USA: Bye Bye, Joe Rohde! – Disney Imagineer Retires

Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who is well-known and respected in the international leisure industry for his outstanding work in theming and design, has decided to retire in early January 2021. During his 40-year career in the creative business division of The Walt Disney Company, Rohde worked on the development of complete park design concepts, including for Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Orlando and Villages Nature at Disneyland Paris. He designed and shaped numerous immersive themed areas including “Pandora: The World of AVATAR” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and “Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout” at Disneyland California Adventure.

“Joe Rohde is a real life adventurer – in life, in art, and in work. Whether trekking across the mountains of Mongolia on an expedition to raise awareness for snow leopard conservation, or leading project teams from Animal Kingdom to Aulani to Pandora, Joe fully embodies the true spirit of adventure and exploration. He approaches these experiences, not as a tourist, but with curiosity, respect, and purpose,” says Walt Disney Imagineering President Bob Weis and continues, “Joe has committed forty years to bringing dynamic, inventive, and diverse projects to Disney parks. While he is widely renowned for his unmatched expertise across numerous creative disciplines, he’s also an expert in every facet of leading and managing our projects, from setting the vision to feasibility, design and execution. His unyielding commitment to excellence across all aspects of projects, and his demand for authenticity and including diverse, indigenous cultures in design and production, are hallmarks of his projects and what differentiate them from all others [...].”

Joe Rohde looks back on his professional career at Disney’s Imagineers with gratitude: “I’m sure by now many of you have come across the news that I am retiring from Walt Disney Imagineering. It has been 40 years since I stepped foot in the door at age 25, not knowing anything about theme parks, Disney, or what it meant to work for a big company. Every day of my life since then has been a learning experience. I’m very glad to have had that opportunity, and proud of the work that has been done, nut just by me, but by all my fellow Imaginners, and especially those who worked by my side over the decades. But 40 years is a long time, and this strange quiet time seems like a great opportunity to slip away without too much disruption. If I wait, I will once again be in the middle of another huge project and by the time that is done, I would be truly old [...].” (eap)