D23 Members Can Climb Aboard Walt's Plane During Event with Disney Legend Bob Gurr

D23 is inviting members to a special opportunity to climb aboard Walt's Plane, and hear more about it from frequent flyer himself, Disney Legend Bob Gurr.

What's Happening:

• D23 is launching a series of events that will take place throughout the year, with “Walt Disney: 125 Years of Inspiration,” a series of D23-hosted events honoring Walt’s 125th birthday by celebrating places and topics that inspired Walt’s own creativity, influence and inspiration of new creative endeavors to this day.

• The first event in “Walt Disney: 125 Years of Inspiration” will be “A Toast to Walt’s Plane” on Saturday, May 2, at the Palm Springs Air Museum, celebrating the ongoing restoration of Mickey Mouse One (aka Walt’s company plane), including a look at the newly restored interior of the aircraft.
• Guests will enjoy a deep-dive presentation into Walt’s travels on the plane from the Walt Disney Archives featuring Disney Legend Bob Gurr (a frequent flyer on Walt’s plane), as well as hear about the interior restoration process from the museum team who dedicated countless hours to honoring its legacy. Both panel-only ticket holders and VIP ticket holders can look at archival items at the museum and take photos in front of the exterior of Walt’s plane.
• A limited number of VIP tickets will be available, which will include the rare opportunity to be among the first to go inside Walt’s plane to glimpse the recent restorative efforts and snap a photo. Due to the delicate and historical nature of the plane, this will be an infrequent opportunity only available during special occasions such as this and not included in regular event admission. The VIP tickets will be the only ticket type to include a venture inside Mickey Mouse One.

• Those who attend the event will also recieve a special pin, and will also have the opportunity to get a special Grumman Gulfstream I-themed shirt that will be available for purchase in the Palm Springs Air Museum gift shop. The shirt reflects the same model of plane that Walt had.

• Check out below for more information about the tickets, which go on sale on April 10 at 10:00 AM PT at the official D23 website. VIP tickets are only available for Gold Members for $159 (plus $3 processing fee), while Panel-only tickets are available for both Gold and General members for $62 and $65, respectively. Both also have an additional $3 processing fee.

Panel-Only Ticket

• A discussion on Walt’s plane with the Walt Disney Archives and Disney Legend Bob Gurr, plus hear from the Palm Springs Air Museum staff on the interior restoration process.
• A limited-release event-themed lapel pin, modeled after the logo from Mickey Mouse One (Walt’s company plane) - plus a postcard featuring the interior of the plane, which is a reproduction of an in-flight amenity once offered to passengers.
• Event exclusive credential.
• Opportunity to snap photos of the outside Walt’s plane.
  • *Please note: Entering the interior of the aircraft is only available to VIP ticket holders due to the capacity and the delicate and historical nature of the plane’s interior. This is for smaller capacity groups on rare occasions and will not be a standard museum admission offering.

Panel-only ticket itinerary:

• 6:10 p.m. PT: Check-in for panel-only tickets begin.
• 6:30-8 p.m. PT:
• Special presentation on Walt’s plane from the Walt Disney Archives with Disney Legend Bob Gurr (who was a frequent flyer on Walt’s plane), as well as a talk with the Palm Springs Air Museum staff on the interior restoration.
• 8-9 p.m. PT: Following the presentation...
  • Dessert (Jell-O with whipped cream, a nod to one of Walt’s all-time favorite desserts!)
  • Time to mingle, take photos of the exterior of the plane, and look at the Palm Spring Air Museum’s display of archival items from Walt’s plane.
  • Stop by their table in the event space and chat with a Cast Member from Cotino®, to learn more about the Storyliving by Disney community in the Greater Palm Springs area.
• Age Requirements: Attendees 3 years of age and up are welcome to purchase a panel-only ticket (guests under 3 can attend without a ticket, but must lap-sit). The VIP ticket is only available for ages 18 years and up.

The VIP Ticket:

• Be among the first group to look inside and snap a pic of the newly restored interior of Walt Disney’s company plane, a Grumman Gulfstream I known as Mickey Mouse One. *This special opportunity will only be available for special experiences such as this, and is not a standard offering at the Museum.
• Reception with passed appetizers, lemonade, and fruit punch.
• A discussion on Walt’s plane with the Walt Disney Archives and Disney Legend Bob Gurr (who was a frequent flyer on Walt’s plane); plus, hear from the Palm Springs Air Museum staff on the ongoing interior restoration process.
• A limited-release, event-themed lapel pin, modeled after the logo from Mickey Mouse One, plus a postcard featuring the interior of the plane—which is a reproduction of a souvenir offered to plane passengers.
• Event exclusive credential.
• Opportunity to snap photos of the outside of Walt’s plane.
• Age Restriction: Please note that due to the delicate and historical nature of the aircraft, the VIP ticket is only available to guests 18 years of age or older.

Note: Entering Walt’s plane requires the ability to utilize a flight of stairs with four (4) steps into a confined space within the cabin of the aircraft.

Those interested are advised to carefully read the details of the tour itinerary before purchasing a tour ticket. Neither staff nor contractors may physically assist guests who need or may need assistance during the tour or with respect to any aspect of the tour. All guests are strongly encouraged to consult with their personal physician before purchasing a ticket for the tour. Specific tour itinerary questions can be answered at [email protected].

VIP Ticket Itinerary:

• 4:15 p.m. PT: VIP ticket check-in begins.
• 4:30-6 p.m. PT: VIP reception begins.
  • Get a first-ever look and snap a photo inside the newly restored interior of Walt’s private plane!
• *The interior is available exclusively to VIP ticket holders and is a rare experience not part of Palm Springs Air Museum’s general admission!

• Tray-passed appetizers and non-alcoholic beverages.
• Stop by their table in the event hangar and chat with a Cast Member from Cotino to learn more about the Storyliving by Disney community in the Greater Palm Springs area.
• 6-6:30 p.m. PT: While the general admission ticketed guests enter, enjoy the display of archival items from Walt’s plane and snap photos of the exterior!
• 6:30-8 p.m. PT: Special presentation on Walt’s plane from the Walt Disney Archives and Disney Legend Bob Gurr, as well as a talk with the Palm Springs Air Museum staff on the interior restoration.
• 8-9 p.m. PT: Following the presentation...
  • Dessert (Jell-O with whipped cream, a nod to one of Walt’s all-time favorite desserts!)
  • Additional time to mingle, take photos of the exterior of the plane, and look at the Palm Springs Air Museum’s display of archival items from Walt’s plane.
  • Additional time to stop and chat with a Cast Member from Cotino®, to learn more about the Storyliving by Disney community in the Greater Palm Springs area.

The Plane:

• While the name "Mickey Mouse One" has been carried over to other corporate aircraft in use by the Disney company, it is most commonly associated with Walt Disney himself, and the Grumman Gulfstream 1 that those attending this event will be able to see.
• It is also widely known as being the plane that Walt flew aboard on scouting missions from California to Florida and the site that would eventually become the home of Walt Disney World.
• In fact, for many years many Disney fans could see the plane outside of private D23 events before it's restoration, where it was sitting in the boneyard of the Disney-MGM Studios (later Disney's Hollywood Studios) and guests would pass by it aboard the Backlot Studio Tour, typically before or after entering the popular Catastrophe Canyon segment of the tour.
• The plane has called the Palm Springs Air Museum home for a number of years now, with similar D23 events dating back to 2022.