The latest piece of memorabilia honoring 100 years of The Walt Disney Company is a platinum replica of the Partners statue, now available at Walt Disney World. This figure is a small version of the famous statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse that resides at multiple Disney Parks, including Magic Kingdom. It’s available for purchase at Walt Disney World Resort, and we first spotted it in the Art of Disney store at the American Adventure in EPCOT.
Disney100 Partners Statue Figure – $79
The figure comes in a Disney100-branded box.
One figure was on display so we could take a closer look. It has a shiny, sparkling platinum finish that turns into rainbows under the light.
The plaque on the base features the quote displayed at the Magic Kingdom version of the statue:
We Believe in our ideas: a family park where parents and children could have fun – together.
Walt Disney
The figure erroneously capitalizes “believe” and adds an extra “s” to “idea.”
The original Partners was created by Blaine Gibson and unveiled at Disneyland on Mickey’s birthday, November 18, 1993.
This figure was designed by Disney artist Costa Alavezos.
Gibson said of the Partners statue, “I chose to depict Walt as he was in 1954. I think that was when [he] was in his prime. It was tough trying to match the media image of Walt Disney, the one the public knows, to the real Walt, the one we knew. I think Walt is admiring the park and saying to Mickey, ‘Look what we’ve accomplished together,’ because truly they were very much a team through it all. ‘Look at all the happy people who have come to visit us today.’”
The Magic Kingdom version of Partners was installed in 1995. Versions were also created for Tokyo Disneyland (1998), Walt Disney Studios (2001), and Walt Disney Studios Park, Paris (2002).
Will you be bringing home this Disney100 Partners statue figure? Let us know in the comments.
Walt Disney Statues at Disney Parks
The Partners statue at Disneyland stands in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, with Walt and Mickey looking down Main Street, U.S.A. A plaque below it has the following Walt Disney quote: “I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place…where parents and children can have fun…together.”
Gibson also sculpted Sharing the Magic. This statue of Roy O. Disney and Minnie Mouse on a bench was installed at Magic Kingdom in 1999. It can be found in Town Square, though sometimes moves around for different holiday decorations.
The Storytellers statue, designed by Rick Terry and Ray Spencer, was installed in Disney California Adventure in 2012. Storytellers depicts a younger Walt as he would have looked when arriving in Los Angeles in 1923, and an earlier design of Mickey. Versions were added to Tokyo DisneySea (2013) and Shanghai Disneyland (2016).
On October 15, Hong Kong Disneyland installed their new Walt and Mickey statue, “Dream Makers,” inspired by the moment Walt dreamed up Disneyland.
The finished Walt the Dreamer statue was unveiled at D23 Expo 2022. It will be installed at Dreamers Point in EPCOT soon It has actually seemingly arrived but is still in a box.
Disney100 Offerings at Walt Disney World
EPCOT debuted several Disney100 offerings in September. At the Magic Eye Theater, guests can meet Mickey and Minnie in their platinum 100th anniversary outfits.
At night, Spaceship Earth lights up with a special Disney100 spectacle of light. There are also Disney100 decorations, a platinum Mickey statue just like the one in Disneyland, and a mural full of Disney characters.
Check out recent Disney100 merchandise releases at Walt Disney World:
- Full List (With Prices) of New Disney100 Platinum Celebration Finale Merchandise Including Dooney & Bourke, Loungefly, and More at Walt Disney World
- New Limited Edition Mickey Statue, Jumbo ‘100’ and More Disney100 Pins Available Now at EPCOT
- New Disney100 Partners Statue Tote Bag at Walt Disney World
- Purple Disney100 Ear Headband Featuring Mickey and Friends Available at Walt Disney World
The 100th anniversary of The Walt Disney Company falls on Monday, October 16, 2023.
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