Yesterday was Walt Disney’s birthday, and the Disney Company held a special event in Palm Springs to honor Walt and kick off a very special project.

Walt Disney airplane, Just Landed! Walt Disney’s Plane Getting a Major Mouseover

The Mouse has landed! Walt Disney’s restored Gulfstream airplane, the Mickey Mouse One, AKA “The Mouse,” is now on view at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

There is an accompanying exhibit, “Mickey Mouse One: Walt’s Plane,” featuring artifacts from the interior of the plane, along with memorabilia documenting the major role The Mouse played in the development of iconic projects such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Walt Disney World. Even if you saw the plane and a similar display at this year’s D23 Expo, traveling to Palm Springs puts you in the heart of Walt Disney’s happy place. 

Walt had two homes in the Palm Springs area, one of which was sold to help build Disneyland. Walt supported the bond measure that got the Palm Springs International Airport approved, and that airport was the last place Walt flew out of on MM1.

Walt Disney airplane, Just Landed! Walt Disney’s Plane Getting a Major Mouseover
Walt was very conscious of separating worklife from homelife, and that was no different onboard The Mouse, where the plane was divided into a workspace and private quarters. Lillian helped with the decor, and leaves from their Carolwood home were used in the partitions.

At a D23 event to open the exhibit and celebrate Walt’s birthday, the Palm Springs Air Museum Vice Chair, Fred Bell, announced that they and The Walt Disney Archives, in conjunction with The Phoenix Air Group of Atlanta, will be restoring the interior of the plane to what it looked like in the 60s. If all goes as planned, in a little over two years, guests will be able to board The Mouse and step back in time.

The birthday event also included the debut of Tales from Walt’s Plane, a short documentary by John Gleim, who compiled interviews and historical footage of the fascinating adventures on Mickey Mouse 1. It is still to be determined where people will be able to watch this insightful film.

According to the documentary,  there were times when The Mouse would fly to a different city every day to promote new movies or attractions. The documentary includes amazing footage of a Pete’s Dragon Elliot character, along with Fulton Burley and Wally Boag, doing a skit at a shopping mall. When The Mouse was decommissioned, its last flight landed not at an airport, but on World Drive just outside of Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. After it landed, a crane was then used to place it on the Studio Backlot Tour, where it resided until the restoration that brought it to the Palm Springs Air Museum.

Walt Disney airplane, Just Landed! Walt Disney’s Plane Getting a Major Mouseover

We’re looking forward to seeing the restored version of the Mickey Mouse 1 in the next few years— and hopefully, we’ll get to go inside it!


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Walt Disney airplane, Just Landed! Walt Disney’s Plane Getting a Major Mouseover
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Let’s Hear From You

Did you see Mickey Mouse 1 at D23 Expo this year? Does a trip to Palm Springs to see this piece of history sound like a good time? What do you think the likelihood of The Mouse being displayed at Disney’s Storyliving community in Palm Springs could be? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Related reading:

The Wonderful World of Walt – A Birthday Tribute to Walt Disney

Disney Launching “Storyliving” Housing Developments in California and Elsewhere

 

 

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Suzanne Lee
Suzanne is a long time MiceChat reader and occasional contributor. She enjoys musical theater and Disney travel.