The Walt Disney Story
1973-1992

 
  In June 1969, a staff of over 200 at Walt Disney Productions began poring over thousands of feet of taped interviews with Walt in order to produce a film in which he would narrate his life story. Almost four years later, in March 1973, a small fraction of the material perused was issued as The Walt Disney Story, a 23-minute film that became the centerpiece of like-named but distinct new attractions on the Main Streets of Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the months to follow. 

  At Disneyland the Walt Disney Story took the place of Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln in the Main Street Opera House. This turn of events provoked a public outcry, however, for the return of the much-beloved president show. So in 1975, The Walt Disney Story film was ousted from the Opera House theater, edited down and combined with other footage to create a new version which became part of the pre-show for the restored Lincoln presentation. Among the pre-show's other exhibits were recreations of Walt's "work" and "TV" offices, displays of various awards and accolades and an audio-animatronics owl who discoursed on Walt's groundbreaking nature films. This new attraction became The Walt Disney Story featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. 

  Walt Disney World's version of the attraction was housed in a building constructed expressly for the film. This new structure wrapped around the south and west sides of the Gulf Hospitality House, with its long, garden-flanked entrance (depicted above) jutting out into Town Square and its exit spilling guests into the Hospitality House itself. It opened in April 1973 and was dedicated on May 6, in a ceremony attended by Mrs. Lillian Disney Truyens and Mrs. Roy O. Disney. The attraction was sponsored by the Gulf Oil Corporation from its opening until 1979.

   Just inside the main entrance was a long, pre-show hallway filled with memorabilia pertaining to Walt and his pioneering achievements in the world of entertainment. Letters to Walt from various celebrities and political figures (among them Winston Churchill, Richard Nixon and Julie Andrews) were displayed near the entrance. The majority of the exhibits were contained in displays falling under various titles attributed to Walt, such as "International Ambassador," "Naturalist," and "Artist & Impresario." Accounts of his ventures into feature-length animation, live-action filmmaking, television, the 1964-1965 World's Fair and his association with the CalArts Institute lined the walls. The unique eight-Oscar Academy Award presented to Walt for 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was housed here for nearly two decades. A few steps away, a scale model of the Nautilus submarine used in 1954's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was ensconced in a diorama casing. This model was moved to Epcot's Living Seas pavilion in 1986, where it was placed in the queue area.

   Music from Disney's animated features played quietly throughout the area, and segments from Fantasia's soundtrack accompanied a group of items related to that film midway down the hall. The overall atmosphere of the pre-show was museum-like, similar to the holding area in Liberty Square's Hall of Presidents. That these manufactured environments of mock austerity managed to partially quell the inherent loudness of a room filled with tourists is a testament to the effectiveness of what the company calls crowd control. People walking into these rooms almost automatically shut up and put their hands behind their backs as if guided by voices.

   At the end of the pre-show hallway were the entrances to the twin, 300-seat theaters in which the film was presented. Between the entrances on a convex section of wall was a mural created expressly for this attraction, in which 170 Disney characters cavorted amongst themselves. This piece took four months to complete and incorporated over 1,200 separate colors. Up until the mid-1980s, characters from more recent releases such as The Black Cauldron and The Great Mouse Detective were added to the mural. This practice was finally abandoned (either the routine addition of a few characters every couple years burdened the company's art staff or they just decided they'd run out of room). Likewise, many of the other displays in the pre-show area suffered from neglect in the attraction's last days, primarily evident in the dramatic yellowing of many wall hangings.

   Cast members played an active role in the presentation of the aforementioned mural and other parts of the attraction, particularly during its earlier years.  Guests were traditionally greeted at the entrance turnstiles by a host or hostess before passing into the exhibit area. Prior to each showing of the film, another cast member would step up onto the podium in front of the character mural and give a spiel about it and the upcoming presentation. Shortly thereafter he or she would drop the blue velvet rope in front of the doors to one of the theaters (the opposite theater would normally be midway through the film). The Walt Disney Story used to have its own cast members, mainly females, in long flower-print gowns. The staffing scenario was reworked and positions were dropped from the operation by late 1989, when the attraction was run by (mostly) sour old men in Main Street Transportation costumes. The days of informative spiels delivered by pretty girls in 1970's outfits were then but pleasant memories in many corners of WDW. 

  Once everyone was seated in a theater, a cast member delivered the normal protocols about food, drinks and smoking, then informed guests that aside from a brief introduction the voice they would hear would be that of Walt Disney. It was also explained that the uneven quality of his narration stemmed from the fact that it had been culled from years of interviews with Walt and assembled into one narrative.
 
   The film itself was a sentimental account of the highlights of Walt's career, with few mentions of episodes or persons in his personal life. It began with a prologue spoken by Pete Renoudet, a vocal impresario who appeared in several other Disney theme park productions. This introduction used a story about "the boy who wanted to march in the circus parade" and a scary closeup of Vesey Walker's (the original Disneyland bandleader) face to illustrate one of Walt's simple philosophies about life and the importance of taking chances. Then Walt's voice took over and the story of his life began with his mother and father's Chicago contracting business at the time of his birth on December 5, 1901.

