Recently I visited Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry to check out the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit. Presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, the exhibit “celebrates Disney imagination, innovation and entertainment with nearly 300 artifacts, many which have not been widely seen by the public.”
You won’t be unsure whether or not you’ve arrived at the museum with the Disney exhibit. That’s for sure.
The exhibit requires an extra fee, and you’ll be given a specific time to return to the exhibit (similar to a FastPass). You can enter the exhibit after the time listed on your ticket.
I’ll forewarn you that this is NOT a Disney Parks exhibit. While there is a decent amount of space dedicated to Disney theme parks and attractions, much of the exhibit is dedicated to Walt’s life and his creation of the Disney brand we all know and love.
But even if you’re a hardcore theme park and coaster fanatic, you’ll still probably enjoy learning about the history of the man behind the ears.
The animator’s desk is where the Disney magic happens…literally.
The Disneyland mailbox: before Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, this is how you would let your friends know how awesome of a time you were having on vacation.
In case you were looking for the technical definition of “Imagineering,” the exhibit has you covered.
Pictured above: Mad Tea Party under construction at Disneyland.
One of the coolest things I found was this Disneyland concept map. It was fascinating comparing what Walt originally envisioned and how close/different it was to the actual thing.
Disneyland today comprises around 85 acres.
The concept of Main Street, U.S.A. looks fairly close to the finished product.
However, other areas of the park changed a bit from the concept phase.
I’m glad the basic setup of the Main Street U.S.A. remained intact.
Still operating today: can you spot the Mark Twain Riverboat?
Other parts of the concept map look rather unfamiliar when looking at the park today.
Pictured above: the basic layout of the Disneyland concept.
Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955. Seen above are young children dashing into the park for the first time.
This Mickey Mouse toy was available for purchase during the early years of Disneyland. They don’t make ’em like this anymore.
Congo Queen: a Jungle River boat ride vehicle model.
The exhibit features a few post-Epcot items, such as this “Star Tours” model from the early 1980s.
The exhibit also features artifacts from attractions no longer operating, such as this ride vehicle from Adventures Thru Inner Space. The ride operated at Disneyland from 1967 until 1985.
You’ll leave the exhibit knowing almost everything about the different Disney castles.
The unfinished Cinderella’s Castle made of LEGOs is quite impressive.
Included are photos showcasing Epcot’s various stages of construction. Seen above is the base for the theme park’s iconic Spaceship Earth.
The shell of Spaceship Earth begins to take form.
The “ghost bride” animatronic is only slightly terrifying when seen outside of the Haunted Mansion.
A good portion of the theme park section of the exhibit is dedicated to Epcot and Walt’s influence on its design even after his death.
Note: the It’s a Small World animatronics look slightly more strange up-close.
This Pirates of the Caribbean ride poster really made me want to hop in the car for a trip to Magic Kingdom (or Disneyland).
Also featured is a section detailing the history and technology behind Disney’s famous animatronics.
Let’s just say it’s a good thing that the animatronics have “skin.”
The Animation Academy portion of the exhibit allows you to exercise your Disney artistry while drawing a “mystery” Disney character. I’ll spare you all from seeing my version of Flounder from The Little Mermaid.
Overall, I felt the exhibit did an excellent job of capturing and elaborating on Walt Disney’s legacy. I really enjoyed my time spent in the exhibit, even though the theme park side of Disney was not the focus. I learned a lot about Walt and his life, and I highly recommend seeing it if you have the chance.
You can buy tickets to the museum online here. Note: the exhibit requires an additional ticket with a specified entry time.
Preview what’s inside the exhibit here. If you’re interested in seeing the exhibit in person, hurry, as its last day is August 3, 2014.
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