The Walt Disney Family Museum

This is more focused on Walt Disney the person than on Disney productions, which makes this even more interesting. Seeing Walt's life story, and the struggles he went through, personalized him in a way that isn't done anywhere else. There are plenty of movie clips and sing-alongs too, and a fantastic model of Disneyland. If you're interested in who is behind your favorite characters spend a couple hours here.

This is a must visit for any Disney fan, fan of history or anyone in the San Francisco area looking for a great activity to do. Allow yourself at least 2 hours to properly explore the museum, there is a lot to see, read and learn and you don’t want to miss anything! I recommend buying the tickets online before arrival, but there is the option to buy when you get there. There are several different price options for adults, kids etc. The museum itself is situated in a beautiful red building, close to the Golden Gate Bridge. It has two levels to it. It is wheelchair friendly and also has lifts inside, so you don’t have to take the stairs. The museum takes you through Walt Disney and his family’s past, with historic items from his childhood to adulthood, and takes you through the journey he had to become the famous man everyone knows. You will see the various companies he worked for, his first drawings and designs, all the way up to the creation of Disneyland itself. The museum boasts a massive replica model of Disneyland park which is fascinating to view and admire and there is so much detail shown about the park around it. Overall an incredible visit. I learnt so much I didn’t know about Walt Disney and the history behind the parks and it is a really enjoyable experience. All staff are friendly and professional and there to help you with any questions. The museum is easily accessible by car, with parking right outside, drop off via taxi or walking from nearby.

If you love Disney and are in San Francisco, go to this attraction! We loved learning about the Disney family and how all the magic came to life. Their gift shop had some really great literature available. We were able to mail a post card from the gift shop which was fun and cheap. This is self paced. Outside the museum is a long grassy area overlooking the Golden Gate bridge. Food carts were lined up so we grabbed some lunch after finishing up.

This is a historical museum to understand and learn how Walt Disney came to be. If you're interested in knowledge of cartoons and movement and sound and how it came about, this museum provides a historical timeline. Some people breezed through the museums that I really took the time to read and listen since there is so much to take in. This is not just about Disneyland, but the birth of animation in addition to sound music and historical actors, artists, and entertainment as a whole. I didn't realize how much influence he had in other areas of cinema.

This was an excellent visit. Came with a friend from the area but hadn't been here. Cost was $25 a person. Staff was friendly. I am from Central Florida near Disney World and been there several times. I enjoy Disney movies but am not a Disney enthusiast. The museum was very well done. I enjoyed the cases at awards at the beginning especially the Oscars as I am a movies fan. I liked that they started with his grandparents and parents. Throughout the museum they include timelines of his history and historical events. Walt Disney's story and accomplishments are told really well. There is a lot of technical detail on how he and his crew upgraded movie making over the years. The museum is a standard looking museum for awhile but then we were spit out into this multi level room with screens, trains and fun displays that made me feel like I was in a room at an earlier Disney world. There is an animatronic parrot. The end bit about his death tugged the heart strings. Very much enjoyed our visit.

As a family of lifelong Disney fans, visiting the Walt Disney Family Museum was an incredibly meaningful and memorable experience for us. From the moment we walked in, we were immersed in the inspiring journey of Walt Disney’s life from his humble beginnings to the creation of the magic that shaped generations. The exhibits were thoughtfully laid out, filled with original artwork, rare footage, personal letters, and detailed models that gave us a deeper appreciation for Walt not just as a visionary, but as a person. We especially loved the multi-plane camera demonstration and the massive Disneyland model it truly brought the magic to life in a way we hadn't seen before. The museum strikes the perfect balance between being educational and emotionally touching. It gave us a whole new perspective on the creativity, perseverance, and heart that built the Disney legacy. One important tip: the museum is only open Thursday through Sunday, so make sure to plan your visit accordingly. If you're a Disney fan, this is an absolute must-visit. It’s not just about the company it’s about the man behind the dream, and we walked away feeling even more inspired and connected to the

One of my favorite museums. There is so much to see, read, and experience. I went for a special exhibit of Mary Blair's work and it was so wonderfully curated. Too many people think her career was just Small World, and that was such a tiny part of her legacy. I loved seeing the Maxwell House coffee ad she had done. Such a beautiful collection and the presentation was worth crossing the country for.

