Bob Jolley - my 282nd pick to be named a Disney Legend

Imagineer Bob Jolley is my 282nd pick to be named a Disney Legend. Jolley worked at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Jolley first worked as a scenic artist in the movie business, including epic films, such as “Cleopatra” and “The Sound of Music.”

Jolley began his Disney career at at the Walt Disney Studios and moved in 1973 to Walt Disney Imagineering, the division that creates and builds Disney’s theme parks and attractions.

While there, Jolley worked on attractions, such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland, and other projects at the Disneyland Resort and Disney theme parks around the world.

“Bob Jolley became that much admired ‘older brother’ on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, my first Imagineering project to be installed in a Disney park,” said Tony Baxter, senior vice president of creative development at Walt Disney Imagineering.

In the early 1980s, Jolley was the field art director for the World Showcase pavilions in EPCOT at Walt Disney World in Florida. Jolley specialized in show finishes and was considered an expert in aging and graining sets and buildings.

“With his brush, Bob could transport us to new worlds. He was able to express thousands of years of geologic evolution, layers of culture and deep connections to stories from many genres,” said Bob Weis, executive vice president of creative development at Walt Disney Imagineering.