Disney Worldbuilders is ALL About Nostalgia

Leslie Iwerks is on a roll. Earlier this year, Iwerks released Disneyland Handcrafted, and on August 21st, Disney+ began streaming her newest take on Disney history and culture with Disney Worldbuilders. Her newest doc started streaming days after the announcement that there will be more to the much-loved Imagineering Story, with part two coming out in 2028.

Iwerks’ Disney Worldbuilders features screen time with Disney luminaries Bob Iger, Pete Docter, Jon Favreau, Jennifer Lee, Kevin Feige, James Cameron, Dave Filoni, and Jared Bush, with a quick cameo by the new Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro. Nostalgia and its role in world building and career building were center stage. Almost all of them dived into their personal histories and how their childhood dreams and aspirations led them to the roles, making Disney magic and an appreciation for the role of nostalgia in their projects. As Bob Iger stated early in the film, Disney “knew the value in nostalgia and the fine balance between yesterday, today and tomorrow.”

Pete Docter talked about his obsession with his childhood Disneyland visits; Jon Favreau spoke of seeing Star Wars at the age of ten; and Jennifer Lee discussed her love of fairytales with a particular fondness for Cinderella. All these childhood passions seemed as if they changed their DNA and were a key piece of the puzzle of how they ended up where they did.

At 58 minutes, it was a whirlwind visit with these Disney movers and shakers; I personally wanted more. You can see how this could have been turned into a series, with each episode centered on a different world builder, especially since each story was so personal. A gal can dream, but at least we have Imagineering Story 2 to look forward to. Check out the trailer below.