We had SUCH nice time! This place can help take you back. Unfortunately, The Magic Kingdom now only exists in the hearts and minds of those of us old enough to have experienced it, before it became “Walmart with rides”.

I love the Walt Disney Family Museum. We visited on a Saturday and it was very busy. It feels like a Disney place from the moment you are greeted at the front entrance. The entry area is filled with memorabilia and even if you don't buy a ticket, it's worth looking around in that area and the gift shop. We bought tickets and spent 4 hours enjoying every exhibit! After we left, we realized that each of us had seen different things. We could go back and spend another 4 hours The exhibits were beautifully curated, and they wove a really nice story of Walt and his talents, businesses, and family life. The museum is in the Presidio, and I recommend walking around the area and enjoying Tunnel Tops Park while you're here.

Approaching the building entrance, one would never guess just how enormous the inside is. After perusing the rows and rows of shelves filled with awards I just had to inquire if Mr Disney had any additional awards not shown here. A staff member told me the display's totaled only a quarter of his awards received. Wow, just wow. If you think you know everything there is to know about Walt Disney and his family simply by visiting one of the Disneyland parks, then you are seriously mistaken. This place is a must see destination. We spent about 5 hours walking around, reading, watching the videos, sitting and taking it all in. Even after all that time I knew there was more to see that I hadn't gotten to yet. This museum was made possible by Diane Disney Miller. The daughter of Walt Disney.

Although I knew the Disney family had lots of achievements and ideas, I was still blown away by the extensive history that they managed to fit into a near century. There was free street parking but it could be filled on the weekends. Upon entering, there was the gift shop on the left and museum entry on the right. There was supposed to be a cafe but it wasn't open during my visit. The museum was extremely clean and modern. Alongside written placards, there were animated videos that summarized walls of information. The video clarity and voice acting made the historical background more engaging. The pathways were clear and ADA friendly. Besides videos, there were touch screens to interact with Disney creations and stories. There were various art supplies, video cameras and drafts of notable characters displayed over the two stories. Each room was themed different and occasionally had exclusive interactive activities. My favorite exhibit involved a room sized train and miniature recreation of Disneyland. I took about 1.5 hours walking through everything but I can see others taking twice as long. The historical aspects would be more interesting to adults but there were more children friendly activities downstairs. The gift shop was priced reasonably and I found the merchandise to be unique and designed well. The Walt Disney Family Museum showed history in such a polished manner. I had more fun than expected and it was worth the entry fee.

I found the museum by the accident but it was the most wonderful accident. The staff are great and welcoming. Parking lot is 5 mins away and affordable so you don't have to worry about it. It's a long self tour that you get to experience and learn about Walt Disney and how it came to be. At the end of the tour, they have a small shop. Visiting this museum is a must if you are in San Francisco. Also, the area is safe and well maintained.

I went to this Musuem first opened I went and spent 4 hours here if you read every exhibit like I did. It's a great Musuem of Walt Disney's life and I highly recommend it to people who are big fans of this amazing man and unique creative forward vision that happens once in a life time. People who come thinking this is an amusement park clearly didn't do their homework and shouldn't give negative reviews or complain. Nowadays I just visit once in a while to see the free lobby of all of Walt Disney's trophies and what limited exhibition they have. This time I was finally able to make it to see their 100th Anniversary rotating exhibit with Walt and his wife's passports they used as goodwill ambassadors in their travels. I hope they will bring back all the exhibits they displayed each month because it's been hard to try to drive or take bus out here because it's so inconvenient and far. I really wanted to see the Mouseketeer guitar they had, but couldn't find time to make out there that month. I was also able to catch the limited time free Disneyland attraction poster exhibit in the lower lobby of when Disneyland first opened and promoting the different parts of the park back then. It was really cool and find to see and read about. If you happen to go on a Sunday during the summer, the presido park has food trucks in the field you can buy you lunch and lounge in the grass to enjoy the views which was a nice bonus to my day.

