Imagination Skyway

On Disney vacations, we often find ourselves running from one item on our itinerary to the next. From attractions to restaurants and even shows, we pack as much value into our trips as possible, which often means we miss the simple moments in between. I often find my favorite moments at the Disney Parks and Resorts are the times when I slow down, focus on the present, and appreciate the simple thi...

On Disney vacations, we often find ourselves running from one item on our itinerary to the next. From attractions to restaurants and even shows, we pack as much value into our trips as possible, which often means we miss the simple moments in between. I often find my favorite moments at the Disney Parks and Resorts are the times when I slow down, focus on the present, and appreciate the simple thi...

Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room opened at Disneyland in 1963, followed by Walt Disney World in 1971 (although it was named Tropical Serenade for over 25 years). Created by Walt Disney and a team of Imagineers (Rolly Crump, Harriet Burns, and John Hench to name a few), the Tiki Room was the first attraction at Disney to feature audio animatronics. While the show has seen some changes over the yea...

Walt Disney World and Disneyland get an extra dose of magic during the holiday season. Whether you're visiting Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, a Disney Resort hotel, or any other Disney destination around the world, experiencing Disney at Christmas is worth the trip, and that's why I'm here to help you think about...

Disney Parks and Resorts are so effective at evoking positive emotions that we often find ourselves experiencing tears of joy and even chills on our Disney vacations. In many cases, we get tears and chills for the same reasons every time we go. Whether we're visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, or even the international parks, it's these moments of joy that can make our trip...

Disney Parks and Resorts are so effective at evoking positive emotions that we often find ourselves experiencing tears of joy and even chills on our Disney vacations. In many cases, we get tears and chills for the same reasons every time we go. Whether we're visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, or even the international parks, it's these moments of joy that can make our trip...

The Great Movie Ride opened with Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios) at Walt Disney World on May 1, 1989. Considered to be the signature attraction of the park, The Great Movie Ride was originally considered for a standalone Future World Pavilion at Epcot. Michael Eisner and the team soon realized that the idea was evolving beyond a simple pavilion, so they got to work on a ne...

Theron Skees spent 23 years at Walt Disney Imagineering as an Art Director and Creative Portfolio Executive. His work includes projects at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Theron also led the redesign of Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World to Disney Springs, and he led the Imagineering team at Disney Cruise Line. Theron’s portfolio in themed entertainment is...

Theron Skees spent 23 years at Walt Disney Imagineering as an Art Director and Creative Portfolio Executive. His work includes projects at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland Paris, and Hong Kong Disneyland. Theron also led the redesign of Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World to Disney Springs, and he led the Imagineering team at Disney Cruise Line. Theron’s portfolio in themed entertainment is...

Imagineer Podcast listeners like you will often send me questions about Disney's past, present, and future. Whether it's a question about Walt Disney World, Disneyland, the international Disney Parks, or even upcoming films for Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, or Pixar, I try to answer as many as I can. Once in a while, that means opening up my Instagram Live to answer questions in an open forum. In lat...

Scott Wolf’s official Disney work includes everything from the production team of Disney' original “DuckTales” and “TaleSpin” animated TV series to writing 700+ online articles about Disney history for the Disney Archives’ D23 website. His Disney photography has appeared in numerous books, newspapers and other publications, including two of his own Disney-authorized photo books, featuring his favo...

Scott Wolf’s official Disney work includes everything from the production team of Disney' original “DuckTales” and “TaleSpin” animated TV series to writing 700+ online articles about Disney history for the Disney Archives’ D23 website. His Disney photography has appeared in numerous books, newspapers and other publications, including two of his own Disney-authorized photo books, featuring his favo...

Kevin Rafferty just retired from Walt Disney Imagineering on April 1 after more than 40 years at Disney. Kevin's work includes some of your favorite attractions: Cars Land, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Tower of Terror, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Test Track, Mickey's Philharmagic, Toy Story Mania, and Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway (which was Kevin's final project at Disney)....

