The Disney Legends awards are bestowed upon individuals who have made significant contributions to The Walt Disney Company and its legacy.
The awards have traditionally been held annually in a private ceremony at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, whose Legends Plaza contains the cemented handprints of recipients who were alive when they received their recognition. Since 2009, the awards have been held biannually at the Anaheim Convention Center, and the ceremonies are open to attendees of the D23 Expo. Other locations are noted below.
Recipients:
open/close all folders
1987
- Fred MacMurray
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Starred in live-action films like The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor and The Happiest Millionaire.
1989
- Les Clark
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men, co-creator of Mickey Mouse.
- Marc Davis
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
- Ub Iwerks
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Co-creator of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse.
- Ollie Johnston
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
- Milt Kahl
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
- Ward Kimball
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
- Eric Larson
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
- John Lounsbery
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
- Wolfgang Reitherman
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
- Frank Thomas
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's Nine Old Men.
1990
- Roger Broggie
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: The original Imagineer, he helped make special effects designed Disneyland's transportation system. Most notably, he and Wathel Rogers invented the audio-animatronic.
- Joe Fowler
Role(s): Attractions
Achievements: Retired real admiral of the Navy who was the construction boss and then general manager for Disneyland, and then supervised the construction of Disney World.
- John Hench
Role(s): Animator, Imagineer
Achievements: Started in the Disney Story Department and later painted backgrounds for "The Nutcracker Suite" segment of Fantasia. He also worked on Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. He later went on to design attractions for Disneyland.
- Richard Irvine
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Senior Imagineer who headed design and planning for Disneyland attractions and then became executive vice president and chief operations officer of Imagineering in 1967.
- Herb Ryman
Role(s): Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: A talented concept artist who created the first designs of Disneyland. He also served as an art director on Dumbo and Fantasia. He developed artwork and designs for the other Disney resorts until his death in 1989.
- Richard Sherman
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: The younger of the Sherman brothers, responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history.
- Robert Sherman
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: The older of the Sherman brothers, responsible for more motion picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history.
1991
- Ken Anderson
Role(s): Art Director, Writer
Achievements: Art director on Snow White, designed Shere Khan and Elliot, and production designer on Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians and The Aristocats.
- Julie Andrews
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Played the Oscar-winning title role of Mary Poppins.
- Carl Barks
Role(s): Artist, Writer
Achievements: Started as an inbetweener and storyman, but later went on to work of his beloved Donald Duck comic books, as well as create Scrooge McDuck and the Disney Ducks Comic Universe.
- Mary Blair
Role(s): Animator, Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: Her work first got Walt's attention during the South America tour that begat Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. Her unique, colorful designs can be seen on The Three Caballeros, Make Mine Music, Song Of The South, Melody Time, Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland and Peter Pan. Also designed the "It's a Small, Small World" ride.
- Claude Coats
Role(s): Animator, Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: Background painter, who worked on Snow White, Fantasia, Dumbo, Saludos Amigos, Make Mine Music, Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella, and Peter Pan. Became a notable Imagineer during Disneyland's construction as a ride developer.
- Sterling Holloway
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Provided voices for many of Disney's characters, including The Cheshire Cat and Kaa, but he's most well known for being the original voice of Winnie-the-Pooh. First recipient of the Disney Legend award in the voice category, which he got one year before his death in 1992.
- Fess Parker
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Actor who played Davy Crockett in the Disneyland TV series, which was recut into two full-length films, Davy Crockett King Of The Wild Frontier, and Davy Crockett And The River Pirates; this revived interest in the Tennessee and Texas Revolution figure himself.
- Bill Walsh
Role(s): Artist, Producer
Achievements: Comic author who was a producer and writer for a multitude of Disney Studio Classics and who also wrote a few Mickey Mouse strips here and there.
1992
- Jimmie Dodd
Role(s): Actor, Composer
Achievements: Was the host Mouseketeer for The Mickey Mouse Club and composed many of the show's tunes, including its infectious theme song.
- Bill Evans
Role(s): Imagineer, Designer
Achievements: A horticulturist, he helped to design the landscape for Disneyland, including its Jungle Cruise attraction, and later became director of landscape architecture at Walt Disney Imagineering.
- Annette Funicello
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Arguably the most popular of the Mouseketeers, she later starred in Disney films like The Shaggy Dog, Babes In Toyland and The Misadventures of Merlin Jones.
- Joe Grant
Role(s): Artist, Designer
Achievements: He served as a character designer on films like Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio, and then as a story director on Fantasia and Dumbo. After leaving Disney in the mid-1940's, he returned decades to work on films Beauty And The Beast, Pocahontas and Mulan.
- Jack Hannah
Role(s): Animator, Director
Achievements: Having started as an animator in the 1930's, he eventually became the main director of the Donald Duck shorts. He would go on to help establish the character animation program at CalArts and become its first dean.
- Winston Hibler
Role(s): Actor, Artist, Composer, Producer, Writer
Achievements: Initially a story artist and songwriter for the animation department, he is best known for writing and narrating the True Life Adventures and other live-action animal tales.
