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Top Ten Walt Disney Imagineers

Where would Disneyland and Walt Disney World be without the Imagineers who helped to create them?  Without these amazing people, all of Walt Disney’s dreams and imaginations would never have become a reality.

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Here’s our list of the Top Ten Walt Disney Imagineers.

Herb Ryman

In 1953, Walt Disney asked Herb Ryman to sketch an idea for an amusement park that would appeal to both children and adults. Over a single weekend—and with Walt looking over his shoulder—Herb took a small carbon pencil and illustrated Walt’s dreams on paper. Within two years, those dreams were transformed into reality and Disneyland became the first theme park of its kind in the world.

A prolific artist outside of Disney, Herb produced watercolors, oil paintings, acrylics, and charcoal sketches that were collected by such luminaries as Mrs. William Guggenheim, Cecil B. DeMille, and John and Lionel Barrymore.

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Richard and Robert Sherman

Generations of moviegoers and theme park guests have been introduced to the world of Disney through the songs of Richard and Robert Sherman. Whether they know the names behind the songs or not, you’d be hard pressed to find a person alive who hasn’t at one time or another hummed one of the Shermans’ unforgettable tunes; even today, they remain the quintessential lyrical voice of Walt Disney.

Richard and Robert Sherman are probably best known for their work on Mary Poppins, for which they won two Oscars®: best score, and best song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee.” Another of their songs from the film, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” became a pop hit, entering the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1965. “Feed the Birds,” a lullaby, became one of Walt Disney’s all-time favorite songs.

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Marc Davis

Animator, artist, Imagineer. Marc Davis dedicated his creative genius to helping Walt Disney realize his dreams, from helping perfect the animated story to creating Disneyland, the world’s first theme park. About his years at Disney, Marc once said, “I rarely felt confined to the animation medium. I worked as an idea man and loved creating characters, whether they be for animation or any other medium.”

Marc is probably best known as the father of some of Disney’s most memorable animated women, including Cruella De Vil from One Hundred and One Dalmatians, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, and Tinker Bell from Peter Pan. When once asked to choose a favorite among his bevy of grand Disney dames, he replied, “Each of my women characters has her own unique style; I love them all in different ways.”

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Xavier “X” Atencio

Most famous works include the songs “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” for, Pirates of the Caribbean and “Grim Grinning Ghosts” for the Haunted Mansion

Walt Disney valued multi-talented artists like Xavier “X” Atencio, who helped animate Disney classics, including Fantasia, and later developed music for such Disneyland attractions as Pirates of the Caribbean. X once described the thrill of acknowledgment when, as a young artist, Walt first greeted him with a robust, “Hi ya’, X!” X recalled, “Walt was a father image. You felt good merely having been in the presence of his dynamic personality.”

Mary Blair

Distinctly stylistic Imagineer, known for designs for “it’s a small world,” the massive murals in Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and the murals overlooking Disneyland’s Tomorrowland of 1967

An imaginative color stylist and designer, Mary Blair helped introduce modern art to Walt Disney and his Studio, and, for nearly 30 years, he touted her inspirational work for his films and theme parks alike. Animator Marc Davis, who put Mary’s exciting use of color on par with Matisse, recalled, “She brought modern art to Walt in a way that no one else did. He was so excited about her work.”

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Rolly Crump

Words may not fully describe designer and Imagineer Rolly Crump. So to get a handle on this spirited, multi-talented Disney designer, think: Leonardo DiVinci’s Universal Man.

A true “original,” even among Imagineers, Rolly drew forth genius in others. Disney Concept Designer John Horny observed, “Rolly has a knack for bringing out the best in others. Trusting their talent, he encourages artists to push their creativity to the limits. It’s a rare creative person who can let others run with the ball.” Show writer Jim Steinmeyer added, “The idea is king with Rolly. It doesn’t have to be his vision, as long as it works.”

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Roger E. Broggie

Roger oversaw development of Audio-Animatronics, CircleVision 360, WedWay Peoplemover, Viewliner, the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, the Disneyland Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds and dark ride transportation systems.

As Walt Disney’s original Imagineer, Roger Broggie built everything from steam locomotives to electronic robots that could sing and dance. Gifted with mechanical genius, there wasn’t anything Roger couldn’t do or figure out how to do. He epitomized the essence of Disney Imagineering—“the blending of creative imagination and technical know-how.”

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Tony Baxter

Tony Baxter grew up in Orange County, California. It was the perfect time and place for this future Imagineer—he not only witnessed the birth of the theme park industry, but he also grew up alongside his beloved Disneyland. A Disney fan from an early age, Tony especially enjoyed his weekly visits with Walt courtesy of the Disneyland television program. The show whetted his appetite for Walt’s new wonderland rising from the Anaheim citrus groves. In his spare time he could be found building models and mocking up rides in his backyard.

He went to work scooping ice cream at Carnation Plaza Gardens in Disneyland when he turned 171⁄2—the earliest age at which one could get hired by one of the park’s lessees— and went on to other positions during the five years he spent working there. During lunch hours, he would poke around backstage. One day, while trying to get a peek at Pirates of the Caribbean, a chance encounter with Imagineer and Disney Legend Claude Coats led to a personal tour of the unfinished ride.

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Bob Gurr

Imagineer Bob Gurr has always been a man on the move. And, for nearly 40 years, he helped move many a happy Disney theme park guest aboard vehicles and ride conveyances of his own design. As he’s often quipped, “If it moves on wheels at Disneyland, I probably designed it.”

And he certainly has. Bob has developed more than 100 designs for attractions ranging from Autopia and Matterhorn Bobsleds to the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Monorails, and more.

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Joe Rhode

Joseph “Joe” Rohde is a veteran executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, the division of The Walt Disney Company that designs and builds Disney’s theme parks and resort hotels. Rohde’s formal title is Executive Designer and Vice President, Creative.

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What do you think?  Did we leave any out?  Who did we miss?  

Leave us a comment and let us know!

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WDW Parkhoppers are Parkhopper John and his wife, Parkhopper Sid and they love to share the magic of Walt Disney World. They can also be found at www.TeamParkhoppers.com, a non-profit organization that helps other non-profits raise money while also enjoying runDisney events. Living only 45 minutes from Walt Disney World, their lives are truly magical!