WDW Radio # 757 - The Voice of Mickey Mouse, Bret Iwan, and History of The Partners Statue - from the WDW Radio Archives

To celebrate Mickey Mouse’s birthday on November 18, I will take what Walt Disney said to heart and not lose sight of one thing… “that it was all started by a mouse.” This week, we’ll remember just that, as I have two segments from the WDW Radio that both involve Mickey Mouse.

First, we’ll venture into Magic Kingdom, and explore not an attraction, land, shop or show, but a single location. In fact, a single statute. In our DSI: Disney Scene Investigation, Jim Korkis and I look at the history and story behind the iconic Partners statue of Walt and Mickey.

The legacy of and bond between Walt and Mickey goes far beyond one of simply artist and creation. In fact, Walt actually lent his voice to his most famous work. Over the years, Walt passed that torch to other men who became the voice of Mickey, and this week, I want to share my conversation with Bret Iwan, the man who eighty years after Mickey spoke his first words on screen, took over that role of a lifetime. We talk about his personal story of becoming the voice of Mickey, the legacy, and the future.

- What is your favorite personal memory of Mickey Mouse? Was it on TV? In a Disney Park? A piece of merchandise?