Kim Irvine & Leota Toombs Window Dedication - Disneyland Resort 2026

0:07
[music]
0:22
[music]
0:24
[singing]
0:28
[music and singing]
0:34
[music]
0:36
[singing]
0:42
[music]
0:43
[singing]
0:49
[music]
0:55
[music and singing]
1:00
[music]
1:12
[music and singing]
1:18
[music]
1:24
[applause]
1:27
>> And now
1:27
everybody, how about another applause
1:29
for our honorary Kim Irvine?
1:35
>> [applause]
1:38
>> And now we would like to warmly welcome
1:41
the president of the Disneyland Resort,
1:43
Jill Esterino.
1:46
>> [applause]
1:51
[singing]
1:52
[music]
1:58
[music and singing]
2:06
>> Well, I'm living a dream. Thank you.
2:09
>> [laughter]
2:10
>> Good morning, everyone, and thank you
2:12
for being here on this chilly early
2:14
morning.
2:16
We are thrilled to honor Kim Irvine,
2:19
Walt Disney Imagineer,
2:22
and soon-to-be Disney Legend, with a
2:25
dedicated window here on Main Street,
2:28
USA.
2:31
This is a special tribute, not only
2:33
because we get to recognize Kim's
2:35
contributions to the Disneyland Resort,
2:39
but also because we get to honor her
2:41
late mother, Leota Toombs,
2:44
who had her own incredible Disney career
2:48
and left behind a lasting legacy as the
2:51
infamous Madame Leota
2:54
in the Haunted Mansion attraction.
2:58
The windows on Main Street are a
3:00
long-standing tradition that started by
3:03
Walt to recognize those who went above
3:06
and beyond to support the mission of
3:09
magic at the Walt Disney Company.
3:13
And for all who come to this happy
3:15
place,
3:16
these windows tell the stories of
3:18
extraordinary people,
3:20
offering a living lessons about their
3:23
roles, contributions, and the legacy
3:27
they left behind.
3:29
Kim represents the very best that our
3:33
company stands for,
3:35
and her influence extends far beyond the
3:38
Disneyland Resort,
3:40
touching our parks, experiences,
3:43
and cast members and Imagineers around
3:46
the world.
3:48
Thank you, Kim, for inspiring us and
3:51
carrying Walt's dream forward,
3:54
always honoring his wish that Disneyland
3:57
would never be completed and continue to
4:00
grow thanks to your imagination.
4:06
>> [applause]
4:10
[applause]
4:11
>> And now, will you please join me in
4:13
giving a warm welcome to one of our
4:15
colleagues and friends, Walt Disney
4:18
Imagineering Portfolio Executive
4:20
Creative Director, Tom Fitzgerald.
4:24
>> [applause]
4:33
[music and singing]
4:41
>> Thank you, Jill, and welcome, everybody.
4:44
It is a real honor
4:46
to be here on behalf of Walt Disney
4:48
Imagineering to celebrate the wonderful
4:50
world of Kim Irvine and her mother,
4:53
Disney Legend Leota Toombs. Kim is, in
4:56
her own words, born and bred Disney. Her
5:00
father was an animator at the Disney
5:02
studio. Her mother was also an animator
5:05
and later became one of Walt's early
5:07
Imagineers. As Kim said, she was always
5:11
going to work for the Disney company. It
5:12
was just a foregone conclusion.
5:15
Her career as an Imagineer started as a
5:18
summer job. She hadn't intended to stay.
5:21
She had art school on the books, but
5:23
when you are surrounded and mentored by
5:25
the likes of Mary Blair, Marc Davis, and
5:28
John Hench, to name just a few, I think
5:31
Kim realized she had been accepted into
5:33
the one of the most creative,
5:35
prestigious art institutions in the
5:37
world. And those early teachers were
5:40
generous and happy to share what they
5:41
had learned with Kim.
5:44
In the 1970s, Imagineering was
5:46
incredibly busy with major projects for
5:49
Florida and Japan, and leadership
5:51
realized that the firstborn park needed
5:54
more attention and more than a little
5:56
more art direction love.
5:58
Kim joined John Hench, Rolly Crump,
6:00
Marty Sklar, and others on creative
6:02
reviews, gaining the confidence of those
6:05
Imagineering pioneers and Disneyland
6:07
staff alike.
6:09
It wasn't long before she was asked to
6:11
build a permanent Imagineering outpost
6:13
at Disneyland.
6:14
And up until the launch of Disneyland's
6:16
70th, she guided and led the care and
6:19
nurturing of Walt's original park,
6:21
helping grow this dream that we all call
6:23
Disneyland.
6:25
As she led the stewardship of the park
6:27
through these years, Kim became the
6:29
creative conscience and the continuity
6:32
of Disneyland, mentoring new Imagineers
6:35
as well as park leaders on the lessons
6:37
and tribal knowledge that she had
6:39
learned from those original pioneers.
6:42
Now, you know, all Disney parks require
6:44
care and feeding as they grow, and Kim
6:46
earned the respect of every person in
6:49
every line of business she ever worked
6:51
with.
6:52
