During an event at the Palm Springs Air Museum, the Walt Disney Archives revealed a look at the interior of the recently refurbished Walt’s Plane. “Mickey Mouse One,” also known as Walt’s Plane, a Grumman Gulfstream I, came to Palm Springs in 2022 as a part of a long-term loan to the museum from the Walt Disney Archives. This came after Walt Disney’s plane could be seen on display along with an accompanying exhibit that included many mementos, photos, and other historic artifacts at D23.

The event that revealed the interior of the plane was hosted by D23 and had Disney Legend Bob Gurr on hand to talk about its history and legacy. After the event, the Archives shared photos of the interior of the plane on social media. The photos and post can be seen here:

FIRST LOOK: We’re thrilled to reveal the restored interior of Walt Disney’s company plane—the Grumman Gulfstream I aircraft affectionately known as “The Mouse”—unveiled today for D23 Members at the Palm Springs Air Museum! On long-term loan to the museum since 2022, the aircraft interior is undergoing a meticulous, multi‑year restoration to resemble how it appeared when Walt flew aboard in the 1960s.

Acquired by Walt Disney Productions in 1963, “The Mouse” featured an interior designed with creative input from Walt and Lillian Disney, with seating for up to 15 passengers, a galley kitchen, two restrooms, couches and a desk, and nods to the mouse who started it all. Over its 28 years of service, the plane logged nearly 20,000 flight hours and carried an estimated 83,000 passengers, helping carry Walt’s vision from coast to coast.

The plane, also known as “The Mouse” was purchased in 1963 by Disney. The inside of the plane was initially designed with the creative input of both Walt and his wife, Lillian. It could seat up to 15 passengers and also included a galley kitchen, two restrooms, two couches, a desk, and nods to Mickey Mouse. This included matchbooks and stationery that had the silhouette of the mouse who started it all. Mickey’s initials were eventually included on the tail number of the plane as well as the number N234MM in 1967. The plane was in service to The Walt Disney Company for 28 years. Through that time, it flew over 20,000 hours and is estimated to have transported 83,000 passengers before being grounded.

Walt’s Plane had quite the story as it was a part of Disney’s history throughout its time flying for The Walt Disney Company. Below are a few of its highlights:

• In 1963, Walt, members of his family, and company executives took off on a demonstration Gulfstream aircraft to explore potential locations, including Central Florida, for a proposed development often referred to as “Project X.” After Walt received his own Gulfstream in early 1964, he made several trips to Florida that ultimately laid the foundation to bring the magic of Walt Disney World to life.
• Walt’s plane flew a total of 277,282 miles back and forth between Burbank and New York to oversee preparations before and during the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair, an event that brought iconic attractions such as “it’s a small world” to an East Coast audience and, later, to Disneyland.
• The plane also took Disneyland to new heights as Walt found inspiration for the look of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction as he flew over the El Moro fortress in San Juan, Puerto Rico, while conducting research for the now fan favorite.
• “The Mouse” has a star-studded past, having been used for promotional tours for Disneyland as well as for classic movies such as The Jungle Book (1967), as well as making appearances in The Walt Disney Studios films The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) and Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972), both of which starred Disney Legend Kurt Russell, who has ties to the Desert. The aircraft has also transported notable guests, including Disney Legends Julie Andrews and Annette Funicello, as well as former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, also frequent visitors to the Palm Springs area.
• Painted blue and white in 1985, Walt’s plane embarked on goodwill tours and character visits to children’s hospitals, adding to the company’s history of giving back to the community.

The Palm Springs Air Museum is home to over 75 vintage airframes. This includes aircraft from the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, military planes from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There are also significant civilian aircraft on display as well. Many of the aircraft are still airworthy and flown regularly. The planes are housed inside 91,000 square feet of open hangars and also on the tarmac of a ten-acre facility. There are also additional displays and memorabilia showcased throughout different hangars. The museum is open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. More information about the museum can be found at PalmSpringsAirMuseum.org.

What do you think of this look at the interior of this plane? Have you been to the museum to check it out in person? Did you see it at D23? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!