Amazing museum. Very detailed, organized and informative. It was well put together and I enjoyed the all of the visuals. The museum was an overall wonderful experience, and I enjoyed my time. I was there for two hours and I could have used some extra time. Everyone will enjoy this place, you don't have to be a Disney fan to appreciate the experience.

This museum was easily one of the highlights from our trip to San Francisco. A friend at home had told us about it and it was in our itinerary from the beginning but as the time came closer and we were at the point of buying tickets we almost changed our plan. SO GLAD we didn't. This is not about a theme park rather about Walt Disney himself. A 15 gallery exhibit of the struggles he encountered while never losing his dream. This museum is extremely well done and very accessible.

I came in with the expectation that it would be more historical about the animation and movies I grew up with, for some reason, but it was more about the life of Walt Disney. They definitely did a good depiction of Walt well. There is definitely a lot of things to read as you walk through and I think what could be improved is the layout so that you go in order of chronology. I think the best part of this was the special exhibit that featured cats and dogs of Disney which to me was more family oriented than the main museum which is more geared towards adults. There's a lot of memorabilia which is cool but it's definitely not a museum that you can coast through and from the standpoint of a child I could see it as not being quite so fun. The price is a little expensive for what it is but definitely good to go once at least. The highlight was a full model of Disneyland near the end of the museum.

After being gifted a NARM Reciprocal Membership (which the Walt Disney Family Museum falls under) I was incredibly excited to finally visit this museum (after visiting just their gift shop more than a handful of times). It really did not let me down. If you're a Disney fan or a fan of the old style of animation (which the honey is) you will love how many old sketches and reels and interviews fill this larger than is seems museum. Beyond having a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge, it also holds some original plans and art for Disneyland, as well as a miniature model of the original park. It is a family museum, so you do see quite a few walls of family photographs and memories, but I found even those interesting - such different hairstyles and clothing and mundane snapshots of someone who impacted our culture so significantly. All in all, the museum was absolutely more than expected and you could easily spend several hours inside if you're a Disney fan. Definitely a must-do if you're in the area.

I was surprised by this place! It's actually way longer than I expected, I would recommedn about 3 hrs at this place. We were here for 2 hrs and it wasn't enough time....so many interesting facts and cool to see the history of everything! Great place for an activity to do with the fam!

This is a really well-done museum that gives you lots of info and history, shows many cool artifacts from Walt's life and work. It's all arranged chronologically so by the end you really feel like you learned the story of the man. The interactive stations were great, as was the scavenger hunt for kids.

As a big ol' Disney kid, this spot captured my heart! I had a great time learning about the Disney family and following the journey of Walt himself through the years. This museum was beautiful, clean, and loaded with so much new information to consume. There even was an exhibit for the first known drawing of Mickey Mouse himself! The Family Museum did a great job of capturing that Disney magic and having plenty of photo-worthy spots to stop and enjoy. We also added on the Cats & Dogs exhibition and loved The Lady and The Tramp photo opportunity! It made for such a wonderful visit in a beautiful part of San Fran. I will def be back and recommend this location to those that are kids at heart still, families, and looking to follow the journey of a man that's brought so much wonderment to our lives!

As someone who did a year long report in 6th grade on Walt Disney himself, I have always enjoyed this museum and was happy to see the happy feeling still held after our recent family trip. Big bonus that the museum is part of the NARM reciprocal network as well! A museum about Walt and his family and historical impact rather than the Disney characters/conglomeration itself, the Walk Disney Family Museum is beautifully presented and organized, leading you through the chronology of Walt's life and impact. There is just enough interactivity (and of course cartoons on screens) to be entertaining even for our 3 and 5 year old. We learned a lot about the history of the movie industry and animation and had a wonderful time casually perusing over 2 hours on a Sunday morning. Easy parking and close dining (see Dalida) are certainly a plus!