In fact, when I was working on a reboot
6:54
of Marty Sklar's Mickey's 10
6:55
Commandments, I asked Kim if there was a
6:57
commandment she wanted to add, and she
6:59
said, "Walk in your operator shoes." She
7:02
truly understood the importance of
7:04
partnership
7:05
and that the end goal of all our efforts
7:08
is really the comfort and the happiness
7:10
of our guests.
7:12
Kim worked diligently to remove friction
7:14
points, but always to enhance the show
7:17
for our audience with thousands of
7:19
projects, big and small.
7:22
And like Mary Poppins, if you were
7:23
around Kim, you discovered that she
7:25
found an element in fun in every job
7:28
that must be done. And anyone who worked
7:30
alongside her would tell you what an
7:32
absolute joy she was to work with.
7:35
Now, if you ask Kim, she'll tell you
7:37
that our guests own this place. It's
7:39
their park, and we just take care of it
7:41
for them.
7:42
But Kim's contributions go beyond
7:44
caretaking, and her efforts weren't just
7:46
limited to working behind the scenes.
7:49
Because in 2001, Haunted Mansion Holiday
7:52
debuted at Disneyland Park, and the team
7:54
needed to update the incantations of
7:57
Madame Leota. Well, who better to step
7:59
into the role than Kim, since it's her
8:01
mother, Leota Toombs, who performed the
8:03
role daily in the attraction since 1969.
8:10
And now, I think the spirits are calling
8:14
us,
8:15
and I'm going to step away.
8:19
>> [laughter]
8:20
>> I see you gathered here for the purposes
8:23
of celebrating
8:25
someone near and dear to me.
8:29
Very well. I shall summon the spirits of
8:32
creativity
8:34
and seek their hand in creating a
8:37
marvelous memento for our legendary
8:41
guest of honor.
8:46
Fearless mortals, heed this well.
8:51
Listen as I cast this spell.
8:55
A window high upon the wall
8:58
on thee script, a curtain call.
9:04
A living legend stands with us.
9:07
For her, we wish to make a fuss.
9:11
So, as you hear this ghostly chime,
9:18
immortalize her for all time.
9:31
>> [singing]
9:35
[music]
9:40
[singing and music]
9:46
[music]
9:51
>> Her presence here for all to see,
9:54
preserved for
9:56
eternity.
9:59
>> [laughter]
10:10
>> To all of us here today and for so many
10:13
of our fans, Kim has long been
10:14
recognized for her role at Disneyland.
10:17
In 2011, Kim was a recipient of the
10:19
Themed Entertainment Association Buzz
10:22
Price Award for outstanding achievement.
10:25
And as Jill offered, later this year Kim
10:27
will receive a Disney Legends Award at
10:29
D23. But today, Kim is receiving a very
10:33
special recognition here at Disneyland.
10:35
And here to introduce it is probably the
10:38
only name at Disneyland more famous than
10:40
Kim Irvine.
10:42
Mickey Mouse.
10:49
>> [singing]
10:50
[music]
10:50
>> M-I-C-K-E-Y
10:55
>> [singing]
10:57
>> M-O-U-S-E
10:58
[music]
10:59
[singing]
11:04
>> [applause]
11:05
[cheering]
11:09
[applause]
11:11
>> When you
11:12
>> [singing and music]
11:12
>> wish upon a star
11:16
11:16
>> it makes no difference who
11:19
you are.
11:21
Anything [singing and music] your heart
11:23
desires will come to
11:28
you. To you.
11:32
If your
11:32
>> [singing]
11:33
>> heart
11:33
is in your dream
11:37
no request is too extreme. [music]
11:41
When
11:42
>> [singing]
11:42
>> you wish upon a star as dreamers do
11:48
>> [music]
11:48
>> as dreamers [singing]
11:50
do
11:53
when you [singing and music]
11:55
wish upon a star
11:59
your dreams
12:01
come
12:02
12:04
>> true.
12:09
>> [applause]
12:14
[applause]
12:20
[cheering]
12:24
[applause]
12:31
[applause]
12:34
>> For those of you
12:35
out there with my sightless like mine,
12:37
I'll read it for you.
12:39
Crystal Ball Glass Company, summoning
12:41
the spirits of creativity on windows,
12:43
doors, and regions beyond. Leota Toombs,
12:47
Kim Irvine, artist, glazier's design
12:50
mediums.
12:52
And Kim, over here, we have a little
12:55
Leota and little Kim version of the
12:57
window.
13:04
>> [applause]
13:08
[applause]
13:12
>> Congratulations, Kim. I know [applause]
13:13
that everyone like me
13:16
everyone is so happy for you with this
13:18
recognition. And the happiest place on
13:20
Earth will be even happier now knowing
13:23
that your name has become a permanent
13:25
addition to Disneyland history.
13:27
Would you like to maybe say a few words?
13:29
>> [applause]
13:31
[cheering]
13:38
[applause]
13:39
>> Oh my gosh, I know you all know me well
13:41
enough to know that I'm just
13:43
speechless right now. That is so
13:46
beautiful.
13:47
It's just stunningly beautiful.
13:50
I'm so happy that um Mom and I are able
13:52
to have this window together. That means
13:55
