Disney Honors U.S. Navy on 250th: Remembering the Architect of Magic Kingdom Admiral Joe Fowler. As the United States Navy marks its monumental 250th anniversary, The Walt Disney Company is looking back at the heritage shared between the two institutions and honoring the veterans who built the House of Mouse, literally.
November is designated as National Veterans and Military Families Month, and Disney is starting early with a new “Honor” collection inside the Disney Parks, and they are also remembering Veterans who are either still with the Parks or have once worked for The Walt Disney Company. Today, TWDC is remembering and saluting the US Navy on the 250th Anniversary
Disney and the U.S. Navy are foundational, tracing back to company co-founders Walt and Roy O. Disney. Roy O. Disney proudly served in the Navy during World War I, and his brother Walt’s commitment to service helped define the company’s values. This tradition of respect led to Disney artists designing over 1,200 insignia for military units during World War II, many for the Navy, including the famed Seabees Construction Battalions.
Thank the Navy for Walt Disney World
But perhaps the most powerful connection—and one that directly contributed to the magic millions enjoy every year—is Navy Rear Admiral Joe Fowler.
We have Admiral Fowler, a distinguished naval architect and veteran of both World Wars, to thank for the very existence of Walt Disney World Resort. After 35 years of naval service, during which he supervised the design and construction of massive aircraft carriers, Fowler was personally recruited by Walt Disney in 1954 to lead the construction of Disneyland.
Fowler’s naval precision was instrumental in bringing the original park to life. Following Disneyland’s opening in 1955, his Herculean task became planning and building the sprawling Walt Disney World Resort in Florida throughout the 1960s and ’70s. Without the Admiral’s expertise in large-scale logistics and construction management, honed by decades in the Navy, the resort as we know it today might never have materialized.
His legacy is cemented in the parks. At Disneyland, the dry dock harbor for the S.S. Columbia and Mark Twain is named “Fowler’s Harbor.” More visibly to Walt Disney World guests, one of the vital ferry boats transporting visitors across the Seven Seas Lagoon to the Magic Kingdom was fittingly rechristened the Admiral Joe Fowler in his honor.
A Fleet of Veterans Who Built the Dream
Admiral Fowler was not the only naval veteran steering the Disney ship. Disney Legend Card Walker, who served as a flight deck officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II, rose from the studio mailroom to become president and CEO of Walt Disney Productions, overseeing the launch of landmarks like EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland.
The company further honored the service with the June 1959 opening of the original Submarine Voyage attraction at Disneyland. The fleet of subs was named after real-life U.S. Navy vessels, including the Nautilus, Seawolf, and Triton, and the grand dedication ceremony was led by Navy Admiral Charles C. Kirkpatrick.
As the U.S. Navy celebrates its 250th year of service, Disney encourages everyone to reflect on the brave men and women of the Navy—including those like Admiral Joe Fowler—who sailed the course for both American freedom and the world’s most magical destinations.
