Dreaming Tree Gala

Posted by the Walt Disney Hometown Museum:

Patty and Mike Peraza Keynote Speakers

We welcome you to the 3rd annual Dreaming Tree Gala, supporting and raising funds for the Walt Disney Hometown Museum.  In 2019 we returned to beautiful Walt Disney World, to celebrate in the American Pavilion located in the heart of the EPCOT World Showcase.  Our keynote speakers were Mike and Patty Peraza. It was a night filled with amazing Disney stories, surprise visits and of course spectacular fireworks.

      

For many of us, Patty and Mike Peraza’s film and television credits are the very foundation of our childhood. From The Fox and the Hound to TRON, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast… The Black Cauldron to DuckTales and Goof Troop, their unique talents at an animation desk helped expand our own youthful imaginations and given many of fond memories of our childhood.

On Sunday October 6, 2019, Mike and Patty combined their talents for a nostalgic night of hilarious, magical and warm reminiscences of 80 combined years at Disney, set in the stunning and majestic rotunda of the American Adventure Pavilion in EPCOT. Among the treats they shared was a wonderful documentary they created for the event entitled, "Walking in Walt's Footsteps". It combined many photos of Walt's life we had never seen before with new animated segments they drew that were delightful!

The "Imagineering" documentary by the Peraza's

Mike and Patty on stage at the American Adventure Rotunda

Walt Level Table guests were treated to a private pre-gala cocktail party set on the shores of World Showcase Lagoon. Then we returned to the rotunda to enjoy Mike and Patty's talk. We enjoyed their reminiscences and photos from their films and park work over 40 years.  They also included a peek at the "Imagineering" documentary they have been working on and other exciting projects.

After dinner all of our guests retired to the stunning Italy Isola for a private viewing of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Located in the Italy Pavilion, Italy Isola can be reached by crossing over a grand staircase that matches the beautiful architecture of the piazza. This private, exclusive area allows attendees to overlook the World Showcase Lagoon and enjoy a magical evening under the stars.

We love being spoiled by our friends at Walt Disney World, and we were very excited to return to Florida for the second time in our brief gala history. Disney knows how to do things right!