Disney100: The Exhibition in Munich was designed to commemorate the 100-year milestone of The Walt Disney Company. The exhibition is basically a multi-media driven, interactive museum like experience that invites visitors to explore and learn about Disney history, films, theme parks and more. 

Visitors can look forward to seeing a collection of over 250 items from the Walt Disney Archives, including props, artworks, models, drawing reproductions (more on that later), costumes, artifacts, and other memorabilia, all encompassing a century of Disney history.

1.400 m² of Magic
Right after entering the 1.400 m² (15,000 ft²) exhibit theres a short introductory text and a gorgeous projection mapping extravaganza. Different scenes from various iconic films and shorts appear in circulars, tinker bell-ish sparkly, bubbles. All accompanied by  tinker bell chime sound effects that span the entire exhibit. Disney really is the master of themed experience design and they effectively create a sense of awe throughout the entire space with the help of sound design. 

Visitors are also greeted by a short animation featuring Mickey Mouse and the infamous AI/Deep Fake Walt Disney hologram… only he’s not a hologram. Honestly, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. Various news outlets and folks online just calling everything and anything a hologram to make it sound cooler. 

The reason the word hologram bugs me so much is that it sets a completely false expectation. Real holograms consist of three-dimensional imagery that can be viewed from multiple angles, this is usually achieved by way of light field photography. But I don’t want to get to technical here. The fake Walt is flat as a pancake is the sum of it all. 

They did add a scrim projection of white tinker bell sparkles, likely by way of Musion, to add a bit of depth to the scene. Again those sparkles are two-dimensional but on a plane closer to the audience. Think, Peter Parker intro for WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure at the Walt Disney Studios Park Paris. 

In total Disney100: The Exhibition features ten themed galleries, which focus on various topics like: how to present compelling narratives, creating a musical score, and exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses into the making of the company’s characters, films, shows, and attractions. 

All of the galleries are intricately themed. Illustrated walls, interactive elements like mini-games or info boards, lots of video and props galore are just a few things to look forward to. One notable example was in the Jungle Cruise/Pirates of the Caribbean gallery. It featured two treasure chests, each with a mini game that if solved correctly revealed a hidden prop. Such an unusual and fun element.

Iconic Disney Pieces
Disney100: The Exhibition featured two gallery’s that were primarily devoted to the Disney Parks. One even housed the iconic Frontierland concept art by Tom Gilleon. Another part of the gallery also featured a doll from it’s a small world, which was so cool to get a look at up close. The doll was also housed in a display case that was mounted into a faux facade of Main Street U.S.A.. The facade wasn’t as detailed as the real thing in the parks but you totally get what they were going for and it looked awesome. 

Other than that we also enjoyed seeing the beautiful costumes, especially the red dress from the live action Cruella film and last but not least one of the original animatronic heads (without skin) from Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland. It’s a fascinating look at the  mechanics and engineering behind the artistry. 

Surprising Props
We were surprised to see Dharma Initiative branded props at the exhibition from the iconic television series Lost (2004–2010). Lost was my favorite television show and it was exciting to see Dharma Initiative branded water bottles, cereal boxes and rice packaging. What a deep cut and such an in-direct connection to the classic Disney brand. 

Logistics
The food offering was sadly non-existent. Florian was really looking forward to grabbing a cold drink before heading in which was not possible. We 100% expected some sort of museum style cafe but there was nada. 

Other than that the organization of the exhibition seemed to be pretty flawless on the day we were there. To be fair it was very empty on a Monday but all the employees were friendly and seemed eager to help. 

Signage was also present but really all you need is google maps. If you enter “Kleine Olympiahalle” you’ll find it immediately and navigation inside the building itself is intuitive and easy. 

Merchandise Galore
It’s an exit through the gift shop type experience, so merchandise is impossible to miss. Expect to find countless t-shirts and apparel, basically all the stuff you would expect to find at Emporium in Disneyland Paris but with Disney100 branding. 

Some of the more unique items included plush produced for Disney by Steiff. Steiff is a premium German-based plush toy company. It was founded in 1880 and they became famous for inventing the Teddy bear in 1902, although that claim is sometimes disputed. 

Nevertheless, Steiff first partnered with the Disney company in 1931, producing a Mickey Mouse plush. Minnie Mouse followed shortly after in 1932, in total Steiff has produced over 100 different plush collections for Disney. Many of which are highly sought after by collectors. Steiff collectors edition Oswald, Silver Mickey and Mickey holding a dog were all on sale. They are pricey though coming in at €499.00, €299.00, €349.00 respectively.

We picked up a copy of the Disney100: The Exhibition book for 37 Euro, which was sadly only available in German. Not too big of a deal for me but I prefer to keep my Disney book collection in English for consistency’s sake. It also makes cross referencing easier. Florian ended up getting a small and super cute Mickey Mouse in Lederhosen plush. Visa Card holders can also get 10 percent off of their purchase when paying with Visa, almost like an Annual Pass discount, so that’s something to keep in mind when shopping there. 

Disney100: The Exhibition Is It Worth Seeing?
Yes. While it is a family friendly exhibition, the target demographic is adults – who are Disney fans – and perhaps older teens. The exhibition isn’t ideal for young kids as it involves a lot of reading and standing. Interactive elements are fun and there are certainly a few simple ones that young children would enjoy, however those alone don’t justify a visit and the ticket price. 

Several family’s who where visiting the exhibition with younger kids had a bit of trouble. Especially when the adults wanted to take a moment to read about a certain prop or piece of art and the kids just weren’t having it and wanted to move through the space quickly. 

If you are visiting the exhibition in Munich as an English speaker you won’t have any problems at all. All texts are in both English and German and videos are in English with German subtitles. Even the interactive elements, like the giant screen based info table which could display fun facts about various topics (like Disneyland Paris), had a language selection option. Kudos to the design team for thinking about the folks visiting from different countries. 

We also noticed that a several of props in Munich were different from the ones featured in the press photos out of Philadelphia. Not really surprising given that both exhibitions are running at the same time, however it is something to be aware of. A few examples we noticed were: Philadelphia featured a Matterhorn Bobsled attraction vehicle, while Munich featured a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride vehicle. Philadelphia featured the costume Emily Blunt wore in the Jungle Cruise live action film while Munich featured the Rock’s costume. 

I don’t want to bore y’all with all the differences but it is something to be aware of. You wont be gettin the exact same experience in each exhibition. Although they are very similar. Especially since 90% of the art featured in the exhibition are reproductions.

This would also be my little let down, Florians as well. We were hoping to see more originals and reading “reproduction” next to almost every piece of art feels a little strange in this type of otherwise elevated and beautifully put together exhibit. It deserves the originals in our humble opinion. 

How to Visit
You can check out the Disney100: The Exhibition at the Small Olympic Hall (Kleine Olympiahalle in German) in the Olympic Park in Munich until September 3, 2023. Ticket’s can be purchased over the official website and range in price from 20 to 50 Euro per person, depending on the date of your visit. We wen’t on a Monday, which is when the tickets are most affordable. Monday is a great day to visit because it is fairly quiet and you can really enjoy the items featured in the exhibition. Without all the hustle and bustle of the weekend crowds. 

Overall Disney100: The Exhibition in Munich is worth a visit. You’ll see several beautiful costumes, amazing props, beautiful replicas and experience fantastic themed design. 

Are you planning a visit to Disney100: The Exhibition? Let us know in the comments below. 

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