A Perfect Pair of Disney Legends

Blue Sky, Nothing But Blue Sky
THE FUTURE OF DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Walking into the new Blue Sky Cellar in Disney’s California Adventure is like sneaking into an Disney artist’s design studio while the Imagineers are out to lunch.

The Cellar in the Golden Vine Winery is the latest attraction, giving park guests a preview of what’s to come in the theme park’s expansion.

The 1,717 square foot Blue Sky Cellar showcases sketches, models and artwork created by Disney Imagineers. The new attractions showcased in the cellar are family attractions, focusing on classic Disney characters.

"The Blue Sky Cellar gives more of a behind the scenes feel, so guests can get a sense of our process." said Bob Weis, Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Imagineering.

The cellar has a few different mock-ups of work stations, each devoted to a different aspect of the park. The attraction is set up as if it were an Imagineer’s studio.

There are currently four models in the cellar, which are an overview of Paradise Pier, Games of the Boardwalk, a trolley, and a Toy Story Mania! ride vehicle.

A "Fun Map" is projected on a plasma monitor in an area called "The Screening Room." The map captures all the ideas for the park in one image so guests can get a sense of the spirit of the theme park.

"These notecards you see, that’s the way I work," said Imagineer spokeswoman Marilyn Waters. "This looks like where I work, except it’s a little neater."

Brian Price:

Brian Price is the Division Director of the Sales, Marketing and Advertising division at Morgan Hunter where he is responsible for meeting the recruiting challenges, as well as managing the team.

Brian has more than 10 years of recruiting experience having served as Practice Manager for the Solomon Edwards Group in the Chicago and Kansas City practices and Division Director for the MPS Group Inc. – Parker & Lynch. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg and became involved in numerous organizations.

Brian’s love of Disney began as a small child; his first school book report was on Walt Disney. As an adult, Brian has made numerous trips to Disneyland and Disney World. Disney’s Fantasia is one of his favorite movies. Brian collects rare items associated with the movie along with original vintage Disney movie posters that he displays in his home movie theater. Brian is a member of the Nelson Atkins Young Friends of Art and KCPT public television. Brian and his wife enjoy traveling and live music. They attend numerous concerts each year throughout the country.

Betsy Blodgett:

Betsy Blodgett is co-owner of bon bon atelier, a boutique in Kansas City. bon bon strives to bring new, unknown designers of jewelry, clothing, and home-wares to their customers. She also designs the bon bon original line of clothing, that is featured in the store.

A lot of the inspiration that Betsy has for her clothing design, interior design, merchandising and general store direction has been collected from Disney animation and theme parks. She cites the amazing color usage, drawing style, and world of fantasy as a jumping off point for a lot of her work. "What would Walt do?" is a common way for Betsy and her sister to make business decisions.

Betsy is very excited to be involved with Thank You Walt Disney. She hopes that honoring Disney’s beginnings will inspire others to see that they too can achieve tremendous things.

Lon Davis:

Lon Davis is the Art Director for First Community Bank where he is responsible for developing ads, websites and promotional materials for 18 branches in 12 communities.

Lon’s love for Disney animation began the first time he saw "The Jungle Book," and he later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design/Illustration degree from the Kansas City Art Institute, the same school Walt Disney attended, where he studied animation and Illustration. He has more than 10 years of Graphic Design and Illustration experience working with many national companies while at Bernstein/Rein Advertising and freelancing.

Lon and his wife, Anita, are both Disney Trivia buffs who have each competed in the Disney Regional Competition. They have been involved with "Relay For Life," the American Cancer Society’s signature activity, ever since their son, Reese, was diagnosed with cancer at age 2 months old.

Saving The House Where The Mouse Was Born!
RESTORING A NATIONAL TREASURE IN THE HEART OF KANSAS CITY

Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. has both a motto and a message. First the motto: "Save the house where the mouse was born." And then the message: Kansas City and Walt Disney share a significant piece of history. For it was in Kansas City that the famous creator of Mickey Mouse labored in his first cartoon studio. The company Walt called Laugh-O-Gram was, in fact, located on the second floor of an all brick building that hugged the corner of 31st and Forest Avenue in the city’s midtown. Inside their humble walls, the spirit of creativity was alive and well.

From floorboard corner to filmdom fame may seem like a long way to travel, but when the imaginative Disney decided that Mortimer, renamed Mickey, was just the infectious kind of character he was looking for, a star was born.

Send your donation or membership to:
Thank You Walt Disney, Inc.
The Screenland Building
1656 Washington Street
Kansas City, MO 64108

Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. is committed to being a leader in art animation study, while encouraging confidence and entrepreneurial individualism.

Thank You Walt Disney, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of Walt Disney’s Laugh-O-Grams Studios, a part of our local history that would otherwise disappear. • www.ThankYouWaltDisney.org