Walt Disney Imagineering has once again partnered with renowned Disney artist Eric Robison for a new painting in celebration of Tokyo Disney Resort’s 40th anniversary.
On its official Instagram page, Walt Disney Imagineering gave a first look at the original, hand-drawn work. This one-of-a-kind piece of art aims to capture “all the magic created over the past 40 years.”
The painting draws heavy inspiration from the iconic concept art created by legendary Imagineer Herb Ryman during the concept of Tokyo Disneyland in the 1970s and 1980s, shown below.
The concept art depicts Cinderella’s castle and the area around it. On the far left is the World Bazaar, complete with its distinctive canopy. In the distance we see Space Mountain and the towers of Tomorrowland, and of course to the right is Cinderella’s castle itself, cloned from its original Walt Disney World for the Japanese park.
Many of the same characteristics can be seen in Robison’s 40th anniversary reimagining. Set under a pink and purple sunset, the Partners statue can be seen in a bed of wildflowers in the center, while Walt Disney appears to be pointing at the fireworks over Cinderella’s castle at Tokyo Disneyland.
To the left of the castle, on the site of the World Bazaar, Tokyo DisneySea is framed under a cherry tree. We see Mount Prometheus and the Fortress Explorations, the home of SEA, in its image. At the bottom of the painting is a handle that reads “Tokyo Disneyland Resort 40th Anniversary 2023.” In the lower right corner, Robison’s signature is painted by the famous Disney artist in the same lime green.
As seen above, Robison has completed Cinderella’s castle at Tokyo Disneyland. Robison’s 40th anniversary Tokyo Disneyland commemorative painting was inspired by Herb Ryman’s original painting of the center of Tokyo Disneyland. A long-respected artist and Imagineer, Ryman was originally hired by Walt Disney in 1954 to create the original concept drawings for Disneyland in California.
Disney artist Eric Robison
Robison was discovered by Walt Disney Imagineers President Marty Sklar, who liked the artist’s unique depiction of Disney characters and helped launch his artistic career with a position among the highly respected Walt Disney Imagineers. As a concept designer, he worked on projects related to Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disney Resort, Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort California.
Among his repertoire, Robison has become a renowned and best-selling artist with original Disney art, including Haunted Mansion 30th Anniversary, Disney Decades for Disneyland 50th Anniversary, Pirates of the Caribbean, the Matterhorn painting [tribute to Herbie Ryman]and the original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Celebrating Tokyo Disney Resort’s 40th Anniversary “Dream-Go-Round”
Tokyo Disney Resort is now celebrating its 40th anniversary called the “Dream-Go-Round” after its official debut on April 15. The celebration will run through March 31, 2024 and will include decorations in both parks, special food, merchandise and entertainment. The biggest addition so far is the new Disney Harmony of Color daytime parade, as is tradition in Tokyo’s anniversary celebration.
Decorations were also added to Cinderella’s castle for the first time in ten years along with decorations at the World Bazaar and around the entrance to Tokyo DisneySea. Take a look at the new decor that dresses up Cinderella’s castle in the center of Tokyo Disneyland.
What do you think of Tokyo Disney Resort’s new 40th anniversary painting? Let us know if you’ll be looking for prints of this new Eric Robison artwork, or if you plan to visit Tokyo Disneyland for the 40th anniversary celebration in the comments below!
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