Whether you’ve marveled at the beauty of Main Street, USA in Disneyland Paris, rocked out on Space Mountain or thrilled to the Wacky Soap Box Racers at Knott’s Berry Farm, your theme park experience has been improved by the existence of Eddie Sotto.
I first met Eddie at the opening of Tomorrowland 1998, when he introduced me to my former neighbor Dick Dale. They had just collaborated on a rocking version of Carnival of the Animals for Disneyland’s Space Mountain. When I asked for a tour of his sci-fi restaurant Encounters at LAX and he demurred, because he was happily married! I just wanted a tour, man! But he was exceedingly proud of his wife and kids. I bet he was a great husband and father.
The Life and Career of Eddie Sotto
Eddie Sotto was born in Hollywood with an eye for the creative even at a young age. His grandfather was a scenic artist at MGM and his aunt a costume designer at several studios, including Disney. As a teenager, he built a 1/200 scale model of Disneyland, one of his passions.
While working a civilian job, Eddie decided to apply for a job designing attractions at Knott’s Berry Farm. He was hired as an assistant project director but moved his way up to design the greatest theme park attraction of all time, Wacky Soap Box Racers, a heavily themed layover of the former Motorcycle Chase attraction. He also worked on the original Camp Snoopy.
From Knott’s, he went to Landmark, working on projects for Universal and others, but in 1985, he was “headhunted” by Disney Legend Tony Baxter after a particularly good Six Flags project. He was then mentored by Baxter, along with two other Disney Legends, Herb Ryman, and John Hench.
Eddie Sotto’s Creative Legacy
Throughout his career, Eddie’s work was nothing short of genius. His fingerprints are all over Disneyland Paris’ Main Street U.S.A, considered by most theme park aficionados to be the most beautiful version of the land.
He also worked on Mission Space and the spectacular Pooh’s Hunny Hunt in Tokyo (also considered the best version of all the Pooh-themed rides), Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye, Disneyland’s Main Street enhancements, including the voices that come from the upstairs windows (some of them are actually Eddie), Storybook Land enhancements, the Fantasmic viewing area, Space Mountain FedEx enhancements at Walt Disney World, Pal Mickey, New Fantasyland in Tokyo, Tokyo Resort Station, Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall, Alice’s Tea Party, The Enchanted Tiki Room – Get the Fever!, World Bazaar Interiors, and the original Disneyland Paris Hotel design. He also designed ABC Times Square Studios in New York.
After 13 years with Disney, Eddie left in 1999 to form his own company, Digital Entertainment Network, and then joined the aptly-named Progress City to design futuristic technology solutions for companies like Kodak, NASA and, of course, The Walt Disney Company. Sotto Studios has created themed experiences from high-end automobile dealerships to Virgin Galactic to, again, Disney. He was a partner and creative for Rivera Restaurant. He started Futureproof Experiences to help companies survive pandemics.
I last saw Eddie Sotto in June at the Knott’s Bear-y Tales book signing at Knott’s Berry Farm. I told him about the piece I’d done on Wacky Soap Box Racers, and he seemed really happy about it. I’m just stunned. He was only 67. What a loss.