Where is Walt's plane? UPDATE - Coming to D23 2022

[Phantom Mickey]

/////////They have some feelings about the parks and they also have a fine tuned ability to make money//////////

EURODISNEY-not doing so good -- SHANGHI- overbudget -- DisneyMGM - bare minimal operating attractions -- EPCOT - allowed to stale
Maybe not so fine tuned
Changing the theme of a park to an older hit can be risky as the guest can accept ( this is very very good ) or REJECT ( this is very very BAD )

 

[Goofyernmost]

I have had several thoughts about Walts plane. It has survived about 3 changes in company top management and the rules have changed with each turn-a-round. And with each turn, the top brass have become more hardened in park/resort decisions.
the The plane was actually a company plan, true it has been branded as Walts plane and with the guests that holds incredible value. It was the first change of leadership, which was still closely tied with Walts memory that decided to stop using the Mouse and park it. It would be interesting to find a story involving the reason they decided to stop using it as an aircraft needs to be used or it will deteriorate in the weather. Perhaps the memory/attachment to Walt was enough to park it. Walt passed about 6 years before WDW opened. I have not read anything about the Mouse in that time period so it may have been parked at that time but I would reason that Roy would have used it. Mouse was used by everyone that needed to travel so it seems odd that its use was just ended.
The parks are struggling with space, the attractions are not holding the guests attention. The best way to preserve it would to park it inside a large building, perhaps a dead sound stage and open it to guests as a themed attraction ( The Walt Disney Story, and all the artifacts that go with it comes to mind ). It is just a very big cumbersome item That was Walts, and yes that holds tons of memories of Walt by the guests. However, this third group in charge do not impress with the way the parks just sit and lose appeal as they do. If they held the interest or even had more of a mindset to operate/maintain the parks as Walt did, I suspect the parks would be in much better shape. The operating agenda seems to be to build the attraction, open it and let it run until it needs a tweek. This is about the condition of Epcot and DisneyMGM. MK would have befallen this curse but with the addition of attractions built in open areas in the MK over the years it has retained it's interest. But the original land layout for MK is about used up. Expanding outside that original area will get expensive so look for more attractions to be demo'd.
BUT Mouse isn't going to improve, it won't change. It holds Walts memory, a link to guests minds and it needs to be tied to Walt through at attraction or as mentioned perhaps the Walt Disney Story. Back Lot is gone which is why Mouse is coming up in the forums. This could be a good scavenger hunt -- Find the MOUSE.
... That said... and realizing the followers of Walts magic would like to see the mouse end up in a museum like atmosphere to be pampered for as long as the parks exist.

The one thing that must be kept in mind is that if Walt rode in that plane even once, on the day before he died, when it was brand new, that plane is 50 years old. It is worthless for anything other then historic nostalgia. It isn't costing them anything other then a few dollars a year in cleaning maintenance and even the scrap value isn't anything. The most valuable things were the engines and they have been gone a long time. Even if they weren't they are also 50 years old and haven't been run for around 25 years. It does have value as a prop in the park, scrape metal value probably isn't worth a one day ticket to the park. That plane, from what I understand was a popular model, so anyone could just paint one like it in Disney colors and who would know. We are just going by what they told us anyway.

That is why I am optimistic about it showing up someplace in the resort. They have nothing to lose and everything to gain by letting it become a forever part of WDW. I suppose a collector could make them an offer they can't refuse, but, then we would find out who it was and just go to his place to see it.

 

[Goofyernmost]

/////////They have some feelings about the parks and they also have a fine tuned ability to make money//////////

EURODISNEY-not doing so good -- SHANGHI- overbudget -- DisneyMGM - bare minimal operating attractions -- EPCOT - allowed to stale
Maybe not so fine tuned
Changing the theme of a park to an older hit can be risky as the guest can accept ( this is very very good ) or REJECT ( this is very very BAD )

By fine tuned I mean that they have been able to make a ton of money in spite of themselves. That takes talent and plenty of blind followers. As well as a line of BS oozing from every pore of the Marketing Department. It is a very good thing that they primarily have a good product otherwise they have been flim-flaming the public for years.

 

[Phantom Mickey]

By fine tuned I mean that they have been able to make a ton of money in spite of themselves. That takes talent and plenty of blind followers. As well as a line of BS oozing from every pore of the Marketing Department. It is a very good thing that they primarily have a good product otherwise they have been flim-flaming the public for years.

