Three of the most influential names in Disney storytelling are sharing a stage this fall. Bob Weis, former President of Walt Disney Imagineering, retired Imagineer and Disney Legend Joe Rohde, and filmmaker Leslie Iwerks will headline the Legends 2026 Panel at IAAPA Expo 2026 on Wednesday, November 18, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Orlando.
What the Legends Panel Will Cover
Now in its 24th year, the Legends Panel is one of IAAPA Expo’s longest-running traditions. This year’s lineup brings together three people who have spent decades shaping how theme parks and themed experiences tell stories. The conversation will focus on how strong creative collaboration turns an idea into a finished ride, film, or environment, and what it actually takes to make a themed space feel alive to the people walking through it.
Attendees can expect firsthand stories from each panelist’s career along with lessons they can apply to their own projects, whether that’s a theme park attraction, a museum exhibit, or a brand experience.
Who’s Taking the Stage
Bob Weis spent decades at Walt Disney Imagineering before serving as its President, overseeing projects across Disney’s parks worldwide. Joe Rohde is one of the most recognizable names in Imagineering history, known for Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Aulani, and was named a Disney Legend for his work. Leslie Iwerks is an Oscar- and Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose credits include the Disney Worldbuilders documentary, which FLN covered firsthand with a red carpet interview at the El Capitan Theatre premiere.
Bob Rogers, founder of BRC Imagination Arts and a 2010 IAAPA Hall of Fame inductee, will moderate the panel.
More Disney Voices at IAAPA Expo 2026
The Legends Panel isn’t the only session with Disney ties. Andrew Bolstein, President and General Manager of Shanghai Disney Resort, will speak at the Lunch and Learn session on Monday, November 16, drawing on more than three decades of global leadership experience to talk about earning trust and leading through change across different markets and cultures.
IAAPA’s broader 2026 lineup also includes a Leadership Breakfast with author and management advisor Joe Pine II, and a separate DEEP STORY session with Bob Rogers and Bob Weis on transformational experience design. Neither is Disney-specific, but both sit alongside nearly 200 education sessions in what IAAPA is calling its largest Expo in the organization’s history.
Our Take
Getting Weis, Rohde, and Iwerks on the same stage is a rare thing. These are three people who approach Disney storytelling from completely different angles, an executive, a designer, and a documentarian, and hearing them talk through the same questions together is going to surface things a solo interview never would. Iwerks in particular is someone FLN has spent real time with, and her documentary work has a way of getting Imagineers to say things they don’t usually say in a press setting. If you work in themed entertainment or just want to understand how these places actually get built, this is the session worth planning your Expo schedule around.
When and Where
The Legends 2026 Panel takes place Wednesday, November 18 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. as part of IAAPA Expo 2026 in Orlando. Registration for press and industry professionals is open now through IAAPA. For more Disney parks and entertainment news, visit Fantasy Land News and follow our Disney Parks News section.
