The Walt Disney Family Museum Celebrates ONE YEAR!

We are at the end of our first year of operation as a Museum, but it has been more than ten years in gestation, beginning with our collaboration with writers Richard and Katherine Greene, and producers Cathy Labrador and Jean Pierre Isbouts of Pantheon Productions on a CDRom that created our "virtual Museum". Our website carried this on, and queries that the Greenes received about the location of the REAL Museum prompted us to seek a location for the stuff we needed to find a home for: Dad's train, his awards, his miniature collection, etc.  Our first site was in one of the Presidio warehouses on Gorgas Street, not far from our present and permanent location.  Our vision for the Museum grew as we realized that whatever we did in my Dad's name would have to be done in his manner...as well as we could possibly do it.  The story was all-important, but we needed to present it in an entertaining way.  The building was a challenge, but we respected it, as did our designers and architects, and we are proud of the results.  

But the most rewarding thing of all is the way it has been accepted by those who have visited.  My goals were that our visitors would leave knowing my dad, inspired by his story, and that the whole experience would be a very pleasant one for them. The word we are getting from the various blogs and reviews indicates that this is happening.

We are especially grateful for the support of our members, who have been enthusiastic about the Museum and supportive of our programs. I want to thank them, and our wonderful staff, who do so much to make the Museum experience a memorable one.

   

   Diane Disney Miller
   Co-Founder, The Walt Disney Family Museum

 

Wow! It's hard to believe that one year has flown by since The Walt Disney Family Museum opened. Over 120,000 guests visited us and 1,500 households joined the larger Museum family by becoming Members. I enjoyed getting to know many of you through our Member's only events and casual encounters in the galleries.

I'm very proud of the hard work that our staff did to present an amazing array of programs, publications, and films. We've had speakers, panels, lectures, puppet shows, and concerts; we've had two exhibitions in our Theater Lobby; we've published a book and four quarterly newsletters; we've also begun a couple of new San Francisco holiday traditions with our exclusive screenings of Hallowscreen! and Christmas with Walt Disney. Two of the highlights for me were our first "Conversations with Legends", when I had the opportunity to have a public chat with Richard Sherman, Rollie Crump, and Blaine Gibson, and our celebration of Disneyland's 55th anniversary, which Marty Sklar organized especially for the Museum.

And, of course, we've worked to ensure that our galleries continue to present the life story of Walt Disney in a way that engages visitors on multiple levels with original animation art, family photographs and home movies, documentary materials, objects from Walt's personal collections, film and television clips, and interactives that are an educational resource for all. It's been a privilege and a great pleasure to help make this Museum a place where all are welcome.

   

   Richard Benefield
   Founding Executive Director, The Walt Disney Family Museum

For a complete listing of Anniversary Weekend Events, please visit THE SCHEDULE here!

Happy Birthday To Us (Almost)!

Grab a pen and mark your calendars! We'll be celebrating our ONE YEAR anniversary here at The Walt Disney Family Museum during a weekend packed with family fun, festivities, and music, October 1, 2 + 3! Admission is half off for our Saturday Night Soiree--think music with a live DJ and cash bar!--which will keep the Museum open until 9PM!

“It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since we opened our doors in the Presidio,” said Richard Benefield, founding executive director of the Museum. “Our efforts to present the life and achievements of Walt Disney in an interactive and imaginative way are ongoing and we’re pleased to see families, teens, and seniors all enjoying different elements of the Museum.” 

Weekend highlights include:

• Live Music throughout the weekend. Bring a picnic lunch for the front lawn and we’ll serenade you with ragtime jazz. Friday from 1:00pm – 5:00pm, Saturday 10:00am - 12:30pm, and Sunday 11:00am - 2:00pm
• Our Saturday Night Soiree. HALF-PRICE on Museum Admission tickets and a cash bar from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on Saturday night.
• The “Where’s Walt?” Treasure Hunt Contest – Grand Prize is a Private Screening of a Disney classic for you and up to 50 of your closest friends in our Theater.
• Learn more about Walt Disney and his legacy with our “LOOK CLOSER”  gallery talks.  Museum staff will share details about the visually dramatic “Steamboat Willie” Wall and our special Pinocchio Animator’s desk.
• A 25-minute “Best of” Video in our theater will feature special guests who appeared this past year, including Disney Legends, executives, animators, and stars.  
• Radio Disney Road Crew on Saturday from 1:00pm– 3:00 pm with games, contests, and music for the whole family.
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs  - A treat for the whole family on our Big Screen at 1:00pm and 4:00pm (Free on a first-come-first-served bases with Museum Admission).
• Create your own moviola in our Learning Center. New Drop-in Craft activities Friday, Saturday and Sunday 11:00am to 4:00pm.

Click here for the complete schedule of events. Hope to celebrate with you all here soon!