Imagineer Kim Irvine Retires

[Disney Irish]

Its being reported on several Disney Fan Sites including MC that Imagineer Kim Irvine is retiring from The Walt Disney Company.

Kim Irvine, daughter of Leota Toombs, was basically born and raised in WDI and I believe had at least brief interactions with Walt at a young age. As much as many fans disliked some of her creative decisions I'm sure she will be missed by many, if for nothing else at least having a direct connection to Walt something that many in current WDI can't say.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I know some people disliked Kim, for some projects... but she did do a lot of good work to maintain and keep a lot of the classic Disneyland we love, and helped with the updates that were mandated, to be done as respectfully as possible to the attraction.

I don't think the treehouse would be here as it is, without Kim. The old guard is almost all gone it seems.

Happy retirement Kim.

 

[Professortango1]

 

[DLR92]

I know some people disliked Kim, for some projects... but she did do a lot of good work to maintain and keep a lot of the classic Disneyland we love, and helped with the updates that were mandated, to be done as respectfully as possible to the attraction.

I don't think the treehouse would be here as it is, without Kim. The old guard is almost all gone it seems.

Happy retirement Kim.

Her and Tony.
I hope someone who really has creativity and passion for Disneyland takes her spot. I’m worried of the future of the classics.

 

[mickEblu]

lol wow. What did she do that was so bad?

 

[Professortango1]

lol wow. What did she do that was so bad?

Snow White Reskin, Haunted Mansion queue and shop, I believe she was on the team for Tiana's for a good chunk of time, Galaxy's Edge.

She has all of the skills of a nepotism hire. She understands the culture but doesn't have the same level of skills that her mother and others had.

 

[Disney Irish]

Snow White Reskin, Haunted Mansion queue and shop, I believe she was on the team for Tiana's for a good chunk of time, Galaxy's Edge.

She has all of the skills of a nepotism hire. She understands the culture but doesn't have the same level of skills that her mother and others had.

I think you might be confusing Tiana's Palace with Bayou Adventure as there is no evidence she was involved with TBA but was involved with Tiana's Palace. Neither is there any evidence she was involved with GE directly, only Project Stardust.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but most of all her work has been aesthetic in nature.

The only issue I've had with any decision she made was she was on the project that added that window in NOS for Club 33 that was incorrectly offset from the outside. But at this point no one remembers that and it hasn't even been mentioned on any fan forum in years (until I just did), so it was quickly forgotten.

 

[Professortango1]

I think you might be confusing Tiana's Palace with Bayou Adventure as there is no evidence she was involved with TBA but was involved with Tiana's Palace. Neither is there any evidence she was involved with GE directly, only Project Stardust.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but most of all her work as been aesthetic in nature.

The only issue I've had with any decision she made was she was on the project that added that window in NOS for Club 33 that was incorrectly offset from the outside. But at this point no one remembers that and it hasn't even been mentioned on any fan forum in years (until I just did), so it was quickly forgotten.

I know she headed the Snow White retheme and was interviewed as if responsible for the recent changes to HM.

 

[Disney Irish]

I know she headed the Snow White retheme and was interviewed as if responsible for the recent changes to HM.

Ok, never said she wasn't involved in those, which is why I didn't mention them in my reply to you.

I don't have an issue with either of those projects. Also I still have my doubts on how much she was the lead on the HM changes rather than just being put out in front of the camera so to speak.

 

[mickEblu]

Snow White Reskin, Haunted Mansion queue and shop, I believe she was on the team for Tiana's for a good chunk of time, Galaxy's Edge.

She has all of the skills of a nepotism hire. She understands the culture but doesn't have the same level of skills that her mother and others had.

The only ones you listed that I associate her with are Snow White and Mansion. Are you sure she had anything to do with others? Mansion I think they did a pretty good job with the queue. The store is awful. Snow White I’m Ok with. I think there is more for me to enjoy there than before even if it’s a bit less cohesive and has that awkward mirror scene. The biggest offense for me was what they did go the Queens dungeon in the queue. I think the Club 33 window was her biggest blunder Im aware of.

