July 1–3, 2025
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa
2025 Courageous Creativity Conference Schedule
The conference schedule or ticketed events may change or be cancelled due to changes in park/resort, speakers, or general conditions beyond our control.
You’ll be receiving a printed schedule at Registration.
Tuesday — July 1, 2025
3:30 – 5:15 PM Conference Registration — Sequoia Foyer
Conference check-in will begin at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, July 1st, at the Sequoia West Registration area of the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa.
5:30 – 6:00 PM Conference Opening — Sequoia Ballroom
6:00 – 7:00 PM Dinner — Sequoia Ballroom
7:00 – 9:00 PM Opening Keynote Presentation — Sequoia Ballroom
Christopher Merritt
Creative Director, Artist, Designer, Show Writer, Author
Southern California native, Christopher Merritt, has over 30 years of ride and show design experience, creating theme park attractions and environments around the world. He has served as a Creative Director, Art Director and Production Designer at theme parks located in California, Florida, Tokyo, Singapore, and Shanghai.
In 2010, with Eric Lynxwiler, Merritt’s Knott’s Berry Farm history book, Knott’s Preserved, was published to critical acclaim. Four years later, Merritt released Pacific Ocean Park: The Rise and Fall of Los Angeles’ Space Age Nautical Pleasure Pier, with co-author Domenic Priore. After five years of research and design, co-authoring with Pete Docter, the coffee table book Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks was released in 2019. 2024 saw the release of Knott’s Bear-y Tales – The Complete History of the Whimsical Attraction, again with Eric Lynxwiler, and 2025 will be the debut of the official Disneyland 70th coffee table book he spent four years researching with co-author Don Hahn, The Happiest Place on Earth – The Incredible Story of Walt Disney’s Disneyland. Merritt currently works and lives in Southern California.
Wednesday — July 2, 2025
8:00 – 8:45 AM Breakfast — Sequoia E
8:45 – 9:00 AM Announcements — Sequoia Ballroom
8:45 – 9:00 AM Special Presentation — Sequoia Ballroom
Jeff Hall
Entertainment Resources Project Manager, Disney Live Entertainment
After graduating with a degree in Theatre from Northwestern University, Jeff toured throughout the Western United States and Canada as a teaching artist, before settling into a 32-year career as a theatre educator in Portland, OR. There, he founded The Young People’s Theatre Project, and became Director of Oregon’s Chapter of the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), creating a nationally recognized school theatre program, participating in state, regional, and national arts education initiatives, and earning a place in EdTA’s Theatre Educators’ Hall of Fame. It was during that tenure that he began working with The Walt Disney Company, piloting school productions – including NEWSIES and THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME – for Disney Theatrical Group, and beginning a long and fruitful relationship with Disney Live Entertainment (DLE), the theatrical producing arm of Walt Disney Imagineering. As a consultant for DLE, Jeff helped to develop new offerings for Disney Performing Arts, exploring ways to leverage Disney’s vast theatrical resources to create meaningful arts education experiences for young people.
Now, as Entertainment Resources Project Manager for DLE at the Disneyland Resort, Jeff continues to lead creative teams in development projects that not only impact the work of Disney Cast Members, but also future professionals, both on stage and behind the scenes. His creative efforts remain focused on bridging accessibility gaps in arts education, connecting students and industry leaders with innovative interactive opportunities, and elevating an Arts Education Ecosystem involving both school and community-based teachers and teaching artists.
10:15 – 11:30 AM Session 1 Breakouts
TCAP Sessions & Disney !magination Campus Experiences
11:45 AM –12:45 PM — Lunch — Brisa Courtyards
12:45 – 2:00 PM Special Presentation — Sequoia Ballroom
Michael Tavera
Composer for Animated Television Series and Films, Feature Films, Television Movies and Series
Michael Anthony Tavera is an American composer renowned for his extensive work in animation, television, film, and video games. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Tavera’s musical journey began early—he started playing piano at age four, performed publicly by five, and was composing original pieces by twelve. He trained as a classical pianist for ten years, laying a strong foundation for his future in composition.
