Ron Logan, who was responsible for revolutionizing live entertainment for The Walt Disney Company, died Tuesday, August 30, in Orlando, Florida. He was 84 years old.
From a starting point of simple marching bands and costumed characters, Logan delighted Disney Guests with spectacles, fireworks, music spectaculars, and Broadway-style stage musicals, at Disney Parks worldwide, and beyond.
His Beginnings
Logan was born in 1938 in Leavenworth, Kansas, and moved to California to attend UCLA.
It was during this time that he began his career at Disneyland as a trumpet player, and also played with the fanfare trumpets as part of the Disney-produced pageantry for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California.
In 1978, Ron moved to Florida as Walt Disney World music director. He returned to Disneyland in 1980 as the Park’s director of entertainment, and, in 1982, went back to Walt Disney World as vice president of entertainment. In 1987, he was promoted to vice president of creative show development for all of Walt Disney Attractions.
The Ultimate Disney Showman
His last role with TWDC was as executive vice president, executive producer, for Walt Disney Entertainment.
In this position, Logan was responsible for creating, casting, and producing all live entertainment products for The Walt Disney Company, including Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Resort Paris, The Disney Institute, Disney Business Productions, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Entertainment Productions, and Walt Disney Entertainment Worldwide.
Ron was instrumental in the productions of “Fantasmic!” (Disneyland, 1992; Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 1998), “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!” (Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 1989), “Festival of the Lion King” (Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, 1998), “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” (Disneyland Paris, 1992), and so many more.
He produced all live entertainment shows for the Disney Parks worldwide, as well as five Super Bowl halftime shows, and authored “Walt Disney Entertainment: A Retrospective Look,” a written resource documenting the evolution of Walt Disney Entertainment from 1955 through 2000.
Building on the success of live theme park stage shows, Ron and his team pitched the idea of a “Beauty and the Beast” Broadway show to leadership, and the same team that produced the “Beauty and the Beast” stage show at Disneyland helped to create the Broadway version.
This led to the establishment of Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, where Ron served as president for the early years of Disney on Broadway.
Logan’s Disney Parks resume:
His Later Years
Although he retired from The Walt Disney Company in 2001, Logan continued to pursue activities in music and theater around the world.
He was named a Disney Legend in 2007, and rightly so.
He is also immortalized on a window for the Main Street Music Co. on Main Street U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom:
“Ron Logan, Leading the Band into a New Century.”
Our condolences go out to Ron Logan’s family and friends. Do you have a favorite show of his? Let us know in the comments.