Fact Check Friday: “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

With so much information on the Internet about Disney, I have decided to debut another new series (the second one this week!): Fact Check Friday. 

Today’s fact check is about one of the most misattributed Walt Disney quotes:

“If you can dream it, you can do it.”

I myself am guilty of attributing this to Uncle Walt. It was from one of my favorite (now extinct) rides at EPCOT Center, Horizons.

Horizons at Epcot, 1998-1999. Photos by Steven Miller.

When it comes to Disney history, Disney Chief Archivist Emeritus Dave Smith, is who I trust for accurate information.

The following Q&A originally appeared on the February 27 – March 12, 2013 “Ask Dave” column of the D23’s Walt Disney Archives:

Q: I heard that Walt Disney did not, in fact, ever say the famous quote, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” Is that true? If so, who did say it?
Krystina, Avondale, Arizona

A: He never said this quote. If you check my book, Disney Trivia from the Vault, you can find the true story: “Despite its frequent publication, that is not a Walt Disney quote. We checked with Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald for the definitive answer: ‘I am very familiar with that line because I wrote it! It was written specifically for the Horizons attraction at Epcot and used in numerous ways, from dialogue in the ride to graphics. I find it amusing that the Science of Imagineering DVD series attributes it to Walt Disney, but I guess I should be flattered.'”

So, the next time you see “If you can dream it, you can do it,” remember Tom Fitzgerald. If you share the quote, be sure to credit him.

Stay tuned for another Fact Check Friday soon!