What’s it like inside the Walt Disney Archives’ warehouses?
This past summer at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa®, Walt Disney Archives: Uncrated gave fans a glimpse at the treasures hidden inside the Archives’ warehouse. While the working warehouses are not open to the public, at the multi-day celebration in Anaheim, Calif., fans got to explore themed displays featuring shipments of iconic costumes, props, and more from beloved films, television series, and theme parks, divided into six areas: Sitcom, Fashion, Disney Channel, The Muppets, Sci-Fi, and Magical Relics. With more than 200 artifacts on display, spanning nearly every corner of The Walt Disney Company, Uncrated was the largest showcase the Archives has ever presented at a D23 event.
In the video above, Kelsey Williams, Manager, Exhibitions, at the Walt Disney Archives, revealed it took 10 months from ideation to execution. The goal was to give fans a chance “to get an up-close look at some pieces that the Archives have never shown before,” she added.
In celebration of American Archives Month, take a look at how it all came together.
Something New to Discover at Every Turn
Guests entered the exhibition through the Sitcom area, where the very same truck that delivered items from the Archives’ real-world warehouses was parked. Its cargo area housed several rare or never-before-displayed items from popular programs such as Dinosaurs (1991–1994), How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014), and Modern Family (2009–2020). Additional items from Ugly Betty (2006–2010), Glee (2009–2015), New Girl (2011–2018), and Fresh Off the Boat (2015–2020) were exhibited in moving boxes as if they were fresh off the film set.
Just past the metal “warehouse doors,” the Fashion area highlighted trendy pieces from The Devil Wears Prada (2006) and The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) — including Andy Sachs’ iconic cerulean sweater and sweater vest. The forever fashionable Cruella De Vil was also fêted in suitably grand style, with accessories, apparel, footwear, furniture, sketches, and more from 101 Dalmatians (1996), 102 Dalmatians (2000), and Cruella (2021) featured.
On the opposite side of the Fashion section was Disney Channel, which offered fans the best of both worlds with items from Hannah Montana (2006–2011) and the High School Musical franchise (2006–2008), both of which are celebrating 20th anniversaries in 2026. While some of those some artifacts have toured the world, the piano from the Hannah Montana set “is actually one of the newest acquisitions of the Walt Disney Archives,” Williams said.
The first item to be uncrated onstage was the red Light Cycle from TRON: Ares (2025), which was soon after relocated to the Sci-Fi section. There, it was situated among artifacts from the Disney Parks film Captain EO (1986–1998) and feature films such as Flubber (1997), Bicentennial Man (1999), and Disney’s Inspector Gadget films. “In Sci-Fi, we have pieces from each of the TRON films,” Williams said. “We also have every jet pack in the Archives’ collection.”
Filled with tall crates and shrouded in mystical lighting, the nearby Magical Relics section housed the most enchanting objects in the Archives’ collection — including the Times Square manhole cover from Enchanted (2007). “Here you’ll find, for the first time ever, every magic wand in our collection,” Williams said. But that wasn’t all. With items from classic films such as Mary Poppins (1964) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) to recent releases such as Maleficent (2014) and Aladdin (2019), the Magical Relics area kept fans spellbound all weekend long.
As a self-proclaimed huge fan of The Muppets, Williams said she was thrilled to showcase the beloved characters in their own section. The timing couldn’t have been better, as Muppet Treasure Island (1996) is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026. The colorful, silly section not only featured items from The Muppet Show (1976–1981), The Muppet Movie (1979), and The Muppets (2011), but it also featured recent acquisitions from the film attraction Muppet*Vision 3D (1991–2025) — such as Miss Piggy’s Statue of Liberty crown.
Memories That Will Last a Lifetime
In the center of the exhibition, a live stage experience invited fans to help select which mystery box or crate would be opened next. Each reveal uncovered a surprise from the Walt Disney Archives’ collection, showcasing rarely seen artifacts as staff members shared fun facts and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, offering a unique look at how each item became part of the collection. “We called it Uncrated for a reason,” Williams said, adding, “No two presentations are the same — so there’s no better place to be, all weekend long.”
The onstage element often elicited emotional responses, like when a jetpack from The Rocketeer (1991) brought one cosplayer to tears. And that’s because the archivists created an unforgettable experience for fans, bringing them even closer to the characters and stories they love — and doing it in a way that only The Walt Disney Company can. “Collect, preserve, and share — that’s our mission here at the Walt Disney Archives,” Williams shared. “And at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan event, we did just that — one crate a time.”