One of a kind museum that gives you the broad unknown history behind Walt Disney family struggles to make a dream and company a reality to what it became today. Worth taking the kids and the admission price

If your a Disney fan this is a must visit. We loved it!!! It has a fantastic gift shop as well with exclusive items and a small cafe

I came here last week with my special day class SDC. It was super easy to take MUNI here and back to school. We had two tour guides to escort us through the museum. They divided our class into two group. They modified the tour and also gave us a mini art class and they also modified the art project and catered it to fit the needs the students could do! They were so accommodating to us as we are a mod/severe class and various needs. I am so grateful to the staff for taking such good care of us all! They even made the whole day into two shorter tours and lunch in between. It was perfect!

I've been to this museum maybe two or three times now! All 3 kids have enjoyed it each time. As a Disney adult I really appreciate having this museum so close to home , well at least within reasonable driving distance. I love how they also have pop up exhibits. I recently enjoyed the cats and dogs one! Can't wait to go back soon!

I've always been a big disney fan! It was a blast learning about the life if Walt Disney. There's a lot to look at here. Not sure if kids would enjoy it as much since it's mainly reading and pictures to look at with a few props and videos. If you're a slow reader like me and you want to stop and enjoy every picture and video then probably plan on at least 2 hours here.

Got a San Francisco Citypass and saw this museum was on the list. Decided to make it a stop since we were going by the Presidio anyways. Our 3 attraction Citypass costs as much as admission alone to the Exploratorium and ferry tour. So this could be visited for "free". But was pleasantly surprised to see how much was in this museum and it's worth normal admission price for Disney or art fans. There are exhibits covering Walt Disney's entire life from childhood but also many behind the scenes displays on Disney animation, production process, movies, and the build of Disneyland. The gift shop even sells some books, pins, and merch that can't be found in parks. There is a snack shop on site but it's pretty small and looked more like a coffee counter than a cafeteria. But the bathrooms are clean and makes a great first stop before picnicing on the grass lawn of the Presidio park, which is right out front.

This whole experience was a phenomenal time, I wish I could've spent a little bit more time. The amount of detail is incredible, and it's a really immersive experience. Some sections felt like going through a Disney dark ride, and really invoked the magic of Disney. All while being incredibly informative, engaging, and fueled by passion. The pacing felt really nice and I really took the time to read through everything. Even if someone didn't want to read all that much, the presentations would do an amazing job alone still conveying each story.

This is an iconic place to walk back in time to learn Walt Disney's journey to create the Magic Kingdom. Lots of memorabilia to engross yourself in with listening experiences of individuals involved. To see all the awards and Disney art displayed as you gained in depth the legacy. The area is nice as well to enjoy after. Worth it!

We had so much fun learning and being inspired by Disney and his love for art. A new admiration for his journey to discovering a new workd of animation and theme parks that would change the world forever. His vision that has touched us all in one way or another has me in awe and amused at the same time. I also learned about his family! Bring the kids or have a date night! I even walked away with a shopping spree from their gift shop lol military gets in free

We loved this museum! We just went to the main section and not the special exhibits. My kids are small and they still enjoyed wandering around. We also loved the presidio where it was located.

For any Disney fanatic, the Walt Disney Family Museum is an amazing archive filled with so much Disney knowledge and history. We had a Go-City Pass so the museum was part of the pass. Relatively decent sized and the workers did mention it can take up to 2 hours to see the whole museum. It is clean, and you learn new things about the Disney Family.

Went here yesterday with some friends and it not only met, but exceeded my expectations. From the outside the museum looks small and you think I'd take like 60 mins to go through. But looks are deceiving. The amount of family history, artifacts, and care to curate the life of Walt Disney is amazing and intriguing. To see the way he was encouraged to dive into his passions, early sketches, get shipped off to the war effort with the Red Cross right before turning 17, the failures and great successes of Walt, etc. Highly recommend doing this museum. Plus it's in such a beautiful area of San Francisco in the Presidio with great views of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge.

