Last week I was able to check out the special limited engagement “Walt Disney Archives” exhibit at the Bowers Museum in Orange County. I heard they had some special props and old Disney artifacts on display and wanted to check them out myself. It was a really well curated exhibit and I came away from it having learned quite a bit. Following is a little recap for those who are thinking about heading over or who won’t be able to see this in person.
Operational Details
The Bowers Museum is located at 2002 N Main Street in Santa Ana, California. It’s open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am-4pm. The cost to visit the exhibit is $23 on weekdays and $25 on weekends (pretty steep, in my opinion) but it does include admission to the rest of the museum. Their café is also open and as a fun little bonus, is serving dole whips during this special exhibit.
Walt Disney Archives Exhibit
Ok, on with the actual show…
The exhibit begins with an overview of the Walt Disney Archives. What they are, when they were formed, and why.
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Replica of the birdcage Walt had on his desk in his office at Walt Disney Studios -
It then opens up into a room with a life-sized replica of Walt’s office space (the same setup used in Saving Mr. Banks). There are a few other items in this room including original concept art for some of the rides in Disneyland.
From there, you enter a room that is supposed to emulate the Walt Disney Archives on the studio lot. Inside the room are lots of original items including Walt’s Disneyland employee badge and storyboards for some of the first animated films.
Once you’ve made your way through the “archives” you enter a series of rooms featuring lots of props from the early ‘50s through present day. Some of the props are even the same props featured in the Disney+ series “Prop Culture”.
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Props from the original Mary Poppins -
The original storybooks used for Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty
There is also an entire section dedicated to wardrobe and costumes, as well as props and replicas from some of our favorite rides and attractions at Disneyland.
You end the experience with a replica of the Disney Team building on the studio lot. The outdoor patio area features handprints from all of the Disney greats and this exhibit has built replicas of those sculptures for those who have never had the opportunity to visit the studio in person.
The Gift Shop!
We couldn’t leave the museum without visiting the gift shop! There were tons of really amazing gifts for Disney-lovers. They had almost every coffee table book on the market right now as well as jewelry and specialty cards. See below for some of the items featured in the gift shop. (Click on each item to learn more or to purchase.)
That’s it! I hope you found this overview of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit interesting. If you’re interested in checking out the exhibit for yourself, you have until February 2021. For more information, visit the Bowers Museum website. If you could have access to one thing in the Walt Disney archives, what would it be?
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