Shortly after founding Laugh-O-gram Films, Walt decided he could no longer afford the expense of keeping his apartment. He moved into the Laugh-O-gram building and it became both his home and his place of employment. As he slept there at night, he heard mice come out looking for the crumbs from his employees’ lunches which were tossed into a wire wastebasket. He began to put out food for these mice, luring them closer to him each night. He said that one muse was braver than the others and eventually that mouse became tame and played on Walt’s drawing board while he worked. The mouse stayed in a drawer of his desk and in a small cage Walt bought for him. 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” |
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Growing up in Los Angeles in the 70s/80s we visited Disneyland on a regular basis and often after school, before "Annual Passes". Categories
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