   Various episodes along the way to Walt's commercial success were touched upon. Among these were his family's move to Marceline, Missouri, his first "paying job" as an artist drawing Doc Sherwood's horse, his stint as a WW1 ambulance driver in Paris, and his initial forays into animation with the Alice Comedies in Kansas City. His rough and tumble beginnings led him to California and the 1923 establishment, with his brother Roy, of the first animation studio in Hollywood.

   From there the film focused solidly on the studio's triumphs and failures over the course of the next thirty years. Guests learned about the creation of Mickey Mouse, the evolution of the Silly Symphonies, the runaway success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the thought process behind the True-Life adventures and the company-wide confidence in the promise of Mary Poppins. To the film's credit, there was also some discussion of films that fell short of expectations. For example, Walt explained that financial restrictions prevented the intended viewing of Fantasia in its wide-screen format, which he felt compromised the final product upon its release. Additionally, he rationalized that Alice In Wonderland's box office "nose dive" was directly attributable to its lack of "heart." Contrasted with the sympathetic Cinderella, he observed, millions of people didn't care about Alice.     

   The last section of the film dealt with Disneyland and the plans for Walt Disney World. Walt revealed that his Disneyland park would offer his take on what he felt were the most "vital" parts of American history and also delve into the world of tomorrow and the realms of fantasy. It was to be an environment where parents and children could have fun together, and one where he could make constant improvements. He also states that there would be a distinction between Disneyland and "whatever Disney does in Florida." In a segment pulled from his 1966 EPCOT film, he affirmed that the "heart" of WDW would be his city of tomorrow. The effect of hearing Walt say this just moments before the screen panned out on Herb Ryman's famous EPCOT painting was powerful, and - as the film grew older and EPCOT changed directions - disheartening. But at the time of the attraction's debut it was testimony to the company's intention of following through with EPCOT, the city.     

   In conclusion, Walt described his "little bee" role in the company during his last years and explained what he felt was most gratifying after over forty years in the business. For him the reward was in building his organization and gaining the acceptance and appreciation of the public for the work he'd done.

   Although the film was described in company literature as the story of Walt and Roy, the latter's part in the film was (much as in life) largely behind the scenes. Walt's wife was absent from the story, as were his daughters aside for a brief mention regarding their role in the genesis of Disneyland. If something seemed amiss, it was surely due to the rigorous process of editing the material available into one cohesive script. The circumstances surrounding Walt's death were naturally not among the topics he discussed in interviews and were, consequentially, left out of the film as well.

   The Walt Disney Story was projected through a special anamorphic lens which enabled a screen proportion of 2.67 to 1. This allowed for the unique scrapbook effect (seen above) used extensively in the film, where as many as three different films would be running side-by-side as part of the same scene. The soundtrack was scored by longtime Disney composer Buddy Baker, and included his haunting WDW theme used often during the resort's first ten years.

   Both theaters exited into the east end of the post-show exhibit area. This part of the attraction underwent the greatest amount of change over the years. In its first incarnation, there was a large model of WDW Phase One on the north wall. Nearby were displays centered around EPCOT and the direction it was expected to take when the resort approached Phase Two. One of the most memorable parts of this area was the small alcove where part of the Western River Expedition model could be viewed. Set to special lighting and music, the scene depicted a boatload of guests floating past an Old West street scene, where can-can girls sang and a cowboy and his horse stood atop the front porch of a saloon.

   Tied in with the model, a nearby display featured another audio-animatronic owl (cousin to the aforementioned Disneyland bird) in a setting also linked to the Western River Expedition. The owl introduced himself as the star of that upcoming WDW ride and he offered a brief lecture on the audio-animatronics process. An animated book next to him flipped its own pages in time with his speech. This little show culminated in a rock and roll-driven, flashing-light mess taking place on the programming console in the display's foreground. As with many other displays, the owl and his spiel were adapted to meet the needs of the Walt Disney Story's later inhabitants.          

   The Walt Disney Story was temporarily replaced by other attractions twice during its nineteen-year run. In June 1981, the building became the home of the EPCOT Center Preview Center (a redundant mouthful). While the area leading up to the theaters remained largely unaltered, the Walt Disney Story film was stored away to make room for a new film promoting Walt's "greatest dream," EPCOT Center. This also prompted the restructuring of the post-show exhibit area and the complete enclosure of a display revolving around Walt's backyard railroad and the Western River Expedition model (which was rediscovered in 1994 with lights still burning in its miniature buildings.) The owl was decked out in a tour guide costume and talked about the audio-animatronics that would be a part of EPCOT Center. The Walt Disney Story was returned to the theaters again in October 1982.

