Remembering Disney Legend Carl Bongirno
Disney Legend Carl Bongirno sadly passed away on March 5, 2024, at age 86.
Throughout Disney Parks history, Bongirno played a pivotal role as a financial leader, steering The Walt Disney Company through a remarkable decade of expansion. From EPCOT to the establishment of Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris, he lead numerous transformative projects. In a 1987 interview with Disney News, Bongirno revealed, “We have over 40 projects underway, spanning various stages of design and construction, totaling approximately $2 billion worth of investment.”
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Born in Pueblo, Colorado, in 1937, Bongirno held multiple degrees in business and accounting, and joined The Walt Disney Company as a chief accountant and controller for what was then the Disney-owned Celebrity Sports Center in Denver in 1963. Later, his first step into the worlds of Disney Parks was a four-year stint as a treasurer for WED Enterprises.
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During his time in office as director of the Finance Division, Bongirno played a crucial role in the secret operation known as “Project X,” which eventually evolved into the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Reflecting on this undercover endeavor with his hometown newspaper, The Pueblo Chieftain, Bongirno disclosed, “We acquired 30,000 acres without anyone catching wind of it. Our team operated under assumed identities and would take indirect flights to maintain secrecy.”
A year later after Disney World opened, he was appointed vice president of finance and treasurer at the resort. He oversaw not only all financial operations, but also was responsible for a wide array of service activities including wardrobe, warehousing, transportation, laundry, and even the Disney telephone company. Throughout his time with The Walt Disney Company, Bongirno also had the role of President of WED/MAPO during the design and construction phases of both EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland.
In September 1987, Bongirno decided to scale back his involvement in business activities due to health reasons. Instead, he took on the role of a special adviser to Walt Disney Imagineering, contributing to the development of special projects until his retirement in late June 1989. Bongirno and his family then relocated to Pueblo, though he continued to visit Disney Parks regularly, with Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park becoming one of his new favorites.
In recognition of his decades of invaluable service to The Walt Disney Company, Bongirno was honored as a Disney Legend in 2007.
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