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A brand-new, never-before-seen statue of Walt Disney was just unveiled at one Disney Park, and if we’re honest, we wish shopDisney carried them so we could have one in our backyards too.
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Credit: Disney Parks Blog
Guests in attendance at the 2022 D23 Expo, held in Anaheim, California, at the Anaheim Convention Center, got a sneak peek at a brand-new statue coming to one of Disney’s amazing parks around the world, but the image was only an artist’s rendering of the new statue and didn’t do the actual statue any justice.
Artist Rendering of Dream Makers statue/Credit: Disney
Per Disney Parks Blog:
An all-new, first-of-its-kind bronze statue of Walt Disney sitting on a park bench with Mickey Mouse was unveiled today at Hong Kong Disneyland to coincide with the 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company. This latest statue, Dream Makers, joins other well-known statues of Walt Disney across Disney theme parks and sites worldwide, including Partners and Storytellers, plus Sharing the Magic, which features Roy O. Disney seated on a bench with Minnie Mouse.
Credit: Becky Burkett
The Walt and Mickey Dream Makers statue is located between the Castle of Magical Dreams and Cinderella Carousel inside Fantasyland at Hong Kong Disneyland. Walt can be seen with one hand lifted toward the carousel and the other hand lifted toward the castle. Mickey can be seen looking at the man who created him with joy in his eyes.
“This moment is inspired by the times when Walt would take his two daughters to similar attractions — Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles — and thought about an ‘amusement enterprise’ idea where children and their parents could have fun together,” says Disney Parks Blog. “While this moment would have occurred earlier in Walt’s life, the statue shows an older Walt reflecting on what he has built and his excitement of the possibilities that are yet to come.”
Credit: Disney Parks Blog
The Dream Makers sculpture of Walt and Mickey was created by several dimensional designers who work with Walt Disney Imagineering.
They include Scott Goddard and Patrick Simmons, both of whom worked on sculpting Walt, as well as Erma Yazzie, who’s credited with working to sculpt Mickey’s likeness. The video below chronicles some of the work completed by Walt Disney Imagineers in Hong Kong, as well as in California, and how that work brought the statue to dazzling life as Imagineers consulted with the Walt Disney Animation Studios Creative Legacy team.
And for those Disney Parks fans who are wishing Walt Disney World could have a new 100th anniversary celebratory statue, your wish has been granted.
Credit: Disney Parks Blog
In December, Disney will unveil Dreamer’s Point at EPCOT, which will feature a sculpture of Walt Disney. For the Dreamer’s Point statue, Walt was sculpted to capture his look when he was in his sixties. We can’t wait for this one!
