When we got to the Presidio of San Francisco we went straight to the museum. As we parked, we noticed a lot of people and activity on the lawns in front of the museum. To our surprise, it was an outdoor community event with fragrant food booths and an impressive farmer's market. There were hundreds of people eating, playing, talking and enjoying their families and friends together on a beautiful Mother's Day in one of the most beautiful cities on the planet. I remember thinking that Walt would have loved to see all this. We soaked up the ambiance for a bit, sampled some of the tasty local food and then headed over to the museum.
The museum itself is very impressive and, as soon as you walk in, you can tell that, like Disneyland, it is truly an act of love. From the beautiful and often colorful flooring to the sparkling stairs, the details are amazing. On the main level there is a lobby which includes a ticket/information area, a very unique museum store and a cafe with cafe seating. The lower level of the museum includes a learning center with two studios, a state-of-the-art digital theater and a ticket kiosk while the second floor houses the galleries. The permanent collection consists of ten galleries that depict Walt Disney throughout his life and career.
The galleries consist of:
Gallery 1 - Beginnings: Walt Disney’s Early Years (1901-1923)
Gallery 2 - Hollywood (1923-1928)
Galleries 3 - New Horizons: The Emergence of the Walt Disney Studio (1928-1940)
Gallery 4 - The Move to Features: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Gallery 5 - New Success and Greater Ambitions
Gallery 6 - The Late ‘30s to Mid ‘40s
Gallery 7 - Post-War Rebuilding: Mid-‘40s to the early 1950s
Gallery 8 - Walt and the Natural World
Gallery 9 - The 1950s and 1960s: The Big Screen and Beyond
Gallery 10 - Remembering Walt Disney
The museum is, I think, as Walt would want it to be. It is very modern but still respects history. Not only does it host special events like screenings and parties, it welcomes in other artists to share their own work while still recognizing the value of Walt Disney's timeless gold standard. It brings people together to celebrate creativity and to learn about the value of quality storytelling. It truly does fulfill its mission of celebrating and exploring "the life and achievements of the man who raised animation to an art, transformed the film industry, tirelessly pursued innovation, and created a global and distinctively American legacy."
After we had seen all the galleries and had taken a few hundred photographs, we took some more time at the museum to just soak up all the magic around us. We looked out the huge windows at the panoramic view of the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. We stopped by the recreation of Walt's Disneyland apartment. We did some shopping and had coffee on a bench in front of the museum before heading to see Mary Poppins. I am so glad that we planned our day so perfectly because seeing Mary Poppins on stage for the first time and hearing the audience sing and clap along was the perfect way to end our very special day. We drove home full of magic that night and I thank Walt Disney (and Diane Disney Miller) for that.
This post is dedicated to the memory of Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, who passed away not far from where I live in the Napa Valley on November 19th, 2013. After all, if it weren't for Walt Disney and his special "Daddy's Days" with Diane and Sharon much of this (including Disneyland) might not have happened. I thank her for sharing him with us both in life and in death. Along with so many others, I also thank Diane for preserving her dad's legacy and for creating this special place. Diane's tireless work through the Walt Disney Family Foundation, a non-profit organization established by the Disney family, has allowed us all to better understand Walt Disney the man. The Walt Disney Company is, after all, still a company and having the family touch in the museum is one of the main reasons I love it so much. I love that his legacy is well-protected and that future generations will be able to explore the world of such a genius.
The
Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street in the
Presidio of San Francisco. Please note: there are two Montgomery Streets
in San Francisco—the Museum is located in the Presidio, not in the
Financial District. If you are using a GPS, please remember to enter the
zip code 94129 when planning your route. Don't forget: the museum is
closed every Tuesday. - See more at:
http://www.waltdisney.org/hours-location#sthash.BpXUla47.dpuf
The
Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street in the
Presidio of San Francisco. Please note: there are two Montgomery Streets
in San Francisco—the Museum is located in the Presidio, not in the
Financial District. If you are using a GPS, please remember to enter the
zip code 94129 when planning your route. Don't forget: the museum is
closed every Tuesday. - See more at:
http://www.waltdisney.org/hours-location#sthash.BpXUla47.dpuf
The
Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street in the
Presidio of San Francisco. Please note: there are two Montgomery Streets
in San Francisco—the Museum is located in the Presidio, not in the
Financial District. If you are using a GPS, please remember to enter the
zip code 94129 when planning your route. Don't forget: the museum is
closed every Tuesday. - See more at:
http://www.waltdisney.org/hours-location#sthash.BpXUla47.dpuf
The
Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery Street in the
Presidio of San Francisco. Please note: there are two Montgomery Streets
in San Francisco—the Museum is located in the Presidio, not in the
Financial District. If you are using a GPS, please remember to enter the
zip code 94129 when planning your route. Don't forget: the museum is
closed every Tuesday. - See more at:
http://www.waltdisney.org/hours-location#sthash.BpXUla47.dpuf
Great blog and photos! I want to go right now!!! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteSaw it recently and thoroughly enjoyed it w my family!Sad to see the directors chair w Dianne Disney Millers's name on it w a photo of her .only a week after her passing. tThanks Dianne for bringing this to fruition for all of us to enjoy for many years to come!
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