Imagineering in the Beginning—1952–1955—They Created Disneyland with Former Imagineer Tom Morris

As we continue to celebrate our latest special exhibition, Happiest Place on Earth: The Disneyland Story, join us as retired executive producer and creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering Tom Morris presents an in-depth look at the early days of Imagineering, during which Walt Disney’s original magic kingdom was brought into existence.

Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult who shall be responsible for the child at all times.

Tickets for Imagineering in the Beginning—1952–1955—They Created Disneyland with Former Imagineer Tom Morris will be available as follows:

• Walt’s Circle Donors: Purchase tickets beginning Tuesday, November 18 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• Founding, Supporter, and Friend-level members: Purchase tickets beginning Wednesday, November 19 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• All member levels: Purchase tickets online beginning Thursday, November 20 at noon PT via the Member Portal.
• Public (non-members): Remaining tickets available online beginning Friday, November 21 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.

As one of the Creative Development leaders at Walt Disney Imagineering for many years, Tom K. Morris was responsible for overseeing many new ideas and attraction concepts, most recently as creative director for Cars Land, which opened in June 2012 at Disney California Adventure Park.

Morris began his Disney career in 1973 as a teenager, working with a third-party lessee at Disneyland. He transferred to Disneyland Operations and worked as an Attractions Host for such Tomorrowland attractions as Submarine Voyage, Autopia, and Space Mountain.

Moving to Walt Disney Imagineering in 1979, his first assignment was Journey Into Imagination for EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. After its completion in 1982, Morris returned to California and worked on numerous proposals and concepts for Disneyland expansion projects, including Videopolis, Splash Mountain, Star Tours®, and Indiana Jones® Adventure.

Beginning in 1987, he provided creative direction for teams of artists and engineers as Show Producer for the development of Fantasyland and Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty Castle) at Disneyland Paris. Following the opening of the Park in 1992, he assumed responsibility for the development of 10 new attractions there, and provided on-going creative direction to the local team of Walt Disney Imagineering.

Starting in 1995, Morris was part of the conceptual team that developed DisneyQuest, a new concept in interactive family entertainment at Walt Disney World. At that time, he also had a hand in the development of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park at Walt Disney World in Florida. He then transitioned onto the Hong Kong Disneyland project where he led the creative development of the first phase of the theme park, which opened in September 2005.

Morris is currently involved in several Disneyland- and Walt Disney Imagineering-related history projects.

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