The Imagineering Story is a documentary series about the history of Walt Disney Imagineering and the Disney theme parks directed by Leslie Iwerks and narrated by Angela Bassett.
Originally announced in 2013 as a 90-minute feature, it was expanded into a six hour miniseries for the Disney+ streaming service in 2019,[1] when it became apparent that the scope of the story and the wealth of archival material at their disposal would be better served in a longer format.
Synopsis[]
A Disney fan’s dream, this documentary series looks at the more than 65-year history of Walt Disney Imagineering through parallel storylines focused on the people, the craft, and the business. Oscar®- and Emmy®-nominated director and producer Leslie Iwerks is creator of the series that will feature exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage from Disney parks around the globe.[2]
Episodes[]
| # | Title | Episode Description | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Happiest Place on Earth | Walt Disney forms a group of artists and engineers to build his dream concept called Disneyland.
Highlights the construction of Disneyland, Disney's involvement with the 1964 New York World's Fair, and Pirates of the Caribbean. |
November 12, 2019 |
| 2 | What Would Walt Do? | After Walt's death, the Imagineers persevere to fulfill his vision for Florida and expand overseas.
Explores the beginnings of Walt Disney World Resort and the Magic Kingdom, the Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain, and the construction of Epcot and Tokyo Disneyland. |
November 15, 2019 |
| 3 | The Midas Touch | Michael Eisner and Frank Wells save Imagineering and encourage widespread growth. They make Disney cool and relevant with teenagers. Every design project the Imagineers touch turns to gold. The crown jewel, Euro Disneyland, goes over budget and encounters resistance. Poor press coverage and cultural missteps cause low attendance. Humbled, management shies away from future Magic Kingdoms. Interviewees: Tony Baxter, Marty Sklar, Michael Eisner, Tom Laduke, Carl Bongirno, Dick Nunis, Jon Snoddy, Tom Fitzgerald, Bob Weis, Kevin Rafferty, Tom Morris, Eddie Sotto, Coulter Winn, Katie Olsen, Phillipe Gas, Bruce Vaughn, Daniel Jue, Dave Crawford, Wing Chao. |
November 22, 2019 |
| 4 | Hit or Miss | After a tragic downturn, Michael Eisner steps back from creative stress and hires business minded managers to fill the void. The pendulum swings from art to commerce. The Imagineers enter an era of austerity. While some projects enjoy enormous success, others are cancelled, and still others, disappoint. The pattern seems irreversible. Interviewees: Joe Rohde, Tom Morris, Wing Chao, Michael Eisner, Bruce Vaughn, Bob Weis, Jane Goodall, Jeanette Lomboy, Tom Hopkins, Jon Snoddy, Steve Kirk, Craig Russell, Kim Irvine, Paul Pressler, Tony Baxter, Barry Braverman, Kevin Rafferty, Tom Fitzgerald, Daniel Jue, Ian Price, Andrew Bolstein, Joe Lanzisero, Andrew Kam. |
November 29, 2019 |
| 5 | A Carousel of Progress | Bob Iger returns Imagineering to the foundation of Disney DNA – quality wins out. He modernizes the formula. By strategically investing in creative content, international expansion, and new technology, he empowers the Imagineers to plus the existing parks worldwide, especially the recent ones that fell short of expectations. After a decade, the parks never looked better. Interviewees: Kevin Rafferty, Bob Iger, Chris Crump, Bob Weis, Glenn Barker, Tom Fitzgerald, Steve Davison, Kathy Mangum, John Lasseter, Mark Mine, Bob Gurr, Marty Sklar, Kim Irvine, Jon Snoddy, Charita Carter, Larry Nikolai, Elisabeth Papadopoulos, Dave Crawford, Tony Baxter, Bruce Vaughn, Tom Laduke, Chris Beatty, Ian Price, Joe Lanzisero, Mark Schirmer, Danny Elfman, Chrissie Allen, Daniel Jue, Tom Morris. |
December 6, 2019 |
| 6 | To Infinity and Beyond | Bob Iger personally shepherds his labor of love, the Shanghai Disney Resort. The Imagineers customize an ambitious new theme park to fit China’s culture, a symbol of patience and collaboration. Meanwhile, through innovative technology and immersive placemaking, the beloved pop culture worlds of Avatar, Marvel and Star Wars come to life. Interviewees: Doris Woodward, Murray King, Bob Iger, Fabrice Kennel, Ali Rubinstein, Bob Weis, Luc Mayrand, Nancy Seruto, Scot Drake, Tom Morris, Howard Brown, Ngakwan Chan, Joe Rohde, Jon Landau, James Cameron, Lisa Girolami, Zsolt Hormay, Akhil Madhani, Amy Jupiter, Scott Trowbridge, Bob Chapek, Kathleen Kennedy, Doug Chiang, Chris Beatty, Robin Reardon, Jon Snoddy, Kevin Rafferty, Marty Sklar. |
December 13, 2019 |
Gallery[]
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