Wayback WED

Bob Weis was named president of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) in January 2016, after being responsible for all creative and design aspects of the Shanghai Disney Resort project. Starting at Walt Disney Imagineering in 1980, he had major creative roles with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Tokyo DisneySea. After leaving Disney in 1994 to found his own design business, he returned to WDI as executive vice president in 2007 to oversee the development of Cars Land and other new attractions at Disney California Adventure.

Tony Baxter is a Disney Legend and one of the most influential creative minds in the history of Walt Disney Imagineering, with a career spanning more than four decades. As the creative force behind beloved attractions and experiences including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Journey Into Imagination, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, and the reimagining of Disneyland's Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, his work has shaped Disney parks around the world. Rising from an ice cream scooper at Disneyland to Senior Vice President of Creative Development at Walt Disney Imagineering, Tony also led major projects including Disneyland Paris and Disneyland's 50th Anniversary celebration. Today, he continues to inspire Disney fans and future Imagineers through his work as a creative advisor, author, and featured expert in Disney+ documentaries including The Imagineering Story and Behind the Attraction.

Tom Morris is a former Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Creative Executive whose Disney career spanned more than 35 years. Beginning at Disneyland in the 1970s before joining Walt Disney Imagineering, he helped develop iconic projects including Journey Into Imagination, Star Tours, Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Paris, Cars Land at Disney California Adventure, concepts for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith and DisneyQuest, and served as Executive Producer for the development of Hong Kong Disneyland. His work has influenced Disney destinations around the world, including Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, Tokyo Disney Resort, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disney Resort. Today, Tom shares behind-the-scenes stories and firsthand insights into the creativity, collaboration, and innovation that bring Disney attractions to life

Joe began as an animator at Disney and worked his way up to the top of Imagineering. He’s served as creative lead on over $9B in built projects to date including Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland, Toy Story Land, Mystic Point, Grizzly Gulch at Hong Kong Disneyland, and dozens of classic Disney rides, shows, and attractions in the parks and aboard Disney Cruise Ships. Joe is a two-time TEA award winner and recipient of the Disneyana Fan Club’s Disney Legend Award. Lanzisero studied at CalArts alongside Tim Burton, John Lasseter, Brad Bird and other luminaries of animation and film before becoming a Disney animator in the early 1980s.

Rick Rothschild is a former senior creative executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, where he spent more than 30 years creatively directing and producing over 25 Disney attractions around the world. He led the creation of iconic experiences including Soarin’ Over California at Disney's California Adventure, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland, and The American Adventure at EPCOT. Rick also helped develop beloved Disney attractions such as Mickey’s PhilharMagic, It’s Tough to Be a Bug!, and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Internationally, he contributed to major projects for Tokyo DisneySea and Walt Disney Studios Park, including StormRider, Magic Lamp Theater, and Armageddon – Les Effets Spéciaux. Following his retirement from Disney, Rick returned to help lead the revival of Captain EO and the development of the next-generation Star Tours – The Adventures Continue attraction.

Tom Nabbe was hired by Walt Disney to portray the character of Tom Sawyer on Tom Sawyer Island in Disneyland. Tom’s job responsibilities included photos with the guests and taking care of the fishing poles. In 1970 Tom was promoted to assistant Supervisor and trained on the monorail system at Disneyland. Before the opening of Walt Disney World, Tom was promoted to Supervisor of the Monorail in the Transportation Department. He moved from project to project in 1972. Tom moved to Frontierland to construct Tom Sawyer Island at Walt Disney World, then to Tomorrowland to construct Space Mountain, and Fantasyland for a significant rehab of 20k Under the Sea. After the opening of Big Thunder, he was assigned to the EPCOT project WED warehouse, where all OFI (Owner furnished Items) were stored for show installation. Tom was honored in July 2003 with a Window on Main Street USA above the Cinema at Walt Disney World and was inducted as a Disney Legend in September 2005.

