Disney today is celebrating the 70th anniversary of its theme park design unit. Now known as Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney's attraction design group started 70 years ago today as Walt Disney, Inc.
The original WDI, which was renamed WED Enterprises a year later, was owned personally by Walt and tasked with creating the new Disneyland theme park, which would open more than two years later, in 1955. WED Enterprises became part of what is now The Walt Disney Company in 1965, one year before Walt's death. Disney renamed the unit as Walt Disney Imagineering in 1986.
To celebrate the group's 70 birthday, WDI today is releasing a highlight video produced by Iwerks & Co, the studio behind The Imagineering Story on Disney+ and run by Leslie Iwerks, the granddaughter of Disney Legend Ub Iwerks.
Happy birthday to WDI and thanks and congratulations to all who have worked for WDI over the years. For more insight into Imagineering, please see some of these interviews that we have published with Disney's creative leaders over the years.
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