Disney Cats & Dogs
Entrance banner for Disney Cats & Dogs at The Walt Disney Family Museum.
I’m not a huge Disney fan, but that didn’t stop me from visiting the Cats and Dogs exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. The show features some of Disney’s most beloved pets, brought to life through sketches, storyboards, and drawings that capture not only their look but also their personality.
Street banners promoting Disney Cats & Dogs at The Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio.
Sidewalk decal pointing the way to the Disney Cats & Dogs exhibition.
Bright banners and sidewalk signs guide the way, with exhibition-branded graphics. Great example of thoughtful wayfinding design.
Colorful display at the entrance of The Walt Disney Family Museum.
Interior display featuring The Walt Disney Family Museum logo, designed by local design legend Kit Hinrichs, surrounded by tiles of nicely illustrated icons.
The exhibition highlights Disney cats and dogs across decades of animation, from classics like 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp to newer characters like Bolt.
Exhibit panel showing how animators used live-action reference for One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).
Animator studying his own expressions while sketching Pluto.
The exhibition shows how animators studied real animals to capture movement, expression, and personality. They also studied themselves, using mirrors to sketch their own exaggerated faces and bring humor and emotion to the characters.
Pluto sketches and storyboards on display.
Model sheets show how a character was drawn in different poses and expressions, helping animators keep designs consistent while still allowing personality—a kind of brand guide for illustration.
Background paintings from 101 Dalmatians.
The rough style of these storyboards let artists focus on staging, mood, and flow before moving to finished animation.
Artwork of a kitten at the piano from The Aristocats.
Character sketches of O’Malley from The Aristocats.
A few examples of excellent pen-and-ink watercolor sketches of cat characters. These studies show how artists could capture both elegance and humor using simple lines.
Upper gallery of the Disney Cats & Dogs exhibition.
View of the Golden Gate Bridge from inside The Walt Disney Family Museum.