Partners (statue)
Partners is a 1993 copper statue by Blaine Gibson, depicting Walt Disney holding the hand of the most popular character he created, Mickey Mouse. It is a central piece in four Disney theme parks around the world as well as at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
About
The statue measures in height, which is taller than Disney's actual stature. It is a central point of attention at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, the Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Studios Park. Gibson took a year to create the piece and used a 1960 bust of Disney as his model for Disney's half. To sculpt Disney and Mickey's joined hands, he consulted the 1940 film Fantasia, where Mickey shook hands with conductor Leopold Stokowski.There has been some speculation regarding Disney's stance in the sculpture, with many believing his outstretched hand indicated he was showing Mickey what had become of his creator's dream. Gibson explained:
The letters "STR" on Walt’s tie represent Smoke Tree Ranch, a resort in Palm Springs where Disney owned a home. The plaque beneath the statues bear slightly different versions of words that Disney never actually uttered. His closest actual words to the inscriptions were, "I think what I want most of all is for Disneyland to be a happy place". Parts of sentences from an unrelated interview were added to this.
Locations
There are five versions of the Partners statue. The original is located in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland and was unveiled on November 18, 1993 on the 65th anniversary of the creation of Mickey Mouse. Its plaque quotes Walt Disney as saying, "I think most of all what I want Disneyland to be is a happy place... where parents and children can have fun... together". The statue was recreated for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and placed there on June 19, 1995. Its plaque has a slightly different quote: "We believe in our idea: a family park where parents and children could have fun — together". The third was placed in the Tokyo Disney Resort in Tokyo Disneyland on April 15, 1998. The fourth was installed at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on December 5, 2001. The fifth was added to Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris on March 16, 2002.| Location | Exact location | Dedication |
| Disneyland Resort | Disneyland | November 18, 1993 |
| Walt Disney World | Magic Kingdom | June 19, 1995 |
| Tokyo Disney Resort | Tokyo Disneyland | April 15, 1998 |
| Walt Disney Studios | Burbank, California | December 5, 2001 |
| Disneyland Paris | Walt Disney Studios Park | March 16, 2002 |