Photo Credit: Brian Raica Jr.
On Nov. 18, 2023, the Disney100 Exhibition came to Chicago. Prior to Chicago, the magic was spread through Philadelphia, Munich, and London. The Disney 100th Exhibition is an opportunity to show Disney fans the last century of The Walt Disney Company.
As the exhibition began, the magic of Mickey Mouse and an AI-generated Walt Disney sparkled onto a screen as they talked about what the last 100 years has brought audiences all around the world.
When the doors finally opened, photos and drawings of fan-favorite Disney characters were shown. Some being Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.
Seeing hand-drawn scenes from films that Walt Disney worked on himself such as “Steamboat Willie” was quite fascinating. Real life props that were used in the films were on display, including the puppet of Pinnochio which was used to help animators visualize what they were drawing.
Throughout the exhibit, there were also photo opportunities with ceramic statues such as Dopey from “Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs.” There is even a ceramic statue of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse.
One part of the exhibition that I found quite intriguing was seeing clay models from the Disney Studios’ Model Shop. These models consisted of characters that we all know and love but are in very different forms.
The reason they seem different is because they are prototypes. Some were colored while others weren’t, since some characters already had their designs set in place.
As people traveled through the next few rooms, they began to enter worlds of popular culture. The first of three was a Lucasfilm themed room.
The Star Wars universe came to life with the real BB-8 model used in the three films of the sequel trilogy, as well as a Porg which was in the last two films.
There was also an original PIXAR computer on display, also created by Lucasfilm.
The next room to be featured included props from Marvel Studios, which Disney acquired in 2009. The costumes of Black Panther and Captain Marvel were on display, and it was bittersweet seeing the costume that Chadwick Boseman wore.
Loki’s helmet was on display as well, and after watching “Loki Season 2,” it was very cool to see it in person.
When it came to the Disney Parks, there was an emphasis on the technologies used on the rides.
Animatronics were displayed to show what control switches animate characters in experiences such as the Hall of Presidents.
There was also a facial mapping system for people to try, and it provided an image of Rocket Raccoon from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films. People laughed as Rocket mimicked their facial expressions.
Multiple ride vehicles from around the parks were on display as well, one notably being the ride vehicle of the Matterhorn bobsled. There was also a teacup ride vehicle that you could sit in to take pictures.
Unfortunately, the exhibit came to a close after this, and it led into its gift shop. Many types of merchandise were able for purchase such as sweatshirts, hoodies, jackets, and shirts.
Before walking out of the exhibit, people got a chance to learn how to draw many of their favorite characters that have been created in the last 100 years. Some included Lightning McQueen, Mickey Mouse and his friends, and Judy Hopps. I found this experience to be very heartwarming, seeing children drawing their favorite characters.
Tickets for the exhibition currently range from $25 to $40 per day with three different types of passes to choose from. The three types of tickets are standard, V.I.P, and flex V.I.P.
There are selected times to participate in this exhibit that can be from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Disney 100th exhibit is a time for Disney fans to partake in seeing the magic come to life that has been created all around the world.
Overall, I found the exhibition to be very heartwarming for fans of all ages. It had many things to see and will surely expand with everything that is still to come.