The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean: Imagineering Disney Classics with Former Imagineer Jason Surrell

Join us for a spooky, swashbuckling time as author and former Imagineer Jason Surrell discusses his work on two beloved Disney attractions, Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion. In addition to his work for Walt Disney Imagineering, Surrell has developed dozens of attractions for Universal Creative and has written several Disney art books including Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies and The Art of the Haunted Mansion.

Tickets for The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean: Imagineering Disney Classics with Former Imagineer Jason Surrell are available as follows:

• Walt’s Circle Donors: Purchase tickets beginning Wednesday, September 3 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• Founding, Supporter, and Friend-level members: Purchase tickets beginning Thursday, September 4 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• All member levels: Purchase tickets online beginning Friday, September 5 at noon PT via the Member Portal.
• Public (non-members): Remaining tickets available online beginning Saturday, September 6 at noon PT.

Upgrade your membership to receive priority access to purchase tickets. For more information, please email the Membership Department at membership@wdfmuseum.org.

Jason Surrell is an author, screenwriter, and a former Executive Creative Director at Universal Creative, with 30 years of experience as a writer, producer, and director in the entertainment industry. For 15 years, Surrell was a Senior Show Writer, Show Producer, and Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative. force behind the design and development of Disney’s theme parks, resorts, attractions, and cruise ships worldwide.

Surrell wrote and directed the independent feature film, Characters (2001).

Surrell’s major theme park credits include the overall creative direction of Universal Epic Universe, Universal Studios Beijing, and Universal Studios United Kingdom—a project that the company is currently considering building outside London—in addition to unannounced Universal projects at the attraction, land, theme park, and resort levels. Surrell created multiple entirely new lines of business for Universal Destinations & Experiences, including Universal Kids Park and Universal Horror Unleashed. 

While at Walt Disney Imagineering, Surrell helped develop the recently expanded New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Star Tours - The Adventures Continue, Star Wars Weekends, The Great Movie Ride, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, The American Idol Experience, and The Magic of Disney Animation, among others. He also helped shepherd enhancements to Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.

Surrell is the author of several books including: The Art of Marvel’s The Avengers, The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic, The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak, Screenplay by Disney: Tips and Techniques to Bring Magic to Your Moviemaking, Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies, and The Art of the Haunted Mansion. He contributed essays and feature articles to The Imagineering Way, The Imagineering Workout, The Disney Insider Yearbook, and Disney twenty-three publication. He also wrote for Walt Disney Television’s internationally syndicated television series, Secrets of the Animal Kingdom.

He is currently working on a variety of new projects for the film and themed entertainment industries.

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