After beginning his Disney career performing in parades at Disneyland, Eric Jacobson joined WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering), where he built attraction models for EPCOT. He later supervised the creation of Audio-Animatronics figures for iconic EPCOT attractions including Spaceship Earth, Kitchen Kabaret, Universe of Energy, and World of Motion, as well as projects for Tokyo Disneyland. Eric served as Art Director and concept lead for The Great Movie Ride and went on to guide the creative development of major Disney attractions such as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Toy Story Midway Mania!, Test Track, Mission: SPACE, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Blizzard Beach, and New Fantasyland. He also led the reimagining of Disney California Adventure and contributed to the design of resorts including Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Villas, and Disney Springs. Before retiring after nearly five decades with Disney, Eric contributed his expertise to the completion of Shanghai Disneyland.

Paul Osterhout is a creative director and executive producer known for turning bold ideas into unforgettable experiences. Over the course of his career, he has led the development of major theme park attractions, live experiences, and immersive environments around the world—working at the intersection of storytelling, design, and human emotion. Paul was originally hired in 1980 as a production designer for EPCOT Center where he worked on all of the Future World pavilions. He was hired as a Production Designer for the Disney-MGM Studios where he provided design and art direction for The Great Movie Ride, Superstar Television, and the Monster Sound Show. Before the park was finished, he was promoted to Producer where he was the lead creative on Star Tours and MuppetVision 3D. Paul also produced New Tomorrowland (and in fact is the voice of the teenage boy in the last scene of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress) and a number of projects for the Magic Kingdom. He was also the Producer on Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith.

Tim Delaney spent more than four decades with Walt Disney Imagineering, helping shape some of the most ambitious and influential Disney attractions and themed lands around the world. Beginning his career in 1976, he worked alongside legendary Imagineers including John Hench, Marty Sklar, Herb Ryman, and X Atencio, contributing to the development of EPCOT and serving as Project Designer and Producer for The Living Seas Pavilion. He later led the creative design of Disneyland Paris’ Discoveryland and its groundbreaking Space Mountain, blending the visionary works of Jules Verne with innovative ride technology and storytelling. His portfolio also includes Disney California Adventure, Hong Kong Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, Shanghai Disneyland concept development, and Aulani Resort in Hawaii.

Kathy started her Disney career in the Parking Lot of Disneyland in June 1972. After working as a Disneyland Attraction Hostess for almost 10 years, she joined WED/WDI in February 1982 to work on the New Fantasyland ’83 at Disneyland as a Project Coordinator. She joined the Disney-MGM Studios Project Team in the early development as a Project Coordinator for The Great Movie Ride, Superstar Television and the Monster Sound Show. She ended her over 44 year Disney career as an Executive Creative Show Producer for Muppet-Vision 3D, Blizzard Beach, Expedition Everest and various attraction enhancements like Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, the 2006 movie-inspired changes to Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and the 2007 enhancements of the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion

A 44-year consultant to the Walt Disney Company, Don Dorsey has been associated with literally hundreds of Disney’s entertainment events and productions. Don is the creator and director of Reflections of Earth for Epcot. He also designed and directed A New World Fantasy, Laserphonic Fantasy, IllumiNations, and Holiday IllumiNations at Epcot, the original Sorcery In The Sky at Disney/MGM Studios, Starlight Magic at Tokyo Disneyland, and played a key developmental role in Disneyland’s Fantasmic! Dorsey also created synthesizer arrangements and performances for Disney’s classic Main Street Electrical Parade, as well as many other parades and shows at Disney parks. The Disneyana Fan Club recently presented Don with their DFC Legend award.

Peggie Fariss began her Disney career as an attractions hostess on Storybook Land Canal Boats and went on to spend more than 50 years helping shape Disney Parks experiences around the world. She played a key role in the research and development of EPCOT’s iconic Spaceship Earth and later served as Walt Disney Imagineering’s liaison to major corporate sponsors. Throughout her career, she championed Imagineering’s creative vision across projects ranging from park branding initiatives to guest experiences and exhibitions. Her most rewarding assignment was leading the Creative Design and Show Quality teams at Disneyland Paris, where she guided a period of significant growth and creative development. A lifelong Disney Parks enthusiast, she cites Ratatouille: The Adventure at Walt Disney Studios Park as one of her favorite attractions for its immersive storytelling and charm.

Elisabete Erlandson career spanned work on 11 of Disney’s 12 theme parks worldwide. During her tenure at Imagineering, she was the only woman to hold an architectural license, contributing to some of the company’s most ambitious themed environments and attractions. One of her most memorable projects was EPCOT’s World Showcase, where she collaborated with legendary Imagineers and helped shape the art of thematic design. She also participated in research and development efforts for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, traveling throughout Africa to help inform the park’s authentic storytelling and immersive environments. Her decades of work helped bring Disney’s attractions and themed lands to life for millions of guests around the world.

