Walt Disney: One Man's Dream        Get Magic Kingdom Tickets here         2 Free Disney Tickets here

INTRODUCTION

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream is a new exhibit that opened October 1, 2001, in conjunction with Walt Disney World's 100 Years of Magic celebration, the 15-month long observance of Walt Disney's 100th birthday. Housed in one of the soundstages along Mickey Avenue, it brings guests their first view of special Disney memorabilia.

ATTRACTION
WALT DISNEY: ONE MAN'S DREAM -- This interactive gallery features a collection of memorabilia from the Disney archives that has never been available to the public before. Visitors are shown artifacts from Walt Disney's life and from the history of the company he founded -- from his birth in 1901 through the company's vision for the future. In addition, the attraction includes a short film of Walt Disney's life that explores the extraordinary hardships he overcame, as well as previously unseen footage, including Walt talking about his creation, Mickey Mouse.
Throughout the gallery, scenic pieces and props create a trip through each era of Disney's life, beginning with a brief look at Disney's early years, from his birth in Chicago and his formative years in Marceline, Missouri, a period that was crucial to his development as an artist and storyteller.
Among the artifacts on display:
-- a model of Main Street, U.S.A. from Disneyland
--Walt's school desk, with his initials carved into it
-- Walt's animation table, on which he animated ¯Steamboat Willie” and Plane Crazy”
-- Oscars for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (one regular size and seven dwarf-sized) and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"
-- Animated bird from the 1800s that inspired The Enchanted Tiki Room
-- Disneyland Castle model
-- An interactive re-creation of Project X (Walt Disney World Resort) Florida
-- Disneyland Paris Sleeping Beauty Castle model
-- Disney's California Adventure model
Throughout the display, ¯connection cards” join the stories of Disney's creations, from boyhood dreams to reality. In one of the attraction's most exciting features, Walt Disney himself talks about the most meaningful and emotional moments of his life through a rare collection of audio interviews, many heard publicly for the first time, which are triggered when guests approach the various sections of the gallery.

TOURING TIPS
This is a walk-through exhibit, which takes at least 15 minutes to view. There is no place to sit until the end of the exhibit, where you enter a theater to view a film.
The film on Walt Disney lasts about 15 minutes.
If you're short on time, visit this attraction in sections -- view the exhibits during one visit, then re-visit the attraction to view the movie.
Ask a Cast Member for the trivia quiz that goes along with this attraction. If you complete the quiz correctly, you'll get a certificate!
Translator units for this attraction are available at the entrance.
This attraction is wheelchair/ECV accessible.
Assistive Listening Devices from Guest Services Can Be Used Here.

KIDS AND CHARACTERS
Many youngsters are not aware that Walt Disney was a real person. This exhibit will help show that he was more than just an icon, but a man with a vision. Because of the nature of the exhibit, though, it may not be of much interest to very young children.
Check your daily Guide Map for times and locations of Character Meet and Greet opportunities throughout the Disney-MGM Studios.
Disney-MGM Studios Characters At A Glance 
Character Meet and Greet FAQ!

