Joe Rohde was born in Sacramento, California and raised in Hawaii.
13 Facts About Joe Rohde
2.
Joe Rohde graduated from Chaminade College Preparatory, Canoga Park, Calif.
3.
Joe Rohde received a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from Occidental College in Los Angeles.
4.
Joe Rohde's trademark is a large collection of earrings he wears in his left ear, all of which are souvenirs from decades of travel to remote corners of the world.
5.
Joe Rohde was the lead designer of Disney's Animal Kingdom, one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and the principal creative force behind the park's Expedition Everest thrill ride, which debuted in 2006.
6.
Joe Rohde was chosen for the role because of his experience with the island and its native people, having grown up in Hawaii.
7.
Joe Rohde joined Disney Imagineering in 1980 during the development of Epcot as a model designer and scenic painter for the theme park's Mexico pavilion.
8.
Joe Rohde later worked as a designer on the refurbishment of Fantasyland at Disneyland, the Captain EO 3-D film attraction starring singer Michael Jackson, the Norway pavilion at Epcot, and the Adventurers Club, a 1930s-themed bar and lounge that opened in 1989 within the Pleasure Island entertainment district at Walt Disney World Resort.
9.
Joe Rohde was featured in an April 2006 Travel Channel documentary titled Expedition Everest: Journey to Sacred Lands.
10.
Joe Rohde served as the model for Harrison Hightower, the owner of the fictional "Hightower Hotel" which houses the Tower of Terror attraction at Tokyo DisneySea outside Tokyo, Japan.
11.
In February 2020, Joe Rohde served as the lead developer on Disney second private island, Lighthouse Point.
12.
On November 23,2020, Joe Rohde announced his retirement from Walt Disney Imagineering effective January 4,2021.
13.
On February 22,2021 Virgin Galactic announced Joe Rohde had been hired as their Experience Architect.