Treasures from Disney’s historic archives will travel to the Graceland Exhibition Center on July 23rd of this year. The 10,000-square-foot “Inside the Walt Disney Archives” traveling exhibit first premiered at the D23 Expo in Japan back in 2018, and then made a debut at the Bowers Museum in Orange County California in honor of the Walt Disney Archives 50th anniversary in 2020.
While those of us in California are familiar with many of these items from Disneyland, tours of the Walt Disney Studios, or a trip to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, they should seem particularly exciting to those visiting Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.
Inside the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit
We visited the exhibit in early March 2020 at the Bowers Museum and enjoyed the display of hundreds of objects, including original artwork, costumes, and props that tell the story of the Archives, The Walt Disney Company, and Walt Disney himself. From nostalgic classics like never-before-displayed sketches for Fantasia, ghouls from the Haunted Mansion attraction, to modern-day favorites like costumes from Frozen and various superheroes and villains. This exhibition is a treasure trove for Disney fans of all ages.
Items making their way to Tennessee include:• Jack Sparrow’s compass from Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
• Costumes from Beauty and the Beast, 101 Dalmatians, Pretty Woman, Walk the Line, and more
• Mary Poppins’ original carpet bag
• Davy Crockett’s racoonskin cap
• Wilson from Cast Away
• Vehicles from Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Herbie: Fully Loaded,and Tron: Legacy
• The sword from Zorro
• Magic Bedknob from Bedknobs and Broomsticks
• Prop storybook from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Alien Xenomorph prop figure from the Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction The Great Movie Ride
• Tombstones and Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion attraction
• Electromagnetic Shrinking Machine from Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
• Lumiere and Cogsworth props from 2017’s Beauty and the Beast
• Dead Man’s Chest from Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
• Congo Queen Model Boat from Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise
See more of the exhibit by scrolling through the slider box below:
Walt Disney Archives Exhibit Details
The exhibit will run July 23rd, 2021 through January 2, 2022 at the Graceland Convention Center in Memphis Tennessee.
Self-Guided Exhibit Ticket Prices:
- Adults 11+ $15
- Children 5-10 $8
- Children 4 and underFree
Additional Ticket Options:
- Groups of 15+10% off
- VIP Tickets are $50 and include: a professionally guided tour of the exhibit, special access to a VIP lounge, a commemorative lanyard, an exclusive commemorative pin and $15 food voucher.
- For Disney enthusiasts who plan to visit frequently, a $50 Passport ticket will be available that allows guests to access the self-guided tours as many times as they would like during the six-month window.
- Gold Members of D23: The Official Fan Club are entitled to a 20% discount on single exhibition admission and VIP Tours (not on Passports or Special Events) with proof of membership.
The AAA Four Diamond Guest House at Graceland is also offering a special deal for fans traveling in from out of town. In addition to receiving the resort’s Best Available Rate, Disney exhibition tickets are deeply discounted, and guests will receive one complimentary Disney throw blanket per room.
For more information about tickets to the Graceland Disney exhibit visit: Inside the Walt Disney Archives Tickets
Additional Opportunities At The Walt Disney Archives Exhibit
In addition to the exhibit, a number of special events will be offered during the run, including:
- Press Day/D23 Gold Members on Thursday, July 22. Activities will include speakers including a presentation by the Director of the Walt Disney Archives Becky Cline, music, photo opportunities and a special ribbon cutting.
- Disney Trivia Nights
- A Haunted Mansion Zoom panel with evening tours of the Disney exhibit and the Graceland Mansion
- Exhibit Tour + Dive In Dinner & Movie Screening of The Lion King at the Guest House at Graceland Pool
- Halloween costume party at the exhibit with a costume parade, candy stations, face painters and craft stations
- Exhibit Tours & Tea Parties
- A Princess and Pirate party with crafts, trivia, bounce house and games. Costumes encouraged!
- Walt Disney’s Birthday Celebration Weekend
- A The Princess and The Frog screening and Zoom panel with Disney animators/filmmakers
Museum Gallery Store
The Bowers Museum offered a number of Disney items in their store. Similar items may be available as well at Graceland:
Exclusive Disney Archives merchandise was available during the duration of the exhibit. Items include t-shirts, hoodies, canvas bags, exclusive vinyl, and plush.
Inside the Walt Disney Archives Preview Event
On Wednesday, March 4th of 2020 we purchased tickets to a special D23 Member Preview of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California. The event kicked off with a swanky reception. A dedication moment featured speakers Becky Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives, and Michael Vargo, Head of D23 and the Walt Disney Archives. They were joined on-stage by Mickey and Minnie as a ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opened the archives.
Here’s our little teaser tour of the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit. It’s queued up to about the two minute mark so you can see the actual exhibit. If you’d like to see the dedication ceremony, you can rewind to the beginning:
Of course, along with nearly everything else in the country, the exhibit was forced into a long closure later in the month. While the Bowers is now reopened, the Inside the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit must close on June 20th to move to Graceland.
Disney Ticket & Travel Deals
It’s time to give the family something to look forward to. Our travel partners at Get Away Today are here to help you with that by planning a future theme park vacation. There are all sorts of new theme park tickets and travel deals, including a 2 free days offer at Walt Disney World, hotel discounts, ticket deals to various theme parks, and now TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND: More details and to get a quote (HERE)
Let’s Hear From You
Were you able to see the Inside the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit at the Bowers Museum or in Tokyo? Looking forward to visiting the Graceland stop? Let’s hear from you in the comments below . . .
This article originally ran March 5th, 2020 and was updated on May 26th, 2021 with information about the exhibit moving to Graceland.
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