- Ken O'Connor
Role(s): Artist, Designer
Achievements: Worked as a layout artist on 12 animated features, including Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and Cinderella, the latter for which he also designed the iconic pumpkin coach.
- Roy Williams
Role(s): Actor, Artist
Achievements: A story artist at Disney since the 1930s, he later gained fame as the "Big Mooseketeer" on The Mickey Mouse Club; he also designed the show's famous ear hats.
1993
- Pinto Colvig
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Original voice actor of Pluto and Goofy.
- Buddy Ebsen
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Played Davy Crockett in Davy Crockett.
- Peter Ellenshaw
Role(s): Artist, Designer
Achievements: Major matte artist on Walt Disney's studio classics from 1949 to his retirement in 1979.
- Blaine Gibson
Role(s): Animator, Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: Inbetweener and assistant animator working on most features through 101 Dalmatians. Later became known as a key sculptor and modelmaker at Disneyland and other subsequent parks/resorts.
- Harper Goff
Role(s): Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: Art director for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea, later assisted in designing Disneyland.
- Irving Ludwig
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Vice president (1953-1959) and later president (1959-1980) of Buena Vista Distribution Co., helped distribute Disney films.
- Jimmy MacDonald
Role(s): Actor, Sound Effect Editor
Achievements: Voice of Mickey Mouse from 1948 to 1977, original head of the Disney sound effects department.
- Clarence Nash
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Voice of Donald and Daisy Duck from 1934 to 1985.
- Donn Tatum
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Served in various executive positions with Disney, later Chairman from 1971 to 1980.
- Card Walker
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Major Disney executive who oversaw the studio during its Dark Years. He remained an adviser to the studio until his death in 2005, and his last 6 years were as Director Emeritus.
1994
- Adriana Caselotti
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: The voice of Snow White in Walt's original animated timeless classic.
- Bill Cottrell
Role(s): Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: Animator who was one of the sequence directors on Walt Disney's Signature Classic, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs, also of the screenwriters for The Reluctant Dragon, later served as vice president of Imagineering.
- Marvin Davis
Role(s): Director, Imagineer
Achievements: Master planner for Disneyland, later helped direct Disney films and television series.
- Van France
Role(s): Attractions
Achievements: Founder of the Disney University training program.
- David Hand
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: The director of many of Disney's animal cartoons, and was the director of Snow White and Bambi. He would later go over to Europe to make the obscure, short lived Animaland cartoon series.
- Jack Lindquist
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: President of Disneyland from 1990 to 1993.
- Bill Martin
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Contributed to the designs of many attractions, including Sleeping Beauty Castle, Snow White’s Adventures, Peter Pan’s Flight, and more.
- Paul J. Smith
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Composer for many early Disney films.
- Frank Wells
Role(s): Executive
Achievements:President of the Walt Disney Company from 1984 to 1994.
1995
- Wally Boag
Role(s): Actor, Attractions
Achievements: Disneyland performer who was attached to the character of Tigger in Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day, but got replaced by Paul Winchell. Starred in the Golden Horseshoe Revue and The Enchanted Tiki Room. Served as a mentor to a young Steve Martin.
- Fulton Burley
Role(s): Actor, Attractions
Achievements: Performer in Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue and The Enchanted Tiki Room.
- Dean Jones
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Actor in various Walt Disney Studios films.
- Angela Lansbury
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Actress who was the lead in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and who is the regular voice of Mrs. Potts in the Beauty and the Beast series; she also introduced the final number in Fantasia 2000.
- Edward Meck
Role(s): Attractions
Achievements: Helped advertise the newly-opened Disney theme park.
1996
- Bob Allen
Role(s): Attractions, Executive
Achievements: Vice president of Walt Disney World from 1977 to 1987.
- Rex Allen (no relation)
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Narrator of many Walt Disney nature films.
- Xavier "X" Atencio
Role(s): Animator, Imagineer
Achievements: Inbetweener and assistant animator on Fantasia. He also wrote the scripts for the original Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion attractions, as well as writing Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirate's Life for Me and Grim Grinning Ghosts.
- Betty Lou Gerson
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Actress who voiced Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians, the opening narrator in Cinderella, and made a cameo in Mary Poppins.
- Bill Justice
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Animator on some of the classic Disney cartoons.
- Bob Matheison
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Helped develop Walt Disney World and create its executive training program.
- Sam McKim
Role(s): Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: Sketched various Disneyland rides and maps.
- Bob Moore
Role(s): Animator, Artist
Achievements: Helped animate several classic Disney films, later worked in publicity and marketing.
- Bill Peet
Role(s): Animator, Writer
Achievements: Began his Disney career as an In-Betweener, and got recognized for his original characters designs, working his way up to storyboard artist, and eventually becoming a Story Man in his own right, working on full-length films and shorts before a personal falling out with Walt Disney led to Bill leaving the company and eventually becoming an acclaimed children's author..
- William Everett "Joe" Potter
Role(s): Attractions
Achievements: Served as governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1959 to 1960 before joining Disney, responsible for building much of the underground infrastructure for Walt Disney World.
1997
To celebrate Disneyland Paris' 5th anniversary, all of 1997's Disney Legends are European, with the ceremony held at said park.
- Lucien Ades
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: His record company composed many read-along album books for Disney films.
