This is NOT going to come as a shock to you, but sometimes it’s easy to forget — the Disney parks didn’t just pop into being. No, there were and are a lot of incredibly talented people involved in their concept, creation, and continued existence.
Tree of Life
The biggest Disney fans — and especially those who love to learn about the history and interworkings of the theme parks — know a few key people who have made a HUGE impact on the parks. Mary Blair, the Sherman brothers, and Alice Davis are just a few of these instrumental creators. But now Disney is honoring another person who contributed immensely to many Disney projects and whose influence reaches far beyond the Disney company.
Joe Rohde is a renowned artist and creator who is best known for his amazing work to bring Disney’s Animal Kingdom to life. He was involved in so many aspects of this park, from the biggest roller coaster to the smallest of details. He returned to work on Pandora as well, which opened as a new section of the park in 2017.
Pandora
In the true spirit of Animal Kingdom, Rohde is also known and honored as an advocate for the conservation of wildlife and nature. Because of his influential work in that area, the Disney Conservation Fund is awarding Rohde one of the first-ever Conservation Legacy Awards.
Macaw
Disney Imagineering made this announcement last week, and Rohde responded by congratulating other recipients of this award, including Kim Sams — who has put “tireless and limitless work […] into the Disney Conservation Fund” (Rohde) — and Fernando Ayerbe — an artist who works to conserve wildlife in Colombia.
Conservation button
Rohde also noted that the Disney Conservation Fund (which he helped to create) has worked with “more than 1,000 species and 120 countries to date.” Joe Rohde retired from Disney Imagineering in 2021, but his influence and legacy continue to live on in the parks.
©Disney
Congratulations to Rohde and the other recipients of the Conservation Legacy Award! Keep following DFB for more of the latest Disney news.
Click here to learn more about Joe Rohde and his impact on the Disney parks.
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We met Joe Rohde once in Hawaii at the Aulani resort. Very nice man, not to mention a creative person well beyond what most of us can fathom. He was a true treasure to Disney and we’re sorry that he had to leave, however, with the direction Disney is currently taking, we understand.