Disney is preparing a fantastic show devoted to Walt Disney. But would Walt have even wanted it?
Walt Disney was a complex man. He was a creative genius in many ways, ahead of his time, from animation to merchandising to theme park creation. Walt’s dreams were often bigger than reality could provide for, with tales of his brother Roy having to talk Walt down from some outlandish ideas.
Walt (he always insisted everyone call him by his first name) could be accused of branding himself with the Disney name on movies, the park named after him, TV shows and the like. That’s continued since his passing in 1966 with Disney preparing to honor him for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary.
Opening at Disneyland in July will be “Walt Disney: A Magical Life.” From the same theater as “Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln,” the first true showcase of Audio-Animatronics, this show features a stunningly lifelike Walt in a recreation of his office talking about his career and legacy using audio clips of the real Walt.
It’s an intriguing “full circle,” as back in 1966, Disney was criticized for wanting a robotic Abe Lincoln presented to the public. Now, Imagineers are trying to ensure they treat their founder with such respect.
The Imagineers are talking about the approach to the show, to have it be Walt casually talking to viewers as he did when he hosted the TV shows. This is all meant to bring Walt to life to generations who only know the Disney name, not the man himself.
It appears the Imagineers are treating this seriously and want to ensure they do Walt proud. Yet the question remains: not only should they do it, but would Walt have wanted them to?
Walt would have disliked being such a star.
As noted, Walt was a complex figure as he was friendly and outgoing yet very private in many respects. It’s why there have been different takes on his biography, as it’s hard to pin down the real Walt.
What is known is that for such a master showman, Walt was often reluctant about pushing himself as a presence in the parks. He might allow the odd poster but not himself on the merchandise, preferring to use the characters to sell the park to the public.
He would visit Disneyland constantly, hosting famous luminaries and knew his name was the key to the company. At the same time, Walt balked at making himself the star of the show over the rides and characters and felt that the public would tire of his face looking at them from posters and the like.
A famous story is that in 1965, Disney workers presented Walt with a short film to help investors called “The Disney Image” that looked at his life and career. When it was done, Walt sat silently before leaving with the chilling line, “I feel like I just watched my own eulogy.”
In short, Walt made it clear in his life that he never wanted himself as a figure in the park. That includes the Partners statues seen at various Magic Kingdom parks or the one of him at EPCOT, which was never the “model city” Walt envisioned.
That's more likely Walt would have disliked being made into an animatronic as he loved the technology but again, disliked pushing himself as a park presence. It's once more the dichotomy of Walt being such a showman yet private as well.
This is clearly meant to be a tribute to Walt by the Imagineers and their hearts are in the right place. The company wants to honor its founder and give a younger generation a chance to see what Walt was like. It’s not a bad concept in itself.
Yet it also feels…off somehow. That Walt becomes a “winking/blinking” robot, no matter how lifelike, reduces him to more of a caricature than the person he was. If anything, a better tribute would be a movie showing Walt in his prime, clips from his hosting gigs etc. That would be a nicer showcase for his persona than a robot’s odd moves.
Maybe the show ends up being a wonderful experience that wins over guests and properly honors Walt Disney. Yet one can’t shake the feeling that the man himself would be the last
person to have wanted this as, strange as it sounds, Walt always preferred keeping himself out of Disneyland.
Do you think Walt would approve?