Mickey Visit is partnering with the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University to host the first-ever Disney Fan Day for local Disney fans and those in town to visit Halloween events at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. The event will feature special lectures, tours of the world-class Disney and Pixar artwork, and more.
The museum features artwork from Disney and Pixar artist Jørgen Klubien, famed Disney illustrator Mary Blair, and more Disney artists. The daytime portion of the event is free and the evening lectures cost only a small amount to be able to control attendance. Let’s dive into the full schedule for this exciting upcoming event. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including all the new Disney rides coming and the latest Disney dining news.
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Hilbert Museum Partners with Mickey Visit to Host its First-ever Disney Fan Day
The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University, in Orange, California is just a 10-minute drive from Disneyland and is home to one of the world’s largest collections of California narrative art. It also holds the distinction of being the only museum in the world committed to tracing the rich, iconic history of the Golden State from the late 1800s to the present through works by leading California artists and Hollywood studio artists and animators. The museum is home to one of the largest private collections of Disney and other animation art, works by American illustrators, Native American arts and American design.
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The Hilbert Museum has partnered with Mickey Visit, the leading independent Disney news and planning resource, to host its first-ever Disney Fan Day on Oct. 15, 2026. The museum will extend its normal operating hours to give local and visiting fans an expanded look at its current Jørgen Klubien: At Disney and Pixar exhibition plus works by beloved Disney artist Mary Blair and other artists assembled for the evening. Click here to reserve your spot!
There is also a special lecture and presentation from Jørgen Klubien, the original creator and co-writer of Pixar’s Cars (2006) and an illustrator who worked on numerous classic Disney and Pixar films, about his time at Disney and Pixar and an animation-themed craft-making workshop for families. One of my personal favorite items that you’ll see during the day is a pin-up board of the “Be Prepared” song from The Lion King that you can see in the featured image at the top.
According to Mary Platt, director of the Hilbert Museum, the special evening is meant to allow fans the chance to discover the extent and diversity of Disney art in the Hilbert Collection – which includes Disney and Pixar animation cells, illustrations, storyboards, movie posters and promotional pieces, Disneyland and other concept art, and memorabilia.
“Regardless of the season, local and visiting Disney fans can always count on there being something special for them at the Hilbert Museum,” said Platt. “The breadth of our Disney holdings allows for a near-infinite number of show possibilities.“
This is a wonderful free destination for Disney fans that is just 10 minutes from Disneyland. For Disney and Disneyland fans who want to learn more about Disney’s history in Southern California, a stop at the Hilbert Museum is the perfect addition to any theme park visit to Orange County.
Here’s a little bit more about the museum from the museum founder who gave us a personal tour recently.
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The one-day “Disney Fan Day at the Hilbert with Mickey Visit” event is free, and open to all however there is a $10 admission fee for the lecture to hold space. Due to event popularity and space limitations, advance reservations for the day are encouraged, and are required for the tour and lecture and can be made on the Disney Fan Day with Mickey Visit webpage.
Here’s the full schedule of events coming on Oct. 15. Disney Fan Day participants are encouraged to wear their favorite Disney-inspired looks, outfits or costumes.
2:00 p.m.: Meet & Greet / Q&A with Gavin Doyle
Come meet Gavin Doyle (that’s me!), Disney expert, founder of Mickey Visit, and author of Disneyland Secrets: A Grand Tour of Disneyland’s Hidden Details. He’ll answer all your burning Disney-related questions, share some Disneyland secrets, and talk about his excitement around the future of Disney theme parks. Doyle is one of the top experts called upon by the media to talk about Disney today. This activity is free. Space is limited.
3:00 to 5:00 p.m.: Hands-on Family Craft Hour on the Janet Hilbert Courtyard
Hilbert Museum Education Manager Eliot Zbylut will guide families and Disney fans of all ages through a DIY craft-making demonstration to help participants make their own take-home keepsake themed to an animation artwork in the Hilbert Collection. Seats and supplies are limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
5:00 to 5:50 p.m.: VIP Tours in the North Lobby
Hilbert Museum Founder Mark Hilbert and Director Mary Platt will lead small-group tours and offer little-known anecdotes about the museum’s collection of Disney and other movie art, including the current Jørgen Klubien: At Disney and Pixar exhibition, a smaller ensemble of pieces by Mary Blair and other works on display on Oct. 15 only. The two will also offer insights on “Mary by the Sea,” a painting in the permanent collection of the famed Disney artist by her then-fiancé Lee Blair. This event requires tickets; a limited number of tickets are available on the Disney Fan Day with Mickey Visit webpage beginning Sept. 28.
6:00 p.m.: Welcome and Comments in the Burra Community Room
Gavin Doyle, founder of Mickey Visit
Mark Hilbert, founder of the Hilbert Museum
Mary Platt, director of the Hilbert Museum
6:15 p.m.: “My Creative Life at Disney and Pixar” – Encore Presentation by Jørgen Klubien
By popular demand, the acclaimed Disney and Pixar character animator is sharing more engaging tales of his life and creative work on some of the most beloved animated features ever made: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Nightmare Before Christmas, Pocahontas, Mulan, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. and — most famously — Cars, for which he was co-creator and screenwriter. A Q&A session follows. This event requires tickets; a limited number of tickets are available on the Disney Fan Day with Mickey Visit webpage beginning Sept. 28. Click here to secure your tickets.
Even if you can’t make it to the event, be sure to stop by the Hilbert Museum on your next visit to Anaheim. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday and closed Monday and Tuesday. Admission is free for all audiences, continuing a promise that Mark and the late Janet Hilbert made in 2016 to keep The Hilbert Collection as accessible to the public as possible. Due to demand, advance online reservations are recommended.
The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University, in Orange, Calif., was founded in 2016 by art collectors and philanthropists Mark and Janet Hilbert with their gift of artwork and funds to open a new museum, and is home to one of the world’s largest collections of California narrative art. It also holds the distinction of being the only museum in the world committed to tracing the rich, iconic history of the Golden State from the late 1800s to the present through works by leading California artists and Hollywood studio artists and animators.
In 2024, the Hilbert Museum completed a three-year expansion that tripled the space for museum operations and rotating displays of the more than 5,000 oils, watercolors, illustrations, drawings, pieces of movie production art and more from the Hilbert Collection.
The new, 22,000-sq.-ft., two-building ensemble on the original museum site now offers 26 separate galleries for works by Millard Sheets, Emil Kosa, Jr., Mary Blair, David Hockney, Wayne Thiebaud, Phil Dike, Milford Zornes and Rex Brandt, among many others. There is also a new café, community room, outdoor courtyard and research library plus new galleries devoted to one of the largest private collections of Disney and other animation art, works by American illustrators, Native American arts and American design.
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