The name X Atencio first came onto our radars at one of the very first D23 Expo events when he participated in a Legends of Imagineering panel and although his name might not be familiar to many, the impacts of the work he has crafted for the Disney Parks is about as synonymous with the Disney Parks experience as Mickey Mouse himself. Just what did X contribute? If you ever find yourself humming the tune to the Pirates of the Caribbean theme or quoting lines at the Haunted Mansion… you’ve been impacted by X.
Here’s everything we learned from the X Atencio: The Untold Story of a Disney Legend panel at Destination D23 2025.
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Disney Legend X Atencio is most well-known for writing the song lyrics and attraction scripts for Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. However, in the shadow of such iconic works, the rest of his story has remained largely untold. During the panel, family of late Disney Legend along with authors of the upcoming book Xavier “X” Atencio: The Legacy of an Artist, Imagineer, and Disney Legend explored a little more into the legacy of one of Walt’s most versatile employees.
Below are some of the wonderful things we learned about the life and carer of Xavier “X” Atencio from the panel which was streamed for D23 Gold Members live as it happened in the virtual D23 Gold Theater.
Early life and entry into Disney
- Raised in Walsenburg, Colorado; self-taught artist showing strong drawing ability from a young age.
- He initially pursued journalism; after not being accepted, shifted to art at Chouinard in Los Angeles where he enrolled in 1938.
- Submitted a pre-animation portfolio that reached Disney during a hiring push following Snow White; hired and began a 46-year career from there!
Animation studio years (pre-Imagineering)
- He was an Assistant animator on Pinocchio (with Woolie Reitherman), Fantasia (“Rite of Spring”), and Dumbo.
- Served ~4 years in WWII in a top-secret aerial intelligence unit.
- Post-war: he worked on cleanup/consistency efforts on Goofy shorts; later joined Ward Kimball’s modernist efforts.
- Worked on animated shorts including Melody and Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom where he got his first on-screen credit after ~15 years at the studio! The short won an Academy Award.
Television and stop-motion/special projects
- When Disney’s Bill Justice was promoted to director; Atencio served as his right hand.
- During this time he created the title sequence for The Mickey Mouse Club
- Had had several stop-motion explorations:
- Short: Noah’s Ark.
- Title sequences for The Shaggy Dog and The Parent Trap.
- Live-action effects:
- Babes in Toyland (1959): designed/animated “March of the Toys”; soldiers’ straps subtly formed an “X”.
- Mary Poppins: nursery scene gags (e.g., filming then running footage backward); animated the bird on Mary’s hand.
- Brief Tiki Room animatronics assignment, personally disliked, but yielded a notable National Geographic photo.
Transition to WED/Imagineering
- After candidly telling Walt a doodle-based short “wasn’t working,” Walt reassigned him to WED noting “I always appreciate an honest man, and I think now is the time to scrap the whole thing.”
- Initially working with undefined duties he eventually teamed up with Claude Coats on the Primeval World which was a full-circle nod to Fantasia’s “Rite of Spring”
Pirates of the Caribbean
- After a month and a half at WED, still unsure of his role, Walt asked X to create a story and script around Mark Davis’s drawings for Pirates of the Caribbean.
- X objected that he wasn’t a writer, but Walt insisted he could do it.
- When he suggested the attraction needed a song, he already had the tune in mind and sang out “Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.” Walt approved instantly and paired him with George Bruns to score it, making X the lyricist of the classic song.
- When Imagineers realized late that a safety spiel was needed above the waterfall, it was too costly to recall professional actors. X recorded it himself (“Avast mate”) and, with clever sound engineering, it was kept in the final ride—his voice is still heard to this day!
Haunted Mansion
- Shortly after Pirates opened and over two years before Mansion’s debut, X suffered a serious heart attack at Disneyland while checking Pirates’ audio on a date night with his wife.
- He was just shy of 50, and his father had died of a heart attack at 55. This became his wake-up call—he quit smoking, integrated daily exercise, and credited these changes with living to 98.
- His daughters influenced Mansion design: after watching the film The Haunting, they urged him to show it to his colleagues. The studio screening inspired key elements including the breathing doors, wallpaper with eyes, and Gothic architecture.
- He contributed scripting and concept art to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World versions.
Imagineering contributions
- At WED, X took on multiple creative roles simultaneously:
- Concept art (including experimental work for Adventure Thru Inner Space, Haunted Mansion, and the Mexico pavilion).
- Attraction scripting and story development.
- Song lyric writing and integration.
- Voice talent direction and sound integration.
- Character design for new attractions.
- His career path across animation, writing, and design converged at Imagineering, making him the first permanent Imagineer to serve as both writer and artist.
- His wide-ranging skills ensured he was involved in ideation from the very beginning, not just in final production phases.
Walt Disney World and EPCOT
- X played a defining role in the final design of Figment for Journey into Imagination.
- Tony Baxter conceived the name and idea; Steve Kirk produced early sketches.
- X was tasked with making Figment “cute and lovable,” and his refinements created the character known today.
- Worked simultaneously on EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland, contributing heavily before both park openings.
- Retired at age 65 after these projects, confident in the new generation of Imagineers he had mentored.
- He often said he retired because he was “bullish on the future” of Disney and trusted those he trained to carry the work forward.
Retirement and legacy
- Retired at 65 after EPCOT and Tokyo Disneyland openings, confident in the next generation he mentored.
Ready for More?
Xavier “X” Atencio: The Legacy of an Artist, Imagineer, and Disney Legend will be available wide release on November 4. The book promises previously-unreleased artwork and photographs from X’s personal collection and previously untold stories chronicling his 46-year career.
See it for Yourself
Destination D23 takes place at Walt Disney World from August 29-31, 2025. As a perk of membership, D23 Gold Members are able to stream select panels as they happen at the D23 Gold Theater.
