Imagination Skyway

Music at the Disney Parks is so iconic that several attraction themes have been popular for generations. From Sherman Brothers classics like it's a small world and The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room to modern favorites like Golden Dream and even Nothing Can Stop Us Now, Disney attraction themes and scores help convey the story of the attraction and leave Disney fans singing along as they exit the experienc...

Music at the Disney Parks is so iconic that several attraction themes have been popular for generations. From Sherman Brothers classics like it's a small world and The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room to modern favorites like Golden Dream and even Nothing Can Stop Us Now, Disney attraction themes and scores help convey the story of the attraction and leave Disney fans singing along as they exit the experienc...

Have you ever visited Walt Disney World and not visited the Disney Parks? While it's not a traditional Disney vacation, sometimes the most memorable trips to the most magical place on earth are focused around the resorts. Especially with Disney Vacation Club Resorts, there are so many amenities and activities to enjoy that you could easily fill a full vacation with enjoyable moments for the whole...

Disney Springs might be a shopping district at Walt Disney World, but it was designed like a Disney theme park. In fact, the detail and complexity of this themed environment is so impressive that it could almost be considered a fifth gate at the resort. The transformation of Downtown Disney to Disney Springs took years to develop, and it involved a lot more than a simple facelift. The Imagineers c...

Timmy Britt is a former Imagineer and Cast Member of the Walt Disney Company. Timmy's Disney career began at the Animation Academy at Disney's Hollywood Studios, where he taught thousands of Guests how to draw some of their favorite Disney characters. He later transitioned to working as a Scenic Artist, Art Director and Foreman on various projects for Walt Disney Imagineering, including Pandora -...

Visiting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or any other Disney destination while pregnant can be an exciting way to celebrate your growing family. In fact, Disney might be the perfect place for any Disney fan to have a babymoon. While your vacation experience might feel a bit different while you're expecting or traveling with someone who's expecting, it is certainly just as magical. In this podcast e...

Tower of Terror opened at Walt Disney World in 1994, and its success prompted Disney to construct similar versions at Disneyland Paris, Disney California Adventure, and Tokyo Disney Sea. Part of the attraction's popularity has much to do with the level of detail the Imagineers infused into the experience, creating far more than a basic drop ride. The story is carefully woven throughout the full ex...

Tony Baxter's career as a Disney Imagineer defined the second generation of Disney Park experiences. Tony's legacy includes Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Indiana Jones Adventure, Star Tours, Journey Into Imagination, and Disneyland Paris. As a lifelong Disney fan who grew up down the street from Disneyland, Tony always dreamed of becoming an Imagineer. He started with the company at the earliest...

I grew up with a Disney family. We were lucky enough to travel to Walt Disney World just about every year, and we visited Disneyland a few times during my childhood. My family not only instilled in me a love for Disney but also encouraged me to pursue my dream of becoming a Cast Member. They also continue to support Imagineer Podcast. Growing up in the 1980's, 1990's, and 2000's going to Disney, m...

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...