One of the most influential Imagineers of the 21st century officially became a Disney Legend tonight.
Disney inducted its 2024 class of Legends at a ceremony in the Honda Center tonight, to wrap up this year's D23 event. Among the 14 honorees willl be Joe Rohde from Walt Disney Imagineering.
Rohde led to the design team for Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park, as well as Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa on O’ahu, Hawai’i. He also headed the design teams for Pandora - The World of Avatar and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.
Throughout his career, Rohde has inspired colleagues and fans to take a more informed look at theme park attractions. Billed as "Professor Rohde," his Instagram account is a master's class in the principles behind themed entertainment design. As someone who grew up in Hawai’i, Rohde has pushed Disney to be more inclusive of indigenous and marginalized voices in its creative works, as well as to be thoughtful custodians of the environment.
While Rohde has earned quite a bit of fame within the Disney fan community, his fellow inductee this year also deserves the attention and the gratitude of Disney Parks fans. Martha Blanding has compiled a long list of "firsts" as a Disneyland cast member, including being the park's first Black full-time tour guide and first Black female in park management.
She also this decade became the first Black cast member to reach their 50th anniversary with the company and today becomes the first Black Disney Parks cast member to become a Disney Legend.
It's appropriate that Blanding's honor comes at D23, because she as senior manager of Disneyland Resort Merchandise Special Events, she was an originating producer of the Official Disneyana Convention, a forerunner of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. Throughout her career, Blanding has been a role model and mentor for countless Disneyland cast members.
Other Disney Legends inducted tonight were Colleen Atwood, Angela Bassett, James L. Brooks, James Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, Miley Cyrus, Steve Ditko, Harrison Ford, Mark Henn, Frank Oz, Kelly Ripa, and John Williams.
If you missed tonight's ceremony in Anaheim, or were not able to make it out for D23, the Disney Legends ceremony will stream on Disney+ in the United States and Canada starting at 2pm Pacific Time on Monday.
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Some very overdue names there.
@James
You beat me to it.
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I think Joe Rohde's ear alone should have made Disney Legend status.