In recent months, as the world celebrated the 100th
anniversary of Walt's birth, a number of journalists have remarked
on the fact that a shrinking number of young people are aware
that there once was a walking, talking human being named Walt
Disney. Walt's family has been trying to make sure that his legacy
is preserved for some time now, through a variety of means, including
the recent film documentary, "Walt: The Man Behind the Myth."
The Walt Disney Company joined into this effort
in early December, with the opening of a new exhibit at Walt Disney
World, "One Man's Dream," a creative mélange
of various artifacts from Walt's life and times; a sort of three-dimensional
tour through his life, from birth on. It's located in the Disney-MGM
Studios portion of the park, and features a short biographical
film as well.
Among the highlights of the new attraction are Walt's
desk from the Hyperion studio, a segment of the film, written
by Marty Sklar, introducing EPCOT (click
here to see an interview with Sklar);
the dress worn by Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins; Walt's office
- shipped down from its usual home in Disneyland, especially for
this exhibit; the unique Academy Award he received for Snow White,
which was loaned by Walt's family; Granny Kincaid's Cabin, built
by Walt himself for a proposed traveling exhibition of miniature
scenes, and much more.