INTERESTING FACTS
The priceless collection of memorabilia for Walt Disney: One Man's Dream” arrived via Federal Express from California on an Airbus A300 designated Spirit of Imagination. There are more than 400 items in all.
Walt Disney was born in Chicago on Dec. 5, 1901.
"Steamboat Willie", Mickey Mouse's 1928 debut, was the first fully synchronized sound cartoon.
Walt Disney only attended one year of high school.
In 1923, in California, Walt and his brother Roy formed the Disney Brothers Studio. At Roy's insistence, the company soon became the Walt Disney Studio, since he felt that Walt's name should be emphasized. This is officially recognized as the starting date of The Walt Disney Company.
Walt grew his famous mustache at age 25.
Walt Disney was the voice of Mickey Mouse for two decades.
Walt Disney won 48 Academy Awards and 7 Emmys during his 43-year career.
Gazing into his office, you feel that Walt Disney could walk in at any moment to begin his workday. It looks much the way it did during his life -- his large, polished, wooden desk with pencils and pens ready, scripts neatly stacked, and the well-worn briefcase easily within his reach.
This illustrates what the attraction "Walt Disney: One Man's Dream" is -- a visit to the life, the work and the dreams of the man whose vision made it all possible.
A new attraction that opened at Disney-MGM Studios as part of the 100 Years of Magic celebration, One Man's Dream is referred to on the park maps as a "multi-sensory entertainment experience." Indeed, it is that -- surrounding visitors with sights and sounds and unique experiences -- but it's also more.
It begins when you enter the theater-like foyer where you're surrounded by photos, written quotes and the voice (yes, the voice) of Walt himself saying those now famous words, "I only hope we never lose sight of one thing -- that it was all started by a mouse."
Walt's office, his second-grade desk, and costumes from Disney movies and television are only a few of the things you'll see. One Man's Dream features more than 400 artifacts, many never seen before by the public, from sources including the Walt Disney Archives Collection, the Walt Disney Foundation, and the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.
If you think this sounds more like an exhibit than an attraction, you're correct. But what makes it different, and in my opinion a must-see attraction, is the opportunity to see into the life of this man who brought so much pleasure to our lives, and maybe -- if only for a moment -- to imagine being Walt.
The most compelling part of this attraction, for me personally, was hearing Walt explain things like the "multiplane camera" or his concept of "Project X" -- the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT). I felt that I was walking with Walt as he explained his life, his work and his visions.
A curving timeline (1900s, 1910s, 1920s, etc.) with the familiar white-gloved Mickey hand pointing out highlights leads you through some amazing visuals and memorabilia. The lighting is subdued with bright spotlights focusing your attention on various items. Voices, of Walt and others, echo all around.
Something to note as you move from the black-and-white era into the era of color is that not only does the scenery change, the CMs' vests also change. Subtly, as everyone moves through the automatically opening doors, each CM reverses his vest from one with black-and-white animation to one splashed with brushstrokes of vibrant color.
There are lots of details, facts and tidbits to note here, for example: Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was one of Walt's boyhood heroes? Do you remember that the Oscar for "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (1939) was unique because it had one large and seven small statues mounted on a wooden-staircase base? Do you know Mickey's first three starring films? I won't give you the answer for that one -- you'll have to go find out yourself!
Also throughout One Man's Dream you'll have the opportunity to see the architectural models created for many of Walt's now real visions. You'll see the Disneyland castle model (be sure to look for the tiny figure of Walt, as he appears in the photo at the beginning of One Man's Dream); the Tree of Life; the Fortress from Tokyo DisneySea; the icon of the 100 Years of Magic celebration, the Sorcerer's Hat; and lots more. All of these models have been painstakingly created in exquisite detail.
One Man's Dream ends with a short film about Walt's life. Introduced by Michael Eisner and shown in the tiny "Walt Disney Theater" this is yet another opportunity to see and hear Walt telling his story.
The most interesting, and surprising, moment for me was seeing Walt on screen doing Mickey's voice for "Steamboat Willie." Somehow, I could never imagine that voice coming from him -- not until I saw it with my own eyes!
The message here is that Walt was a true visionary who believed that "quality will win out" and whose dreams are still being implemented today. The film ends as the attraction opens, with a memorable quote. This time it's Eisner who reminds us that in reality "it was all started by a man with a dream."
Is this attraction for everyone? Perhaps not. But during my visits it appeared that everyone was enjoying it - adults, of course, could be heard recalling many of the moments recreated here; children seemed to enjoy the references to Mickey or operating the amazing Audio-Animatronics figure; others, like me, just stood and marveled at the incredible detail and thought that went into this attraction.
According to CMs, guest questions tend to be more about what they don't see rather than what's displayed. They ask about Walt's family, if his wife is still alive, or how and when he died. One CM recalled a little girl asking her about Minnie -- when she was born and if she and Mickey were married. So, yet another thing One Man's Dream does is to stimulate our curiosity.
No, this attraction won't make you scream or give you big belly laughs. But, as far as I'm concerned, it's an "E-ticket" attraction as compelling as any of the "mountains" because it introduces -- or reacquaints -- us with Walt Disney, the man whose visions and dreams delight us even today.
The One Man's Dream walk-through attraction provides an insight into a very private aspect of Walt Disney, through a range of artifacts and interviews that have never previously been made public, including Walt's Office, the "Project X" room, where Walt presented his vision of the proposed Walt Disney World theme park to the American television watching Public.
The attraction also features some of the original models of attractions and rides planned for The Magic Kingdom.
The walk-through culminates in a previously un-released film which captures the very private, and personal side of Walt Disney.
Did you know that Walt Disney once played the role of Abraham Lincoln? That at the age of 16, he was an Ambulance Corps driver in France? Would you like to hear him talk about what it felt like to create Mickey Mouse in recorded words never before heard in public?
Treats for the eyes, the ears and the imagination memorabilia from the Walt Disney Archives that never before has been available to the public about the career and heritage of Walt Disney and the company he founded is showcased in a new attraction at Disney-MGM Studios.
"Walt Disney: One Man's Dream" takes 21st-century visitors to Walt Disney World Resort on an emotional journey that starts with Disney's birth in 1901 and ends with the company's vision for the future. The interactive gallery and new film is located on Mickey Avenue at the Disney-MGM Studios.
"When we were researching the attraction, we found that many of our guests under the age of 15 did not know Walt Disney was a real person," said Senior Show Producer/Director Roger Holzberg of Walt Disney Imagineering. "They thought it was just a company name."
Throughout the gallery, scenic pieces and props create an experiential trip through each era of Disney's life, beginning with a brief look at Disney's early years, from his birth in Chicago and his formative years in Marceline, Mo., a period that was crucial to his development as an artist and storyteller. Throughout, "connection cards" thread the stories of his creations, from boyhood dreams to reality.
And in one of the attraction's most exciting features, Walt Disney himself talks about the most meaningful and emotional moments of his life through a rare collection of audio interviews, many heard publicly for the first time, which are triggered when guests approach the various sections of the gallery.
The attraction includes a short film of Walt Disney's life that explores the extraordinary hardships he overcame to achieve what he did in his lifetime. "He is an individual, not an icon," said Holzberg. "This tells the story of Walt the man, and we hope that guests will be moved by the scope of his imagination, what he accomplished, and what he inspired."
"It's important to note that 'One Man's Dream' is in no way a retrospective," said Marty Sklar, vice chairman and principal creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering. "Walt always said he had one foot in the past and one in the future. We want to inspire the young creative minds of today to help invent the future."
Artifacts on Display