Ron Logan Dies: Disney Legend Who Created Spectacles At Parks & Helped Bring ‘Beauty And The Beast’ To Broadway, Was 84

Tom Tapp
·3 min read
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Ron Logan, a Disney Legend who as EVP and executive producer for Walt Disney Entertainment transformed live entertainment in its parks and helped bring Beauty and the Beast to Broadway, died August 30. He was 84.

Logan began his career at Disney as a trumpet player, where he had the opportunity to meet Walt Disney on several occasions. He also performed with the fanfare trumpets as part of the Disney-produced pageantry for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, CA.

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In 1978, Logan moved to Florida to become Walt Disney World Resort’s music director before returning to Disneyland in 1980 as the park’s director of entertainment. In 1982, he moved back to Walt Disney World Resort again as VP Entertainment before being promoted to VP Creative Show Development for all of Walt Disney Attractions in 1987.

According to Disney, in that role “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 many more.”

Based on that success, Logan and his team pitched the idea of a Beauty and the Beast Broadway show, leveraging the same team that produced its stage show at Disneyland. They also partnered with the film’s screenwriter, Linda Woolverton, and songwriters Tim Rice and Alan Menken, who added to and adapted the songs written for the film by Menken and Howard Ashman. That success led to the establishment of Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, where Logan became president, guiding it through the early years of Disney on Broadway.

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In his last role at Disney, Logan was EVP, executive producer, for Walt Disney Entertainment. He was responsible for creating, casting and producing all live entertainment products for the Walt Disney Company, including its resorts, The Disney Institute, Disney Business Productions, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Entertainment Productions and Walt Disney Entertainment Worldwide. He also was EVP of the Walt Disney Special Events Group, and EVP of Disney Special Programs Inc. He produced all live entertainment shows for the Disney Parks worldwide, as well as five Super Bowl halftime shows.

He retired from the Walt Disney Company in 2001 and was named a Disney Legend in 2007.

“It made it all worth it,” said Logan. “The respect that we get as Legends makes it feel like a knighthood. You feel really proud to wear this pin, and to put it along with everything else — it’s the pinnacle of indication that you did okay.”

Logan was also honored with a window on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disney World. The window is located at the Main Street Music Co., with a tribute alongside that reads, “Ron Logan, Leading the Band into a New Century.”

Logan is survived by his wife, Carol; and daughters Sheryl Logan (Michael Stewart) and Michelle Haney; and grandsons Zachary, Adam, Cristian, Collin, Daniel and Jackson.

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