Partners (statue)

Partners

The statue at Magic Kingdom, with Cinderella Castle behind it
Artist Blaine Gibson
Dimensions 2.0 m (77 in)
Location
Owner The Walt Disney Company

Partners is a bronze statue depicting Walt Disney standing next to and holding the hand of his most famous creation, Mickey Mouse.[1] Originally created by Imagineer, animator, sculptor, and Disney Legend Blaine Gibson, the original statue was commissioned for Disneyland in Anaheim, California, where it stands in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in the park's central plaza.[2][3][4] Subsequent recreations of the statue are found at other Disney theme parks and as well as the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. A counterpart to the statue, Storytellers, was introduced in 2012 at Disney California Adventure.

Since its unveiling on Disneyland's Main Street in 1993, it has been replicated in other Disney parks, studios, and merchandising, and at the Disney Legends Plaza at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. The statue stands 6'5" tall, while in reality Walt Disney was actually 5'10" tall. The dedication ceremony for the statue occurred on November 18, 1993, on Mickey Mouse's birthday 65 years after the premiere of Steamboat Willie. The statue was rededicated on December 5, 2001, Walt Disney's 100th birthday.

The plaque directly below the statue in Disneyland quotes Walt Disney as saying, "I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place...where parents and children can have fun...together." The plaque directly below the statue in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World uses a slightly different quote: "We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun — together."

In 2010 video game Epic Mickey, the statue with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit holding Walt's hand instead of Mickey appears.

It is unlockable through the MagicBand as a toy in Disney Infinity 3.0.

Locations

Location Exact location Dedication
Disneyland Resort Disneyland Park November 18, 1993
Walt Disney World Resort Magic Kingdom June 19, 1995
Tokyo Disney Resort Tokyo Disneyland April 15, 1998
Walt Disney Studios Burbank, California December 5, 2001
Disneyland Paris Walt Disney Studios Park March 16, 2002

References

  1. ↑ Sehlinger, Bob; Kubersky, Seth; Testa, Len (2014). The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2015. Birmingham: Keen Communications. p. 268. ISBN 9781628090246. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Weber, Bruce (2015-07-11). "Blaine Gibson, Sculptor of Figures in Disney Parks, Dies at 97". New York Times. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
  3. ↑ Colker, David (2015-07-08). "Blaine Gibson dies at 97; prominent sculptor, animator at Disney". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
  4. ↑ Barnes, Mike (2015-07-08). "Blaine Gibson, Legendary Disney Sculptor, Dies at 97". Variety. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
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