Tom Fitzgerald Has Retired From Walt Disney Imagineering After 47 Years, and the Only Public Evidence Is a Disney Artist's LinkedIn Post

Tom Fitzgerald joined WED Enterprises in January 1979, worked his way up to Chief Storytelling Executive, and wrote or oversaw attractions from Star Tours to Soarin' Across America. As of this week he is retired, and the only reason anybody knows is that a Disney artist posted photos of the party to LinkedIn.

The short version: WDW News Today reported the retirement on Tuesday, July 28, describing Fitzgerald as Chief Storytelling Executive and Senior Creative Executive and saying he had "officially retired from Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) after 47 years of service." Disney has not confirmed it.

A party, a logo, and no press release

The source is Disney artist Eric Robison, who shared several photos on LinkedIn from what he described as Fitzgerald's retirement party at Imagineering. WDWMagic reported that Robison said he had spent time at Imagineering and attended the celebration.

The photos show a stage set up with screens projecting the old WED Enterprises logo, the mark Imagineering used back when it was still named after Walter Elias Disney's initials. Underneath it sat Fitzgerald's name and the line "A Celebration 47 Years In The Making."

The screen at Fitzgerald's retirement party paired the WED Enterprises logo with the line "A Celebration 47 Years In The Making." Photo: Eric Robison via LinkedIn, published by WDW News Today.

It was not a small affair. WDW News Today described the party as "well-attended" and reported that it "featured in-person and digital character appearances from Winnie the Pooh, Kermit, and Miss Piggy."

What there was not, anywhere, was an announcement. WDWMagic hedged its own headline to "Appears to Have Retired" and told readers plainly: "Disney has not made a statement about Fitzgerald's retirement, and no other details are available right now." It said it would update the article if it learned more. As of Thursday morning the article still carried that line, with no update appended.

Forty-seven years of things you have already seen

Fitzgerald was the original writer and producer on Star Tours, then came back decades later as creative director on Star Tours - The Adventures Continue. He worked on the 2006 revamp of Pirates of the Caribbean and on updates to Tower of Terror.

WDWMagic's list of his credits runs on from there: Cinémagique, Soarin' Around the World, Mickey's PhilharMagic, Muppet*Vision 3D and It's Tough to be a Bug!

The climb happened in stages. In 1989 he took over Theme Park Productions, the unit that makes the films and video content used across the Disney parks, as its executive producer. By 2001 he was also executive vice president and senior creative executive at Imagineering, with creative oversight of Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris.

More recently he carried the titles Portfolio Executive Creative Director and Chief Storytelling Executive. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind sits on the late-career list, and WDW News Today puts Soarin' Across America at the end of it. If his face looks familiar, it is because he turned up on camera in Behind the Attraction on Disney+ and in the anniversary special The Most Magical Story on Earth: 50 Years of Walt Disney World.

The group photo outside Treasures of Xandar at the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind opening. WDWMagic identifies Fitzgerald as front row, third from left. Photo: WDWMagic.

How long, exactly

WDW News Today and WDWMagic do not quite agree on the number. WDW News Today said 47 years. WDWMagic said "more than 46 years." The party's own screen said 47. The gap is precision, not contradiction: WDW News Today dates the start to January 1979, while WDWMagic says only 1979. A January 1979 start puts Fitzgerald at 47 and a half years by this summer, which makes 47 the completed count, and it is the one on the screen at his own party.

The quietest exit in the building

Fitzgerald's run started in the Carter administration, in January 1979, and ran through Soarin' Across America. Disney has still not marked the end of it publicly. Everything anyone knows traces back to a projected logo and a set of party photos a Disney artist posted to LinkedIn.

Sources

• WDW News Today, "Tom Fitzgerald Officially Retires from Walt Disney Imagineering After 47 Years"
• WDWMagic, "Tom Fitzgerald Appears to Have Retired From Walt Disney Imagineering"

Image credits: Tom Fitzgerald portrait, via WDWMagic. Retirement party screen, Eric Robison via LinkedIn, published by WDW News Today. Cosmic Rewind opening photo, WDWMagic.