Tavera’s career took off in the late 1980s, and he quickly became a prolific figure in the world of animation scoring. He is best known for his work on numerous direct-to-video sequels, including many entries in The Land Before Time series, as well as An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island and Cinderella II: Dreams Come True. His television credits span a wide range of animated series such as ¡Mucha Lucha!, Lilo & Stitch: The Series, House of Mouse, The Emperor’s New School, Yin Yang Yo!, Planet Sheen, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Star Wars Resistance.
In addition to his work in animation, Tavera has contributed to live-action films like Drowning Mona and Soldiers of Fortune and composed music for video games including Disney’s Stitch: Experiment 626 and the Lil’ Howie’s Fun House series. His versatility and ability to craft engaging musical narratives have made him a sought-after composer across various media.
2:30 – 3:45 PM Session 2 Breakouts
TCAP Sessions & Disney !magination Campus Experiences
4:00 – 4:30 PM Announcements & Networking — Sequoia Ballroom
4:30 PM — Dinner On Your Own
8:00 PM — Special Ticketed Event — Sequoia South Foyer
- All attendees can attend Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Special Ticketed Event.
- Conference lanyards must be worn.
- We will be walking.
- Please be prompt, as late arrivals cannot be accommodated.
- Please limit bags, as we will be going through security.
Thursday — July 3, 2025
7:00 AM Special Ticketed Event — Sequoia South Foyer
- All attendees can attend Thursday, July 3, Special Ticketed Event.
- Conference lanyards must be worn.
- We will be walking.
- Please be prompt, as late arrivals cannot be accommodated.
- Please limit bags, as we will be going through security.
8:15 – 9:45 AM Breakfast — Sequoia E
10:00 AM Special Presentation — Sequoia Ballroom
Doors to the Ballroom will remain closed until the Panel is ready.
Walt Disney Imagineering Panel Discussion — “Getting Started on a Career in the Arts”
Walt Disney Imagineering is the creative force that imagines, designs and brings to life all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, cruise ships and more worldwide. Founded by Walt Disney in 1952, Imagineering embodies a world-class design firm, premier development company, extraordinary storytelling studio and cutting-edge innovation lab – all rolled into one – with an overwhelming breadth of expert talent from around the globe. “Getting Started on a Career in the Arts” will feature a panel of Imagineers from a variety of disciplines sharing personal stories of their career journeys and how their passion for the arts led them to Imagineering.
12:00 – 1:00 PM Lunch & Conference Closing — Sequoia Ballroom
2025 Courageous Creativity Conference Information
A light jacket or sweater is highly recommended in hotel meeting spaces, as it tends to be cold in the conference breakout rooms and in the main ballroom. You may wish to pack comfortable shoes and clothing. Some activities require walking. It can be warm in the daytime and cool in the evening. Layers work well.
Please be aware for the comfort of all Guests, smoking is not permitted in the theme parks, hotels of the Disneyland Resort, and the Esplanade between the parks or Downtown Disney District.
Due to the nature of the conference, only those registered for the conference may attend conference activities, including meals. Children are not allowed in any of the conference activities including breakout sessions, meals, or presentations. Photographs or recording devices may not be allowed during some of the conference activities. Conference ID (name tags) must be worn at all times. Thank you for understanding.
Conference Parking Information
- Parking rates and fees are subject to change. Parking is subject to applicable taxes.
- Rates as of January 2025:
- $40 Self-Parking per car/per day (across the street)
- $70 Valet Parking per car/per day
Discounted Park Tickets
If you are interested in the theme park tickets, please visit the conference microsite for information and access to the ticket store. Some of the ticket information you will find there is included below.
Information from Disney on the Specially Priced Theme Park Tickets
This Ticket Store is open until 9pm PST on Monday, June 30, 2025.
These special ticket prices are not available once you arrive at the Resort and are intended only for guests who are participating in this Event. Only the registered attendee is allowed to purchase tickets from this discounted ticket store link and they can purchase up to 6 tickets maximum. We reserve the right to contact the ticket purchaser to request event registration confirmation. If it is discovered that the purchaser of the ticket is not participating or attending this event it will be considered a misuse of this offer and ticket, and the ticket(s) will be blocked and will not be eligible for a refund. In addition these tickets cannot be purchased for the purpose of being resold.
- Prices are subject to change without notice.
- Tickets are valid from Saturday, June 28, 2025 through Wednesday, July 9, 2025.