Walt Disney museum to show his technology-geek side

Walt Disney -- the man, not the company -- was known for his imagination, his artistry and even his business acumen. But it turns out he also had a huge appetite for technology.

He pushed the envelope at his own firm, developing new gadgets to help in the making of his movies. He had a passion for the future, promoting ideas through such places as his Epcot Center in Orlando, Fla. And he often engaged with engineers from other companies, such as Ford Motor Co. and General Electric Co., particularly as he developed exhibits for the New York World’s Fair of 1964.

The geeky side of Disney is one of the elements that will be on display at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco when it opens in October.

FOR THE RECORD:
An earlier version of this article stated that the film “Snow White” would mark its 50th anniversary this year. This version notes that it is “Sleeping Beauty” that turns 50 this year.

Museum organizers -- particularly Disney’s daughter Diane Disney Miller and his grandson and namesake, Walter E. Disney Miller -- gave the press a preview Thursday, showing off the state-of-the-art $110-million facility in Presidio National Park.

The museum itself makes heavy use of modern processing power, from admissions to displays. To keep control of the number of visitors, the museum will sell tickets on the Web for specific times. One could just show up and buy a ticket, “but I wouldn’t recommend it,” Executive Director Richard Benefield said.

Inside, the walls will feature what Benefield called “every kind of monitor known to man.” And curators have taken advantage of 19 hours of recordings of Disney’s voice to provide a guided tour through his life -- his childhood, his early work as a bankrupt cartoonist in Kansas City, Mo., and his most notable achievements, including the creation of Mickey Mouse, “Snow White” and “Fantasia” and his television and theme park operations.

Also on view will be a two-story multiplane camera that Disney used for such effects as rooftop shots in “Pinocchio” and an optical printer used to blend real-life characters with animation in “Mary Poppins.”

Although the museum is not formally affiliated with Walt Disney Co., the company has provided many artifacts and may even provide some technical expertise. After all, its Pixar animation unit is based right across the San Francisco Bay in Emeryville, and a Disney executive told Benefield that the company was stepping up volunteer efforts by employees.

The company even offered to help the museum teach animation classes, Benefield said.

A 110-seat theater in the museum’s lower reaches will open with a three-week screening of “Fantasia.” Later, Disney plans to re-release “Sleeping Beauty” for the film’s 50th anniversary, “and we’ll be showing it in Blu-Ray in our theater,” Benefield said.

dan.fost@danfost.com