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| Partners | |
|---|---|
 Partners atMagic Kingdom, withCinderella Castle in the background, pictured in 2016 | |
| Artist | Blaine Gibson |
| Year | 1993 (1993) |
| Medium | Copper |
| Subject | Walt Disney andMickey Mouse |
| Dimensions | 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) |
| Location | |
| Owner | The Walt Disney Company |
Partners is a 1993copper statue byBlaine Gibson, depictingWalt Disney holding the hand of the most popular character he created,Mickey Mouse. It is a central piece in four Disney theme parks around the world as well as at theWalt Disney Studios inBurbank.
The statue measures 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) in height, which is 7 inches (18 cm) taller than Disney's actual stature. It is a central point of attention atDisneyland,Magic Kingdom,Tokyo Disneyland, theWalt Disney Studios andWalt Disney Studios Park. Gibson took a year to create the piece[1] and used a 1960 bust of Disney as his model for Disney's half. To sculpt Disney and Mickey's joined hands, he consulted the 1940 filmFantasia, where Mickey shook hands with conductorLeopold Stokowski.
There has been some speculation regarding Disney's stance in the sculpture, with many believing his outstretched hand indicated he was showing Mickey what had become of his creator's dream. Gibson explained:
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 letters "STR" on Walt’s tie represent Smoke Tree Ranch, a resort inPalm Springs where Disney owned a home.[2] The plaque beneath the statues bear slightly different versions of words that Disney never actually uttered. His closest actual words to the inscriptions were, "I think what I want most of all is for Disneyland to be a happy place". Parts of sentences from an unrelated interview were added to this.
There are five versions of thePartners statue. The original is located in front ofSleeping Beauty Castle inDisneyland and was unveiled on November 18, 1993 on the 65th anniversary of the creation ofMickey Mouse. Its plaque quotesWalt Disney as saying, "I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place... where parents and children can have fun... together". The statue was recreated forWalt Disney World'sMagic Kingdom and placed there on June 19, 1995. Its plaque has a slightly different quote: "We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun — together". The third was placed in theTokyo Disney Resort inTokyo Disneyland on April 15, 1998. The fourth was installed atWalt Disney Studios inBurbank, California on December 5, 2001. The fifth was added toWalt Disney Studios Park atDisneyland Paris on March 16, 2002.
| Location | Exact location | Dedication |
|---|---|---|
| Disneyland Resort | Disneyland | November 18, 1993 |
| Walt Disney World | Magic Kingdom | June 19, 1995 |
| Tokyo Disney Resort | Tokyo Disneyland | April 15, 1998 |
| Walt Disney Studios | Burbank, California | December 5, 2001 |
| Disneyland Paris | Walt Disney Studios Park | March 16, 2002 |
The Partners in Excellence Award, was awarded to less than 2% of Cast Members who work atDisney Parks around the world between 1996–2009, who demonstrated characteristics of an excellent worker and who had the company in mind through all of their actions. The award is represented in the form of a pin depictingPartners, which goes pinned on their nametags.[3]
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