D23′s Journey to Marceline

Waitlist spots are

currently being accepted.

In the spring of 1906, a passenger train wound its way through southern Illinois into the beautiful green rolling hills of northern Missouri. The train came to a grinding halt in a small town, and a young lad stepped off the train into a time and place that would stay with him forever. Walter Elias Disney arrived in Marceline.

Throughout his life, Walt Disney celebrated the memories of his Marceline childhood in animation, theme parks, and motion pictures. For the first time ever, Disney and Marceline have come together to present a one-of-a-kind tour experience that celebrates the town’s rich Disney heritage. On March 14, 2012, D23 Members are invited to experience Walt’s Marceline from the residents who are lucky to call this special place home.

At 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning you will board a chartered bus as we travel back in time to Walt’s early years. During our two-hour journey, D23 Members will enjoy a continental breakfast and can speak with Disney Archivists about Walt’s humble beginnings in this idyllic Missouri town.

You will step off the bus into the small town that was one of the primary inspirations for Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A. The people of Marceline are looking forward to sharing Walt’s town with you. During your day, you will visit the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, with highlights including many family artifacts donated by Walt’s little sister Ruth Disney Beecher.

The walking tour includes E.P. Ripley Park and Main Street, U.S.A., Kansas Avenue and the Walt Disney Post Office Building, the only Federal building named after Walt Disney, where your postcard or letter will receive a special Marceline hand cancellation.

A special screening of the new documentary film, Marceline, will be shown. The film is a snapshot of the town as Walt Disney experienced it and features many residents who met Walt during his 1956 return to the boyhood residence he so loved. Andy and Sara Neitzert, the husband and wife team of filmmakers who produced Marceline, will be on hand for a Q&A.

A delicious lunch of sandwiches, soups, and desserts, including fire-roasted coffee manufactured in Marceline, will be served.

At the Uptown Theatre (where two Disney premieres have been held), you will see the Disney film So Dear to My Heart. Walt once told a reporter, “So Dear to My Heart was especially close to me,” he said. “Why, that’s the life my brother and I grew up with as kids out in Missouri.” After having toured Marceline for the day, you’ll be able to spot the “Hidden Marceline’s” in the film.

Next stop, you’ll experience sunset at the Disney Farm; it is simply magical. You’ll take a short 10-minute ride from Main Street, U.S.A. to the Disney Farm where you will visit Walt’s barn and hear the story of the Disney Family Circus and Walt and Ruth’s time under “The Dreaming Tree.”

A neighbor of the Disney’s, Erastus Taylor, inspired a young Walt with stories of the Civil War. The Taylors and Disneys were great friends beginning when the Disneys moved to Marceline and lasting the rest of their lives. As a special treat, Chris Taylor Ankeney, the 4th generation to live on the Taylor farm, will share some of the heartfelt Disney and Taylor family memories.

At the barn, a glass of award-winning Missouri wine or a cup of hot chocolate will be raised by all to toast the sunset and an unforgettable day in Walt’s town.

Returning from the Disney Farm to the community building, we will offer Missouri wine tasting and a buffet dinner featuring mouth-watering, locally-raised beef and poultry, vegetables, hot rolls, and, of course, the Midwestern staple of mashed potatoes and gravy. Tasty homemade desserts and Marceline fire-roasted coffee will be the perfect ending to an American Midwest home-cooked meal.

Following dinner, you will board your motor coach—with a few special keepsakes courtesy of D23 and Marceline—for the return trip to Kansas City knowing that after today you will be forever part of Walt’s Marceline story.

Included with the cost of each:

—Round-trip transportation from Kansas City, Missouri to Marceline
—Continental breakfast on board the motor coach
—Special tours of Marceline, including the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, E.P. Ripley Park, Main Street, U.S.A., the Walt Disney Post Office, and the Uptown Theater, where guests will be treated to a screening of So Dear to My Heart with popcorn and soda
—A special screening of the documentary short Marceline
—Homemade lunch and dinner, including some scrumptious Marceline staples and a Missouri wine tasting
—Wine and hot cocoa at the Disney Barn
—Special keepsakes from D23 and the town of Marceline

Guests interested in spending the night at a local hotel may consider making reservations at the Westin Crown Center (816-474-4400) or the nearby Sheraton Crown Center (2345 McGee Street, 816-841-1000). These are both local options close to where the bus will be departing from.

NOTE: Available only to D23 Members in good standing. Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and up to three (3) guests. There are a limited number of tickets available. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event. If you wish to request for sign language interpreting services for this event, please submit your request to d23.guestservices@disneystore.com at least two weeks prior to the event date. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, tickets are not transferrable.