Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives | Disney Happiness Project

The “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” exhibit has been at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago for more than a year now. I had plans to go visit last year, but never made it! I spent a good portion of this year being down in Florida, and now with the exhibit leaving town in less than two months, I thought it was about time I got myself down there! A Disney exhibit? Yeah, you’re really going to have to work hard to convince me to go… jokes! I was pumped!

I cannot remember ever going to the Museum of Science and Industry in general growing up, so I was looking forward to feeling like a well-cultured human being just by stepping into the building! There were so many kids on field trips running around in the general exhibit areas, and the excitement and energy they outwardly displayed was a pretty good representation of what I was feeling, but not showing, because you know…I’m an adult, haha!

Lobby of the Museum of Science and Industry 

The Disney exhibit requires a separate ticket for entry and it comes with a specific time. The ticket and museum maps say the exhibit is 40 minutes. I was relieved to find out that they didn’t actually time you and give you only 40 minutes to see what you could, and then force you to leave! There was a lot of reading to do, and while I started off reading very thoroughly all of the facts and dates plastered all over the walls, I did get to a point where the art of skimming became my best friend. I wanted to see all that there was to see! Well, all in all, I spent a total of an hour and 45 minutes in the exhibit (and they said it would be only 40 minutes, HA!).

Ooh! Artsy, out of focus shot... :/

I’m not going to lie, after reading a biography on Walt Disney, working for Disney, visiting Disney many times as a guest, and taking a class at Disney all about Disney’s heritage, I did know quite a bit of the information shared. Of course, there is always something new to learn, and I was pleased to learn more than what I walked in knowing. Mission accomplished!

The exhibit is said to have nearly 300 artifacts, some of which are not widely seen by the public. While I didn’t count them all (nobody expected me to, I'm sure), I would have to say that there were quite a lot of things to actually see and look at! As a Disney fan, I was pleased to see things too that I hadn’t seen in person before! I spent more time looking at them with my eyes and taking them all in that way than I did taking pictures of every little thing, but I am glad I spent some time actually seeing it all, and not just through my camera lens. (I did obviously take some pictures as I am sharing a few here, and the biggest challenge in taking them was trying not to get a ton of reflective glare because everything is behind glass!)

These are the large prop books seen being opened in each respective film's opening!

Visiting the exhibit was a nice reminder of the history of the company I love and grew up with. Seeing the history of something I was able to be a part of as a cast member is always humbling and encouraging. I hope to be a cast member again soon, and looking at the company’s roots and what all has been accomplished over the years, just makes me want to get back down there as soon as possible! I am always inspired seeing things Walt worked on and what has come from the legacy he created. It wasn’t always a walk in the park for Walt, and so is life for us all. It just makes me think that anything is possible, and just because things may feel like a failure at times, doesn’t mean a huge success can’t be achieved just around the corner! Walt lived his life as a visionary, and a dreamer. I want to be known as a dreamer as well. Dreaming is hopeful.

If you haven’t seen the exhibit yourself, it is at the museum through January 4, 2015. If you are able to get there and see it, then go! I absolutely loved it and felt it was extremely worth my time. You can read more about the exhibit and about what it showcases on the museum’s website by clicking here!

If you go or have visited already, please let me know what you think of it! I would love to hear what stuck with you after seeing it all!

Oh yes, I did take this picture of myself on the wall of princesses!

This had to be one of my absolute FAVORITE items to see! This is a text draft for Disneyland's entrance plaque from 1955. The annotations are made by the man himself, Walt Disney! I love to see his scribbling process in figuring out how to perfectly phrase the now iconic plaque. That is actually his handwriting! That is SO cool you guys! Am I such a geek or what?

I have yet to see Maleficent (I know, gasp!) But this is the ring from her costume, 

and it looks pretty dang cool if you ask me!

Please tell me you know what this is from! Comment down below or 

message me with the film it's from!

Teen Beach Movie! I didn't imagine the surfboard being this large! 

(I'm basically 5'10" to give you some frame for reference)

I felt like I was back at Hollywood Studios drawing beloved characters! I included the final product of this drawing in my art journaled page! (You can see that finished page at the bottom of this post :D)

A little selfie in the Windy City. From my Instagram.

x Lauren

Please note that next week’s post will be published quite a few days later than usual because I will be out of town for work (now doesn’t THAT sound like an adult thing to say!). So in case you are following my posts, don’t you worry! Week four wasn’t forgotten about, it will just be later than usual!