Walt Disney’s granddaughter Joanna Miller opened up at “D23” on Friday to help honor her grandfather by revealing family secrets. She recalled that unbeknown to Disney, she snuck onto the “Mary Poppins” set, but never told him. Miller revealed that during her escapades, she knocked over props for the iconic movie.
It is now 60 years since Walt Disney passed away and his life and legacy was revealed on stage at D23 on Friday. The event was held to celebrate the Disney founder, with those attending reflecting on his impact on movies, culture and theme parks. However, there were also some family secrets revealed at the event.
Walt and Lillian Disney’s granddaughter Joanna participated at the special event, where she revealed that her grandfather let her and her siblings explore the Disney film lot. While most of this was in fun, Joanna said she bumped into an iconic prop for the movie.
Walt Disney’s Granddaughter On Exploring Film Sets
Getty“Grandpa would wake up in the morning and say, ‘I wanna go to the studio, gotta check things out,’” Miller recalled. “He would go to his office and let us kind of run around, so my brother and sister and I would be walking around the old Zorro set, the little neighborhood where “That Darn Cat!” was filmed.”
Miller continued, saying, “The stage doors were not locked; we could walk right in. And “Mary Poppins” was happening, and that was so much fun to play on. There was a little incident once, [and] no one ever knew that we accidentally knocked a carousel horse down.”
Reportedly, Miller’s accident on the 1964 film set for “Mary Poppins” was kept so secret that not even Disney knew about it. “I never told grandpa,” Miller said.
Attendance At Disney’s 125th Birthday Celebration
GettyBesides Joanna Miller, legendary Imagineer Bob Gurr also attended the presentation. He had worked with Disney on designs for the Matterhorn roller coaster. He also worked on the Haunted Mansion ride’s iconic Doom Buggy ride vehicles.
Moreover, a former W.E.D. Enterprises creative, Tania Norris was there, who worked with the Disney company on interior design for the New Orleans Square in Disneyland, and the purple wallpaper in the Haunted Mansion.
Floyd Norman, Disney’s first Black animator, was also there, who was involved in “Mary Poppins,” “The Sword in the Stone,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Jungle Book” and “Robin Hood.” Moreover, Bret Iwan, who was the voice of Mickey Mouse since 2009, was also in attendance and so was Becky Cline, the Walt Disney Archives director.
Fans Attend The D23 Event in Anaheim, California
The event saw fans attending in Anaheim, California, to enjoy a convention featuring panel presentations, exhibitions, and celebrity appearances. Attendees also heard the latest news and updates on the Disney Company’s initiatives in film, theme parks, TV and more. Meanwhile, the company regularly pays tribute to its founder’s legacy.
Also at Friday’s event, legendary songwriter Richard Sherman was celebrated for the “It’s a Small World” theme song, and who died in May 2024.
“As the legendary creators of some of the most cherished music of the past century, the Sherman brothers will be remembered for their profound impact on our global culture,” former Disney CEO Bob Iger said in a press release.
“Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse to ‘It’s a Small World’ before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever. This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immeasurable musical contributions, their memory, and to the countless memories they helped create for generations of people around the world.”
No doubt, Miller’s childhood reveal about knocking over the “Mary Poppins” set brought fond memories of Walt Disney as a grandfather at the event.
