Top Disney Theme Park Designer to Leave

[aikman_fan_8]

One of Walt Disney's top theme park designers is stepping down after decades of service, signaling the end of an era for the Magic Kingdom.

Marty Sklar is one of the last remaining employees who once worked closely with the company's co-founder, Walt Disney.

The 72-year-old said he would leave his executive job at Walt Disney Imagineering to serve as its "ambassador," according to a memo to colleagues Thursday.

He helped to design such park attractions as "The Enchanted Tiki Room," "It's a Small World" and "Space Mountain."

"He understands the Disney way because he learned it at Walt's knee," said Jim Cora, a former chairman of Disneyland International. "He is the keeper of the keys, the conscience, the Jiminy Cricket for the organization."

Sklar said he had long planned to step down after reaching two milestones the 50th anniversary of Disneyland and his own half-century at the company. Last year he reached the first mark, and this June he will hit the other.

The move follows Disney's recent announcement that after its planned acquisition of Pixar Animation Studios this summer, Pixar's creative chief, John Lasseter, will help design rides for Disney's theme parks. Lasseter also will become chief creative officer of both animation studios.

The timing of Sklar's decision was unrelated to Lasseter's pending arrival, Disney officials said.

Low-key and unimposing, Sklar is revered by a generation of designers he trained, dubbed "Imagineers," for his mentoring and his links to the company's heritage. Sklar condensed Walt Disney's ideas into a widely circulated creed called "Mickey's Ten Commandments."

 

[bleeps]

Sigh. Thanks for posting! It had to happen, right? Eventually, there won't be anyone who knew/worked with Walt personally at the parks or at the company. It is hard to watch this era pass, and it is with crossed fingers and baited breath that we await what the next era brings....

 

[disneyaggie]

Sklar condensed Walt Disney's ideas into a widely circulated creed called "Mickey's Ten Commandments."

Does anyone have a copy of "Mickey's Ten Commandments"? I would love to see it.

And thanks for the info on Marty. Wow! His tenure and contributions to WDW are truly appreciated and will always be remembered.

 

[Ana~n~Joseph]

Does anyone have a copy of "Mickey's Ten Commandments"? I would love to see it.

And thanks for the info on Marty. Wow! His tenure and contributions to WDW are truly appreciated and will always be remembered.

This is what I found in regards to "Mickey's Ten Commandments"

Mickey's 10 Commandments

1. Know your audience - Don't bore people, talk down to them or lose them by
assuming that they know what you know.

2. Wear your guest's shoes - Insist that designers, staff and your board members
experience your facility as visitors as often as possible.

3. Organize the flow of people and ideas - Use good story telling techniques, tell good
stories not lectures, lay out your exhibit with a clear logic.

4. Create a weenie - Lead visitors from one area to another by creating visual magnets
and giving visitors rewards for making the journey

5. Communicate with visual literacy - Make good use of all the non-verbal ways of
communication - color, shape, form, texture.

6. Avoid overload - Resist the temptation to tell too much, to have too many objects,
don't force people to swallow more than they can digest, try to stimulate and
provide guidance to those who want more.

7. Tell one story at a time - If you have a lot of information divide it into distinct,
logical, organized stories, people can absorb and retain information more clearly if
the path to the next concept is clear and logical.

8. Avoid contradiction - Clear institutional identity helps give you the competitive
edge. Public needs to know who you are and what differentiates you from other
institutions they may have seen.

9. For every ounce of treatment , provide a ton of fun - How do you woo people from
all other temptations? Give people plenty of opportunity to enjoy themselves by
emphasizing ways that let people participate in the experience and by making your
environment rich and appealing to all senses.

10. Keep it up - Never underestimate the importance of cleanliness and routine
maintenance, people expect to get a good show every time, people will comment
more on broken and dirty stuff.

Martin Sklar, Walt Disney Imagineering, Education vs. Entertainment: Competing for
audiences, AAM Annual meeting, 1987

 

[dmk1021]

I am so sad to hear about Marty Sklar. He is truly a Disney icon. I wrote to him to tell him of my plans and hopes for a career as Disney CM. He wrote me back a personal letter with tons of advice and kind words of encouragement. I am truly honored to receive something like that from such a legend.

 

[disneyaggie]

This is what I found in regards to "Mickey's Ten Commandments"

Mickey's 10 Commandments

1. Know your audience - Don't bore people, talk down to them or lose them by
assuming that they know what you know.

2. Wear your guest's shoes - Insist that designers, staff and your board members
experience your facility as visitors as often as possible.

3. Organize the flow of people and ideas - Use good story telling techniques, tell good
stories not lectures, lay out your exhibit with a clear logic.

4. Create a weenie - Lead visitors from one area to another by creating visual magnets
and giving visitors rewards for making the journey

5. Communicate with visual literacy - Make good use of all the non-verbal ways of
communication - color, shape, form, texture.

6. Avoid overload - Resist the temptation to tell too much, to have too many objects,
don't force people to swallow more than they can digest, try to stimulate and
provide guidance to those who want more.

7. Tell one story at a time - If you have a lot of information divide it into distinct,
logical, organized stories, people can absorb and retain information more clearly if
the path to the next concept is clear and logical.

8. Avoid contradiction - Clear institutional identity helps give you the competitive
edge. Public needs to know who you are and what differentiates you from other
institutions they may have seen.

9. For every ounce of treatment , provide a ton of fun - How do you woo people from
all other temptations? Give people plenty of opportunity to enjoy themselves by
emphasizing ways that let people participate in the experience and by making your
environment rich and appealing to all senses.

10. Keep it up - Never underestimate the importance of cleanliness and routine
maintenance, people expect to get a good show every time, people will comment
more on broken and dirty stuff.

Martin Sklar, Walt Disney Imagineering, Education vs. Entertainment: Competing for
audiences, AAM Annual meeting, 1987

Thanks!

 

[ravenscroft1999]

I don't see it as the end of an era, I see it as the passing of the torch. While it is true that Lasseter did not train under the tutelage of Walt, He got the next best thing. John graduated from CalArts, an art school that Walt co- founded , and deeded half of his fortune to continue to support upon His death. In his own way, Lasseter is one of Walt's "children" as much as Marty Sklar. (IMHO)