   In 1988, the attraction gave way once again to a preview of the upcoming Disney-MGM Studios park. The post-show was once more redone with wall hangings of conceptual artwork and construction photos. The owl perched himself on a director's chair and spoke on yet another new topic.  It was to be his last. When The Walt Disney Story returned in the summer of 1989, the owl was left without anything to talk about. He was soon sitting in silence and flew away within a year. The remainder of the attraction followed his lead in October 1992. The company cited deterioration of the original film print as the main reason for the closing of the attraction. Cast members speculated privately that low attendance at the film played a major role in the decision.  By this time, however, the company's real reason for closing anything wasn't exactly a mystery.   

   In 1994, The Walt Disney Company released a home video version of The Walt Disney Story to appease guests who inquired about the attraction's departure. Unfortunately the video's producers chopped up the film by replacing its original introduction and ending with saccharine appearances by a costumed Mickey character. And in not offering a letterboxed version, over half of the film's original scope was deleted from view.

   On October 2 of that same year, The Walt Disney Story was parodied mercilessly in The Simpsons' "Itchy & Scratchy Land" episode. Part of an ongoing tradition of gleefully mocking all things Disney, the Simpsons' second Disney-esque theme park (the first being Duff Gardens) featured "The Roger Meyers Story." This homage to the late creator of Itchy & Scratchy lauded Meyers for loving children of "almost all nations." While it may have succeeded in horrifying Disney purists, the satire took an arguably light jab at the Disney company's canonization of its founder.

   Of course The Walt Disney Story film did represent the rose-colored company line. This version of the past, however, was entirely in keeping with the overall feel of the Magic Kingdoms. People do not visit Disney parks expecting to find popularly-held conceptions about Walt Disney challenged. The parks have never been a refuge for intellectuals, and the crossing of the two has generally been disastrous. The Walt Disney Story was made by and for people with a layman's appreciation for Walt Disney's work. It reaffirmed warm feelings and also introduced innumerable children, like myself, to the very fact that there was a man behind the name behind the parks. It's a lesson that some children today are simply missing out on.

   For that reason alone I believe if the closing of any of the Magic Kingdom's attractions could be deemed reprehensible, then this is the one that fits the bill. Michael Eisner has made public his assertion that the Disney parks and their attractions should not serve as "museums,"and to an extent even someone like me can rationalize why some well-loved old rides and shows are eventually altered or retired. To have willfully abandoned, however, the sole physical venue paying testament to the creative genesis that spawned an entertainment empire while simultaneously capitalizing on every conceivable aspect of that same empire's assets is simply tasteless. A bronze statue in the hub that speaks nothing to the man's ideals and philosophies is hardly a replacement.

   The Walt Disney Story should have continued to play even if every seat during every showing remained empty, even if it cost a thousands of dollars to restore the film, even if staffing the attraction was a strain on resources. That the show is missing from the park will remain a source of abject disappointment to longtime WDW visitors who feel this ex-attraction above all others should never have been touched. It anchored Town Square, Main Street and the rest of the park to a sense of tradition. Of course, with so many of the company's older traditions having been set aside since the early 1990s, it is probably only fitting that The Walt Disney Story was closed at the offset of the new era.

Postscript

   In October 1996, The Walt Disney Story's building was re-occupied by a new "attraction," the Walt Disney World 25th Anniversary Welcome Center.  New exhibits filled the pre-and post-show halls and the theaters ran films previewing new Disney projects such as the cruise lines and the Animal Kingdom park.  While a far cry from the old presentation, the pre-show exhibits in particular represented a happy first: the in-park display of artwork and models that went into the planning of WDW's first five years, plus publications and souvenirs from that time period. And at the very least the theaters were occupied again, which gave momentary hope that the space might have a future. Then in 1997, as with The Walt Disney Story before it, they closed the Welcome Center down and all those great things were removed.

   Now the majority of the building is filled with a rambling and incoherent mix of displays that are ostensibly related in one way or another to photography. I think it's called the Main Street Exhibition Hall. It's sponsored by Kodak and is largely geared toward steering visitors into making souvenir purchases. The theaters are still there, but the only one through which guests are funneled scarcely resembles the space in which the Disney Story film was presented.

   In 2001, the company kicked off its year-long-plus tribute to the 100th Anniversary of Walt Disney's birth. All of the Florida parks received some form of modifications to acknowledge the event (even if it primarily seemed like it came in the form of merchandise). The Disney-MGM Studios, however, actually houses an exhibit that captures a stunning amount of The Walt Disney Story's spirit. It's called Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. It's a well-executed and memorable tribute to his creativity, accomplishments and goals. It even devotes a significant amount of space to his plans for EPCOT. So ten years after the last show devoted to him as a person closed, there is still proof that he can be successfully accorded an appropriate amount of space. If this presentation made its way into the Kingdom it would be a tremendous plus.

 All images copyright The Walt Disney Company. Text copyright 2002 Michael Lee.

  I would like to acknowledge the assistance of Paul Anderson, Russell Brower, Dave Ensign and Mike Hiscano with my research into the history of the Walt Disney Story.