Former Disney Imagineer Eddie Sotto Passes Away at Age 67
Former Disney Imagineer Eddie Sotto, one of the guiding designers behind Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland Paris, has passed away at the age of 67.
Born on March 14th, 1958 in Los Angeles, Sotto began his design career just down the street from Walt's original Disneyland at Knott's Berry Farm, contributing designs to Camp Snoopy and the former Wacky Soap Box Racers attraction. From there, he went to work on the intriguing Six Flags Power Plant attraction, a highly themed indoor theme park located in Maryland, that sadly only lasted less than two years (from July 8th, 1985 to January 5th, 1987).
Sotto joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1986, serving as Senior Vice President of Concept Design, where he really cut his teeth designing Main Street, U.S.A. at Euro Disneyland (now Disneyland Paris), which was oriignally supposed to take on a 1920s theme instead of turn-of-the-century. Other projects Soto worked on included Disneyland's Space Mountain, Mission: SPACE, Pooh's Hunny Hunt, and even the Encounter Restaurant located within the Theme Building at LAX. His voice can still be heard at Disney Parks today as Shrunken Ned at Disneyland and the train conductor on the Walt Disney World and Euro Disneyland Railroads.
In 1999, Sotto left Imagineering to found his own design firm, SottoStudio, where he created projects for Wynn Resorts, Paramount, Porsche, Universal Studios, and more. In 2019, Sotto shared his experiences at Imagineering in the landmark Disney+ documentary, The Imagineering Story. He also had an active X account, where he'd quite often share personal stories and insights from his Imagineering days.
Walt Disney Imagineering President and Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn took to LinkedIn to honor the former Imagineer, sharing a heartfelt note about his personal experiences with Eddie Sotto. Describing Sotto as a "fearless innovator," Vaughn explores their time at Imagineering and beyond. Check out his full statement below:
"It is with a heavy heart that I share the passing of Eddie Sotto.
Eddie joined Walt Disney Imagineering in 1986, where he rose to become Senior Vice President of Concept Design. Undoubtedly the world will remember him for his boundless creativity and near-obsessive attention to detail. One only needs to stroll Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Paris — especially Les Arcades — to understand how deeply he thought about every inch of a place.
I will always remember Eddie as a fearless innovator. When I ran R&D, he was one of our great champions — constantly pushing for new ways to incorporate emerging ideas and technologies. Eddie had an endless supply of brilliant concepts and never let convention limit his thinking. I’ll never forget a simulator attraction he pitched to GM called “Yukon the Moon.” He was a master of the pitch — but that one didn’t need any explanation beyond the title.
I was fortunate to work with Eddie both at Imagineering and beyond. We collaborated on the Rivera restaurant in downtown Los Angeles and worked together to help revitalize the iconic Theme Building at LAX. True to form, Eddie even used WDI R&D technology to turn something as simple as the soda guns at the bar into a full show — complete with sound and lighting effects.
Eddie was one of the first Imagineers I ever met, and over time I came to share in the generations of fans inspired by his work. Our hearts go out to Eddie’s family, friends, and fellow Imagineers. He is gone far too soon and will be deeply missed.
Our product is emotion, and his genius lives on in the details many people pass by — but always feel."
Former Imagineering President Bob Weis also took to social media to share his condolences.
Sotto passed away on December 17th, 2025 at the age of 67. Our thoughts go out to his family and loved ones at this time.