D23 brought many exciting updates and, with that, gave Disney fans more insight into the future of Grumman Gulfstream I.
Walt Disney’s plane, affectionately known as “The Mouse,” is currently on display at the D23 Expo. The plane was dismantled in Florida and then lovingly pieced back together in California for Expo guests. The aircraft has delighted many a Disney fan. Many marveled at the opportunity to see such an iconic piece of Disney history up close.
Recently we received more information about the fate of Walt Disney’s beloved plane, and it’s perfect.
Disney CEO Bob Chapek took to the stage at the media preview of the D23 Expo on Thursday evening to share the news. The plane will travel from the D23 Expo 2022 in Anaheim to Palm Springs, California, to be displayed alongside the Palm Springs Air Museum collection starting October 15.
Not just this, a new exhibit will be constructed at the Air Museum, highlighting the plane’s history and showcasing its significance to The Walt Disney Company’s history and relevance to the Palm Springs Area. The exhibit is set to open on Walt Disney’s birthday, December 5.
Walt Disney Archives director Rebecca Cline shared about the plane,
“We are so happy to have Walt’s plane make a ‘landing’ at the Palm Springs Air Museum, just a few miles from where Walt and his family had vacation homes at Smoke Tree Ranch. It is the ideal setting for this incredible icon.”
The plane will be on a long-term loan to the museum.
Walt Disney acquired the iconic Gulfstream that would come to be known as “The Mouse” in 1963. Per the D23 website, “the interior of the plane was initially designed with creative input from Walt Disney and his wife, seated up to 15 passengers, and included a galley kitchen, two restrooms, two couches, a desk, and nods to the mouse who started it all, including matchbooks and stationery adorned with a silhouette of Mickey Mouse.”
used the plane to fly between Burbank, California, and Orlando, Florida where the was being constructed, and then eventually lived. He also used to travel to land he was considering for a .
In the 28 years the plane served The Walt Disney Company, it flew 20,000 hours and transported around 83,000 passengers before it was grounded.
