2009 Disney Legends Award Recipients to Be Honored During D23 Expo in Anaheim

Robin Williams, 'The Golden Girls,' and Other Talented Contributors to Disney
History Take Spotlight at Special Presentation on Thursday, Sept. 10

BURBANK, Calif., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oscar(TM)-winning actor
Robin Williams, the extraordinary actresses of The Golden Girls, the voices of
Donald Duck and Goofy, and other incomparable contributors to the Disney
legacy will be honored on Sept. 10 at the 2009 Disney Legends Awards during
the D23 EXPO at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The Disney Legends Awards are a 22-year tradition of The Walt Disney Company,
and the four-day D23 EXPO provides a rare opportunity for the public to watch
the awards presentation. The awards ceremony, hosted by ABC personality Tom
Bergeron, will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10, in the Anaheim
Convention Center Arena. It directly follows a special, one-hour presentation
by Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger that kicks off the first day
of the D23 EXPO - which promises to be the ultimate Disney fan event.

"This year's recipients have had truly indelible influence on the Disney
legacy," Iger said. "Whether on screen or behind the scenes, these 10 men and
women have contributed their talents in countless ways, and we are very
honored to name them as Disney Legends."

The 2009 Disney Legends Award honorees (listed alphabetically) are:

TONY ANSELMO is a Disney animator who, since 1985, has provided the
incomparable (and some would say inimitable) voice of Donald Duck in movies,
cartoons, TV shows and theme-park attractions.

HARRY ARCHINAL is the former president of Buena Vista International, who
helped expand Disney's cinematic presence into regions outside of the U.S. and
Canada, bringing Disney movies to audiences around the world.

BEATRICE ARTHUR brought deadpan comic timing and enormous warmth to the role
of Dorothy Zbornak in The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992, a role that brought
her a second Emmy Award (in addition to an Emmy for Maude). She was also a
Tony Award-winning stage actress and is in the Academy of Television Arts &
Science's Hall of Fame. Note: This award is presented posthumously.

BILL FARMER is an accomplished voice actor whose enormous body of work has
included providing the voice of Goofy since 1986. Farmer has also been the
voice of Pluto and Horace Horsecollar for Disney productions.

ESTELLE GETTY was, in fact, younger than Beatrice Arthur but portrayed her
mother, feisty Sophia Petrillo, in The Golden Girls from 1985 to 1992. She
received an Emmy Award for the role - which she reprised in Golden Palace and
Empty Nest - and was nominated six additional times. Getty was one of the
first recipients of the "In Memoriam" Tony Award for her Broadway stage work.
Note: This award is presented posthumously.

DON IWERKS is the son of Walt Disney's longtime friend and animator Ub Iwerks.
Don Iwerks worked at Disney from 1951 to 1986, and created revolutionary film
systems that were used in movies like Mary Poppins (sodium traveling matte
process) and in such Disney theme park attractions as "CircleVision 360" and
"Star Tours."

RUE McCLANAHAN was honored with an Emmy Award for her hilariously lusty,
warm-hearted role as Blanche Devereaux on The Golden Girls, which she also
repeated on Golden Palace. From 1972 to 1978, McClanahan played opposite
Beatrice Arthur as Vivian on Maude, and also co-starred in Mama's Family. In
addition to her renowned work on TV, on stage and in films, McClanahan is
active in animal-rights, cancer and AIDS organizations.

LEOTA TOOMBS THOMAS was working at Walt Disney Imagineering (then WED
Enterprises) when she served as a model for a new attraction called the
Haunted Mansion. She soon became world-famous as the Mansion's disembodied
Madame Leota. Note: This award is presented posthumously.

BETTY WHITE has become a television icon, especially for her role as slightly
befuddled, always charming Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls - for which she
received one of her six Emmy Awards. White has also been a key cast member in
such hit TV shows as The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Golden Palace, The
Practice and her own series, The Betty White Show. She has been seen in 19
films and has long supported many animal-rights organizations.

ROBIN WILLIAMS is the recipient of six Golden Globes, two Screen Actors Guild
Awards, three Grammy Awards and the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor (1997).
His unforgettable film work for Disney has included providing the voice of
Genie in Aladdin and starring in Good Morning, Vietnam, and Dead Poets
Society. He also appeared in the short film Back to Neverland at Disney theme
parks. This fall, Williams stars with John Travolta in Old Dogs from Walt
Disney Pictures.

Each honoree receives a two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture that
signifies the imagination, creativity and magic they have brought to the
Company. Disney Legends Award recipients also participate in a hand-print
ceremony, and their bronzed prints will be displayed in the Disney Legends
Plaza at the Company's Burbank headquarters.

The first Disney Legend, actor Fred MacMurray (The Shaggy Dog, The
Absent-Minded Professor, The Happiest Millionaire), was named in 1987.
Including this year's honorees, a total of 237 Disney Legends have been named.
Past Disney Legends include Tim Allen, Julie Andrews, Howard Ashman, Annette
Funicello, Peter Jennings, Angela Lansbury, Steve Martin, Alan Menken, Hayley
Mills, Fess Parker, Sir Tim Rice, Dick Van Dyke and Barbara Walters.

Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available at http://www.D23Expo.com. Admission
includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can
be purchased for single days or for the full four days of festivities.
Admission is $37 for a one-day adult ticket and $27 for children 3-12.
Four-day passes are $111 for adults and $81 for children. Members of D23: The
Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on up to four
admissions, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 EXPO for themselves
and their guests.

Special vacation packages including Disneyland Resort hotel accommodations,
D23 EXPO tickets and theme park admission are available at the D23 EXPO
website. Packages are available from both the Walt Disney Travel Company and
the Anaheim/ Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau, which is offering a
limited number of area hotel rooms at special rates to those attending the D23
EXPO.

Many more details about D23 EXPO entertainment, events and special guests will
be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can keep up with all the news by
visiting www.D23EXPO.com, as well as by following "Disney D23" at Twitter and
on Facebook.

Contacts: Paul Roeder John Singh
The Walt Disney Company J2 Communications LLC
818-560-6166 415-686-0601

SOURCE The Walt Disney Company Corporate Communications

Paul Roeder of The Walt Disney Company, +1-818-560-6166; or John Singh of J2
Communications LLC, +1-415-686-0601, for The Walt Disney Company