Former Walt Disney Imagineer Eddie Sotta has passed away. Sotto was only 67. Born on March 14, 1958, he was an American experiential designer, mixed-media producer, and conceptualist. Disney fans know him for his work at Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and the continuation of the legacy of Walt Disney Imagineer through his interviews, appearances on The Imagineering Story, and sharing on social media.
Sotto grew up in awe of Disneyland. So much so that he built a 1/200th scale model of the park based on plans he obtained from WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering). At 21, he began his theme park career when he was hired as an assistant project director at Knott’s Berry Farm. While at Knott’s, he designed Wacky Soap Box Racers, Motorcycle Chase, and even helped design Camp Snoopy. His career then pivoted, and he worked on the Laboratory of Scientific Wonders for a Six Flags project in Baltimore, Maryland. From there, Walt Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter hired him as the show producer/designer for Main Street, U.S.A at Disneyland Paris. While there, he also worked on the Disneyland Paris Railroad and the Disneyland Hotel at the entrance of the park.
The Disneyland Paris project began a 13-year run for Eddie Sotto at Disney. During this time, he helped develop the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland and also directed the master planning for Tokyo Disneyland for three years. Throughout his time at Disney, he worked on multiple other projects, including Disneyland’s Space Mountain, Mission: SPACE, and Pooh’s Hunny Hunt. His voice continues to be heard today as Shrunken Ned in Adventureland at Disneyland. He can also be heard making the boarding calls for the Walt Disney World Railroad and Disneyland Paris Railroad.
Following his time at Disney, Sotto founded the SottoStudios in 2004. Sotto shared that the idea behind this business was, “seeing the impossible as a beautiful puzzle, and then bringing in the right combination of people to crack the code.” With SottoStudios, he worked with a wide range of companies like Aston-Martin, Ferrari, Porsche, Embraer, Disney, Knott’s, Blue Origin, Paramount Pictures, NBC/Universal, Irvine Co., Kerzner, and Wynn Resorts.
Along with continuing to work with SottoStudios, he shared his experiences and wisdom on social media, in interviews, and even on the Disney+ series The Imagineering Story. Sotto was always generous with his time and knowledge that made him a beloved figure in the Disney community. He was particularly active on X, where he would share a variety of things, including drawings/concept art of different Disney projects through the years. Sotto was named one of the 1,000 most creative people in America in 2002 in the book 1,000: Richard Saul Wurman’s Who’s Really Who by TED founder Richard Saul Wurman. He was also named one of the Blooloop 50 list of theme park influencers in 2020.
Sotto passed away on December 17, 2025. He will be missed by the Disney community at large, and Daps Magic sends out our heartfelt condolences to Sotto’s friends and family.
