An honor reserved only for those who have made their mark on Disney parks, receiving a window on Main Street U.S.A. is quite the rare tribute. Today, Disney Imagineer and Art Director, Sylvie Massara joined this exclusive group at Disneyland Paris with her very own window!
Celebrating 35 years at Walt Disney Imagineering, this special tribute acknowledges the legacy of her passion and creativity forging unforgettable memories for generations of guests. “I was so surprised, I must admit, when I received the news.” Sylvie said. “I was very honored, of course, and very, very moved, because I wasn’t expecting it at all.”
It’s a tradition that goes all the way back to Walt Disney during the opening year of Disneyland in 1955. The shops along Main Street U.S.A., needed names and what better way to thank those who helped open the park than by using the names of real employees. And it caught on, not only at his original Magic Kingdom, but also at Disney parks around the world!
Sylvie’s window is located at the beginning of Main Street above Ribbons and Bows Hat Shop. Just like the other dedicated windows found in the park, her window has a theme, in this case it’s the three decades of her interior design work and states “New Century Interiors, Sylvie Massara, Proprietor, ‘All-time designs for all times!’” across it.
Sylvie began her Walt Disney Imagineering career during the construction of Disneyland Paris back in 1988, working mainly on developing the layout and interiors in Fantasyland. Sylvie shared, “I went to both Italy and England to follow the production of the furniture. In particular, I worked on La Chaumière des Sept Nains, La Bottega di Gepetto, as well as Le Chalet de la Marionette – which we called Village House at the time.”
Following the park’s opening and a brief year in Glendale working on early concepts for what would become the resort’s second park, she came back to France as part of Design and Show Quality, the team that maintains Disney magic.
In 1996, she was offered the opportunity to work specifically on Disneyland Paris hotels, a role she has since never left. In 2010, an ambitious transformation plan led Sylvie and her team to reimagine each hotel of the destination, starting with Disney Sequoia Lodge in 2010 up to the royal transformation of Disneyland Hotel earlier this year.
“It is far more challenging to work and transform an existing hotel rather than start from scratch and build a new one. For Disneyland Hotel, we pushed the boundaries of creativity further, with an extra level of detail. We also adapted the technology to add special effects, which I had never done when redesigning a hotel before,” shared Sylvie.
Looking back at her career, Sylvie reflects, “My absolute highlight all those years has been the collaboration with Imagineers and Cast Members to turn dreams into reality and create emotions for our guests. Seeing the look on their faces as they enter a freshly reinvented space makes me proud to have been part of this experience, alongside all other teams.”
So the next time you visit Disneyland Paris make a stop along Main Street U.S.A. to check out this special tribute to Sylvie’s legacy!