WATCH: Joe Rohde Shares Unboxing Video of His Disney Legend Award
After a legendary career at Walt Disney Imagineering, Joe Rohde finally got his due last month when he was officially named a Disney Legend.
Over his 40-year career with Disney, Rohde was the driving force behind some of the company’s greatest achievements.
Joining Imagineering in 1980, Rohde worked on numerous iconic Disney attractions, including Captain EO, Maelstrom, and the Adventures Club, before setting his sights on something bigger.
Photo: Disney
The crowning achievement of Rohde’s career came when he was named lead designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. With Rohde’s keen eye guiding every detail, Walt Disney World’s fourth park became a reality, inviting guests to experience the wonders of the natural world like never before.
Photo: D23
Following the opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Rohde continued making magic. He eventually led the creation of Pandora—The World of Avatar, Guardians of the Galaxy—Mission: Breakout!, Disney’s Aulani, and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Becoming a Disney Legend
Discussing becoming a Disney Legend, Rohde admitted that he was humbled.
Photo: Disney
“Frankly, it was an unexpected honor. All the work we do is done by teams and I always thought of myself as part of a team. Kind of the like the team editor. So, it wasn’t top of mind that I was going to be honored in any way. But it is humbling and delightful at the same time to be thought of as an integral part of the history of The Walt Disney Company,” he said.
Rohde Shares an Unboxing Video
Less than a month after officially becoming a Disney Legend, Rohde has finally gotten his award. He even took to Instagram to share a video of himself unboxing it!
“Highlight reels from the incredibly long unboxing video of the Disney Legend Award. Somewhere between the books, bones, fossils, tribal statues and ethnic masks this will find a home,” he captioned the post.
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“Hopefully, the spirit of Mickey will not be too freaked out sharing a place of honor with a yam mask from Papua New Guinea and an Acheulean hand axe 😉.”
After a lifetime of service creating Disney magic, there was no one more deserving of becoming a Disney Legend than Joe Rohde.
It’s great to see the Imagineering superstar finally getting his due.
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