- Angel Angelopoulos
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped market Disney in Greece and the Mediterranean countries, establish the California Institute for the Arts.
- Antonio Bertini
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped market Disney in Italy.
- Armand Bigle
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped market Disney in Europe and beyond.
- Gaudenzio Capelli
Role(s): Publisher
Achievements: Helped market and publish Disney works in Italy.
- Roberto de Leonardis
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Helped translate various Disney films.
- Cyril Edgar
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped market Disney in the United Kingdom.
- Wally Feignoux
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped market Disney in France.
- Didier Fouret
Role(s): Publishing
Achievements: Helped publish Disney works in France.
- Mario Gentilini
Role(s): Attractions
Achievements: Helped publish and edit Mickey Mouse's Topolino magazine in Italy.
- Cyril James
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Managing director for Disney in the United Kingdom and Europe.
- Horst Koblischek
Role(s): Publishing
Achievements: Helped market and publish Disney in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
- Gunnar Mansson
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped market Disney in the Nordic countries.
- Arnoldo Mondadori
Role(s): Publishing
Achievements: Published and managed Disney's Topolino magazine in Italy.
- Armand Palivoda
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Distributed Disney films in Switzerland.
- Poul Brahe Pedersen
Role(s): Publishing
Achievements: Helped publish Donald Duck in the Nordic countries.
- André Vanneste
Role(s): Publishing
Achievements: Helped publish Disney comics in Europe.
- Paul Winkler
Role(s): Publishing
Achievements: Created the very successful magazine Le Journal de Mickey in France, and several other magazines.
1998
- James Algar
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Animator on Snow White, the animation director of The Sorceror's Apprentice segment of Fantasia, and directed sequences in Bambi and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad.
- Buddy Baker
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Scored various Disney films.
- Kathryn Beaumont
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Voiced Alice in Alice In Wonderland and Wendy in Peter Pan.
- Virginia Davis
Role(s): Actress, Animation
Achievements: Child actress who tried out for roles in Snow White and Pinocchio, but didn't make the cut. Later starred in the Alice Comedies as Alice. She did have a stint in Disney's Ink and Paint division.
- Roy E. Disney
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Roy O. Disney's son and Walt's nephew. He spent much of his life in Disney as a writer, editor, producer, and eventually executive on the board. He ousted Ron Miller to save the company, bringing Michael Eisner (who brought Jeffrey Katzenberg with him) and Frank Wells to shake things up. During the Disney Renaissance, he became head of the animation department. He and Eisner fell out due to the latter's Executive Meddling and ousted Eisner out too. He returned to the company in 2005 as Director Emeritus until his death in 2009.
- Don Escen
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Assistant to Roy O. Disney, in charge of Disney's financial affairs.
- Roberto de Leonardis
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Helped translate various Disney films.
- Wilfred Jackson
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Animator for several Disney animated features.
- Glynis Johns
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Played Winifred Banks in Mary Poppins.
- Kay Kamen
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped license Disney characters.
- Paul Kenworthy
Role(s): Director
Achievements: Directed various Disney nature documentaries.
- Larry Lansburgh
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Producer and cameraman for various Disney films.
- Hayley Mills
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: British actress who appeared in several Disney Studio Classics, most notably The Parent Trap, which had her playing twins.
- Al and Elma Milotte
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Produced various Disney nature documentaries.
- Norman Palmer
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Edited True Life Adventures The Living Desert, The African Lion, Water Birds, The Shaggy D.A., and The Legend of Lobo.
- Lloyd Richardson
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Edited various Disney films.
- Kurt Russell
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Actor who appeared in several Disney Studio Classics, including The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Strongest Man In The World, voiced adult Copper in The Fox and the Hound, and then played Steve Strong in Sky High and Peter Quill's father Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
- Ben Sharpsteen
Role(s): Animator, Director
Achievements: Was an early animator for Disney, and became a sequence director on Snow White, co-director on Pinocchio, director of Dumbo, production supervisor on Fantasia, Fun and Fancy Free, Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland.
- Masatomo Takahashi
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped establish Tokyo Disneyland.
- Vladimir "Bill" Tytla
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's most skilled animators, doing the animation for Grumpy in Snow White, Chernabog in Fantasia, and Stromboli in Pinocchio. Left Disney in the early 40's to work at other studios like Famous Studios and Terrytoons after he became part of the infamous Disney strike, and he regretted never working with Disney again for the rest of his life.
- Dick Van Dyke
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Played Bert and Mr. Dawes Sr. in Mary Poppins and Mr. Dawes Jr. in Mary Poppins Returns.
- Matsuo Yokoyama
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Helped market Disney in Japan.
1999
- Tim Allen
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: The voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story series and the lead in The Santa Clause movies.
- Mary Costa
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: The voice of Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty.
- Norm Ferguson
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of Disney's most loved animators, known for his excellent personality animation, as well as his contributions to the character of Pluto and his subsequent short subject series. Noteworthy work of his includes the famous flypaper scene from "Playful Pluto", the Witch from Snow White and Honest John and Gideon from Pinocchio. Directing animator on Snow White and Peter Pan.
