Storytellers (statue)

Last updated

Storytellers
20161203Shang Hai Di Shi Ni Le Yuan Hua Te Di Shi Ni Yu Mi Lao Shu Tong Xiang .jpg
The Storytellers statue at Shanghai Disneyland
ArtistRick Terry and Ray Spencer [1]
Year2012 (2012)
MediumBronze
Subject Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse
Location
Owner The Walt Disney Company

Storytellers [2] is a bronze statue depicting Walt Disney standing next to his most famous creation, Mickey Mouse, which serves as a counterpart to the iconic Partners statue at Disneyland. The statue was commissioned for the overhauled and expanded Disney California Adventure theme park in Anaheim, California, where it stands in front of a recreation of the Carthay Circle Theatre on Buena Vista Street. Subsequent recreations of the statue are found at the entrance of Tokyo DisneySea in Tokyo, Japan and at the end of Mickey Avenue at Shanghai Disneyland in Pudong, Shanghai, China.

Unlike Partners, which depicts a more mature and successful Walt Disney, Storytellers depicts a younger Walt as he might have looked when he arrived in Los Angeles in 1923. Mickey, despite not having existed yet in 1923, is seen in a design from the early 1930s, standing on top of a large suitcase next to Walt. Also unlike Partners, which is elevated, fenced off and surrounded by a bed of flowers, Storytellers is placed on a street corner at ground level and is accessible to park guests. [3] [4]

Two plaques are placed on either side of the statue. The one to the right quotes Walt Disney as saying, "We are just getting started". The plaque to the left uses another, longer quote: "It was July 1923. I packed all of my worldly goods — a pair of trousers, a checkered coat, a lot of drawing materials and the last of the fairy tale reels we had made — in a kind of frayed cardboard suitcase. And with that wonderful audacity of youth, I went to Hollywood, arriving there with just forty dollars. It was a big day the day I got on that Santa Fe California Limited. I was just free and happy!"

Locations

LocationExact locationDedication
Disneyland Resort Disney California Adventure June 15, 2012
Tokyo Disney Resort Tokyo DisneySea October 7, 2013
Shanghai Disney Resort Shanghai Disneyland June 16, 2016

Related Research Articles

<i>Soarin</i> Flight motion simulator at Disney parks

Soarin', also known as Soarin' Over California, Soarin' Around the World, Soaring Over the Horizon and Soaring: Fantastic Flight, is a flight motion simulator attraction at Disney California Adventure, Epcot, Shanghai Disneyland, and Tokyo DisneySea. It employs a mechanical lift system, a projected presentation on an 80 ft (24 m) concave 180-degree dome screen, and artificial scents and wind to simulate a hang gliding flight over locations in six of the world's continents. Many consider it the first flying theater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Street Electrical Parade</span> Parade at Disney theme parks

The Main Street Electrical Parade is a nighttime parade, created by Robert Jani and project director Ron Miziker. It features floats and live performers covered in over 600,000 electronically controlled LED lights, and uses a synchronized soundtrack triggered by radio control along key areas of the parade route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleeping Beauty Castle</span> Castle at Disneyland

Sleeping Beauty Castle is a fairy tale castle at the center of Disneyland and formerly at Hong Kong Disneyland. It is based on the late 19th century Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany. It appeared in the Walt Disney Pictures logos from 1985 to 2006 before being merged with Cinderella Castle, both familiar symbols of The Walt Disney Company. The version at Disneyland is the only Disney castle whose construction was overseen by Walt Disney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happiest Homecoming on Earth</span>

The Happiest Homecoming on Earth or the Happiest Celebration on Earth was the eighteen-month-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Disneyland theme park, which opened on July 17, 1955. It commemorated fifty years of Disney theme parks and celebrated Disneyland's milestone throughout Disney parks all over the globe. The "Homecoming" name was only used for Disneyland Resort; all the other Disney Parks resorts used the "Celebration" name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey Mouse Revue</span>

The Mickey Mouse Revue was an indoor audio-animatronic stage show at the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland theme parks. It was one of the three original opening day attractions in Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland in 1971. After closing at Magic Kingdom in 1980, it was moved to Tokyo Disneyland for that park's opening in 1983 where it remained for 26 years before closing permanently in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumbo the Flying Elephant</span> Ride at six Disney parks

Dumbo the Flying Elephant is an aerial carousel-style ride located in Fantasyland at six Disney parks around the world. It is based on Disney's 1941 animated feature film, Dumbo. The original attraction opened at Disneyland on August 16, 1955. The five other versions of the attraction were opening-day attractions at their respective parks. It is the only attraction that can be found at all six Disney castle parks worldwide.

<i>World of Color</i> Nighttime show at Disney California Adventure

World of Color is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars Steve Davison, and designed by Disney Live Entertainment, the show has 1,200 water fountains and includes lights, fire, lasers, and fog, with high-definition projections on mist screens. The show is inspired by Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color anthology television series, as evidenced by the use of its eponymous theme song written by the Sherman Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure</span> Dark ride attraction

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure is a dark ride attraction based on the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid, located in Paradise Gardens Park at Disney California Adventure and in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park, where it is titled Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid. The ride opened on June 3, 2011 at Disney California Adventure, and on December 6, 2012 at Magic Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanghai Disneyland</span> Theme park

Shanghai Disneyland is a theme park located in Chuansha New Town, Pudong, Shanghai, China, that is part of the Shanghai Disney Resort. The park is operated by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and Shanghai Shendi Group, through a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and Shendi. Construction began on April 8, 2011. The park opened on June 16, 2016. The park operated in its first half-year with a visitor attendance of 5.60 million guests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D23 (Disney)</span> Official Disney fan club

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, also known as Disney D23 or simply D23, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, the D23 Expo. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company.