so much to me. Um we've we've got our
13:57
own business now.
13:59
>> [laughter]
14:01
>> Working together just like we used to in
14:02
the model shop back in the old days. You
14:04
know, um
14:06
Mom actually started her career in 1962
14:09
at uh what was then WED Enterprises, a
14:12
little funny little factory building in
14:14
Glendale, very small and a very small
14:16
group. And um
14:18
where Walt brought his Imagineers to
14:20
help him create his dream come true at
14:24
Disneyland with new rides like Tiki Room
14:26
and they were working on Pirates and
14:28
they had so many plans.
14:30
And she was just a handful of women that
14:33
worked in the shop right along with the
14:35
rest of the the uh art directors and
14:37
such.
14:39
And they would do all kinds of things.
14:41
They would paint, they would sculpt,
14:42
they would build models.
14:44
>> [clears throat]
14:45
>> They were very um
14:47
artistic in every way. And one of Mom's
14:50
favorite things that I always like to
14:51
tell about her is she loved to work with
14:54
art sculptor Blaine Gibson on the
14:57
different figures that he would sculpt.
14:59
And one time he asked her to go out and
15:02
please buy him a pair of black Mary Jane
15:04
shoes for an Alice in Wonderland uh
15:08
figure he was working on.
15:09
So she went to every shoe store in
15:11
Glendale, nearby WED, and she couldn't
15:14
find that one pair of shoes and it was
15:17
two sizes too small.
15:19
So exasperated, she looked at the
15:21
salesman and said, "All right, I'll take
15:24
them. I'll just shave her toes down till
15:26
they fit."
15:28
>> [laughter]
15:30
>> I'm sure he retired then.
15:34
She had a wonderful sense of humor. She
15:37
had the sweetest smile and was so
15:39
talented. She could do anything.
15:42
Um
15:43
and she loved it when people would ask
15:45
her if she got tired of sitting under
15:46
that table with her head in a ball all
15:48
day.
15:51
>> [clears throat]
15:51
>> Um most of you know me from uh starting
15:54
the the team down here at Disneyland in
15:56
in the late '70s. But actually uh I
15:59
started in the model shop also in 1970.
16:03
And by that time it was a much bigger
16:05
model shop and um lots of my comrades
16:08
here like Tony Baxter
16:10
and and Tony Baxter and such and we all
16:12
worked together on Walt Disney World.
16:15
Um but one of the other the the things
16:17
that they would have us do is when there
16:19
was a big rehab down here at Disneyland
16:23
they would [clears throat] send a team
16:23
of us down to work alongside the
16:25
craftsmen.
16:27
>> [clears throat]
16:28
>> Excuse me, I always lose my voice when I
16:30
get nervous.
16:31
Um so we would pack up all of our paints
16:34
and our gear and the animation
16:35
specialists would come down.
16:38
The lighting [clears throat] designers
16:39
and we'd work right along with the
16:40
craftsmen on the attractions.
16:42
And one of our favorite was Jungle
16:44
Cruise where we would
16:46
go in a little rowboat from scene to
16:48
scene and paint the crocodiles and the
16:50
giraffes and the the zebras from Marc
16:53
Davis's in incredible renderings. And
16:57
yes, Becky Fine, if you're here, we did
16:59
take Marc Davis's original renderings in
17:01
a rowboat around the jungle. He would
17:04
die.
17:07
Um these streets hold so many memories
17:10
for me from, you know, walks with John
17:12
Hench where he would share with me all
17:14
the wonderful insightful philosophies
17:17
that went into creating this park. And
17:19
he'd always say, "This wasn't a lucky
17:21
accident, you know."
17:22
And
17:24
>> [clears throat]
17:24
>> Bill Evans would greet every tree with a
17:27
a a hug or a tip of his hat and and an
17:30
appraisal of its health.
17:32
I remember his thing he loved to say was
17:34
there's nothing more depressing than a
17:36
bad topiary.
17:39
>> [laughter]
17:41
>> And of course Marty Sklar who was always
17:43
there with a helpful piece of advice
17:45
when I needed encouragement or a smart
17:48
ass advice if I needed a laugh.
17:52
But uh and and last but not least, my
17:54
the team at Disneyland. My team who is
17:56
65 strong now and counting, which is
18:00
does such incredible work here at the
18:02
park. But also the entire Disneyland
18:05
team. I just marvel at your love for
18:08
this park and the way you all take care
18:10
of it. So I I thank you so much.
18:14
Thank you.
18:15
>> [applause]
18:24
[applause]
18:28
>> Thank you, Kim, for all your
18:29
contributions. You are a true legend.
18:32
Thank you, everyone, for being here
18:34
today. And I hope you have a magical
18:37
day. Thank you.
18:39
>> [applause and cheering]