- Yale Gracey
Role(s): Animation, Imagineer
Achievements: Writer, imagineer, and layout artist for several Disney films and theme park attractions.
- Al Konetzni
Role(s): Merchandising
Achievements: Helped develop and market Disney merchandise.
- Hamilton Luske
Role(s): Animation
Achievements: Was the man who brought several of the Nine Old Men into Disney, and one of the directors of Lady And The Tramp.
- Dick Nunis
Role(s): Attractions
Achievements: The boss of the Disney theme parks throughout the Dark Years, his success with the parks made him one of the few executives to survive the 1984 management shift.
- Charlie Ridgway
Role(s): Attractions
Achievements: Major player in coordinating media coverage of Walt Disney World, including a Donald Duck 50th birthday show.
2000
- Grace Bailey
Role(s): Animation
Achievements: Oversaw and developed Disney's inking and painting.
- Harriet Burns
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: First female Imagineer.
- Joyce Carlson
Role(s): Artist, Imagineer
Achievements: Helped design the It's a Small World attraction.
- Ron Dominguez
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Former vice president of Walt Disney Attractions.
- Cliff Edwards
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: The original voice actor for Jiminy Cricket from Walt Disney's Masterpiece Pinocchio to his death in 1971.
- Becky Fallberg
Role(s): Animation
Achievements: Longtime Disney member, manager of the Ink and Paint Department from 1975 to 1986.
- Dick Jones
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: The voice of Pinocchio in the original masterpiece.
- Dodie Roberts
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Animator for Fantasia, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.
- Retta Scott
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Disney's first woman animator to receive a screen credit, in Bambi.
- Ruthie Tompson
Role(s): Animator, Artist
Achievements: Scene planner and final checker for animation cels.
2001
The ceremony took place on what would have been Walt Disney's 100th birthday, and was held at the Walt Disney: One Man's Dream attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
- Howard Ashman
Role(s): Composer / Writer
Achievements: Was the lyricist on songs for The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast and Aladdin.
- Bob Broughton
Role(s): Photography / Effects
Achievements: Worked behind the camera and created photographic effects for films like Fantasia, Mary Poppins and The Black Hole.
- George Bruns
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Composed the scores and songs for many of Disney's films, television shows and theme parks for over 20 years, including Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred And One Dalmatians and The Love Bug.
- Frank Churchill
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Composed the score and songs for films like The Three Little Pigs, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and Bambi.
- Leigh Harline
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Composed the scores and songs for films like The Old Mill, Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio.
- Fred Joerger
Role(s): Artist
Achievements: Created many scale models of film sets and theme park attractions, including Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle, and later served as field art director for EPCOT Center.
- Alan Menken
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Created the score and songs for many of Disney's animated features during their "renaissance" period, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast and Aladdin.
- Marty Sklar
Role(s): Imagineer / Writer
Achievements: Worked closely with Walt Disney on many Imagineering projects, and eventually served as president and vice-chairman of Walt Disney Imagineering.
- Ned Washington
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Was the lyricist on songs for Pinocchio and Dumbo, including the immortal "When You Wish Upon a Star".
- Tyrus Wong
Role(s): Artist
Achievements: Helped to establish the distinctive visual style for Bambi.
2002
In honor of the opening of the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris, all 2002 inductees are of European origin. The ceremony was held in the Animation building at the new park on opening day.
- Ken Annakin
Role(s): Director
Achievements: Director of two live-action Disney films.
- Hugh Attwooll
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Worked on a number of live-action Disney films.
- Maurice Chevalier
Role(s): Singer
Achievements: Performed the opening song of The Aristocats.
- Phil Collins
Role(s): Singer
Achievements: Composed and sang the eponymous character's songs in Tarzan as well as songs in Brother Bear.
- John Mills
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Played William Robinson in Swiss Family Robinson.
- Robert Newton
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Played Long John Silver in Treasure Island.
- Tim Rice
Role(s): Songwriter
Achievements: Helped to write award-winning songs for Aladdin and The Lion King.
- Robert Stevenson
Role(s): Director
Achievements: Director of several Disney Live-Action Classics, the most notable being Mary Poppins.
- Richard Todd
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Actor in several live-action Disney films.
- David Tomlinson
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Portrayed George Banks in Mary Poppins, Peter Thorndyke in The Love Bug and Emelius Browne in Bedknobs And Broomsticks.
2003
- Neil Beckett
Role(s): Merchandising
Achievements: Helped market and license Disney in New Zealand.
- Tutti Camarata
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Co-founded Disneyland Records (today Walt Disney Records)
- Edna Disney
Role(s): Family
Achievements: Wife of Roy O. Disney, a source of support for the Disney family, company, and employees.
- Lillian Disney
Role(s): Family
Achievements: Walt Disney's wife. She worked as an inker and secretary in the company's early days, acting as a conservative foil to her husband's daring. Following Walt's death, she worked along Roy to complete Walt Disney World, and helped fund CalArts.
- Orlando Ferrante
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Vice presidents of engineering, design, and production from 1979 to 2002.
