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Disneyland Opera House opening 4 exhibits for 70th anniversary

Disneyland will use a series of new exhibits to help reintroduce Walt Disney to the latest generation of fans who often associate the name Disney with an entertainment company, movie studio and theme park rather than the man who founded them all.

Four new special exhibits in the Main Street Opera House will accompany the new “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” when the audio-animatronic show debuts on July 17 as part of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration at the Anaheim theme park.

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Walt Disney crosses the drawbridge that serves as the entrance to the castle in what will be the heart of Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, on April 16, 1955. (AP Photo/David F. Smith)

Disneyland’s Evolution

The first exhibit called “The Evolution of a Dream” will walk visitors through the early stages of Disneyland with some never-before-seen concept art tracking how Walt’s dream became a reality.

The all-new gallery experience curated by Walt Disney Imagineering and the Walt Disney Archives will include images, art, artifacts, relics and memorabilia.

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The exhibit will be arranged by Disneyland’s earliest themed lands with displays dedicated to Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Tomorrowland and New Orleans Square.

The new Disneyland evolution exhibit replaces the previous Disney100 gallery exhibit.

Walt Disney in the Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland. (Courtesy of Disneyland)

Audio-Animatronics Technology

An exhibit on Imagineering’s audio-animatronic technology will trace the history of the robotic storytelling tool from the little mechanical bird that inspired the Enchanted Tiki Room to the latest advancements used to power the world’s first animatronic figure of Walt Disney himself.

The exhibit will explore the inner workings of animatronic figures from the earliest concepts to today’s advancements.

Animatronic figures from the Enchanted Tiki Room, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean will be part of the display.

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Walt Disney’s private apartment above the Disneyland Fire Station on Main Street U.S.A. (Courtesy of Disneyland)

Walt Disney Family Museum

Disneyland will collaborate with the Walt Disney Family Museum to recreate Walt’s private apartment above the Main Street Fire Station.

The San Francisco museum is loaning more than 30 artifacts to the exhibit housed inside the Main Street Opera House art studio space that will include the original rocking chair, lamp and table from Walt’s fire station apartment.

The original furnishings from Walt’s private apartment have never been publicly exhibited at Disneyland.

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The items on loan from the museum will also include Walt’s 1955 Emmy award for the “Walt Disney’s Disneyland” TV show, his Presidential Medal of Freedom awarded by President Johnson in 1964 and the Walt Disney Commemorative Medal presented to Lillian Disney by President Nixon in 1969.

The U.S. Capitol model that has long been a fixture of the Opera House lobby will be stored at the Disney Archives during the 70th anniversary exhibit, according to MiceChat.

An audio-animatronics figure of Walt Disney will appear in the show “Walt Disney — A Magical Life,” which will debut in the Main Street Opera House at Disneyland in July. (Courtesy of Disneyland Resort)

Upcoming Projects

Imagineering will transform the Main Street Opera House exit lobby into a preview showcase of upcoming projects at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.

The lineup of new attractions includes the Avengers Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab attractions in Avengers Campus, Coco boat ride in Pixar Pier, Avatar destination experience in Hollywood Land and a Mandalorian makeover of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

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The new exhibits in the Main Street Opera House will help set up the “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” audio-animatronic show that will be taking over the theater starting on July 17.

The new $5 million show featuring the world’s first audio-animatronic figure of Walt Disney has been in development for seven years at Imagineering.

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“Walt Disney — A Magical Life” will initially run solo at the Main Street Opera House before playing in rotation with “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”

The Main Street Opera House now features a marquee with two titles for “Walt Disney — A Magical Life” and “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”

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