Carolwood's Imagineer Appreciate Day
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Carolwood Pacific Historical Society’s
Imagineering Appreciation Day

The Carolwood Pacific Historical Society is an organization "dedicated to preserving the personal railroad legacy of Walt Disney." The organization, through the volunteer efforts of its members, makes it possible for the public to visit Walt Disney’s Carolwood Barn on the third Sunday of each month, rain or shine, from 11 AM until 3 PM. Admission and parking are free.

The Barn is the actual structure that stood in the backyard of Walt Disney’s Holmby Hills home, and served as the homebase for the Carolwood Pacific Railroad in the early 1950’s. As Walt was always moving on to bigger and better things, the small backyard railroad got him to thinking about bigger trains and grander amusements for the public-these thoughts eventually took form as Disneyland. For that reason, Walt’s Barn is known to many as the Birthplace of Walt Disney Imagineering and of Disneyland.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney Imagineering (which was initially known as WED Enterprises), so what better place to celebrate Imagineering than where it was born?

On Sunday April 21st, 2002, the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society hosted "Imagineering Appreciation Day," which offered visitors the rare opportunity to meet and converse with some of Disney’s greatest Imagineers, most of whom were founding fathers of Disneyland and worked closely with Walt: Marty Sklar, Harriet Burns, Bill Evans, Bill Martin, Fred Joerger, Sam McKim, Bob Gurr and Roger Broggie, Jr. There were other Imagineers, such as Chris Runco (creator of Star Tours’ Pilot Rex), that attended as visitors.

A few highlights from their respective careers:

Marty Sklar went to work at Disneyland a month before it opened. He worked on the publicity and public relations for the park, and wrote many of the early souvenir books. He was heavily involved with the creation of EPCOT at Walt Disney World. He is currently the Vice Chairman and Principal Creative Executive of WDI. He also serves as President of the Ryman-Carroll Foundation. Marty was named a Disney Legend in 2001.

Harriet Burns is the first female Imagineer, and is one of the original Imagineers that worked on Disneyland before it was built. She worked on the models for many of Disneyland’s most famous rides, including Storybook Land Canal Boats, Pirates of the Caribbean, it's a small world and The Enchanted Tiki Room. She also worked on the 1964-65 New York World's Fair and Walt Disney World. She can be seen in the recent Walt Disney Treasures: Disneyland USA DVD in the "Tencentennial" episode. She was also a panelist on the Pirates of the Caribbean Celebration event held at Disneyland in 2000, where she told of working on the team that developed the special rubber compound that serves as the pirates’ skin, as well as doing the hair and make-up for the Audio-Animatronics® figures. Harriet has a window on Main Street, USA, and was named a Disney Legend in 2000.