- Richard Fleischer
Role(s): Director
Achievements: Son of Fleischer studio founder Max Fleischer. A director who helmed a multitude of Disney films, the most notable being 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
- Floyd Gottfredson
Role(s): Animator, Artist
Achievements: Got his start as an early Disney animator, but moved on to being the top artist for the Mickey Mouse comic strip for 45 years.
- Buddy Hackett
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Actor who appeared in The Love Bug and The Little Mermaid; the latter movie had him voicing Scuttle the Seagull.
- Harrison Price
Role(s): Research
Achievements: Research economist who was crucial in the siting and development of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
- Al Taliaferro
Role(s): Artist
Achievements: Worked on the Donald Duck comic strip.
- Ilene Woods
Role(s): Actress, Singer
Achievements: The voice of Cinderella in the original masterpiece.
2004
- Bill Anderson
Role(s): Producer
Achievements: Produced a handful of Disney live-action films, and served on Disney's board of directors.
- Tim Conway
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Actor who co-starred with Don Knotts in several Dark Age Disney films.
- Rolly Crump
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Major Imagineer who designed a good chunk of Disneyland attractions and shops, including It's a Small World.
- Alice Davis
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Wife of Marc Davis, helped develop costumers for film, television, and theme parks.
- Karen Dotrice
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Child actress who played Jane Banks in Mary Poppins and appeared in The Three Lives of Thomasina and The Gnome-Mobile; all three movies had her co-star with Matthew Garber. Dotrice retired from acting in 1984.
- Matthew Garber
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Child actor who played Michael Banks in Mary Poppins along with The Three Lives of Thomasina and The Gnome-Mobile; all three movies had him co-starring with Karen Dotrice.
- Leonard Goldenson
Role(s): Television
Achievements: Former president of ABC.
- Bob Gurr
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Imagineer who designed most of the ride vehicles at Disneyland.
- Ralph Kent
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Developed training materials, souvenirs, and marketing for Disney rides.
- Irwin Kostal
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Broadway composer who worked on Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Pete's, and Mickey's Christmas Carol along with a rerecording of Fantasia.
- Mel Shaw
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Titles designer for The Rescuers and other films. He got started with Bambi, but left to enter World War II, though he returned to Disney 32 years later. His final film was The Lion King.
2005
To celebrate Disneyland's 50th anniversary, all of 2005's Legends are individuals who made some contribution to the theme parks.
- Chuck Abbott
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: One of Disneyland’s foremost Attractions Hosts.
- Milt Albright
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Accountant, designer, and manager for Disney parks.
- Hideo Amemiya
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Served in executive positions at Disney resorts in Japan.
- Hideo "Indian" Aramaki
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Trained many chefs for Tokyo Disneyland.
- Charles Boyer
Role(s): Artist, Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Drew art for Disneyland.
- Randy Bright
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Vice president of development for shows and attractions at Disneyland.
- James Cora
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: In charge of managing and planning for Disney's international parks.
- Robert Jani
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Produced numerous Disneyland festivities and shows.
- Mary Jones
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: In charge of Disneyland's Community Relations and international relations.
- Art Linkletter
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Commentator for the opening day ceremonies for Disneyland who returned for the park's 50th anniversary.
- Mary Anne Mang
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Public Relations Manager for Disneyland.
- Steve Martin
Role(s): Actor, Parks & Resorts
Achievements: The accomplished actor got his start on Disney's Jungle Cruise; he also introduced the second number in Fantasia 2000, and co-hosted Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years.
- Tom Nabbe
Role(s): Actor, Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Played Tom Sawyer as a boy on Tom Sawyer Island, later managed other attractions.
- Jack Olsen
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Manager of Disneyland's Merchandising Division.
- Cicely Rigdon
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Supervisor of Guest Relations at Disneyland, later helped lead and develop the Disneyland Ambassador Program.
- William Sullivan
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Operations supervisor at Disneyland, later performed supervisory work for Walt Disney World.
- Jack Wagner
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Noted radio host and narrator for various Disneyland advertisem*nts and announcements.
- Vesey Walker
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Bandmaster of the Disneyland Band.
2006
- Tim Considine
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Appeared in several Disney television shows.
- Kevin Corcoran
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Former child actor who appeared in a multitude of Disney projects as a child.
- Al Dempster
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Animator who worked with Walt during the Golden Years.
- Don Edgren
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Worked on structural design during construction of Walt Disney theme parks.
- Paul Frees
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Voice actor who is in Donald In Mathmagic Land and The Haunted Mansion.
- Elton John
Role(s): Composer / Singer
Achievements: The composer of the songs for The Lion King.
- Jimmy Johnson
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Oversaw the rise of the Walt Disney Music Company, served as its president from 1970-1975.
- Tommy Kirk
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Teen actor who starred in several Disney Studios Classics, including Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, and The Absent-Minded Professor.
- Joe Ranft
Role(s): Animator, Actor
Achievements: Noted animator and voice actor for Pixar.
- David Stollery
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Appeared in various Disney television programs in the 1960s.
- Ginny Tyler
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Voice actress for many Disney productions.
2007
- Roone Arledge
Role(s): Television
Achievements: President of ABC Sports from 1968 to 1986, president of ABC News from 1977 to 1998.
