It’s a birthday party like no other on the planet: The Walt Disney Company is celebrating 100 years of making magic in Philadelphia USA.
The House of Mouse rings in a century with this world-premiere, can't-miss exhibition...
Get ready to see, hear, and most importantly feel the magic of Disney during the world-premiere Disney100: The Exhibition at The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia running from February 18 to August 27, 2023.
“Bringing stories of innovation and discovery to the public in an immersive and interactive way is at the heart of what The Franklin Institute has done for the past 200 years. We are thrilled that the world premiere of Disney100: The Exhibition is here, offering the first opportunity to see the crown jewels come to life in beautifully crafted galleries reflecting Disney’s imaginative storytelling, innovation, discovery, and wonder,”said Larry Dubinski, President and CEO of The Franklin Institute.“The Walt Disney Archives spent years planning and curating more than 250 objects to capture the 100 years of storytelling, creativity, and unparalleled magic of The Walt Disney Company,” said Becky Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives. “We cannot wait for fans and families to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event celebrating the iconic characters and stories that have captured the hearts of audiences around the globe.”
EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
Ten Immersive Galleries
Visitors will experience ten imaginatively themed galleries enhanced with innovative technology. They will relive classic favorites and explore the sources of inspiration for some of Disney’s most beloved and iconic films—embark on a quest to uncover hidden artifacts from favorite Disney adventure films, peer through an interactive window of Captain Nemo’s legendary submarine, and step into a recreation of Main Street, U.S.A. Galleries include: Where It All Began, Where Do the Stories Come From?, The Illusion of Life, The Spirit of Adventure and Discovery, The Magic of Sound and Music, The World Around Us, Innoventions, Your Disney World, The Wonder of Disney, and We Are Just Getting Started
Disney’s Crown Jewels
Immersed within the galleries are more than 250 of Disney’s “Crown Jewels,” original artworks, artifacts, costumes, props, and other memorabilia—many rarely seen—including the earliest sketches of Mickey Mouse and animation drawings from his debut in Steamboat Willie (1928), the Spell Book from Hocus Pocus (1993), Cinderella Castle model for Magic Kingdom® Park, a Genie maquette from Aladdin (1992), and the Black Panther costume from the 2018 film.
Disney MagicStage
Welcoming guests into the exhibit is the Disney MagicStage, where a vision of Walt Disney himself stands life-sized and shares an inspiring message about innovation. Partnering with Disney StudioLAB, DisneyResearch|Studios, and Industrial Light & Magic, the team utilized cutting-edge technology to digitally bring Walt to life and create this unique greeting. Tapping the vast resources of the Walt Disney Archives, two separate audio recordings of Walt were assembled, creating his vocal script. The Disney Archives also provided footage of 1960s-era Walt to DisneyResearch|Studios, who used their super-resolution A.I. upscaler to convert the archival footage to high definition. The result was an authentic recreation of Walt Disney and a collaboration across all parts of The Walt Disney Company. As he famously said, “We’re always exploring and experimenting.”
Original Soundtrack
Composer Steve Mazzaro, whose work can be heard on the soundtracks of such Disney-produced films as The Lion King (2019), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017), and The Lone Ranger (2013), composed an original soundtrack for the exhibit blending themes of such beloved classics as “When You Wish Upon A Star” from Pinocchio (1940) and “Let It Go” from Frozen (2013) with a new theme crafted exclusively for the exhibition.
Disney100: The Exhibition Fast Facts By the Numbers
4 years of planning and production
10 galleries 1
11 costumes
Footage and photography from all 12 Disney Parks worldwide
14 interactives
25 maquettes of iconic Disney characters
31 languages represented in international music reels
93 Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm memorable scenes during the Into the Wonder prologue
250+ artifacts, artworks, and documents
318 Disney films and clips on 4 dozen monitors, projections, and media
15,000-square-foot exhibition space Disney Details
Largest item: Peter Pan's Flight attraction ride vehicle at more than 7 feet long and 7 feet tall
Smallest item: Han Solo's dice from Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), used by Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher at ~1.5 cubic centimeters (chain excluded)
Heaviest item: Matterhorn Bobsleds attraction ride vehicle at over 1,500 pounds Longest Item: Nautilus special effects filming model from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) at approximately 12 feet long
Oldest item: Zoetrope from the offices of Walt Disney (c. 1860)
Newest item: Wendy's necklace and Captain Hook's hook from Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)
For more than 50 years, the Walt Disney Archives has carefully safeguarded the most treasured items from The Walt Disney Company’s history, including original scripts, movie props and costumes, Walt Disney’s correspondence and script notes, theme park artifacts, merchandise, millions of archival photographs, and many of Walt’s personal effects. Founded by Disney Legend Dave Smith in 1970, the Walt Disney Archives is a vital resource for every part of Disney, as well as an important research center for Disney scholars, researchers, and writers. The Archives also shares its countless pieces with Disney fans everywhere through its exhibitions and close association with D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.
