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Joe  Lanzisero

Joe Lanzisero

Former Senior Vice President, Walt Disney Imagineering 

Joe Lanzisero

Former Senior Vice President, Walt Disney Imagineering 

Biography

Joe’s creative career can simply be described as magical. A spectacular journey with 37 years at Disney, Joe began as an animator and worked his way up to the top of Imagineering. He’s served as creative lead on over $9B in built projects to date including Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland, Toy Story Land, Mystic Point, Grizzly Gulch at Hong Kong Disneyland, and dozens of classic Disney rides, shows, and attractions in the parks and aboard Disney Cruise Ships.

Two-time TEA award winner and recipient of the Disneyana Fan Club’s Disney Legend Award, Joe Lanzisero is a true celebrity in the world of Themed Entertainment. Lanzisero studied at CalArts alongside Tim Burton, John Lasseter, Brad Bird and other luminaries of animation and film before becoming a Disney animator in the early 1980s.

Actively involved in the UX world Joe is a sought-after keynote speaker at conferences around the globe. His 40-year career creating unique experiences makes him a highlight on any speaker panel. Audiences instantly connect to Joe’s colorful presentations as he’s able to connect his unique insight into the magical world of Disney and Imagineering with the common challenges of designers. An engaging storyteller, Joe always leaves his audience with a sense of empowerment, a new perspective and of course a smile.

Today, Joe is a designer, illustrator, art director and creative director of the very highest caliber, garnering the respect of his peers and serving as an in-demand keynote speaker on the topics of user experience and experience design and speaking to the top creative teams on the journey of the Creative Director.

Speaker Videos

Why Art Matter to UX

Disney Magic Re-Imagining

On Story and Craft in Imagineering

Life As An Imagineer

Speech Topics

Floaters, Swimmers & Divers

Meta What?: The Future of Real-World Entertainment

The Journey of the Creative Director

Fine Tuning the Magic