- Art Babbitt
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Most known for turning Goofy into the character we all know and love. He also animated such characters as the Wicked Queen in Snow White, Geppetto in Pinocchio, the mushrooms in the Nutcracker Suite scene of Fantasia, and the stork in Dumbo—as well as contributing to the disastrous 1941 Disney studio strike, which led to his termination and feud with Walt and his family that went on until the 90's.
- Carl Bongirno
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Oversaw the growth and development of Disney's theme parks through the 1980s.
- Marge Champion
Role(s): Actress, Animation
Achievements: Actress, dance model, and choreographer for various Disney works.
- Dick Huemer
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Former Fleischer veteran who became a prominent animator, storyboard artist and writer for the studio throughout the decades. He even directed two shorts; "The Whalers" and "Goofy and Wilbur".
- Ron Logan
Role(s): Parks & Resorts
Achievements: Former Fleischer veteran who became a prominent animator, storyboard artist and writer for the studio throughout the decades. He even directed two shorts; "The Whalers" and "Goofy and Wilbur". Was later responsible for casting and organizing live events for Disney theme parks.
- Lucille Martin
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Secretary to Walt Disney, later vice president and special assistant to the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors.
- Tom Murphy
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Vice president of Capital Cities/ABC Inc., oversaw the company's growth.
- Randy Newman
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Composer for a multitude of Pixar movies as well as The Princess And The Frog.
- Floyd Norman
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: One of the first African-Americans hired by the studio. To this day he still works at Disney as a storyboard artist.
- Bob Schiffer
Role(s): Film
Achievements: Head of Disney's makeup department from 1968 to 2001.
- Dave Smith
Role(s): Archives
Achievements: Founder and former chief archivist at the Walt Disney Archives
2008
- Wayne Allwine
Role(s): Actor / Sound Effect Editor / Foley Artist
Achievements: Official voice of Mickey Mouse for 32 years (1977-2009)
- Bob Booth
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Helped set up the Manufacturing and Production Organization, or MAPO, which was responsible for research and development for Disney productions, which he led from 1965 to 1985.
- Neil Gallagher
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Worked in Disney's machine shop, assisted in the development of new Audio-Animatronics, served in various leadership roles with Disney Theme Parks.
- Frank Gifford
Role(s): Sports commentator
Achievements: Worked on Disney's Wide World of Sports.
- Burny Mattinson
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Animator who started with Robin Hood and directed The Great Mouse Detective.
- Walter Peregoy
Role(s): Artist
Achievements: Color and background artist on a handful of Disney projects, assisted with architectural development of EPCOT.
- Dorothea Redmond
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Participated in building and interior design at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
- Russi Taylor
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Voice of Minnie Mouse for 33 years (1986-2019)
- Toshio Kagami
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: CEO of Tokyo Disney Resort.
- Barbara Walters
Role(s): Television
Achievements: Host of a number of television programs, including ABC News.
- Oliver Wallace
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Music director on a multitude of Disney projects and cartoons, as well as being the live reference models for both Dopey and Sneezy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
2009
- Tony Anselmo
Role(s): Actor / Animator
Achievements: Initially serving as an animator on films like The Little Mermaid and Beauty And The Beast, he has served as the official voice of Donald Duck since 1985.
- Harry Archinal
Role(s): Management
Achievements: A pioneer of international film distribution, he served as president of Buena Vista International from 1972 to 1988.
- Bea Arthur
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: She portrayed the character of "Dorothy Zbornak" on Touchstone Television's The Golden Girls.
- Bill Farmer
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: He has served as the official voices of Goofy and Pluto since 1986.
- Estelle Getty
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: She portrayed the character of "Sophia Petrillo" on Touchstone Television's The Golden Girls.
- Don Iwerks
Role(s): Engineer / Imagineer
Achievements: The son of Ub Iwerks, he once headed the Disney Studio's machine shop and camera departments. His accomplishments for Disney's theme parks include the CircleVision 360 process, Captain EO and Star Tours.
- Rue McClanahan
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: She portrayed the character of "Blanche Devereaux" on Touchstone Television's The Golden Girls.
- Leota Toombs Thomas
Role(s): Artist / Imagineer
Achievements: She worked as a sculptor and designer on many theme park attractions including Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Pirates Of The Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion; her likeness was used for the character of "Madame Leota" for the latter attraction.
- Betty White
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Portrayed the character of "Rose Nylund" on Touchstone Television's The Golden Girls.
- Robin Williams
Role(s): Actor / Comedian
Achievements: After making his big break as the star of ABC's Mork And Mindy, he had roles in Disney-produced films like Good Morning Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Aladdin, Flubber and Good Will Hunting, the latter earning him an Academy Award.
2011
- Jodi Benson
Role(s): Actress / Singer
Achievements: Known for her role as "Princess Ariel" in The Little Mermaid and related projects, as well as other roles in Flubber and Enchanted.
- Bo Boyd
Role(s): Merchandising
Achievements: Initially working his way up in merchandising for Disney's theme parks, he was instrumental in the creation and growth of Disney Consumer Products, eventually becoming its chairman from 1997 to 2001.
