Historic Disney Plane Heads To Palm Springs Air Museum

PALM SPRINGS, CA — The Palm Springs Air Museum will host an exclusive private viewing party Saturday for the Walt Disney's Grumman Gulfstream I plane, which will travel from Anaheim to Palm Springs.

The viewing party will be held at the air museum, 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, at 5:30 p.m. Saturday with drinks and light hors d'ouevres, according to a statement from the air museum. Admission for the general public will be $50.

"We are so happy to have Walt's plane make a `landing' at the Palm Springs Air Museum, just a few miles from where Walt and his family had vacation homes at Smoke Tree Ranch," said Walt Disney Archives director Rebecca Cline. "It is the ideal setting for this incredible icon."

The plane, also known as "The Mouse," will join the air museum's collection display for the general public on Sunday, according to a statement from the air museum. A new exhibit will also be constructed by Dec. 5, Walt Disney's birthday, to highlight the plane's history and its relevance to Palm Springs.

The exhibit of the revamped plane will feature Walt's favorite seat, in which he used to monitor flight conditions, and a telephone handset he used to communicate with the pilot, according to the air museum.

"The Mouse" was initially designed with creative input from Walt and his wife to seat upward of 15 passengers, featuring a kitchen, two restrooms, two couches, a desk and various Mickey Mouse details.

Walt Disney acquired the plane in 1963 and before being grounded, it transported about 83,000 passengers, including former U.S. presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, who frequently visited Palm Springs, according to the air museum. Aircrafts are grounded when they require modification or repair before being for flight again.

Guests who visit the air museum will be able to learn about the plane's role throughout The Walt Disney Company's history, which includes some ties to the desert.
The air museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.