Walt Disney and Mickey Partners Statue
You’ve walked past the Disneyland Partners Statue many times, but have you really looked at it? I will show you 3 hidden details on the Walt & Mickey Partners Statue that you probably haven’t seen or heard of before.
This is one of the most famous and recognizable scenes in all of Disney. The view above captures three Disney icons – Walt, Mickey and Sleeping Beauty Castle.
It’s called the Partners Statue, and it was sculpted by Blaine Gibson in 1993. It’s all copper and depicts Walt as 6’5″ tall, when in fact he was 5’10” in real life.
Blaine Gibson was the also the main sculptor behind many Haunted Mansion ghosts, Pirates of the Caribbean pirates and most or all of the U.S. Presidents.
Legend has it that Walt was not very enthusiastic about having a statue of himself exhibited in the park.
Partners Statue Secret #1
On Walt’s right hand is a ring. It’s actually an Irish Claddagh ring that both Walt and Lilian wore in real life. It appears that they bought the rings during a 1948 trip to Ireland to visit Walt’s ancestral home. The Claddagh ring is an Irish tradition that represents friendship, loyalty, and love. You can read about Walt Disney’s Irish roots here.
Partners Statue Secret #2
It may be a little hard to tell, but if you look at Walt’s right hand, he’s pointing with two fingers, not one. I’m not a Disney cast member, but I understand that they are trained to always point with two fingers. Why? Because pointing with one finger is consider rude in some foreign cultures.
Partners Statue Secret #3
This is one of the most difficult details to notice. There is a character or symbol or logo of some kind on Walt’s tie. If it’s engraved in the metal statue, there must be a reason for it. In fact, that is the logo for Smoke Tree Ranch. This was Walt’s vacation home near Palm Springs, where he would take the family on weekends for some rest and relaxation.
Here’s a picture of Walt wearing the Smoke Tree Ranch Tie. Image credit: Disneyland World of Flowers, by Morgan Bill Evans (1965).
Above image is Copyright © Disney