Bishop is a landscape architect who began her career with Imagineering as an intern in 1982. Her first major project was Splash Mountain at Disneyland, and in her thirty-year career she was responsible for landscape and hardscape design and installation at every Disney theme park location.

Paula Dinkel brought her expertise from academia to Walt Disney Imagineering, where she spent 30 years designing lighting for Disney Parks and entertainment destinations around the world. Her work helped shape the nighttime atmosphere and guest experience at projects including Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris, Shanghai Disneyland, DisneyQuest, and Club Disney. One of her most rewarding assignments was leading the Show Lighting team for Walt Disney Studios Park, collaborating with a talented group of designers to create immersive environments through light and color. Throughout her career, she found particular joy in watching guests experience Disney parks after dark, especially the moment Main Street’s lights illuminated each evening. A lifelong Disney fan, she counts Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland among her favorite attractions and considers Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith one of the most exciting projects from a design perspective.

Jerry Schneider is a versatile, visual arts  professional with over 45 years of photographic experience. His expertise in traditional and digital still photography was honed at WDI - Walt Disney Imagineering throughout 18 years and over a multitude of projects. The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles benefited from his talents and experience in the design, creation and administration of the Museum’s Digital Imaging lab. Eastman Kodak used his project management skills for their ride based Enterprise Photo Exchange imaging systems. Jerry received his Vocational Teaching credential from the University of San Diego and spent 9 years teaching Photoshop at the high school and adult levels.

Jim Bockstall has a forty-year legacy of creating world-class projects on time and on budget for some of the most successful development companies in the world. His reputation is based upon the quality of his images and the clarity of his messages. His focus has been Graphic Design, Branding, Project Identity, Signage & Wayfinding and Iconic Elements for large-scale built environments. Jim worked for Walt Disney Imagineering in California. He led a design team for the Muppet Studios at Disney-MGM Studios, collaborating directly with Mr. Jim Henson and his associates. In addition, he was a lead concept designer for the proposed Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Paris, the renovation of Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s America — the highly publicized history theme park in Virginia. In Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Jim was responsible for the ride’s graphic art.

Richard (Sandy) Quinn was head of marketing for Walt Disney World in Florida through construction, the opening in 1971 and several years of operation, and later joined the Marriott Corp. as a division Vice President.

Mr. Quinn was President of the Richard Nixon Foundation from 2010 to 2014. He was an assistant to Richard Nixon traveling with him during his 1962 California gubernatorial bid. He later served on the staff of Governor Ronald Reagan, including as 1967 Inaugural Committee Chairman, and later served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator George Murphy in Washington, D.C.

He was President of Quinn/Brein Marketing & Communications for many years, serving blue chip corporate accounts throughout the United States. He graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in business.

Richard J. Battaglia is a renowned theme park and entertainment industry visionary who spent 11 years as part of Disney’s management team before founding Battaglia Inc. in 1973. His company has helped bring major themed entertainment projects to life around the world, including Lotte World in Seoul, World Adventure at Leofoo Village in Taiwan, Entertainment City in Kuwait, Marine World Africa U.S.A. in California, and EXPO 1986 in Vancouver. Battaglia pioneered an integrated approach to theme park development, combining creative design, master planning, architecture, operations, and financial strategy to take projects from concept to opening day and beyond. His innovative work has helped shape some of the world’s most successful theme parks and entertainment complexes.

Life is an experience and since 1987, Ryan Harmon has been making it a memorable one for millions of people around the world. Harmon is a respected producer, creative director, and writer who understands the power of story, strategy, innovation, brand, and budget – and how to engage people emotionally through the mediums of environment, technology, and theatricality. Harmon is a former Disney Imagineer (from age 20) who has held senior creative positions at Delaney-Harmon, Story Dept., Universal Creative, Warner Bros., BRC Imagination Arts, and Landmark Entertainment Group, and consulted for dozens of owner/operators, design firms, and developers worldwide. Ryan is a member of the Producers Guild of America and The Magic Castle, and currently serves on the advisory panel for Riyadh Hub in Saudi Arabia.