Such a cute place to visit with family! We visited during the Cats & Dogs special exhibit and we loved it. Parking was a hit or miss but it's all about timing! We were able to secure a stall after waiting for 5 minutes. On the plus side, it was a holiday so parking was free :) Staffs were very nice and helpful and gave us pointers on which exhibit to start first. You will be amazed by everything in here! Don't forget to stop by the gift shop too :)

Cameras (no flash) are allowed, so I shared some (but not all) of the incredible displays showing the amazing creations of Walt Disney. Extremely well done presentation, in chronological order, of Walt Disney 1901-1966. His life, philosophical thoughts and creations are displayed, with various high technology techniques. Entertaining learning and very reasonable in cost ($20 Seniors). The gift store has high quality, expensive items relative to other tourist sites. The cafe has expensive minimal snacks. The 4 food trucks in the parking lot area, were perfect for lunch! Dogs allowed in the grass yard space. Truly enjoyed this presentation. Much more available, than I was able to share.

This is a quality, thorough and interesting museum, however we experienced INFORMATION OVERLOAD! I can't fault the museum, but I can't really say I overly enjoyed the experience since there was so much to take in. I feel it could be greatly simplified. There is a LOT of reading and after a while we were like 'how much more?!!' Despite finding the story about Walt's life and how Disneyland came to be interesting, I started to feel delirious and skipped bits after about three quarters of the way through. A couple of interesting aspects that stood out were a model of Walt's apartment, an early model of Disneyland and samples of paint colors that are used. (Do not however, hover your camera/phone above the Disneyland model as you will be told off by a staff member!) The museum is housed in a lovely brick building with a cafe and a gift shop. Staff are dressed in formal red and black uniforms and are polite, just like you'd expect at any Disney experience. We purchased our timed ticket on-line before our San Francisco trip and arrived at the museum a few minutes early by ride share. Due to the timed ticket, the galleries weren't too busy. I would suggest going early in the day since there's so much to digest. I would not recommend this museum for children younger than 12, due to the sheer amount of detailed reading and information.

This review is mostly for the dogs and cat exhibit.The exhibit is in the Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall you can follow the stickers. I love visiting this place whenever I visit NorCal. There's plenty stuff to look at and it's perfect for family and dates.

This is a must for any Disney fan but even non Disney people would find it very interesting. Located in the Presidio, street parking (hard to find on weekends though- give yourself enough time before your reservation time). Make your time slot reservations and buy tickets online. It's $20 for adults, $15 for youths 17 and below. So worth the ticket prices! We got the regular admission but there are add ons for special exhibitions. There are two stories of many rooms/galleries so give yourselves lots of time - at least 2 hours. Unfortunately we underestimated the time and had to rush thru the last 5 galleries. The pièce de résistance is a scale model of the entire original park. Wow! Of course there's a gift shop- books, clothing. Pricey. Had a great time! But not really for younger kids.

I knew about this museum but have never came around to coming here but finally have, yay! This museum has not been around for that long in the Bay Area, think maybe it's been open for around 10 years now? It's located in the presidio in SF. Ah parking, you cannot avoid not paying for parking here, even on the streets you are required to pay for parking at any time but if you are going to spend hours at the museum and around the presidio, it is worth it. Tickets have to be bought online and it's discounted for student, etc. you show the ticket outside and they let you into the entrance of the museum into the building. You can easily spend hours here which we easily did! So much history of Walt Disney and his family and Disney animation across the timeline! There's a lot to learn about, bunch of interactive sections, and lots of neat memorabilia to look at! They even have a miniature Disneyland in there! (The original Disneyland before the updates to the park)! Also the gift shop is a must go! They have exclusive Walt Disney Museum merch such as pins and much more! I couldn't leave without picking up something :) Totally worth going! Not too much for young kids but more for adults!

Lots of interesting information about Walt Disney and his life from his early days to when he created Mickey Mouse. Once tour is over there is a gift shop with lots of Disney trinkets.

A must see for Disney History Enthusiast in a really cool location in the SE edge to The Presidio.

Very hot and stuffy in the museum today . I wouldn't suggest going until they fix this issue.

Finally found time to visit the Disney museum. I went on Labor Day in 2023. It was not crowded. I made a reservation online the day of. Great museum. Cafe was a disappointment. Only cold drinks and snacks. Lucky for us there were food trucks just across the green. I believe they are there on weekends. Also a nice day so many people hanging out on the green having a picnic. Also tables on the porch of the museum where you can eat a meal.

