           Palm Springs is home to Smoke Tree Ranch, Walt’s personal family getaway. Walt took his final flight on the Gulfstream from Palm Springs to Burbank following the Thanksgiving 1966 holiday. This poster features an interpretation of Walt Disney’s Palm Springs home backyard where he is reviewing scripts under the umbrella while his grandkids lounge and play in the pool. Notice the Smoke Tree Ranch brand/logo in the lower left.   JUST ANNOUNCED: Walt's Plane is making a cross-country journey to Anaheim, California, where it will be on display for fans attending D23Expo 2022. Guests can visit a specially curated exhibit called Mickey Mouse One: Walt’s Plane presented by Amazon. The exhibit will highlight the history of the plane—also known as “The Mouse”—and showcase its significance in The Walt Disney Company’s history.  Walt Disney received his beloved Grumman Gulfstream-1 airplane in early 1964. The plane was used extensively to shuttle key Disney personnel between The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, CA, and the site of the four Disney created pavilions for the 1964—1965 New York World’s Fair. Walt and his Imagineers also used the plane as they developed plans for the top-secret “Florida Project,” that would ultimately become Walt Disney World. Walt loved to use the plane for family getaways, visiting some of his favorite destinations like New Orleans and Palm Springs. Following Walt’s passing in 1966, the plane saw continued use for several decades, supporting company business travel, film promotion, and goodwill tours to children’s hospitals, before it was retired from service in 1992. For its final flight, the aircraft traveled to Walt Disney World, touching down for the last time on World Drive on October 8, 1992. The plane was then moved nearby to Disney’s Hollywood Studios where it was displayed as part of the park’s fondly remembered Studio Backlot Tour for more than 20 years. It’s the only way to fly…  "Walt took delight in planning each trip, plotting the itinerary on maps in his office over his evening Scotch. When passengers arrived at the plane's home base at Lockheed Airport, he loaded their luggage aboard. During the flight, he served the drinks and supervised the galley. For years, Walt had yearned to pilot a plane, and on occasion, the company pilot, Chuck Malone, allowed Walt to take over the controls.” -Walt Disney: An American Original, by Bob Thomas See Walt’s beloved Grumman Gulfstream-1 up close at the 2022 D23 Expo, September 9, 10 & 11, at the Anaheim Convention Center at “Mickey Mouse One: Walt’s Plane - Presented by Amazon”   Walt Disney is an American hero. From Mickey Mouse to Disneyland, he changed the face of American culture. His is a success story like no other: a man who developed animated film into an art form and made a massive contribution to the folklore of the world. After years of research, respected Hollywood biographer Bob Thomas produced a definitive biography of the man behind the legend of Disney: the unschooled cartoonist from Kansas City who when bankrupt on his first movie venture and developed into the genius who produced unmatched works of animation, and ultimately was the creative spirit of an international entertainment empire that has enchanted generations. Complete with a collection of rare photographs, Walt Disney: An American Original is a fascinating and inspirational work that captures the spirit of Walt Disney. 384 pages In 1958, Walt Disney encouraged thirty-six-year-old Bob Thomas to write The Art of Animation, the first book that would give full credit to the animators and explore the animation process. Thomas interviewed Walt Disney many times during the years he was a Hollywood correspondent for the Associate Press and in preparation for his two books, The Art of Animation and Walt Disney: Magician of the Movies. After Disney's death in 1966, Thomas wrote the official biography, Walt Disney: An American Original. His other Disney books include Building a Company: Roy O. Disney and the Creation of an Entertainment Empire; The Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast; and its revision, The Art of Animation, From Mickey Mouse to Hercules. He was issued a special commendation at the Disney Legends ceremony in 2001.
 Thank You Walt Disney, the nonprofit devoted to highlighting Disney’s boyhood here and his contributions to entertainment, has released architectural plans for a $5.5 million renovation of the historic McConahy Building at 1127 E. 31st St., just a block east of Troost Avenue. Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. is committed to saving Walt Disney’s Kansas City history and providing a place for art and animation study, while encouraging confidence and entrepreneurial individualism. The efforts to restore the Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City represent more than just a fascination with Walt Disney and his incredible life. They represent our opportunity to preserve a part of history that would have otherwise disappeared, and will ultimately serve as a catalyst to link education and hope with our youth, enabling them to become true leaders in our community. Thank You Walt Disney, Inc 
 Walt Disney (in back seat with camera tripod) and Laugh-O-gram employees film a Troost Avenue neighborhood parade, probably in 1922. The sign on the car reads, “These pictures will be shown at the Isis Theatre tomorrow night.” Courtesy Walt Disney Co.
 |
My Story
Growing up in Los Angeles in the 70s/80s we visited Disneyland on a regular basis and often after school, before "Annual Passes". 
Visit our sister blog LADL for MORE Disney in the links below:
Categories
All
Archives
October 2022
|
RSS Feed
