walt’s life and career in ten segments:
- 1. Beginnings – Featuring Walt’s childhood, youth and early adulthood. There were many mementos including his father’s fiddle, his passport and papers for joining the ambulance corps (which he forged so he would appear 17), and a full size replica of the ambulance he drove in France. You can see cameras similar to the ones he used to make his early films and animations all the way up through losing Oswald.
In true Disney fashion, the segue between this gallery and the next is fantastic. Since you need to take an elevator to the second floor to get the next gallery, they have themed the elevator to continue the story. As we all know after losing Oswald, Walt boarded a train and headed out to Hollywood to try again. Well the elevator doors have Santa Fe Railroad logos on the doors, and when you enter the elevator you realized that it is decorated to resemble a railroad car. Complete with red velvet curtain at the rear, wood paneling and windows on either side showing the great Midwest scenery. As the elevator rises you hear Walt talk about how the best way to learn, is to have a great failure. When the doors open… you’re in Hollywood Land!
- 2. Hollywood – See telegrams, written notes, pictures and movies as Walt teams up with Roy, the Alice comedies are created, his marriage to Lillian and the success of Mickey Mouse.
- 3. New Horizons in the 1930’s – See how the success of Walt’s cartoons leads to a revolution in the art and technology of animation. There are actual animation cells, artifacts, artwork, character merchandise and family photos to see. Including the addition of daughters Diane and Sharon.
- 4. The Move to Features – See how Walt and his brilliant team of artists created Snow White and Seven Dwarfs. Hear from some of the pioneers, and see artwork, cells, and much more from the movie.
- 5. “We Were in a New Business” – See and hear about the next features – Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi. There is production art, and the studio’s original multiplane camera on display.
- 6. “The Toughest Period In My Whole Life.” – See artifacts regarding the studios work during World War II, and the animator’s strike, plus artwork and items from Dumbo and the Latin America Tour and films.
- 7. Postwar Production - This gallery chronicles the venture into live-action production and features an underwater camera used for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
- 8. Walt + The Natural World – See examples of equipment used, as well as clips of the nature documentaries and wildlife films.
- 9. The 1950s + 1960s: The Big Screen and Beyond – This gallery features Walt’s venture into television and Disnelyand. See the optical printer used for Mary Poppins, the Lilly Belle scale train that used to run in Walt’s Carolwood home back yard, as well as props from the Worlds Fair, theme parks, etc…
- 10. December 15, 1966 – See and hear the reaction around the world as Walt’s Death is announced. The final room in this exhibit showcases his legacy and how it continues to grow and thrive today and into tomorrow.
I wish I could show you pictures of staggering amount of artifacts, videos, audio, hands on displays, etc…
are shown in each gallery. There is something for every level of Walt Disney Fan. From the ardent follower who can tell you the car he drove Lilly to her parents house for their wedding was a Moon Roadster, to the fan that can tell you that Walt was a great man, who touched us all with his wit, imagination, and out of the box thinking.
This museum is yet another sparkling jewel in the crown of Walt Disney. The family foundation has done an amazing job, of ensuring that the story of Walt Disney will remain clear to those next generations.
I HIGHLY recommend visiting the museum when it opens on October 1st, 2009, and returning to see their lecture series, temporary exhibits, screenings and much more that they have in place.
DisneyDave...
