‘Disney100: The Exhibition’ to make its world premiere at the Franklin Institute next year

A whole new world is coming to the Franklin Institute next year, with the premiere of Disney100: The Exhibition, an immersive celebration of the Walt Disney Co.’s 100-year anniversary.

Officials announced Saturday at the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, Calif., that the traveling exhibit will make its first stop in Philly, when it opens Feb. 18.

Please, be our guest.

While details about the exhibit were sparse, a news release from the Franklin said it will span 15,000 square feet and consist of 10 large, themed galleries “with numerous cutting-edge installations” that will allow “guests to step into their favorite stories using innovation and immersive technology.”

“The ten magnificent and imaginatively themed galleries, with moving stories, unique interactive installations, and exciting background information, will take visitors on a journey through 100 years of The Walt Disney Company, celebrating the classics from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Strange World, as well as the latest members of the Disney family — Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic,” the release said.

In other words, this isn’t just the bare necessities.

The exhibit will also feature hundreds of “extraordinary objects” from the Walt Disney Archives, including more than 250 rarely seen original artworks, artifacts, costumes, props, and other memorabilia (no word yet on whether Ariel’s dinglehopper will be on display).

“As we prepare to kick off Disney 100 Years of Wonder, we are incredibly excited to bring this fantastic exhibition to life,” Becky Cline, director of the Walt Disney Archives, said in the release. “We can’t wait for guests to experience their favorite Disney stories, characters, and attractions in new and immersive ways as we celebrate all the wonderful worlds of Disney.”

The exhibit will also feature behind-the-scenes glimpses into the creation of Disney characters, movies, shows, and attractions that have been a part of your world.

“The Franklin Institute is thrilled to host Disney100: The Exhibition, the first major event to mark the global celebration of Disney’s 100 years, allowing fans throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond the very first opportunity to see these crown jewels come to life in beautifully crafted galleries reflecting the creative empire synonymous with imaginative storytelling, innovation, discovery, and wonder,” Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the Franklin, said in the release.

Saturday’s announcement came shortly before the Franklin wraps up its seven-month run of Harry Potter: The Exhibition, on Sept. 18. That exhibit also made its world premiere at the Franklin and has attracted hundreds of thousands of muggles from across the United States and 45 countries. Franklin officials said it was the highest-attended show at the museum since the 2007 King Tut exhibit.

The Disney exhibit is created and curated by Semmel Exhibitions, which put on the Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes exhibit at the Franklin in 2019, and by the Walt Disney Archives, which safeguards items from the Walt Disney Co.’s history the way the Evil Queen safeguards her Magic Mirror.

Ticket presales for the exhibit will begin this fall and the show will run through next summer, said Franklin spokesperson Stefanie Santo.

Then, Philly will have to let it go.

After its premiere here, the exhibit will head on to Chicago, and Kansas City, Mo., as it continues its circle of life. An international unit of the same show will open in April in Munich.

It’s a small world, after all.