This morning, in a ceremony held at Union Station, it was announced that Disney100: The Exhibit will arrive in Kansas City next May. On hand for the big reveal (which was described as the worst kept secret) were Union Station President & CEO George Guastello, Bank of America Kansas City President Matt Linski, Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline, Walt Disney Hometown Museum Founder Kaye Malins, and Kansas City, Missouri Mayor Quinton Lucas.
To start things off, Guastello spoke on how excited the team at Union Station was to be hosting the exhibit. Given Walt’s rich history in Kansas City, he said he knew the city needed to bring the celebratory and informational experience to the City of Fountains. Then, with a bit of pixie dust, the official announcement was made.
Next up, Linski shared some of the history that Walt Disney and The Walt Disney Company have had with Bank of America. This includes the bank helping to finance several animated features (including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) as well as some of the company’s theme park endeavors. Thus, it’s only fitting that BofA will be a presenting sponsor of the exhibition's run in Kansas City, with the display taking over the Bank of America Gallery.
After that, Cline gave those assembled a bit of a preview of what to expect when the exhibition does arrive in KC. She also explained how work on the retrospective actually began more than five years ago. A bit later in the event, alongside Malins, Cline unveiled three Kansas City-centric items from the Archives she brought along from Burbank: A Laugh-O-gram Films stock certificate, a Laugh-O-gram Films business card, and Walt Disney Cartoonist business card.
Speaking of Malin, while most of the event was focused on Walt’s history in Kansas City, she shared a bit on Marceline, Missouri’s influence on the man himself. Noting that the city was a two-hour drive from KC, she invited guests to come check out the city — perhaps in conjunction with a visit to the exhibition once it’s open.
Last but not least, Mayor Lucas spoke excitedly about the Disney100 Exhibition coming to Kansas City. As he stated, he hoped that the display would inspire those of all ages. To cap off the event, Lucas joined the other speakers to sing the Mickey Mouse Club theme.
Disney100: The Exhibition will officially open at Union Station’s Bank of America Gallery on May 24, 2024. Ahead of that, fans can currently catch the display in London and another version will open in Chicago on November 18th. Tickets for the Kansas City exhibit are now on sale.