 

[Professortango1]

The only ones you listed that I associate her with are Snow White and Mansion. Are you sure she had anything to do with others? Mansion I think they did a pretty good job with the queue. The store is awful. Snow White I’m Ok with. I think there is more for me to enjoy there than before even if it’s a bit less cohesive and has that awkward mirror scene. The biggest offense for me was what they did go the Queens dungeon in the queue. I think the Club 33 window was her biggest blunder Im aware of.

Mansion queue is well designed, but filled with off the shelf decor that doesn't fit the queue. And large black exposed speakers sitting on the Mansion's balcony. So immersive.

Snow White is a mess that takes one of the best Fantasyland rides and turns it to the worst.

 

[mickEblu]

Mansion queue is well designed, but filled with off the shelf decor that doesn't fit the queue. And large black exposed speakers sitting on the Mansion's balcony. So immersive.

Snow White is a mess that takes one of the best Fantasyland rides and turns it to the worst.

I thought the speakers were always there or at least for HMH

 

[Disney Analyst]

Snow White Reskin, Haunted Mansion shop, I believe she was on the team for Tiana's for a good chunk of time, Galaxy's Edge.

She has all of the skills of a nepotism hire. She understands the culture but doesn't have the same level of skills that her mother and others had.

Snow White is an improvement.

The actual Haunted Mansion queue and updates to mansion were good in my opinion.

The treehouse was her.

New ROA was her.

Etc.

She’s done great work. And everyone’s career has some blunders.

 

[Professortango1]

Snow White is an improvement.

The actual Haunted Mansion queue and updates to mansion were good in my opinion.

The treehouse was her.

New ROA was her.

Etc.

She’s done great work. And everyone’s career has some blunders.

Snow White is objectively worse. Mirror under a bridge? Rushed demise of the Witch despite her still being the most focused on character? The facade and queue? It's all a downgrade.

Treehouse is a lateral move. Glad it has work, sad to see the loss of the suspension bridge and trunk. But understand it was part of the horrendous project stardust.

She was a nepo hire and her work showed that.

 

[flynnibus]

she certainly was pranced around for her name sake.

This wiki claims more credits for her.. I have no idea on the authenticity of the info

Kim Irvine

Kim Irvine (born Kim Thomas) is an American Imagineer for The Walt Disney Company since 1970 and is currently Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering. While best known for her work on the The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, she worked on the 2021 refurbishment of...

disney.fandom.com

 

[Professortango1]

she certainly was pranced around for her name sake.

This wiki claims more credits for her.. I have no idea on the authenticity of the info

Kim Irvine

Kim Irvine (born Kim Thomas) is an American Imagineer for The Walt Disney Company since 1970 and is currently Executive Creative Director of Walt Disney Imagineering. While best known for her work on the The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, she worked on the 2021 refurbishment of...

disney.fandom.com

That's right! I forgot about her replacing African natives with monkeys for three different scenes in the Jungle Cruise.

I think she did the new Red scene too. She has a gift for taking the interesting and making it a little more basic.

 

[mickEblu]

That's right! I forgot about her replacing African natives with monkeys for three different scenes in the Jungle Cruise.

I think she did the new Red scene too. She has a gift for taking the interesting and making it a little more basic.

Yea forgot about that one too. The POTC auction scene redo too. Not her finest work. Seems like she’s 50/50 for me and yet I have a positive perception of her probably because her name is DL Royalty and I believe she does really have a passion and love for Disneyland. I have a feeling she’s probably saved us from a few changes that would not have been very popular.

 

[Disney Irish]

I think it comes down to how one feels about the changes and updates to Disneyland over the last 15-20 years.

If one feels positive or at best neutral to them you probably feel she has had a good career and mostly positive impact to the Park, whether she is directly responsible or not. However if you feel its been mostly downgrades and negative impact to the Park, well then that is how you'll feel about her career and impact, whether she is directly responsible or not.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I think it comes down to how one feels about the changes and updates to Disneyland over the last 15-20 years.

If one feels positive or at best neutral to them you probably feel she has had a good career and mostly positive impact to the Park, whether she is directly responsible or not. However if you feel its been mostly downgrades and negative impact to the Park, well then that is how you'll feel about her career and impact, whether she is directly responsible or not.

So what you’re saying is… many things in life, art, Disney, are subjective. There are rarely absolutes?

 

[Disney Irish]

So what you’re saying is… many things in life, art, Disney, are subjective. There are rarely absolutes?

Sure if you want to take away my lovely eloquence.