At a recent event celebrating the addition of an anniversary edition of Peter Pan to the Walt Disney Signature Collection, we had the honor of taking a tour of Walt Disney’s offices in Suite 3H, at the Walt Disney Studios lot, which in 2015 was lovingly restored to its original layout and design by the amazing folks at the Walt Disney Archives, with the assistance of Disney studio craftsmen (who used reference photographs from the late 1960s to faithfully recreate it).
Walt worked in this office from 1940 until his passing in 1966, after which the office was occupied by subsequent Disney executives: including Ron Miller, Frank G. Wells and Roy E. Disney. Its most recent occupant was television producer Marc Cherry. After Marc’s departure in 2015 the office was renovated back to its 1960s appearance.
We’ve wanted to pay a visit to these historic offices for the longest time, and we were so lucky to be able to take pictures that we can now share with you! In honor of the year The Walt Disney Company was founded (1923), here are 23 things you can find in Walt’s office suite.
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Awards
One of the first things we noticed in Walt’s office space was a giant display case filled with several of Walt’s awards that he received throughout his life (he received over 950 awards and citations in total!). We couldn’t help but be completely delighted by this replica of the special Academy Award Walt received for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)—complete with seven mini statuettes that was made for the movie Saving Mr. Banks (2013). The original award is currently on display at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. -
Miniatures
Walt collected miniatures as a hobby, and this collection was made up of gifts from friends and family. There’s even a miniature of Bambi that Walt made himself! You can see it in the picture below, just in front of the award statuette in the center of the photograph.
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Family photos
Behind Walt’s desk in his formal office are photographs of his daughters, Sharon and Diane. Walt’s office suite was made up of multiple rooms: including his formal office and his working office. This is an image from his formal office, which was originally Walt’s only office when he moved here in 1940, until his conference room was converted and became his working office. -
Original furniture
Furniture in the office was designed in a Streamline Moderne style by industrial designer and architect, Kem Weber, who was the supervising designer of the original animation building, along with several of the original studio lot buildings.
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Pencil sketches by Norman Rockwell
Because no office is complete without original work by a prolific American artist, right? The pencil drawings were given to Walt Disney in 1941 by Norman Rockwell. The prints above of Walt’s two daughters, Diane and Sharon, stand in for the originals.
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A large ship’s bell
This bell was presented to Walt by the United States Coast Guard, in recognition of a film Walt produced showing how icebreakers make their way through heavy Arctic icepacks. One day, Walt’s secretary rang the bell to get his attention to remind him about lunchtime, and he then asked her to do it every day at 12:30, so he would remember that it was time to go to lunch. -
Mousecar Award
The “Mousecar” was an award created in the 1940s and used by the Disney company to honor both employees and select individuals outside of the company to recognize their extraordinary contributions to Disney’s work. This Mousecar was given to Walt by his brother, business partner, and company co-founder, Roy O. Disney. -
Piano
This 1914 Knabe grand piano was purchased and customized for Walt by Kem Weber in 1940, so that it would match the other furniture Weber designed for the office. Later, Disney songwriter Richard Sherman, one half of the famed Sherman brothers, frequently played Walt’s favorite song from Mary Poppins (1964), “Feed the Birds,” on this very instrument. -
Books personalized to Walt
Behind me is a bookshelf painstakingly arranged to match reference photographs taken in the 1960s, with books placed exactly in order to perfectly replicate the office as Walt left it. Many books are autographed and personalized to Walt by the authors themselves. -
Original blinds and drapes
Just as Walt would have seen them! -
Praxinoscope
An antique praxinoscope is an early animation device. When you spin it, the mirrors reflect the images so they look like they are moving. This particular praxinoscope was used by Walt in the television show, The Story of the Animated Drawing (1955). -
Model airplanes
A model of a Grumman Gulfstream can be found in Walt’s working office. This was the type of plane Walt would fly over Central Florida in to view what would become the Walt Disney World Resort property as the vacation destination was being planned.
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A giant aerial shot of Disneyland from 1965
Everything marked in red on this map was opened by that point, and everything in yellow was seen as a work in progress at the time.
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TIME® magazine cover image
This is the original TIME® magazine painting by artist Boris Chaliapin that was featured on the December 27, 1954 cover of the publication. In a letter to the artist, Walt wrote, “I consider it one of the best pictures ever made of me.” -
Ed Wynn photograph taken by Dave Iwerks (son of Ub Iwerks)
Disney Legend Marty Sklar remembered that the portrait of Ed Wynn (who appeared in Mary Poppins as Uncle Albert and voiced the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland) “was kind of a good luck charm” for Walt to have in his office. The two were great friends and admired each other’s work tremendously.
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A kitchenette with original engraved drinking glasses
Nearly all of the fixtures in the office kitchenette are original from 1940, except for the refrigerator. These glasses are engraved with Walt’s initials: WED.
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Briefcase that Walt would use to carry scripts home or while traveling and then back to the office
See it on the floor underneath the desk there?
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Original scripts
These scripts are the ones Walt would have been working on at the time of his passing.
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Display cases with some of Walt’s personal items
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Caricatures of Walt created by Disney artists and others from around the globe
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Caricature of Walt done by Walt himself!
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Vintage photographs
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Vintage Disney toys
If you look closely during the tour, you might spot Disney memorabilia in unexpected places. This Lady plush doll was tucked under a coffee table!
What is your favorite item from Walt Disney’s office suite? If you’d like the chance to see Walt’s offices in person, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club offers tours to members! You can find out more here.
Peter Pan is now available on Digital, Movies Anywhere, and Blu-ray!