Leslie Iwerks is genuine Disney royalty. Her father, Don Iwerks, is a Disney legend who worked alongside Walt developing camera systems for Disney live-action features like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and later influential Disney theme park attractions like the Circlevision-360 technology that powered things like America the Beautiful and 3D systems that powered the company’s inaugural 3D attraction Magic Journeys. And her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, was one of Walt’s original business partners and the designer of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse. Some of those original, highly influential short films, like “Steamboat Willie” …

The last episode of The Imagineering Story, Disney+'s flagship original documentary series, is titled "To Infinity and Beyond", which suggests that there is a bright future for the division of the Disney company that is responsible for the rides, shows, attractions, hotels and cruise ships that have become cornerstones of the company. While this might not exactly be the case, considering the relative indifference that was met with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge this past summer (at least pre-Rise of the Resistance), the fact that ongoing protests have turned Hong Kong Disneyland into a virtual "…

Documentarian Leslie Iwerks talks about her love letter to the Disney parks, the success of Disney+, and the past and future of Imagineering.

From director Leslie Iwerks, the six-hour Disney+ docu-series The Imagineering Story, narrated by Angela Bassett, is a fascinating and unprecedented look at the unique blend of artists and engineers, known as Imagineers, whose job it is to carry on the legacy of Walt Disney in theme parks, around the globe. It’s a rare peek behind the curtain at the creation of Disneyland and every subsequent theme park – from Epcot and Disney’s Animal Kingdom to the parks in Tokyo, Paris and Shanghai – and highlights the trials and tribulations, as well as the joys and successes, including classic …

Disney Plus' The Imagineering Story is an engaging but somewhat shallow look inside the dream factory of Disney's theme parks. Check out our review.

While the launch of Disney’s first-ever streaming service Disney+ will come complete with a robust library of iconic Disney movies, a brand new Star Wars TV show, and even programming aimed at Disney Channel fans like High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, launch day of Disney+ will also include a documentary about an incredibly important arm in the Disney company: theme parks. It’s easy to brush The Imagineering Story aside sight-unseen as a blatant advertisement meant to spur people to start planning their own Disney vacations ASAP, but while The Imagineering Story does play up …

At one point in the trailer for The Imagineering Story, an upcoming Disney+ docuseries on the magical workers who innovated the magical Disney theme parks, current Disney CEO Bob Iger mimics the desired effect from a Disney consumer: "Wow. How did Disney do that?" Well, if he had listened to his company's namesake Walt Disney just a few moments earlier in the trailer, he would've heard: "There's really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward. We're always exploring and experimenting. We call it 'imagineering.'" Uh, sure, Walt, sounds simple enough! Except -- what the heck …