Tony Baxter

**Tony Wayne Baxter** (1947-present) is a real-life Disney imagineer.

#### Disney Parks contributions

* Creating the attractions Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye, the Imagination! Pavilion (including Journey Into Imagination), Finding Nemo: Submarine Voyage, and the Disney Gallery.
* Proposing the never built land of Discovery Bay.
* Developing the artistic and immersive elements of Disneyland Paris.
* Involved in re-themes of Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough, and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.
* Baxter's likeness was used for S.E.A. member Barnabas T. Bullion.
* Creative supervisor on the *New Adventures with Princess Tiana*.

### Disney Parks

Tony Wayne Baxter was a skilled inventor during the latter end of the 19th century. Around 1880, Baxter created train-breaks for the Big Thunder Mining Company's mining operations in Big Thunder Mountain in Arizona. By the turn-of-the-century, Baxter used his inventing skills to run the business *Main Street Marvels* on the Main Street of Marceline, Missouri.

## Appearances and allusions

Some if not most allusions to Baxter in the Disney Parks do not refer to him specifically as a character in the Parks mythos.

### 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage

The Nautilus crew-mate Mr. Baxter is named after Tony Baxter.

### Adventure Trading Company

During D23 play testing, one prop was a crate under the care of, "Prof. Baxter" to be sent to the *Adventure Trading Company*.

### Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Tony is the likeness of Barnabas T. Bullion, the owner of the Big Thunder Mining Company. Baxter's initials TWB are also used for the character of T.W. Bullion and manipulated for the logo of the Big Thunder Mining Company, flipping the W into an M. In the queue for Walt Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, one, "T.W. Baxter" has the patent for the breaks of the trains used by the mining companies in the early 1880s.

### Main Street, U.S.A.

Baxter's name is printed on a window above the Main Street Magic Shop where he is identified as an inventor running the business, "Main Street Marvels".

### Star Tours

The ID code TWB3000 appears on an overhead screen in Star Tours Spaceport THX1138. This alludes to Tony's initials TWB and the Starspeeder 3000 driven by RX-24 in the original incarnation of Star Tours.

### In other media

#### Printed materials

##### Disney Kingdoms

Baxter was once again used as the likeness for Barnabas T. Bullion in *Disney Kingdoms: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad*. However, as a result of this he forbid the Marvel writers from vilifying Bullion (in the parks an apathetic, bull-headed, colonial capitalist) as he didn't want his likeness to be used for a villain.

## Connections

### 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The Nautilus XIII's helmsman/boatswain was named Mr. Baxter, indicating a connection to the fictionalized version of Tony Baxter. As neither his initials nor first-name are ever given, it is unknown if they are the same character or if they are related.

## References

1. ↑ https://waltdatedworld.com/id40.htm
2. ↑ https://www.endorexpress.net/movies-tv-shows/disney-movies/d23-disney/2013/08/adventure-trading-company/
3. ↑ https://insidethemagic.net/2016/01/d-tales-14-hidden-disney-history-at-big-thunder-mountain-railroad/
4. ↑ https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/11/disney-legend-tony-baxter-honored-with-window-on-main-street-u-s-a-at-disneyland-park/
5. ↑ https://thedisneyblog.com/2011/06/03/star-tours-inside-jokes-tributes-remnants-homages/