Imagination Skyway

Walt Disney Imagineering invited me on a very special and exclusive tour of their headquarters at 1401 Flower Street in Glendale, California. This tour gave me the chance to chat with Imagineers, visit multiple Imagineering departments (model shop, sculpting, sound, animation, and R&D), attend demonstrations and presentations, and experiment with some innovative Imagineering technology. I got to power on a realistic Star Wars lightsaber, play with the lovable BDX droids from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (Disneyland and Walt Disney World), and touch and feel silicone samples from Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure (Shanghai Disneyland), just to name a few exciting milestones. In addition, I had the opportunity to interview Imagineer Dave Crawford inside Walt Disney Imagineering. All of this will be shared in today's episode.

 

In this episode, I share more details about my behind-the-scenes tour of Walt Disney Imagineering, including what I saw and what I learned from the experience.

 

Thank you to Walt Disney Imagineering for this very special opportunity.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Subscribe to WDW Magazine and receive 15% off with code SKYWAY when visiting https://www.wdw-magazine.com/shop/?ref=SKYWAY

 

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Walt Disney—A Magical Life opened at Disneyland on July 17, 2025 (the 70th anniversary of Disneyland) in the Main Street Opera House (to be rotated with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln). With Walt Disney One Man's Dream as the opening sequence, this new attraction features the first-ever Audio-Animatronic figure to depict Walt Disney. On July 15, I had the honor of attending a special media preview of this brand new show with the opportunity to view the show twice plus hear from the Imagineers (Tom Fitzgerald and Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz) and Walt Disney Family Museum representatives (Kristen Komoroske) who worked on this new experience.

 

In this episode, I'm joined by Jack Kendall from DSNY Newscast to discuss this new attraction, including plenty of honest and detailed analysis about the new Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic and some discussion about the lobby experience (led by Imagineer Kim Irvine) and film sequence.

 

Thank you to Disneyland for this very special opportunity and for inviting me to attend this media event.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Subscribe to WDW Magazine and receive 15% off with code SKYWAY when visiting https://www.wdw-magazine.com/shop/?ref=SKYWAY

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Walt Disney Imagineering invited me on a very special and exclusive tour of their headquarters at 1401 Flower Street in Glendale, California. This tour gave me the chance to chat with Imagineers, visit multiple Imagineering departments (model shop, sculpting, sound, animation, and R&D), attend demonstrations and presentations, and experiment with some innovative Imagineering technology. I got to power on a realistic Star Wars lightsaber, play with the lovable BDX droids from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (Disneyland and Walt Disney World), and touch and feel silicone samples from Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure (Shanghai Disneyland), just to name a few exciting milestones. In addition, I had the opportunity to interview Imagineer Dave Crawford inside Walt Disney Imagineering. All of this will be shared in today's episode.

 

Dave Crawford is a creative ride engineering executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he started in 1998 as a mechanical engineer. He has worked on the ride systems for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, just to name a couple of familiar examples. Dave is also listed as an inventor on over 60 patents and has been involved in every aspect of attraction design and development from early Blue Sky to attraction installation, turnover and certification.

 

Thank you to Walt Disney Imagineering for this very special opportunity.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Subscribe to WDW Magazine and receive 15% off with code SKYWAY when visiting https://www.wdw-magazine.com/shop/?ref=SKYWAY

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Disneyland Park is celebrating its 70th (platinum) anniversary this year. Over the next year, guests who visit the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California will get to enjoy a new "Celebrate Happy" anniversary song recorded by the Jonas Brothers, special entertainment, anniversary decor and merchandise, festive food and drink, attraction updates, and unique experiences. World of Color Happiness, Paint the Night, Wondrous Journeys, updates to "it's a small world" and Toy Story Midway Mania, and a brand new show featuring the first ever Walt Disney audio-animatronic figure are just a few of the experiences guests can enjoy at Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Hotel, Pixar Place Hotel, Disney Grand Californian Hotel, and Downtown Disney District.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Subscribe to WDW Magazine and receive 15% off with code SKYWAY when visiting https://www.wdw-magazine.com/shop/?ref=SKYWAY