AGREED

 

[Phantom Mickey]

I suppose a collector could make them an offer they can't refuse, but, then we would find out who it was and just go to his place to see it.

This is true. In fact, I sort of feel this is what may eventually happen. Imagine the lines this poor soul may have at his front door.

 

[Rescue Ranger]

They should give it some sort of shrine display at Disney Springs maybe? Nice photo opportunity.

 

[Phantom Mickey]

In my mind that means that it has not left the property. If they had tried to move something that big on public highways it would have been seen by someone. It isn't exactly stealth.

They would have moved it like they would a disabled plane..... they would dissassemble it and truck it off to an airport. In the case of the Mouse, who knows...where?

 

[Phantom Mickey]

I wonder why they would have gutted the interior. It's small enough where you think the interior could have been maintained so that in a future scenario it could have been displayed somewhere with public access to the inside.

Where was it posted that the interior was gutted? I have not seen anything about this and the only reason they get gutted is when they are remodeled for the user. There doesn't seem to be any reason to have taken anything out, even for display purposes.

 

[articos]

You all are putting a lot of thought into this darned plane. Most of the Disney leadership doesn't remember the plane exists, let alone care what to do with it unless someone brings it up to them. It was in the way of space that needed to be redeveloped. It's a historical asset that the company has no need to dispose of, but also neither the board of directors nor Iger care or even think about it unless Bob Weis sends a memo saying "We have no space for Walt's plane, we'd like to transfer/dispose of it", which has not been proposed. The plane is fine and is being stored. It should return to display in FL - they have plenty of room for it. Eventually, if the company does decide to dispose of it, it will likely be offered to the WD Family Museum or Carolwood Foundation.

 

[roj2323]

That plane doesn't necessarily need to go in a park, it could go in front of a park, at a resort, or even some place like the Ticket and Transportation system. Putting it on display would be a relatively cheap way to show this respect for Walt, even if they don't really have that respect.

Or they could make it air worthy and use it as a traveling air show display.

 

[Herbie]

Seriously, just send it to the Disney museum in SF.

 

[Phantom Mickey]

Or they could make it air worthy and use it as a traveling air show display.

I had wondered why they had not used it as a company plane as ROY was still alive. MANY of the companies people used the plane. But that was back when the MAGIC was wildly true and growing and Walt was a superstar, lol for lack of better terms. Why it was parked like some cast away prop has never made sense. I am reasonably sure WALT would not want it to sit in the weather until it would no longer be fly worthy.....
... And as was said, this board only knows it exists and thats about as far as it goes. As it was a rather expensive piece of hardware it just seems "off" that it was cast aside.
.. Whatever.. just me thinking out loud I guess.

 

[montyz81]

They should give it some sort of shrine display at Disney Springs maybe? Nice photo opportunity.

Jimmy Buffet did that and made a small restaurant out of it. Sounds like it should make it's way to Disney Springs

 

[Goofyernmost]

I had wondered why they had not used it as a company plane as ROY was still alive. MANY of the companies people used the plane. But that was back when the MAGIC was wildly true and growing and Walt was a superstar, lol for lack of better terms. Why it was parked like some cast away prop has never made sense. I am reasonably sure WALT would not want it to sit in the weather until it would no longer be fly worthy.....
... And as was said, this board only knows it exists and thats about as far as it goes. As it was a rather expensive piece of hardware it just seems "off" that it was cast aside.
.. Whatever.. just me thinking out loud I guess.

Simple... it was to old to be a dependable means of transportation. I have found the when air travel is involved it is increasingly difficult to find a place to pull one of those over and wait for AAA to send a tow truck. BTW, I'm sure that Roy did use it until it became a safety issue (metal fatigue, old antiquated parts and technical systems, etc.) The flew it to WDW so, it didn't sit until it could no longer fly. They parked it after they upgraded to newer equipment. Because of it's historic, Walt connection, they realized that it had value beyond scrap metal.

 

[Variable]

Simple... it was to old to be a dependable means of transportation. I have found the when air travel is involved it is increasingly difficult to find a place to pull one of those over and wait for AAA to send a tow truck. BTW, I'm sure that Roy did use it until it became a safety issue (metal fatigue, old antiquated parts and technical systems, etc.) The flew it to WDW so, it didn't sit until it could no longer fly. They parked it after they upgraded to newer equipment. Because of it's historic, Walt connection, they realized that it had value beyond scrap metal.

