Walt Disney had spent the previous decades perfecting the animated film and building his studio, making it synonymous with innovative storytelling — he had invented the multi-plane camera to take animation to new levels and had made the first animated feature in Technicolor, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.” He also loved amusement parks and watching his children have fun on a carousel in L.A.’s Griffith Park. He, too, wanted to be a part of that experience and have as much fun. He wanted a place where people could create memories.
That dream came true on July 17, 1955, when Disney opened the doors to Disneyland in Anaheim, a move that would forever change the world.
Now, 70 years later, Disneyland has become a place where families, adults and children come from around the world to create lasting memories. Disney once said Disneyland would never be completed as long as there’s imagination. As the Anaheim theme park celebrates its milestone anniversary, a unique group of individuals known as the Walt Disney Imagineers have become the backbone and driving force for evolving and enhancing the theme parks, attractions, Disney resort hotels, cruise ships and much more. They keep Disney’s vision and imagination alive.
Bruce Vaughn, who has been with the company since 1993 (he took a hiatus in 2016, and returned in 2023), serves as president and chief creative officer of Walt Disney Imagineering. Vaughn explains that the thousands of Imagineers are both storytellers and innovators and work tirelessly to bring an immersive experience to the parks and Disney properties. “People walk into Galaxy’s Edge and immediately, they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I feel like I’m in the movie,’” he says of Disneyland’s “Star Wars”-themed area. “The operative word is ‘feel.’ It’s visible. All five senses are being stimulated, and that’s the magic of what we do.”
As visitors walk through Disneyland’s gates and see Main Street, they are greeted with the sound of ragtime music, and the scent of buttered popcorn and sweet treats fill the air. Every minute detail has been carefully curated by a team of Imagineers. To Vaughn’s point, the total sensory experience culminates in the rides. Once someone has experienced the smell of the water on the Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World rides, it’s unforgettable, as is the temptation to touch the snake carvings while standing in line for the Indiana Jones Adventure. Every part of the park is designed with a purpose.
Vaughn explains, “It takes an incredible amount of different expertise to come together and to do that.” Over the years, the team of Imagineers, headquartered in Glendale, has grown to thousands. Their expertise ranges across the board from storytellers, engineers and artists to technology experts. The word Imagineer is key to what they do, using their imaginations to engineer new experiences for park guests and improve and refresh beloved favorites. Vaughn credits them as being the best in the world. “If there’s a music person, they are world-class. If there’s someone who works with art glass, they are world-class. That’s why they often have amazing hobbies. They’re great musicians, or they’re amazing sculptors,” Vaughn says.
The Imagineers remain at the forefront of storytelling and innovation, constantly looking to “find the magic and power that exists in the real world and in the books, and then bring it together,” Vaughn adds.
Imagineers have transformed Disneyland with colorful buntings, signs and special installations for guests to experience during the 70th anniversary festivities. Sleeping Beauty’s castle features a celebration medallion, and visitors will hear a new verse of “It’s a Small World” starting July 17.
With Imagineers always looking to the future, the innovation Vaughn and the team at WDI are most excited about is Walt Disney — A Magical Life, which brings together the past, present and future of Disney storytelling. It also debuts on July 17 at the park and allows audiences to experience an animatronic figure of Walt Disney. “It’s by far the most advanced animatronic we’ve ever done,” says Vaughn. “This is something that I think many Imagineers dreamed up doing because that’s how Walt honored his hero, Abraham Lincoln, with the most sophisticated animatronic figure.
“We knew that we would never do it until we had the capability to do it. It’s going to be as close as you can be to be with this incredible person, and you realize just how incredibly innovative he was in and really focused on immersive storytelling,” he adds.
The Disneyland opening day parade on July 17, 1955.
As the Disney company continues to expand its IP and the Imagineers work to build new environments and introduce characters, the North Star always remains the immersive experience for the guest. Families hold the Carousel, Dumbo, Peter Pan and It’s a Small World close to their hearts. The rides have lasted for generations and remain as popular as the newer ones. “Dumbo is one example of a ride that has transcended the movie,” Vaughn says. “It has become a rite of passage. In people’s minds, it’s a cute elephant, and Disney is very good at creating cute. We know when we do flying attractions, they’re always a hit, and families like to take the kids on and even adults go on it.”
Imagineering innovation has led to surprises. A recent example of that is the DBX droids. The DBX droids made their debut in October 2023 and have been spotted around parks around the globe ever since. When they made their debut, visitors went wild for them.
So did filmmaker Jon Favreau.
“Jon Favreau sees them and says, ‘Alright, they’re going in,’” says Vaughn says, who incorporated them into “The Mandalorian and Grogu” feature film due for release early next year. “But they weren’t designed for that. They were an experiment on how we take what’s in our research and development and move it faster through the pipeline,” Vaughn says.
Like Disney, the passion of Imagineers lies in their desire to create joy and hope by tapping into their inner child. Vaughn says the most rewarding element for an Imagineer is “someone who wants to see the day when a guest actually reacts to what you’ve done.” He continues, “That is truly what makes an Imagineer an Imagineer. It’s a great idea, but no good if it can’t end up in front and cause an emotion. People think our products are roller coasters and hotels, but our product is actually emotion. That’s why I say when we’re designing or engineering happiness through optimism, we’re specifically creating these emotions.”
And with that, as the park unveils expansion plans with more new rides and new experiences, these special individuals continue to draw on their imagination to help keep Disney’s dream alive. And Disneyland will never be complete as long as there’s imagination.
“Disneyland means so much to so many people because they make memories here that last a lifetime,” says Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences. “Our guests grow up visiting this special place and have experiences only Disney can create. And then they pass that love for Disneyland on to their children and grandchildren. We become part of their life story, and that’s so powerful.”
