According to an anonymous source inside the Walt Disney Company, legendary imagineer Marty Sklar has decided to step down after over 53 years with the Walt Disney Company. In an email he sent out, he notes that he has been present at the opening of every new Disney park totaling eleven now. July 17 and October 1 hold a special place in his heart as they are the days that Disneyland and then Walt Disney World and Epcot. He notes that he is excited to be present for future openings of Disney theme parks but in the future it will be different “Because I'll be cheering you all on from the sidelines, as a retired Imagineer. I have decided to turn in my name tag on one of those prime dates: July17.  In 2009, that date will mark Disneyland's 54th birthday, and my 53rd year as a Disney cast member. (I returned to UCLA after Disneyland's first summer to finish my senior year, then returned to Disneyland's public relations department in September 1956.)”

This is the end of an era for the Walt Disney Company who currently is the Walt Disney Company’s international ambassador for Walt Disney Imagineering. His first position with the Walt Disney Company was in 1955 when the company recruited him to create The Disneyland News, an 1890’s themed newspaper to help promote Walt’s park. He was still a student at UCLA and after he graduated the next year, he began working full time at Disneyland. He was in charge of most of the park’s publicity and marketing materials at the time until 1961 when he moved to WED Enterprises (which would eventually become Imagineering). While there, he worked on attractions for the 1964 World’s Fair and helped design attractions like Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room and It’s a Small World (which featured at the World’s Fair).  By 1974, Mr. Sklar had become the vice president of concepts/planning and was working on EPCOT Center. He would go on to become the vice president of creative development, executive vice president, and then president of Imagineering (for 9 years). During this time he supervised the creation of Tokyo Disneyland, Disney-MGM Studios, Disneyland Paris, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s California Adventure, Tokyo DisneySea, Walt Disney Studios Park and Hong Kong Disneyland. He began his current position as ambassador in 2006.

Marty Sklar’s legacy is truly magnificent and in 2001 he was given the honor of being named a Disney Legend by the Walt Disney Company. He has worked on some of the most magical and amazing projects ever undertaken by the Walt Disney Company. Sadly, it must be noted that he also has worked on some of the opposite. However, it must be noted that nobody can have a perfect record. So as he comes to the end of an illustrious career we focus on the good and thank Marty Sklar for his dedicated service to Walt Disney’s dreams and we bid him adieu.

Please login to add a comment.