KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Disney is celebrating 100 years by taking things to infinity and beyond — and to Kansas City! Disney100: The Exhibition is coming to Union Station on May 24, 2024.
This exhibition will bring artifacts, galleries, behind-the-scenes looks and more of the characters and films that have captured our imaginations for a century.
“It’s the perspective of a story of homecoming that encompasses nearly 100 years of imagination and entrepreneurship,” Union Station CEO and President George Guastello said.
Walt Disney’s history with Kansas City goes back almost a century. He lived and worked here before bringing his dreams to life when he moved to Los Angeles. UMKC’S history is shaped by some of his magic.
“It’s a beautiful Kansas City story that a lot of people don’t know,” UMKC Chancellor Mauli Agrawal said. “The students reached out to Walt who had a studio here in town and said, would you draw a kangaroo for us?”
Walt Disney designed the school’s original KC Kangaroo mascot.
“We believe it was the first and perhaps the only mascot he drew for a university,” Agrawal said.
Disney movies are built on love, strength, wisdom and courage and — much like here in Kansas City — legacy.
“Walt started here, and then went on to change the world, and now anybody here, students in Kansas City, can do the same and follow in his footsteps,” Agrawal said.
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