- Jim Henson
Role(s): Puppeteer / Actor / Writer / Director
Achievements: Creator of The Muppets and the original performer for Kermit the Frog and many others.
- Linda Larkin
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Provided the speaking voice of "Princess Jasmine" for Aladdin and related projects.
- Paige O'Hara
Role(s): Actress / Singer
Achievements: Provided the voice of "Belle" in Beauty And The Beast and related projects.
- Regis Philbin
Role(s): Host / Actor
Achievements: Hosted many programs for ABC, including Live with Regis and Kathy Lee/Kelly, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and the annual telecast of Walt Disney World's Very Merry Christmas Parade.
- Anika Noni Rose
Role(s): Actress / Singer
Achievements: Provided the voice of "Tiana" in The Princess And The Frog.
- Lea Salonga
Role(s): Singer
Achievements: Performed as the singing voices of "Princess Jasmine" from Aladdin and Mulan from Mulan.
- Raymond Watson
Role(s): Architecture / Management
Achievements: As an architect, he worked with Walt Disney while he was planning his original vision for EPCOT. He later joined Disney's board of directors and later served as its chairman from 1983 to 1984. He remained on board as in the executive committee until his retirement in 2004.
- Guy Williams
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Portrayed the title character of the Zorro television series.
- Bonita Wrather
Role(s): Actress / Producer / Entrepreneur
Achievements: Originally an movie actress, she later married magnate Jack Wrather and played a key role in expanding his entertainment empire, including the opening of the Disneyland Hotel.
- Jack Wrather
Role(s): Entrepreneur / Producer
Achievements: A tycoon known for his stakes in film, television and real estate, he served as the original owner of the Disneyland Hotel before his company sold it to Disney in 1988.
2013
- Tony Baxter
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Helped create many beloved attractions for Disney's theme parks, including Journey Into Imagination, Star Tours, Splash Mountain and Disneyland's re-imagined Submarine Voyage.
- Collin Campbell
Role(s): Artist / Designer / Imagineer
Achievements: After joining Disney as an inbetweener and layout artist on projects like Lady And The Tramp and 'One-Hundred And One Dalmatians, he became an Imagineer for attractions like The Enchanted Tiki Room and Pirates Of The Caribbean''. He also helped establish the overall feel of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and served as art director for the Typhoon Lagoon water park.
- Dick Clark
Role(s): Host
Achievements: Known as "America's oldest teenager", he hosted ABC's American Bandstand and the annual New Year's Rockin' Eve special until 2011.
- Billy Crystal
Role(s): Actor / Comedian
Achievements: Hosted the Academy Awards ceremony for ABC nine times, and was also the voice of "Mike Wazowski" in Monsters Inc.
- John Goodman
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Starred in the ABC series Roseanne, and in films like Arachnophobia, The Emperor's New Groove and Monsters Inc.
- Steve Jobs
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Best known as the founder and CEO of Apple, he also served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios; following its acquisition by Disney, he was the company's majority shareholder until his death in 2011.
- Glen Keane
Role(s): Animator / Producer
Achievements: Was a supervising animator on features like The Little Mermaid, Beauty And The Beast, Tarzan and Tangled.
- Ed Wynn
Role(s): Actor / Comedian
Achievements: Had roles in Disney films like Alice In Wonderland, Babes In Toyland and Mary Poppins.
2015
- George Bodenheimer
Role(s): Executive
Achievements: Executive chairman of ESPN.
- Andreas Deja
Role(s): Animator
Achievements: Started at Disney as a concept artist for The Black Cauldron, animated Mickey in The Prince and the Pauper, and was the supervising animator for King Triton, Gaston, Jafar, Scar, Hercules and Lilo. His most recent work was supervising the animation for Tigger in Winnie-the-Pooh.
- Johnny Depp
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Major actor who is well known for playing Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies; he also played The Mad Hatter in Tim Burton's version of Alice in Wonderland.
- Eyvind Earle
Role(s): Artist
Achievements: Background artist and color stylist on such films as Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. He is also credited with giving the 1959 animated feature Sleeping Beauty its medieval look. Earle first rose to prominence at the studio in 1953, when an animated short that he worked on, "Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom", won both an Academy Award and a Cannes Film Festival Award.
- Danny Elfman
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Composed music for Tim Burton's Disney films and other films.
- George Lucas
Role(s): Director, executive
Achievements: The founder of Lucasfilm and its subsidiaries Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound as well as the original version of Pixar (before Steve Jobs, Ed Catmull, and John Lasseter took over), he created Star Wars and Indiana Jones, the latter of which he helmed with friend and director Steven Spielberg. Eventually selling Lucasfilm to Disney, he became a major holder in Disney and began work on a new Star Wars series.
- Susan Lucci
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Actress on ABC's All My Children.
- Julie Reihm Casaletto
Role(s): Ambassador
Achievements: First Disneyland ambassador.
- Carson Van Osten
Role(s): Artist
Achievements: Artist for various Disney comics.
2017
- Carrie Fisher
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Her role as "Leia Organa" in the Star Wars films.
