147. Inside the Walt Disney Archives Exhibition in Memphis

The Walt Disney Archives exhibit is currently on display in Memphis at the Graceland Exhibition Center.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

It’s been challenging to stay connected with the parks during such an extended time away from them. I haven’t visited Walt Disney World (or any theme park) since late 2019, with no trips currently on the calendar. Even so, we recently discovered a fun solution to this issue after a road trip to Memphis. The “Inside the Walt Disney Archives” exhibition contains plenty of cool pieces from Disney’s films and theme parks. It’s currently on display at the Graceland Exhibition Center through January 2, 2022. We really enjoyed the weekend in Memphis and the visit to this awesome exhibit.

On this episode of The Tomorrow Society Podcast, I describe our experience at the exhibit and some of the highlights. The diverse collection displays a great mix of art, figures, and costumes from the parks and films. It goes back to early Disney films like Fantasia and through more recent movies like TRON: Legacy. There are also nice surprises like the vintage computer from Lost and the jetpack from The Rocketeer. My favorites involved the parks and included remarkable finds like a figure from El Rio Del Tiempo and the Hitchhiking Ghosts from The Haunted Mansion.

The Hitchhiking Ghosts figures from Walt Disney World at The Haunted Mansion are one of the cooler pieces at the Walt Disney Archives exhibit.

Beyond the exhibition, we also spent the weekend exploring Memphis. It was a very different kind of trip due to the ongoing pandemic, but there were still excellent outdoor sites to enjoy. In this trip report, I mention several places in Memphis that are definitely worth your time. If you’re looking for a way to connect with the parks in a safer setting, the well-designed “Inside the Walt Disney Archives” exhibit could be the right solution.