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Walt Disney Imagineers create lands and attractions that often represent real places. From the bustling streets of Harambe to the colorful gardens of the France Pavilion, Walt Disney World offers guests the chance to experience and learn about other parts of the globe. While our discussion isn’t collectively exhaustive, we discuss some of our favorite examples of the ways in which the Imagineers transport us to global destinations without leaving Central Florida.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Subscribe to WDW Magazine and receive 15% off with code SKYWAY when visiting https://www.wdw-magazine.com/shop/?ref=SKYWAY

 

Read Cathy Salustri's books and listen to her podcast at https://greatfloridaroadtrip.com/

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Walt Disney Imagineers create lands and attractions that often represent real places. From the bustling streets of Harambe to the colorful gardens of the France Pavilion, Walt Disney World offers guests the chance to experience and learn about other parts of the globe. While our discussion isn’t collectively exhaustive, we discuss some of our favorite examples of the ways in which the Imagineers transport us to global destinations without leaving Central Florida.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Subscribe to WDW Magazine and receive 15% off with code SKYWAY when visiting https://www.wdw-magazine.com/shop/?ref=SKYWAY

 

Read Cathy Salustri's books and listen to her podcast at https://greatfloridaroadtrip.com/

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Magic Kingdom includes some of the most iconic Disney songs of all time. From "it's a small world" to Grim Grinning Ghosts, Yo, Ho! (A Pirate's Life for Me), The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room and beyond, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World includes music that spans generation of Disney fans. Meanwhile, newer musical scores and area music loops, including the soundtracks to TRON Lightcycle Run and Country Bear Musical Jamboree, keep the park updated for modern Disney fans and park visitors.

 

In this two-part episode, we discuss the background music, soundtracks, and scores across the six themed lands of Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Magic Kingdom includes some of the most iconic Disney songs of all time. From "it's a small world" to Grim Grinning Ghosts, Yo, Ho! (A Pirate's Life for Me), The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room and beyond, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World includes music that spans generation of Disney fans. Meanwhile, newer musical scores and area music loops, including the soundtracks to TRON Lightcycle Run and Country Bear Musical Jamboree, keep the park updated for modern Disney fans and park visitors.

 

In this two-part episode, we discuss the background music, soundtracks, and scores across the six themed lands of Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Disney Imagineer Tom Mulally supported the media and video production team as a Principal Media Designer between 1991 and 2016. Installing media at Tower of Terror, Spaceship Earth, Star Tours, Conservation Station, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Enchanted Books of Mystery, and various projects at Disneyland, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Shanghai Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Walt Disney World, Tom helped bring these projects to life. In this episode, we chat about Tom's career at Walt Disney Imagineering and his advice for aspiring Imagineers.

 

Create your own Disney travel memories with our sponsor KMV Travel.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.

Disney's BoardWalk (Inn and Villas) opened in the EPCOT Resort area in 1996 and remains one of the most highly-coveted deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World. With its convenient access via Friendship boat, walkway, and Disney Skyliner to EPCOT and Disney's Hollywood Studios (buses are offered to Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs), Disney's BoardWalk is perfect for EPCOT festivals and beyond. From standard resort rooms to garden room suites and grand villas, the resort offers accommodations for families of all sizes, and its promenade provides a wide range of dining and shopping options, plus daily entertainment and recreation.

 

In this episode, we discuss everything you need to know about staying at Disney's BoardWalk, reveal Imagineering details that make this property noteworthy, share reasons why you might want to stay here, and offer suggestions about how to make the most of your stay.

 

To plan a trip, be sure to work with KMV Travel.

 

Get bonus content, ad-free episodes, and more at patreon.com/imaginationskyway.

 

Tag me and join the conversation below.