As a Disney fanatic, I knew I had to visit this museum during my San Francisco trip. I booked my time slot and bought tickets online on their website. I'm not sure if you can purchase in person. The museum is pretty big. I was there for about 2 hours. Very informative and interesting details on the early life of Walt Disney, how he started his animation work, the creation of the Disney characters, the Disney movies, building Disneyland, and so much more! Only negative aspect would be I feel $30 is a little steep but I understand it's San Francisco and it's something Disney related, 2 expensive places. I don't normally go to museums so I don't know what a typical museum entrance fee is, maybe that's a normal fee. They do have student, military, and senior discount. So if you're any of those, that will help save you some money. Regardless of the price, I still had a good time and I think any Disney fan will appreciate this museum.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is a tour through the life, times and artistic/ business accomplishments of Mr. Disney. They have some incredibly interesting, rare and fascinating pieces that you won't find anywhere else. The museum winds you around exhibits in chronological order of Walt's life which includes pinpointing the highlights in the creation of his beloved cartoons. Original artwork, original paints, scripts, awards, tchotchkes and merchandise line the walls of this building which appears much larger on the inside than the outside would you have you think. I think perhaps my favorite piece is the scale model of early Disneyland; so cool. The museum is non-profit, meticulously kept and equally educational and fun. We spent a good 90 minutes here but two hours is definitely conceivable.

Great Place for Disney Fans & History! The exhibit itself is pretty awesome from seeing Disney's old animation styles, memorabilia, & collectibles! Pretty simple walk through Ikea-Style where you're guiding through most of your experience, photography is welcome, & theres a gift shop near the end. Went with a couple of friends, but even for big time Disney Fans, we felt it'd be much more enjoyable to go to Downtown Disney. Overall it was a cool experience, but definitely a one and done type of deal.

Price range: expensive admission fee! You'll have to pay for parking unless you Uber (which you'll have to pay either way). To consider: there is a whole lot to look at so be prepared to be there for at least 2 hours! Shoutout(s): to all the history. I loved getting to know Walt a little deeper. Such an inspiring human! Location review: beautiful. There are many parts where you can see the golden gate. It's 100% a blessing to have experienced the magic of Walt while overlooking golden gate. Service: the people there are pretty chill... until it's close to closing. Trust me, they'll be as politely pushy as possible. I get it though, people want to go home LOL. Expectations: I expected to pay a hefty admission fee, and I did. Improvements: maybe lower the admission a bit. I know a lot more people would attend if the price was slightly lower. Last words: if you're into Disney, you HAVE TO go here. If you're traveling SF for the first time, maybe skip this. If you're a local and have never been, what are you waiting for?! This was truly an inspiring experience.

Parking is convenient parallel and free on the street. Tickets were ok we had student discounts. Customer service was nice. Cute gift shop and cafe too. Not a long wait to check in. Entire museum took about 2 hours to go through. just not what we expected....we thought it was family friendly disney fun after reading online about this place but instead it was pure informational academia about Walt disney himself and his life which made the ticket price seem not so worth it anymore. my disney die hard friends in our group were really disappointed. cool i guess but not coming back. :)

When you wish upon a star.... Nice museum to visit to learn more about the life of Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse, Snow White and more. From the entry filled with a replica of Disney's office in Disneyland and countless awards and recognitions to priceless family memorabilia, it was so interesting to learn about the man and family behind the mouse. Take time to explore the awards room. Loved being able to see the famous Academy Award for Snow White with the seven mini statuettes for each of the seven dwarfs. Over two hundred awards are displayed including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and an award from the Girl Scouts. Did you know that Walt Disney served during WWI? He actually had to lie about his age because he was a year too young to enlist. His mother, Flora, forged his papers to allow him to serve after his father, Elias, refused. From Oswald to Mickey Mickey and the Silly Symphonies, it was so interesting to see the inspiration for early animation that ultimately led to full animated feature films. Today, it seems so common, but many called Snow White, which took four years to produce at a cost of $1.5 million dollars, Disney's Folly. Instead, Snow White was a hit and earned an unprecedented $6.5 million dollars, the highest grossing sound film in 1938 and an Academy Award. From Pinocchio to Dumbo to Marry Poppins, it was nice to explore the storyboards and models that led to these Disney classics. It's a Small World After All... Looking at the models for Disneyland, the original E-ticket books and a torch from the Olympics were also interesting. Stop by the bookstore to see animation books signed by many of the Nine Old Men. Make a reservation to visit the museum that is housed in the historic Presidio barracks. The timed entries do fill up and they are strict with the entry times. Admission is $25. We used our reciprocal NARM/ROAM passes for entry.

