Creating “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” with Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald and Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz with Museum Executive Director Kirsten Komoroske

As part of our ongoing celebration of the Disneyland Resort 70th anniversary, we invite you to join us for an exciting look at its newest attraction, “Walt Disney – A Magical Life”. Walt Disney Imagineering executives Tom Fitzgerald and Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz will offer insights into the development of the attraction featuring the first-ever Audio-Animatronics® figure of Walt Disney, made possible through an art form that Walt himself helped pioneer. In conversation with The Walt Disney Family Museum's Executive Director Kirsten Komoroske, they will discuss how Imagineers worked with The Walt Disney Family Museum and Walt Disney Archives to create this new attraction and help share Walt’s incredible journey with Disneyland Park guests.

Please note: Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult who shall be responsible for the child at all times. Tickets reserved for children under the age of 5 without an accompanying adult ticket in the same order will be automatically returned. Lapsitting infants under the age of 1 do not require an additional ticket.

Tickets for The Making of “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” In Conversation with Kirsten Komoroske and Disney Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald and Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz are available as follows:

• Walt’s Circle Donors: Purchase tickets beginning Tuesday, October 14 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• Founding, Supporter, and Friend-level members: Purchase tickets beginning Wednesday, October 15 at noon PT by emailing membership@wdfmuseum.org.
• All member levels: Purchase tickets online beginning Thursday, October 16 at noon PT via the Member Portal.
• Public (non-members): Remaining tickets available online beginning Friday, October 17 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 both Portfolio Executive Creative Director and Chief Storytelling Executive at Walt Disney Imagineering, Tom Fitzgerald is responsible for future growth efforts in Asia as well as story and script development for Imagineering projects around the world. To both of these roles, Fitzgerald brings decades of knowledge and experience in storytelling and design for Disney theme parks and attractions worldwide.

Throughout his 46+ years with Imagineering, Fitzgerald has had many responsibilities at Imagineering, including portfolio executive roles for Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, and leading Imagineering’s media production. As head of the latter, he oversaw the creation of more than 400 media projects for Disney parks around the world, including Cinémagique, Soarin’ Around the World, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Muppet*Vision 3D, It’s Tough to be a Bug!, and many more.

Tom was the original writer/producer for Star Tours and has continued as the creative director for Star Tours – The Adventures Continue and its many updates. At Disneyland Paris, Tom led the Imagineering team as director of the attraction and restaurant based on the Disney-Pixar film Ratatouille—the attraction is also now at EPCOT. In addition, he directed Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Space 220 Restaurant at EPCOT.

To this day, Tom continues to write and direct attractions for Disney parks such as “Walt Disney – A Magical Life”, in addition to his portfolio responsibilities.

Growing up in New York, Tom knew he wanted to be an Imagineer when he experienced the Disney-designed attractions at the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair. He worked in attractions at Walt Disney World Resort while in college, then headed to California in 1979 to join the Imagineering team as a writer/producer for the exciting EPCOT Center project.

Imagineer Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz is a Portfolio Executive Creative Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering, bringing to life Disney Parks projects around the world. Shaver-Moskowitz recently helped lead “Walt Disney – A Magical Life” and the reimagination of Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland Park, including the west coast debut of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the first ride-through attraction starring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse at Disneyland.

While in the role of Portfolio Executive Producer for Disneyland Resort, Shaver-Moskowitz helped lead many other projects including Pixar Pier, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters, the return of the Hatbox Ghost to the Haunted Mansion, and new magic for the Matterhorn Bobsleds for the 60th anniversary of Disneyland.

Beyond Disneyland, Shaver-Moskowitz led the Blue Sky effort for the reimagining of EPCOT with Tom Fitzgerald, and Shaver-Moskowitz also served as Executive Producer for Walt Disney Imagineering on Muppets Haunted Mansion for Disney+. 

Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz began with Imagineering in 2011 as a producer for Shanghai Disney Resort. Prior to his work at Imagineering, Jeff performed in parades and shows at Walt Disney World Resort, and worked in television production for 10 years, contributing to notable programs such as “AFI 100 Years …”, and numerous Dick Clark productions including the American Music Awards, Dick Clark’s New Years Rockin’ Eve, and the Golden Globes.

Kirsten Komoroske joined The Walt Disney Family Museum as Executive Director and Member of the Board of Directors in 2013. Komoroske has held a number of executive, legal, and board positions, including General Counsel and Vice President of Human Resources for Tyco Electronics Corporation, Vice President of Human Resources at Groupon, Inc., and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. Prior to her position at the museum, she worked as a practicing lawyer, advising organizations on a wide range of strategic, business, venture capital and private equity, and HR issues.  

In 2018, she was elected to the Board of Directors of both the San Francisco Travel Association and the Hiller Aviation Museum. She was elected Chair of the San Francisco Travel Board of Directors in February 2023. 

She has a background in—and a lifelong passion for—the arts, having grown up studying violin and modern dance. She received a B.A. in Italian from the University of California at Berkeley and a J.D. from Santa Clara University

Guests of The Walt Disney Family Museum can request American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters on-demand for our Talks, Workshops, School Experiences, Tours, and Storytimes. If you would like to request an ASL interpreter, please fill out the form linked below. Please note: Interpreter availability is not guaranteed and requests must be submitted at least two weeks in advance.

The museum is proud to partner with Bay Area Communication Access (BACA) for our ASL interpreter needs. For more information on their services, please visit BACA's website.

For more information on our Accessibility offerings, please visit our Accessibility page by clicking the link below.