Buena Vista Street celebrates 1920s Los Angeles, where Walt and Roy founded Walt Disney Productions and changed the world of animation forever. So where better in the park to hide a little tribute to his legendary team?
First, we have to know who we’re looking for. You may have heard of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men – the core animators who created many of the studio’s most famous films:
- Les Clark (1907 – 1979)
- Marc Davies (1913 – 2000)
- Ollie Johnston (1912 – 2008)
- Milt Kahl (1909 – 1987)
- Ward Kimball (1914 – 2002)
- Eric Larson (1905 – 1988)
- John Lounsbery (1911 – 1976)
- Wolfgang Reitherman (1909 – 1985)
- Frank Thomas (1912 – 2004)
Now, onto the hidden gem. Take a stroll down Buena Vista Street, toward Carthay Circle, and you might notice a special sign hidden behind the open door to Atwater Ink & Paint. This sign advertises the “Atwater School of Art & Animation”, with 9 special instructors:
At the school of animation, residents of Buena Vista Street likely learn the 12 basic principles of animation, made famous by Walt Disney’s 9 Old Men:
- Squash and Stretch
- Anticipation
- Staging
- Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose
- Follow Through and Overlapping Action
- Slow In and Slow Out
- Arcs
- Secondary Action
- Timing
- Exaggeration
- Solid Drawing
- Appeal
Sadly, right now the school of art & animation isn’t accessible to park guests – it exists only for the imaginary occupants of those second story apartments on the street. But wouldn’t you love the chance to study animation with this roster of instructors? A few of today’s Disney animators were lucky enough to do just that.
Source: Laughing Place