Only Experts Know These 4 Things About Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde

Joe Rohde is one of the most decorated Imagineers in Disney history, with creative contributions to pretty much every massive theme park project from the early 1980s through the early 2020s, elevating him to the rarified air occupied by names like Blair and Davis.

Over the course of Rohde’s run, which ended with his 2021 retirement, the designer spearhead countless Disney projects including Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Pandora: The World of Avatar, the Aulani resort in Hawaii, and arguably most importantly of all: Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park from its conception. In addition, he became recognizable to Disney fans thanks to appearances on Travel Channel documentaries as well as his recognizable earrings.

Earring Origin

Speaking of Rohde’s earrings, the Imagineer spoke about his iconic accessory at the 2024 D23 Ultimate Fan Event, where he was named a Disney Legend.

“The earring is a celebrity and I am the friend of the celebrity. I travel with the earring and people see the earring and they’re ere like ‘Oh, that’s that famous guy. Who’s that person with him?’ I started in 1987, cause I was going to go on a business trip to Japan and I had one of those little tiny posts from the 1980s, and my boss from the model shop had said ‘You know, you kinda don’t look like a Disney employee’ cause of the long hair and etc. ‘so maybe you shouldn’t wear any Disney ID while you’re in Japan?’ And I thought ‘That’s not fair, I’ve been working for this company for 7 years’ so I took my Disney 5-Year Pin, which is a lapel pin, and I stuck it through that little tiny hole in my ear, which made the hole bigger and started a cascade of other decisions. Basically when I go someplace I’ve Never been before, a country, I look for a hoop-shaped earring – – usually ethnic or tribal or something but nowadays anything – – and it goes in my ear. Now of course, I have a bowl of them at home. This (gestures to ear) is the travel pack.”

Rohde’s Recruitment

Given Rohde’s unique personality and approach to Imagineering projects, it’s perhaps fitting that he entered the company in a less-than-traditional way.

According to a 2011 interview, “Well, my early career is completely disorganized and accidental.  So, I was recruited to be just a worker when we were building up Epcot.  I had been teaching set design and doing set design at a high school in the San Fernando Valley.  One of the executive’s kids went to that school; he kind of recruited me.  But then of course, for quite some time, I was no longer directing anything.  I came in at a very, very basic entry level job in the model shop.  I did not have any kind of cohesive vision of something I wanted to do or wanted to be at Imagineering.”

Catching the Tiger by the Tail

By the late 1980s, Rohde was spearheading the development of what would eventually become the Animal Kingdom theme park. According to Joe, he and his team had several meetings with high-ranking Disney executives attempting to get the project greenlit.

While the team presented a full pitch, complete with the potential layout of the park, attraction ideas, and a general thesis, the executives would not commit, with Eisner arguing that a “zoo” would not capture the “Disney Magic.” That’s when Rohde had an idea. During the next pitch meeting, he and his team had a fully grown live tiger brought into the board room. The presence of the animal, which allegedly sat down right next to Michael Eisner, led to the park’s concept being approved.

Full Circle

While Rohde was born in California, he spent his formative years growing up in Hawaii. So, when Disney began formulating plans to construct a Hawaiian resort in the 2000s, it was somewhat obvious that he would take charge of the project.

Rhode spoke about the intricate design choices he and his team brought the project, which opened as Aulani in 2011,  saying, “The resort was designed to reflect the sense of a Hawaiian valley opening out toward the ocean from highlands to lowlands. This organization has many connotations. One is the ahupua’a, the traditional organization of land that followed a watershed from the mountains to the sea and knitted all members of the community together in a working relationship and a functional sustainable relationship to the land. Another is a Hawaiian concept of time itself as flowing – like fresh water – from the past, which is in the mountains, to the future, which is in the sea. The architectural statements of Aulani tend to follow this organizational layout. You know, of course, that Waikolohe means “mischievous water.” That name is simply meant to connote the playful aspect of the springs, which spray you from unexpected directions, and the presence of the Menehune. It is true that, along this part of the O’ahu coast, fresh water comes from springs, and we wanted to reflect that but in a fun, mischievous way.”

Joe Rohde is one of the most innovative and unique Imagineers in the Disney division’s long and storied history. Stay tuned to AllEars for more dives into Disney history.

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What’s your favorite Rohde-led imagineering project? Let us know in the comments below.

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