What to Know
- D23 Expo presented by Visa
- Sept. 9 through 11, 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Center
- The aircraft's exterior will be on view at the convention center's Arena; merchandise inspired by "The Mouse" will be for sale at the fan convention
Walt Disney famously loved all sorts of innovative modes of transportation, from monorails to submarines, and planes were most definitely a special source of fascination for the entertainment legend.
We only need to look to "Plane Crazy" from 1929, the first-ever Mickey Mouse film, to understand the icon's lifelong interest in fantastical flying machines.
And while skyborne wonders can be found throughout the Disney theme parks, from Soarin' in Disney California Adventure to Dumbo the Flying Elephant at Disneyland park, there will be one place some lucky fans can view the icon's personal Grumman Gulfstream I.
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
The celebrated plane, which ferried Walt Disney from Burbank to New York multiple times during the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, will go on view at D23 Expo, the sold-out Disney fan convention taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center from Sept. 9 through 11, 2022.
Make that the plane's exterior, rather, which boasts a fresh coat of paint and other refurbishments, a project sponsored by D23 and the Walt Disney Archives. D23 Expo Platinum sponsor Amazon is also a sponsor of the plane's restoration.
Long on view at Disney-MGM Studios in Orlando (which later transformed into Disney Hollywood Studios), the plane hasn't been to the West Coast for nearly three decades, making its 2022 Southern California return especially sweet.
But the plane's much-anticipated Anaheim appearance won't be solely focused on the outside of the aircraft; visitors will get to see "never-before-exhibited items from the aircraft's interior," including an instrument panel displayed near where Walt Disney sat, giving him a chance to keep an eye on flight conditions.
There's plenty of Walt Disney Company lore surrounding the plane. It was used for various promotional tours, including one celebrating 1967's animated hit "The Jungle Book," and it can be seen in "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" from 1969, an enduring live-action favorite starring Kurt Russell.
Goodwill tours became a staple of the plane's flight log, too; several stops at children's hospitals, all to bring kids some of that Mickey Mouse magic, are also a part of its long and storied history.
And speaking of Mickey Mouse? The Grumman Gulfstream I received a new and notable tail number in 1967: N234MM, with the "MM" standing for the character that started it all.
Merchandise related to the plane, which has been delightfully dubbed "The Mouse," at the convention. Again, D23 Expo is now sold out, but even if you don't have a ticket, you can keep an eye on the event's social feeds for photos of Walt Disney's fabulous personal flying machine.