This is definitely worth a visit for any Disney fans. The museum has many exhibits. The first floor has an exhibit about Walt's early life and his family. Then an elevator takes you upstairs where there's an exhibit for Alice (a character created before Mickey), Oswald, then Mickey, Snow White, Pinocchio, Bambi, etc. The Disneyland exhibit takes you back downstairs. There's a gift shop next to the cafe.

I love coming up to San Francisco to visit this museum and learn about the legend, Walt Disney. It is always fascinating and I learn something new each time I come. However, the gift shop though, I find everything there mostly to be expensive. But the main reason why I do not give it a perfect 5 stars is because of a simple scenerio- let's imagine for once we are children and our parents say we are going to the Disney family museum on a trip. We are excited as we think of Disneyland and Disneyworld. Wow, it must be just as exciting as the amusement parks, right?!? We get there and we ask our parents, where are the rides? There are none, and of course there would not be. Yes, this museum welcomes all ages but its basis is on exhibits and learning about the man behind the mouse. Not that this is not a wonderful museum and worth seeing but if you are looking for an amusement park atmosphere, this is not it. But if you want a relaxing experience learning about Disney history, then this is the place to be. Still a must for Disney fanatics! I also am surprised that this museum has not delved into the various World's Fairs in history that influenced Walt Disney. Nor, does it delve into his fascination with other amusement parks he visited like Playland at the Beach in San Francisco or the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk which I read, he once offered to buy. Nor, I have seen any information or exhibits about the town he spent his childhood year in and which downtown Main Street in Disneyland Resort was based on - Marceline Missouri. Where my grandmother knew him when they were children. If you really want to know what drives people to be successful and follow their dreams, you need to know what influenced them in the first place.

You have to be a Walt Disney fan (as I/we are) to really understand this wonderful museum! What a great way to learn about the talented Genius that was Walt, his contributions to the world of film and entertainment! You can't go wrong with a lovely day at the presidio, enjoying this museum and learning about the man, the myth the legend Walt Disney!