Kim Irvine & Leota Toombs Window Dedication - Disneyland Resort 2026

Daps Magic - Disney and Positive Stuff

STRANGE HIGHWAYS | When The Roads Fight Back!

Reese Witherspoon | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 22, 1976

Kim Irvine | DISNEY THIS DAY | March 12, 2011

Steve Jobs | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 3, 1991

In Dutch | DISNEY THIS DAY | May 10, 1946

Earl of Sandwich and Gordon Ramsay at The Carnaby Progress Report at Disneyland Resort 4K

Bringing ASL to Life: Inside Disney’s "Songs and Signs" 🤟✨

Mike Fink Keelboats | DISNEY THIS DAY | April 29, 2001

UNCAPTIONED: Apple Martin becomes new face of Chloe.

Baldur's Gate 3 - All Divinity Easter Eggs

7 Weird Small Towns in North Carolina

An Early Evening in Trader Sam's - Walt Disney World Resort

Baking Pretzels with Actor Adam Shapiro: Shappy Pretzels & The Bear

Best Things To Do in Langkawi Malaysia 4K

UNCAPTIONED: Taraji P. Henson criticises celebrities attending 2026 Met Gala.

Up next in 10

Kim Irvine & Leota Toombs Window Dedication - Disneyland Resort 2026

Daps Magic - Disney and Positive Stuff