Legendary Disney Imagineer Joe Rhode is retiring after 40 years
Joe Rohde, the lead designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park and one of the lead designers behind Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is retiring after working for the Walt Disney Co. after 40 years, Bob Weiss, President of Walt Disney Imagineering, announced.
Rohde, known as an Imagineer rock star, not only was the driving force behind the design of Animal Kingdom, but also worked with “Avatar” director and producer James Cameron, to create the Pandora section of the park.
“Joe Rohde is a real life adventurer—in life, in art, and in work. Whether trekking across the mountains of Mongolia on an expedition to raise awareness for snow leopard conservation, or leading project teams from Animal Kingdom to Aulani to Pandora, Joe fully embodies the true spirit of adventure and exploration. He approaches these experiences, not as a tourist, but with curiosity, respect, and purpose,” Weiss wrote.
”Joe has committed forty years to bringing dynamic, inventive, and diverse projects to Disney parks. While he is widely renowned for his unmatched expertise across numerous creative disciplines, he’s also an expert in every facet of leading and managing our projects, from setting the vision to feasibility, design and execution. His unyielding commitment to excellence across all aspects of projects, and his demand for authenticity and including diverse, indigenous cultures in design and production, are hallmarks of his projects and what differentiate them from all others.
“Today, Joe announced his plans to retire from the company, and while I respect and accept his decision, I know he will remain part of our Imagineering family, a mentor to our current and future generation, and certainly the best example to our worldwide audience of what it is to be an Imagineer,” Weiss wrote.
Rohde, who turned 65, this year joined Imagineering in 1980 as a model designer and scenic painter. He on the refurbishment of Fantasyland at Disneyland, the Captain EO 3-D attraction starring Michael Jackson, the Norway pavilion at Epcot and the Adventurers Club bar and lounge at Pleasure Island.
