D23 Reveals ‘Treasures’ from Disney Parks, Films and More in a Dazzling New Exhibit

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Today, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum officially opened the doors to an impressive new exhibit – D23 Presents Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives.
This remarkable exhibition, covering almost 90 years of Disney history, boasts nearly 500 stunning artifacts many of which have never been seen by the general public from Disney movies, television, parks and the early years of the company.

Along with elaborate props, costumes and set pieces from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” Tim Burtons “Alice in Wonderland,” “Mary Poppins” and “Marvels The Avengers,” guests can get an up-close look at Walt Disneys formal office full of his personal effects, see the original Steamboat Willie script penned by Walt himself, and gaze on the original storybooks that opened the animated film classics “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Sleeping Beauty” and “Cinderella.”
Theres also a treasure trove of delights for fans of Disney Parks, including the original concept drawing of Disneyland park by Disney Legend Herb Ryman, the first ticket sold to Disneyland (purchased by Roy O. Disney), the original bride from the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, original attraction vehicles from Peter Pans Flight and Mr. Toads Wild Ride, and the imposing head of the original Maleficent dragon from Fantasmic! at Disneyland park, which many guests may have seen several weeks ago during its journey to the museum in Simi Valley. There is also an impressive section called Disneys Hall of Presidents, a salute to both the classic Magic Kingdom attraction in Florida and the long association Walt Disney and The Walt Disney Company have enjoyed with many residents of the White House dating back to the 1940s.
To learn more about the exhibit, which runs through April 2013, and to purchase tickets (D23 Members receive a discount!), click here.
Check out these posts for more news from D23:

• D23 Members Get Ready to Taste and Treat at Walt Disney World Resort!
• D23 Celebrates Three Decades of Epcot
• Historic Orange Bird Returns to Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park

D23 Reveals Treasures from Disney Parks, Films and More in a Dazzling New Exhibit by Jeffrey Epstein: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog


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[stan4d_steph]

This exhibit looks fantastic! Has anyone gone yet? LA folks, the office is back!

[tea4two]

We're planning on going and will be taking my parents, too. Haven't picked a date yet, but definitely looking forward to this exhibit.

[jcruise86]

My seven-year-old and I spent Saturday, July 14, at the Ronald Reagan Library in Simi Valley
because of the "Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives" exhibit.

Here are a few notes:

1. I recommend a trip to Simi Valley for this and the rest of this presidential library!

2. We were in the Disney exhibit for just about one hour. My daughter surprised me by liking the Reagan museum much more than the Disney displays. The "permanent" Reagan museum has been re-done and seems more energetic and far more interactive than it was before. We spent over five hours at the Reagan part of the Reagan Library and my seven-year-old and I were never bored.

2. There are two places for lunch, the "pub" near Air Force One, and Reagan's Country Cafe. We ate at the latter and the turkey reuben sandwich I had there may have been my favorite sandwich of all time. Make sure to take a lunch break.

3. I ordered our tickets before we got there, and these same Disney tickets included admission to the Reagan museum. The lines were not bad at all, and the times we signed up for to enter the Disney exhibit were not enforced. The Disney displays are in the back of the Reagan museum, but you may bypass the presidential displays and go there directly. But don't miss the presidential displays. My pre-second grader enjoyed filming herself in a scene with Reagan, moving a metal ball through a labyrinth past holes that represented things that could go wrong when planning a presidential visit, crawling through an escape "tunnel" from East Berlin, and playing video games projected from above about how a middle-class family could prosper in the 1980s.

4. Outstanding staff!

5. There is a small art exhibit of art by a former Soviet Union citizen who had been held in a USSR gulag. This was an interesting exhibit to balance the Disney displays.

6. The enormous room that holds an Air Force One used by Reagan has amazing views! (Any plane a current president flies in is defined as "Air Force One.") Touring Air Force One was my daughter's favorite part of the day.

7. We read a short biography for children, "Who is Ronald Reagan?" from Barnes & Noble over the three days before we went, which increased my daughter's interest. (Next up: "Who is Barack Obama?")

8. The Disney exhibit was as much about the company as about Walt Disney himself, and a display of costumes from recent films seemed out of place, but it was well-done & interesting so I didn't care. (My kid, however, objected.) A Hall of Presidents display and some letters from Presidents to Walt were right at home.

9. There is some nice gardening surrounding the buildings. What a beautiful place!

[tea4two]

You're quite right, the Reagan Library really is a great place to spend a day. We're really looking forward to our visit. Your well articulated review just helped increase our anticipation!

[jcruise86]

You're quite right, the Reagan Library really is a great place to spend a day. We're really looking forward to our visit. Your well articulated review just helped increase our anticipation!

Thanks, T4-2!
And have a nice time!

Two more tips: if you order your tickets in advance, I wouldn't also buy a meal in advance. We didn't and I liked seeing & smelling all that Reagan's Country Cafe had to offer, including specials of the day that cost less than the pre-ordered meals. The gift shop has some really cool merchandise. I always pick up a ruler with all of the presidents on it, and I got a matching mug too. (Cool for a history nerd.) And the T-shirts for the exhibit were pricey, but I splurged on, well, more than one and on a baseball cap and a shirt for my daughter so we could promote this exhibit at Disneyland to people who might really enjoy it. I realize that this paragraph qualifies me for Disney Addicts Anonymous. "Hi, my name is Jcruise86, and I'm a Disney Freak," "Hi, Jcruise86!"


P.S. Many years ago when I paid $35, $35, & $50 dollars for three books autographed by Reagan at this gift shop I wondered if I overpaid. They are now selling in this store for $4,000 each.

[Niwel]

DH and I went for the D23 preview event and had a lot of fun (plus bought some pins and a Mr. President pair of ears).
Some parts of the exhibit blew me away - but I wasn't that excited about the De Ville and Alice segments -- we LOVED the attractions. And, of course, I got a great picture next to Mary Poppins' costume and of the area from Bedknobs and Broomsticks.

[btowndude]

The parking lot is not large enough to handle a big crowd like the night of the D23 Preview and the Reagan Library sits atop a large hill. If you go on a holiday or on a busy weekend or on a big event night, the overflow parking is along the long windy road leading to the library. You might have a long climb to the entrance. There is a shuttle, but I am told that it doesn't stop for you on the way up the hill. I would check the events calendar for the library before setting a date to go, go on a weekday, and go early in the day.