Disney adults, this one’s for you. Joe Rohde, the legendary Imagineer behind some of the most immersive places in the Disney parks, just spoke up about the shaming Disney adults get, and he’s basically on our side.
Oh, and he also revealed how he does World Showcase, and it’s not the way most of us do it. More on that in a minute.
Rohde shared all of this during a discussion at New York Comic Con, where he was promoting his new book, Floating Mountains. It ran about an hour, and he covered a lot.
Quick Refresher on Joe Rohde
If you don’t know the name, you definitely know his work. Rohde started at Disney in the early 1980s and was the overall creative executive and supervising designer for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He also worked on Expedition Everest and Pandora: The World of Avatar.
And that’s not all. He worked on opening day EPCOT, the Adventurers Club, Aulani in Hawaii, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: BREAKOUT! He was named a Disney Legend at the 2024 D23 Ultimate Fan Event, so yeah, the guy is a big deal.
About Those Earrings
If you’ve ever seen Joe Rohde, you’ve seen the earrings. They became famous thanks to the Travel Channel documentaries he showed up in back in the early 2000s.
He kicked off the talk by sharing the story behind them. Basically, he started collecting earrings while traveling the world, and eventually started wearing pretty much any piece of jewelry that could work as an earring. It’s honestly one of the most iconic looks in Disney history.
He Gets Why Disney Adult Shaming Is Weird
Here’s the part a lot of Disney fans are going to love. Rohde talked about how people shame Disney adults, and he said he finds it peculiar.
His point? Other fandoms get a total pass. Sports fans can paint their faces, wear jerseys, and plan entire trips around games, and nobody blinks. Same with fans of movies or music. But love Disney as a grown-up and suddenly people have opinions.
Having a literal Disney Legend point out that double standard? That feels pretty good.
He also went on to defend theme parks as a living art form, which makes a lot of sense coming from someone who has spent his career designing them. And honestly, it’s a great way to explain why so many adults love the parks. It’s not just rides. It’s the storytelling, the details, and the worlds you get to step into.
Okay, Now the EPCOT Thing
So the moderator asked him the question every EPCOT fan argues about. When you go around World Showcase, do you start in Mexico or Canada?
This is a big deal, especially for anyone planning to drink around the world. People have strong feelings about this.
Rohde’s answer? Neither. First, he admitted he usually comes into the park through the backstage area, which, sure, Disney Legend perks. Then he said he likes to start his World Showcase trip in Morocco.
Morocco! Right in the middle! We did not see that coming, but also, it’s a very Joe Rohde answer.
Why Morocco Though?
He explained that Morocco is arguably his favorite pavilion in EPCOT. It’s also unique because it’s sponsored by the government of Morocco instead of a company from that country, which no other World Showcase pavilion can say.
And here’s a fun fact. He said Morocco was a huge influence on later Disney projects, including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Animal Kingdom, especially Harambe. Once you hear that, you totally see it in the winding streets and detailed buildings.
He Talked About a Lot More Too
Rohde also covered Lightning Lanes, Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT!, the Expedition Everest Yeti, and the development of Pandora: The World of Avatar. Basically, if you’re a Disney nerd, this talk had everything.
So, Are You Starting in Morocco Now?
Between defending Disney adults and shaking up the whole Mexico versus Canada debate, Joe Rohde gave fans a lot to talk about. Maybe your next EPCOT day starts in Morocco. Who are we to argue with a Disney Legend?
Credit: Joe Rohde’s comments were originally reported by AllEars.