Tom K. Morris, former Creative Development Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, led an impressive 35-year career with WED. Working at Walt Disney Imagineering from 1980 until 2016, Tom helped to develop attractions like Journey Into Imagination, Star Tours, Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris, and Cars Land at Disney California Adventure Park. Tom also served as an executive producer for...

Kilimanjaro Safaris opened at Walt Disney World on Earth Day 1998 (after a soft opening that spring). As the signature attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Kilimanjaro Safaris is Walt Disney's dream come to life. As a lover of animals and nature, Walt originally intended for Disneyland's Jungle Cruise to feature live animals, but it just wasn't possible at the time. Kilimanjaro Safaris might hav...

The smells at the Disney Parks and Resorts make for some of the most emotional memories on a Disney Vacation. Whether we're visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, or any other Disney destination, what we smell is not only memorable but also completely intentional. Whether it's the savory smell of popcorn walking down Main Street USA, the soothing smell of lavender in a Disney...

Splash Mountain, which first opened at Disneyland Park in 1989, then at Walt Disney World and Tokyo Disneyland in 1992, has been an iconic part of the Magic Kingdom mountain range for decades. Conceived by Disney Legend Tony Baxter, Splash Mountain takes guests into the colorful animated world of Song of the South, featuring characters like Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Fox, and including songs...

Pandora – The World of Avatar raised the bar for immersive themed lands when it opened at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in 2017. Between Avatar Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, Satu'li Canteen, Pongu Pongu, and of course the land itself, travelers visiting the Valley of Mo'ara (courtesy of Alpha Centauri Expeditions, per the story) are transported to an alien world that feels...

Pandora – The World of Avatar raised the bar for immersive themed lands when it opened at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World in 2017. Between Avatar Flight of Passage, Na'vi River Journey, Satu'li Canteen, Pongu Pongu, and of course the land itself, travelers visiting the Valley of Mo'ara (courtesy of Alpha Centauri Expeditions, per the story) are transported to an alien world that feels...

Mary Blair is an iconic Walt Disney Imagineer and Disney Animator, a prolific artist, and a celebrated fashionista. Starting at Disney in 1940, Mary worked on iconic films like Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. She also created the unique look of "it's a small world" for the 1964 World's Fair in New York (later moved to Disneyland) and designed the Grand Canyon Concourse mural at Dis...

Lou Mongello has set the gold standard for Disney podcasts. He is not only a podcast host but also an author, entrepreneur, speaker, and lifelong Disney fan. His wildly popular show, WDW Radio , is not only well-known in the Disney community but has also been named the Best Travel Podcast for 9 consecutive years. Lou’s audio tours, Walt Disney World Trivia Book, 102 Ways to Save Money for and at W...

"As a former Walt Disney Imagineer, Brian helped create the magic for some of the world’s most beloved  attractions. At other times in his career, he has produced work for a who’s-who list of corporations, as well as small entrepreneurial ventures. A passionate educator, Brian has served on the faculty of several schools. His deep understanding of new and emerging technologies and, most importantl...

In this round table episode, we'll answer some clever and challenging questions that merge the Star Wars and Marvel universes. For example, we'll kick things off by asking if a lightsaber could cut through Captain America's shield. With about a dozen questions to answer, we'll put our Star Wars and Marvel knowledge to the test, and I have the perfect group of friends to help me answer them all. Ho...

Disney vacations in my family are a tradition, a legacy that began long before I was born. Since the time my parents were young children, they have been visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and even the 1964 World's Fair. After I was born, my family continued the tradition of visiting the Disney Parks and Resorts, which inevitably led to my love for all things Disney, my decision to become a Di...

If you've been to any Disney Park or Resort, you know that Disney Cast Members are the ones who truly make the magic. From designing and building the places we know and love to operating and maintaining those Disney places on a daily basis, both on stage interacting with Guests and behind the scenes, Cast Members are the fuel that keeps the Disney magic alive. This year more than ever, I felt that...