The Walt Disney Imagineering Fan Club

The Walt Disney Imagineering Fan Club - Biographies

Each month we post biographies of some of the more publicized Imagineers so that guests may learn a little more about the people whose names pop up from time to time. The biographies are then archived for easy reference in the future (isn't that amazing?).

Claude Coats: Artist – (1913-1992); [Disney Legend]

Coats was an animator for Disney before being asked to join WED for the construction of Disneyland. Like fellow animator Ken Anderson, Coats abilities in design and conceptualizing were called upon in the development of this new entertainment milestone.

Coats' assignments included work on the Fantasyland dark rides; along with Anderson, he helped in the design and actual painting of the set pieces for these rides. He also helped Peter Ellenshaw paint the planet earth for what became the "Space Station X-1" attraction in Tomorrowland.

In 1956, Coats was charged with designing the "Rainbow Caverns" of the "Rainbow Caverns Mine Train." Using the techniques of blacklight learned by the work on the Fantasyland rides, the cavern featured colored pools of waters and was a favorite of Guests for twenty years.

As the years went by and Coats became more associated with work at WED, he became a vital part of the team there. He worked on landmark attractions like ‘it’s a small world,’ The Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean. For Pirates of the Caribbean, his experience with animation backgrounds was used in creating the settings and scenes in the attraction.

Disney Archivist Dave Smith described him thus: "He was living proof of Walt's uncanny ability to find talents in his artists which they often did not realize they had."

Roger Broggie: Technician – (1908 – 1991); [Disney Legend]

Roger Broggie started his career at Disney as a technician in the studio’s machine shop. Walt, who was getting interested in three-dimensional design, came to Broggie and asked for his assistance in using the machinery. As Walt’s interests grew to creating his own model train, Broggie was given the task of teaching his own boss the finer points of a lathe. Thanks in part to Broggie’s teachings, Walt’s train - the Lilly Belle - was created.

Later on, with the help of machinist Wathel Rogers, Broggie assisted in the creation of the miniature figure which was one of the projects leading up to Disneyland. The little figure was capable of mimicking the movements of dancer Buddy Ebsen.

Broggie’s work at the machine shop of the studio landed him a position at WED. Because of his help in creating Walt’s miniature train, Broggie was assigned to the creation of the Disneyland Railroad. With his railroad experience, Broggie would go on to help with the creation of the Disneyland Viewliner and the Disneyland Monorail. He also worked on brining the Tomorrowland Autoipa to life.