This museum is about the history of Walt Disney. I went with my family to this museum in San Francisco.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is located in San Francisco and not in Anaheim, California or Orlando, Florida like you would expect. This museum is located in the Presidio of San Francisco and is not affiliated with Disney by the way. This museum first opened in 2009, in San Francisco because of Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller. After Diane's husband, Ron Miller, had served as CEO of Walt Disney (in Burbank) from 1978- 1983, they moved to San Francisco. Diane had kept so many things of her father's and moved them all with her when she moved up here into a warehouse in the Presidio. Which is why this family museum is in San Francisco. To visit this museum, it is required that you purchase timed tickets online. Tickets are $25 per person or $20 for students/seniors. We were lucky to find free parking. My husband and I arrived on a Thursday and were greeted by an employee outside, asked to take a disinfectant wipe before entering. Then when we came in, we were asked to get hand sanitizer from the machine. Also after the exhibit, we were asked to get hand sanitizer from the machine when entering the gift shop. I think it seemed a bit of an overkill for asking us to get sanitizer so many times, especially after using the disinfectant wipe to open the door to enter the building. Anyways, this museum offers a lot of information about Walt Disney and how he eventually birthed the idea of creating and opening Disneyland and Disney World. You are taken on a timeline that also gives you a glimpse of his family. What I really do love specifically about this museum is that it does not skimp on both the successes and failures of Walt Disney. This museum doesn't end like it does in the Disney movies where there is a happy ending and that things are always wonderful. But you really do get to see both the challenges and struggles that Walt Disney had to overcome. With this museum sharing the beginning and end of Walt Disney, I just wanted to mention a few things that I thought were really interesting. When he was about 17, Walt wanted to enlist in the war (WWI). His father was against it but his mother thought it would be good so that she at least knew where he would be instead of running off somewhere else. So she signed the paper to let him enlist. However, Walt was 1 year shy of being able to join and ended up forging the date of his birth on his birth certificate (showing he was born in 1900 instead of 1901) so that he could join. He ended up driving the ambulance car for the Red Cross. While he served, he had discovered the Strasbourg clock (located inside the Cathedral in Alsace, France), which ended up being the inspiration of a notable backdrop in It's a Small World ride at Disneyland. It was very interesting to see how Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse and how the idea of Mickey Mouse was passed on by companies to back him (how I am sure they had regretted that). It was also interesting to learn how Walt eventually came up with the idea of Mickey, with some input from his wife, Lillian Disney. Lillian was a secretary at the Disney Studio when she met Walt. Sadly she had suffered 2 miscarriages before Diane was born and then 1 more after her. It was advised that Lillian and Walt adopt, which was why Sharon was adopted. Initially Walt Disney wanted to open a theme park in Burbank, by the Disney Studios. But realized it was too small to build one there and found a site in Anaheim to be the perfect size. July 17, 1955 was when it finally opened. The funny thing about opening day was that Walt Disney had described it as "Black Sunday" due to numerous of problems (basically a nightmare that you wouldn't see in any of the theme parks today). Some of those problems included rides not operating, lumber left out in plain sight, newly poured asphalt that morning, which was not set completely so women who wore high heels could sink into it (lol). As it comes as no surprise, the press only had very negative things to say. July 17, 1955 was actually the preview day for the press and celebrity friends of Walt and others that he had invited to check out the park before opening to the public on July 18. But July 17 is the official date that is celebrated as Disneyland's birthday. On this preview day, about 28,000 people had attended this event but it was estimated that half of those people were invited. The other half had purchased counterfeit tickets or snuck into the park by climbing over the fence. Walt Disney had died of lung cancer in December 15, 1966. Unfortunately, he was a heavy smoker when he was younger. He passed away before Disney World could open, which included EPCOT, but his brother, Ray, took over the construction of the park. There is so much more that I left out but this museum was incredibly informative and very interesting. My husband and I ended up being here for 3 hours but can see how you could spend more time here. I would recommend at least planning 2- 3 hours for your visit

Likes: interesting facts about the history of Disney. Gift shop is neat. Love the model of Disneyland. Also right next to presidio so you can go to the tunnel tops afterward or grabs a bite from a food truck and picnic on the cool red lawn chairs. Dislikes: I remember it being more fun and interesting last time I visited. This time the rooms felt darker and the exhibits different from before

- Any Disney fan from NorCal needing a fix ought to take the time, and visit. A hidden gem within The Presidio in SF, the Disney Family Museum is a wonderful place to learn about the Man himself, from his ups to his many downs. As one of the biggest fans in my family, I was gifted a ticket as a present for my recent birthday, and my first and only visit to the museum did not disappoint. The museum is filled with many nostalgic tidbits that add to the magical lore of Disney - revealing such secrets here would rob many visitors of certain surprises awaiting them the moment they walk through the door. For curious travelers drawn in by the words of my review, I highly recommend checking the website often for updated information on upcoming exhibits that may pique one's interest. There are also available memberships for those who may want a chance to experience the museum on a constant basis. All in all, this was a great experience, and one I encourage those with vivid imaginations to have on their To Visit list moving forward.

Highly recommend if you're a Disney fan! The museum recently reopened, and you must purchased tickets online for specific entry times. To avoid the crowd, I decided to come at 10am on Thursday. The staff was courteous and following safety measures. When you enter, you get a stylus and earphones for the interactive exhibits. Although there were a handful of other patrons, I essentially had the whole place to myself. From Disney's early upbringing to the treasure troves of memorabilia, I was mesmerized by both the progress in his career and in the technology behind animation. Didn't realized some of the classics were made almost a century ago! A fun and engaging place to spend a quiet morning.