Kevin Rafferty News & Updates

Kevin Rafferty Pumps the Brakes on His Illustrious Imagineer Career

April 5, 2021 by Chuck Schmidt

On April 1, Kevin Rafferty – one of the most prolific members of Walt Disney Imagineering – pumped the brakes on his daily trek, as well as his heralded Disney career, leaving behind a legacy that few, if any, will ever match.

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NEWS: Imagineer Kevin Rafferty Will Be Retiring After 42 Years with the Walt Disney Company

January 13, 2021 by Rachel Franko

Kevin Rafferty has announced that he will be retiring from his position as a Disney Imagineer soon! And, we've got all the details here!

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Herb Ryman, Who ‘Embodied the Spirit of Imagineering,’ Left an Indelible Mark on Disney

June 8, 2020 by Chuck Schmidt

Like a well-placed dab of oil paint on a canvas, Herb Ryman left an indelible mark … on the art world, in general, as well as on the countless people he touched over the course of his remarkable life.

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Imagineers’ Feel-Good Song ‘Brave Little Spark’ Song Rekindles Memories of the Firehouse 5 Plus 2

May 18, 2020 by Chuck Schmidt

A new feel-good song recorded by a group of Walt Disney Imagineers rekindles memories of a Disney group of old known as the Firehouse Five Plus Two.

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Kevin Rafferty’s Disney Designer Ears Carry on a Long Tradition of Disney Merchandising

May 4, 2020 by Chuck Schmidt

The idea of selling merchandise tied to Disney characters goes all the way back to 1929 and, as with many strokes of good fortune, it was a random encounter that triggered the birth of Disney-themed merchandising.

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Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Fulfills a Years-Long Promise

March 9, 2020 by Chuck Schmidt

More than five years ago, Walt Disney Imagineering’s creative director Kevin Rafferty made a promise to Marty Sklar, his former Imagineering boss, mentor and long-time friend. “I promised Marty years ago that I was going to come up with an original attraction with an original song that was centered around Mickey Mouse,” Rafferty said. “And every time I saw Marty after that, he’d always ask me, ‘How’s that new attraction coming?’” On March 4, 2020, Rafferty made good on that promise.

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New “Runaway Railway” Disney Designer Ears Set to Debut This Week!

March 3, 2020 by Austin Lang

The newest entry in the Disney Parks Designer Ears collection celebrates their newest ride! Plus, get a sneak peek and what ears are coming later this year!

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Imagineer Kevin Rafferty Talks Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, on Track for March 4 Opening

December 9, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

Walt Disney Imagineering creative director Kevin Rafferty calls it the favorite Disney attraction he's ever worked on. It's called Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway and its on track to open in early 2020.

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It’s Tough to be a Bug! Proves it’s Tough to be an Imagineer

September 23, 2019 by Chuck Schmidt

It’s tough to be an Imagineer. For every show or attraction that the members of the Walt Disney Company’s creative wing dream up, there are dozens of their ideas that get rejected. Indeed, the evolution of an attraction can be almost as thrilling as the attraction itself. Take the It’s Tough to be a Bug! … Continue reading "It’s Tough to be a Bug! Proves it’s Tough to be an Imagineer"

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