Today, interior restoration work was unveiled inside Walt Disney’s Plane at the Palm Springs Air Museum. D23 Members who attended the event were first to see the meticulous furnishing The Walt Disney Archives has undergone in restoring Walt’s Grumman Gulfstream I back to its mid-century glory.
Before we delve into the storied recent history of this famous aircraft, Disney has provided fans some incredible new views of the partially-restored interior!
Above, you can see the current interior of the aircraft at the museum. The previously-stripped and decaying cabin has been restored by The Walt Disney Archives in incredible detail! It was from these seats, these windows, and this airplane, that Walt Disney surveyed sites for his massive E.P.C.O.T. project that eventually became the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida.
Taking a look back at how the plane looked in the 1960’s photo and comparing it to The Walt Disney Archives’ restoration thus far, you can see the interior is well on its way back to how it was always intended to be.
The Walt Disney Archives and the Palm Springs Air Museum are not done with re-finishing yet! Particularly here, in the gallery kitchen, you can see the current progress on this multi-year update to Walt Disney’s Plane.
Operational History
In 1963, Walt Disney acquired a customized Gulfstream I. Disney’s interior was like no other, featuring custom furnishings selected with input from his wife, Lillian Disney. Walt’s private Gulfstream served as a flying office from which Walt worked on his attractions for the 1964-1965 New York Worlds Fair. Most famously of all, in November of 1963, Walt Disney flew over Central Florida and selected the site for Walt Disney World.
The cabin, which accommodated 15 passengers, included amenities like a desk and galley, plus “Mickey Mouse” silhouettes on every notepad and matchbook. Formally registered as N234MM in 1967, the aircraft transported 83,000 people for 20,000 flight hours before retiring from the Disney fleet on October 8th, 1992.
Exhibition at Walt Disney World
After flying into Walt Disney World’s private airstrip (the STOLport) for the final time, Walt Plane was parked on display as part of the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney’s MGM-Studios.
Two decades later, when Galaxy’s Edge was set to replace the Backlot Tour, Walt Disney’s Plane vanished from the public eye…unless you had a helicopter or were a cast member!
Final Days of “The Mouse” at Walt Disney World
Following the closure of the Studio Backlot Tour in 2014 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney’s Grumman Gulfstream I aircraft took long-term refuge backstage at Walt Disney World.
The plane, then-located near the Reedy Creek Environmental Sciences Compound, sat in the Florida sun awaiting its next big opportunity.
Needless to say, the elements in Florida aren’t nearly as kind to airplanes as the California desert, where they are more typically parked for extended periods.
Journey Back West
In the summer of 2022, Walt Disney’s Plane was transported from storage at Walt Disney World cross-country to California. There, the exterior was cleaned and refurbished, with the plane appearing at the D23 Expo in 2022. This was the first time the storied aircraft had been displayed for guests by Disney since 2014!
Following D23 Expo 2022, the plane was loaned to the Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California, under a long-term agreement between the museum and The Walt Disney Archives.
New Restoration Work
Bringing us full circle to the latest work, on May 2nd, 2026, The Walt Disney Archives unveiled the newly-restored interior of “The Mouse!” In an Instagram post showing the new interior, The Walt Disney Archives notes the aircraft interior is continuing with an ongoing, multi-year meticulous restoration to how it appeared when Walt flew aboard in the 1960’s! Still to come will be further enhancements to the gallery kitchen, additional furnishings such as curtains, and much more!
Next time you’re near Palm Springs, California, be sure to visit the Palm Springs Air Museum to take in this piece of living history.
