Today’s “Creating The Happiest Place on Earth” panel at Destination D23 provided fans with an emotional look at 70 years of memories that celebrate the legacy of the Disneyland Resort, while also looking toward a great big, beautiful tomorrow at Disney Parks around the world.
Oscar and Emmy nominated filmmaker (with deep Disney roots!) Leslie Iwerks took the stage at the panel to reveal her new documentary film Disneyland Handcrafted, coming this winter to Disney+ and Disney YouTube.
Leslie showcased the inventive creative process behind Disney Parks when she produced The Imagineering Story in 2019, and has ties to a strong family history at Disney that stretches back to Walt’s time. Following the passion and expertise set by her grandfather, Ub, and her father, Don, Leslie continues to leave a legacy of pure technological innovation and key attention to detail — learn more about Ub and Don, two Disney Legends, on D23.com!
Disneyland from Early Conception to Opening Day
Capturing the excitement of the creation of Disneyland as it was being built more than 70 years ago, you’ll get a chance to peek behind the orange groves and experience the making of the park like never before in Disneyland Handcrafted. This unique film, complete with ASMR moments and constructed using only rarely seen footage that Leslie handpicked through the Walt Disney Archives, depicts the thoughtfulness and care that was put into the development of Disneyland.
As featured in the trailer, Walt’s trailblazing embrace of television has been well-documented in the past, which is why he tasked several cameramen to capture the construction of Disneyland leading up to the park’s opening. This footage provides an up-close, first-hand look at many of the artists, craftsmen, and Walt Disney Imagineers who were actually there during the construction of Disneyland amid tough conditions. Much of this footage has not seen the light of day…until now.
During production, Leslie was able to tour the Walt Disney Archives and track down binders full of film reels, discovering historical reels that had never been scanned before (including some raw 16mm footage that was never used for “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color”). Having been stored in the vaults for years, Leslie and her dedicated team were able to produce high-resolution scans of every reel without a timecode, helping to restore beautiful, once-forgotten shots of the early days of Disneyland onto a hard drive through a revolutionary process that had never been tackled before.
Disneyland Handcrafted: Exploring the Original Roots of Disney Parks
No matter what Disney park you’re visiting around the world, you can still trace that special feeling that you get when passing through the front gates at each park back to the original vision of Disneyland. This new film provides an up-close look at the dedication, effort, and passion that was required to realize a dream that would go on to inspire millions around the world.
Honoring the history and revolutionary spirit of Walt Disney has fueled innovation across generations, opening the door for evolution and growth just as Walt dreamed. Disneyland laid the groundwork for a massive global industry that is currently in the biggest era of growth since the original park’s opening, making this film a truly special treat for Disney fans.
I loved learning about the behind-the-scenes Imagineering process throughout all six episodes of Iwerks’ The Imagineering Story on Disney+, and the chance to hear soundbites from Walt and discover rarely seen footage from the making of Disneyland is an exciting prospect that had me on the edge of my seat during the announcement.
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