Too old? To be reliable? That will be news to a lot of small air services, larger air cargo services, around where I live.

Oh, and the B-52 forces.

Brand new and low time Boeings and Airbuses get parked out in the desert all the time.

NOTHING to do with age and reliability.

 

[po1998]

Where was it posted that the interior was gutted? I have not seen anything about this and the only reason they get gutted is when they are remodeled for the user. There doesn't seem to be any reason to have taken anything out, even for display purposes.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/where-is-walts-plane.914936/#post-7288254

 

[Texas84]

Too old? To be reliable? That will be news to a lot of small air services, larger air cargo services, around where I live.

Oh, and the B-52 forces.

Brand new and low time Boeings and Airbuses get parked out in the desert all the time.

NOTHING to do with age and reliability.

Well, not entirely true. Our military boneyards are located in the desert for a reason. The climate is much better on airframes than Florida with it's rain and humidity. If an older aircraft is pulled out of the boneyard they may need to be refurbished in place to get them to a depot for further work to get them crew worthy. But yeah, if it hasn't been there that long, they can probably fire it up and go with minimal work.

And there aren't very many original parts left in today's B-52 fleet.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Too old? To be reliable? That will be news to a lot of small air services, larger air cargo services, around where I live.

Oh, and the B-52 forces.

Brand new and low time Boeings and Airbuses get parked out in the desert all the time.

NOTHING to do with age and reliability.

Maybe not to you, but, it surely would be a game changer for me. That plane was at least 30 years old when it was moved to WDW. It may not be a problem in third world countries that have no other choice, but, I wouldn't want to load up a bunch of high level executives on that plane after all those years. Obviously it was dependable enough to fly it from California to Florida, but, certainly nothing that most people would be super comfortable depending on.

The plus side of a B-52, which are just about all mothballed by now, if not all of them, are maintained and rebuilt by us tax payers. Private business would not see it as advisable to spend that much money on keeping it airborne. Especially when a new one can be amortized as a tax break and asset and maintenance is a flat out expense. And that isn't even bringing up that the big wheels want new toys. It's may seem wasteful, but, it is reality. The fact that it was used by Walt is the sole reason that it wasn't cut up in pieces and sold for scrap metal.

 

[Variable]

Well, not entirely true. Our military boneyards are located in the desert for a reason. The climate is much better on airframes than Florida with it's rain and humidity. If an older aircraft is pulled out of the boneyard they may need to be refurbished in place to get them to a depot for further work to get them crew worthy. But yeah, if it hasn't been there that long, they can probably fire it up and go with minimal work.

And there aren't very many original parts left in today's B-52 fleet.

What's not entirely true? Not sure where we got crossed up there.

I know why the leasing companies are parking new and like new aircraft in the desert. Has nothing to do with age. It's $$. Desert depots a popular location for the reasons you mention. I could have just left the location out of my reply, doesn't matter.

The point is that age doesn't equate to dependable.

The B-52 is testament to that. It's been kept flying despite its official, certificated, age, and not a little bit of money is spent yearly to keep it that way. I don't mind paying my share of that bill.

That G-159 could still be flying today, as "old" as it is, and it would have company.
From some reading I found that in 2008, out of 196 produced "There are 63 that are still in operation around the world". Looking through a list of operators I see a couple from my neck of the woods - now I have to go looking. It's a rough job but somebody has to do it!

Anyway guys, it's all nitty picky stuff that's quickly forgotten.

I just hope they treat the plane better than they have. There are museums around the country that would love to have it, clean it up and park it inside too.

 

[Variable]

Maybe not to you, but, it surely would be a game changer for me. That plane was at least 30 years old when it was moved to WDW. It may not be a problem in third world countries that have no other choice, but, I wouldn't want to load up a bunch of high level executives on that plane after all those years. Obviously it was dependable enough to fly it from California to Florida, but, certainly nothing that most people would be super comfortable depending on.

The plus side of a B-52, which are just about all mothballed by now, if not all of them, are maintained and rebuilt by us tax payers. Private business would not see it as advisable to spend that much money on keeping it airborne. Especially when a new one can be amortized as a tax break and asset and maintenance is a flat out expense. And that isn't even bringing up that the big wheels want new toys. It's may seem wasteful, but, it is reality. The fact that it was used by Walt is the sole reason that it wasn't cut up in pieces and sold for scrap metal.

Yeah I got ya, we're cool. Our longer replies just now crossed the transom at about the same time.