Disney100: The Exhibition Continues Walt’s Innovative Spirit – Press Preview

Disney100: The Exhibition will be making its world debut in the City of Brotherly Love–Philadelphia. This innovative exhibit will open at The Franklin Institute on February 18, 2023, with tickets on sale now.

Disney100: The Exhibition celebrates 100 years of Walt Disney’s magical career. The exhibit will house over 250 artifacts from the Disney archives. Each artifact represents a piece of 100 years of history.

At a press preview for the exhibit, the Director of the Disney Archives, Becky Cline unveiled some of the collection that guests can see.

~Disneyland Employee Badge #1 (1955), issued to Walt Disney

~Steamboat Whistlein Steamboat Willie (1928)

~Prop Storybook featured in Snow White and Seven Dwarfs(1937)

~Skywalker Lightsaber Hilt from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker(2019), used by Daisy Ridley

~Magic Ring from The Shaggy Dog(1959), used by Tommy Kirk

In addition to the artifacts, Disney100: The Exhibition will have interactive and immersive galleries transporting guests to the past, present, and future of Disney.

There are a total of six galleries in the exhibit:

Where It All Began

This gallery introduces visionary filmmaker and innovator Walt Disney and his philosophies that laid the foundation for the Walt Disney Company. Guests will explore his story from before Mickey Mouse to Mickey’s debut in Steamboat Willie in 1928 to the fantastic breakthroughs in animation during the early 1930s.

Where Do the Stories Come From?

A gallery dedicated to the art of storytelling with ever-changing multimedia environments that illustrate how Disney storytellers bring characters to life. Guests can explore the sources of inspiration for Disney’s most beloved and iconic films through art and artifacts from Snow White and the Seven DwarfsFrozen, and The Princess and the Frog.

Sources of Inspiration

From classic fairy tales and legends to original creations, this immersive and interactive installation invites visitors to explore the literary influences behind some of their favorite stories and see how they inspired Disney artists and storytellers.

The Spirit of Adventure and Discovery

From the depths of the ocean and the mysteries of the jungle to the outer reaches of the galaxy, Disney adventure stories from Disney, Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe invite exploration and discovery in this interactive gallery where curious youngsters can embark on a quest to uncover hidden artifacts from favorite films.

The Nautilus Window

Guests can peer through an interactive window of Captain Nemo’s legendary submarine, as seen in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, for a glimpse of Disney and Pixar’s enchanting underwater worlds.

Your Disney World: A Day in the Parks

Guests step into a recreation of Main Street, U.S.A., to explore the legacy and development of Disney parks and attractions worldwide.

Disney100 also has an original score specifically created for the exhibit. As a member of the media, I was able to be one of the first to experience it. The music gave me goosebumps! It manages to be nostalgic while being completely new. Then again, that is all part of Disney’s magic.

The president and CEO of the Franklin Institute, Larry Dubinski, proudly declared at the press preview, “Philadelphia is open for business!” The opening of the exhibit is projected to bring in millions of tourists from all over the globe.  Thus benefiting the economy for not just Philadelphia but all of the Tri-State Area.

If you are curious as to why Philadelphia was chosen for the debut of the exhibit; the answer lies in innovation. Walt Disney was inspired by Ben Franklin! Disney even created an animated feature titled, “Ben & Me,” about a mouse(not Mickey) who assisted Ben Franklin in creating his inventions. Let us not forget about Disney’s National Treasures being filmed in the city as well.

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Disney100:The Exhibition is sure to be a massive success when it officially opens on February 18, 2023. Tickets are currently available for purchase on the Franklin Institutes’ Website.

Be on the lookout for our full review of the exhibit!

Will you be visiting the exhibit? What’s your favorite Disney memory? Share with us in the comments below.


About Yali Perez

When she's not writing about pop culture for Fandom Spotlite, curating social media for the*gameHERS, or helping to produce the DB4L podcast, she is a single mom to the coolest kid in the world. In Yali's free time she likes to bake, exercise, watch horror films, and play Mario Kart. Yali's goal as a writer is to share her nontraditional and colorful view of the world with readers everywhere.

View all posts by Yali Perez

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