- Clyde Geromini
Role(s): Animator / Director
Achievements: Was an animator on the Silly Symphonies before becoming a director on Pluto shorts. Later served as a sequence director on features like Cinderella, Peter Pan and One Hundred And One Dalmatians, and as supervising director on Sleeping Beauty.
- Whoopi Goldberg
Role(s): Actress / Comedienne
Achievements: Had roles in films like Sister Act, The Lion King and Toy Story 3, and as co-host of ABC's The View since 2007.
- Manuel Gonzales
Role(s): Comics / Publishing
Achievements: Created artwork for the Mickey Mouse Sunday comic strip from 1938 to 1981, as well as the Scamp daily strip from 1956 to 1981.
- Mark Hamill
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: His role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, as well as voice roles in several animated series.
- Wayne Jackson
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Was the first employee at MAPO, Walt Disney Imagineering's manufacturing and production arm, and was instrumental in the production of attractions for Disney theme parks around the world.
- Jack Kirby
Role(s): Comics / Publishing
Achievements: Nicknamed "The King", he created comic book stories and characters for more than 50 years, including Marvel Comics mainstays like Captain America and the Fantastic Four.
- Stan Lee
Role(s): Publishing / Writer / Actor
Achievements: After becoming the editor of Marvel Comics at age 18, he helped create many of their famous superheroes, including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and the X-Men. In addition, he also made appearances in many of Marvel Studios' films, in one way or another.
- Garry Marshall
Role(s): Writer / Producer / Director / Actor
Achievements: Created various ABC comedies like The Odd Couple, Happy Days and Mork And Mindy, and also directed films like Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries. As an actor, he appeared in Hocus Pocus, Chicken Little and Race To Witch Mountain.
- Julie Taymor
Role(s): Theater
Achievements: Original director for the Broadway productions of The Lion King and Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark.
- Oprah Winfrey
Role(s): Actress / Journalist / Philanthropist
Achievements: Hosted The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran on many ABC stations for 25 years, also starred in films like Beloved and The Princess And The Frog.
2019
- Christina Aguilera
Roles(s): Singer / Actress
Achievements: Mouseketeer in the 1989-96 reboot of The Mickey Mouse Club. Performed the pop version of "Reflection" for the end credits and soundtrack to Mulan. Appeared in several ABC series and specials, including Dancing with the Stars, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve and Nashville.
- Wing Chao
Role(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Helped Disney expand into the Chinese and Hong Kong markets.
- Robert Downey Jr.
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Played Tony Stark/Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- James Earl Jones
Role(s): Actor
Achievements: Provided the voice of Mufasa in The Lion King and Darth Vader in Rogue One.
- Jon Favreau
Role(s): Director
Achievements: Directed live-action remakes of The Jungle Book and The Lion King.
- Bette Midler
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Played the lead role in Hocus Pocus.
- Kenny Ortega
Role(s): Director
Achievements: Directed Newsies, Hocus Pocus and every film in the High School Musical and Descendants series.
- Barnette Ricci
Role(s): Choreographer
Achievements: Choreographed parades at Disneyland and Disney World, and directed the show Fantasmic for the theme parks.
- Robin Roberts
Role(s): Journalist
Achievements: Co-host of Good Morning America.
- Diane Sawyer
Role(s): Journalist
Achievements: Served as the ABC News anchor.
- Ming-Na Wen
Role(s): Actress
Achievements: Provided the voice of Disney Princess Mulan.
- Hans Zimmer
Role(s): Composer
Achievements: Composed the music for The Lion King and the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
2022
- Anthony Anderson
Roles(s): Actor / Producer
Achievements: Star and executive producer of black•ish, host of To Tell the Truth.
- Kristen Bell
Roles(s): Actress
Achievements: Provided the voice of Anna in Frozen.
- Chadwick Boseman
Roles(s): Actor
Achievements: Played T'Challa/Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
- Rob't Coltrin
Roles(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Imagineer, later executive creative director of imagineering.
- Patrick Dempsey
Roles(s): Actor
Achievements: Played Dr. Derek Shepherd in Grey's Anatomy, and various other roles in Disney productions.
- Robert Price "Bob" Foster
Roles(s): Executive
Achievements: Served in Disney's legal department, later oversaw the development of Lake Buena Vista and Disney's real estate interests.
- Josh Gad
Roles(s): Actor
Achievements: Provided the voice of Olaf in Frozen and played LeFou in Beauty and the Beast (2017).
- Jonathan Groff
Roles(s): Actor
Achievements: Provided the voice of Kristoff in Frozen.
- Don Hahn
Roles(s): Animator
Achievements: Producer for many Disney films, including Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King (1994)
- Doris Hardoon
Roles(s): Imagineer
Achievements: Imagineer who worked on many projects at various Disney resorts.
- Idina Menzel
Roles(s): Actress
Achievements: Provided the voice of Elsa in Frozen.
- Chris Montan
Roles(s): Executive
Achievements: Oversaw the soundtracks for many Disney films during the Disney Renaissance.
- Ellen Pompeo
Roles(s): Actress
Achievements: Played Meredith Grey in Grey's Anatomy.
- Tracee Ellis Ross
Roles(s): Actress
Achievements: Played Rainbow Johnson in black•ish, also producer and director of mixed•ish.