<i>Toy Story</i> Land Themed area at Disney Parks

Toy Story Land is a themed land at Walt Disney Studios Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland, and Disney's Hollywood Studios. The area is based on the Disney·Pixar film series Toy Story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duffy the Disney Bear</span> Stuffed bear

Duffy the Disney Bear (ダッフィー) is a Disney Parks stuffed bear that can be found at the Tokyo Disney Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Shanghai Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line and formerly at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park in California, and Walt Disney World in Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Street, U.S.A.</span> Themed land at Disney theme parks

Main Street, U.S.A. is the first "themed land" inside the main entrance of the many theme parks operated or licensed by The Walt Disney Company around the world. Main Street, U.S.A. is themed to resemble American small towns during the early 20th Century. In Tokyo Disneyland, it is called World Bazaar and covered by a glass Victorian-style conservatory roof to shield guests from the weather there. At Shanghai Disneyland, it is called Mickey Avenue and is orientated to help introduce visitors to Disney characters.

<i>Partners</i> (statue) 1993 copper statue by Blaine Gibson

Partners is a 1993 copper statue by Blaine Gibson depicting Walt Disney holding the hand of the most popular character he created, Mickey Mouse. The statue is 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm), 7 inches (18 cm) taller than Disney himself. It is the central point of attention as guests enter some of the Disney parks. Gibson took a year to create the piece. He used a 1960 bust of Disney as his model for Disney's half. To sculpt Disney and Mickey's joined hands, he consulted the 1940 film Fantasia, where Mickey shook hands with conductor Leopold Stokowski.

<i>Paint the Night</i> Parade at Disney theme parks

Paint the Night Parade was a nighttime parade at Hong Kong Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Disneyland. The Hong Kong version premiered on September 11, 2014, as part of the park's 9th anniversary expansion. The Disneyland version debuted on May 22, 2015, as part of the park's 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration. The parade is a spiritual successor to the long-running Main Street Electrical Parade, which has appeared at numerous Disney parks in several different incarnations since June 17, 1972. At Disneyland Park in California, Paint the Night made its last regular performance on September 5, 2016, and returned as a seasonal offering for the 2016 holiday season. The original Main Street Electrical Parade returned to Disneyland Park on January 19, 2017 for a limited-time run.

Kaitlyn Robrock is an American voice actress best known as the current voice of Minnie Mouse for Disney, Felicia Sundew in Amphibia, Tommy on the television series Mr. Pickles and Momma Named Me Sheriff on Adult Swim and Retsuko's mother in the English dub of Netflix anime series Aggretsuko.

<i>Tron</i> Lightcycle Power Run Launched roller coaster

Tron Lightcycle Power Run and Tron Lightcycle / Run are semi-enclosed, launched roller coasters at Shanghai Disneyland and Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The first incarnation, Tron Lightcycle Power Run, opened at Shanghai Disneyland on June 16, 2016. A nearly-identical installation, Tron Lightcycle / Run, opened at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World on April 4, 2023. Both are in the Tomorrowland themed areas at each park.

<i>Star Wars</i> Launch Bay Walk-through attraction at Disney Parks

Star Wars Launch Bay is an interactive walkthrough attraction based on the Star Wars franchise at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, and formerly at Shanghai Disneyland Park and Disneyland at Disneyland Resort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway</span> Trackless dark ride

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway is a trackless dark ride located in the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, and in Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. The attraction, the first Mickey Mouse-themed ride-through attraction at a Disney theme park, features an original story based on the stylized world from the Paul Rudish television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avengers Campus</span> Themed area at three Disney theme parks

Avengers Campus is a Marvel Cinematic Universe–themed area located at Disney California Adventure and Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, and being developed for Hong Kong Disneyland, and under the name, Stark Expo. The Marvel-themed areas or "lands" are being developed simultaneously at the three parks and inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, they instead take place in the "Marvel Theme Park Universe", an alternate universe parallel to it within the Marvel multiverse, in which the Blip and related ensuing events introduced in Avengers: Infinity War did not occur. They are designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, in collaboration with Marvel Studios and Marvel Themed Entertainment.

References

  1. "The Original Storytellers" . D23. June 14, 2012. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  2. Glover, Erin (August 20, 2011). "New Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse Statue for Disney California Adventure Park Unveiled at D23 Expo". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  3. Glover, Erin (August 20, 2011). "New Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse Statue for Disney California Adventure Park Unveiled at D23 Expo". Disney Parks Blog. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
  4. Brigante, Ricky (June 26, 2012). "'Storytellers' statue honors Walt Disney's California beginnings, a counterpart to the famous Disneyland 'Partners' tribute". Inside the Magic. Retrieved June 20, 2016.