Disney Wouldn’t Be The Same Without Idaho

While spending the day pretending to work, but instead watching Disney Plus, I started to think about the connections between Disney and Idaho.  Are there any Disney movies set in Idaho?  Has Disney ever done any filming here?  Has anyone from Idaho made it big within the Disney organization?  The answers surprised me because I wasn’t expecting there to be such a big tie between the Mouse and the Gem State.   

Movies 

A Goofy Movie 

While it may not have been the most successful Disney movie, Idaho was the basis for 1995’s, “A Goofy Movie,” in which Goofy wants to take his son on a trip to the fictional Lake Destiny, right here in Idaho.  Even though its not a real place, you can still buy T- Shirts from there! 

The Other Side Of Heaven 

This movie from 2001 is about a young Mormon missionary from Idaho, who goes to the South Pacific in the 1950’s.  This is a true story based on a book called, “Eye Of The Storm”. The cast is mostly people you’ve never heard of, but you will see a young Anne Hathaway, who plays Jean Sabin. 

Cartoons 

Potatoland 

This is an episode of the 2013 show, Mickey Mouse.  It stars Mickey, Donald and Goofy who go to a potato themed amusement park in Idaho.  They even pass the “Welcome To Idaho” sign! 

People 

Lillian Disney 

Walt Disney was married in Lewiston, Idaho where his wife, Lillian Bounds was from.  She grew up there, then moved to California with her sister where she got a job at the Disney Studios and met Walt. 

Card Walker 

If you’ve watched The Imagineering Story on Disney Plus, you’re no stranger to the part that Card Walker played in the history of Disneyland and the company itself.  He was even the President and CEO of the Walt Disney Company and he was born in Rexburg, Idaho. 

Aaron Paul 

You know Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad, but the Boise native has also done some work for Disney.  He was the voice of Cyrus on the Disney XD show, Tron: Uprising and he played Tobey in the movie, Need For Speed. 

It’s easy to see that without Idaho and the contributions of Idahoans, Disney probably wouldn’t be the company we know today!