Walt Disney's Gulfstream I To Become Museum Piece

Walt Disney’s former Gulfstream I will go on display at California’s Palm Springs Air Museum following its exhibit in Anaheim at the D23 Expo, the 23rd annual Disney convention.

The twin turboprop that Disney acquired in 1963 flew 277,282 miles back and forth across the country, carrying Walt Disney and his staff before and during the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Additionally, it flew scouting missions to find a suitable location for his Florida theme park that would become Walt Disney World.

Known as The Mouse, the Gulfstream registered as N234MM was in use by the company for 28 years, racking up 20,000 flight hours before it landed in Orlando, Florida, on its final flight and became part of a backlot tour at Disney World. For its first return to California since 1992, the newly-repainted aircraft was recently trucked across the country to its D23 display at the Anaheim Convention Center.

“We are so happy to have Walt’s plane make a ‘landing’ at the Palm Springs Air Museum, just a few miles from where Walt and his family had vacation homes at Smoke Tree Ranch,” said Rebecca Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives. On long-term loan, The Mouse will be the centerpiece of an exhibit that will open on December 5, Walt Disney’s birthday, highlighting its history and significance to the company.