Disney Creators Imagine Beatlesland

When the Beatlesland story broke, the fantasy invited a bigger question: What if The Beatles took over Disneyland? To explore that idea, I invited a group of remarkable creators to Imagineer their own interpretations.

Painters, digital artists, sculptors, video storytellers, podcasters, costumers, and singers (and one muppet) responded, each through their own medium, style, and fandom. Together, their works form a collection of imaginative responses to a single prompt, revealing how one idea can unfold in countless ways.

Presented here as a gallery, these pieces celebrate creative play, shared curiosity, and the joy of asking “what if?”

Authors note: All of these pieces, with the exception of the newly added bonus image, were created in 2022, before the advent of AI everywhere. You can rest assured that there is no AI art here. – RM

Tyler Davis, Designer | Actor

Disneyland attraction posters are among the most recognizable images in the park, serving as visual invitations into each story. Actor and designer Tyler Davis followed this tradition by developing new attraction concepts and creating a series of reimagined attraction posters, which he initially shared on Instagram. So, I asked him to sprinkle a little Fab Four magic into some posters for the Beatlesland article. Drawing on the ideas pitched by Dick Clark to Michael Eisner, Tyler translated the ideas into their full poster-sized glory.

These posters imagine a John Lennon animatronic standing up to recite from his book of absurdist poems. Or bring you on a tiger hunt with Bungalow Bill along the green water of the Jungle Cruise river. If you were in search of Ringo instead of Nemo, would you still brave the claustrophobia of those yellow submarine boats? And what would our small world be like if we all took to heart that love is all we need?

Follow Tyler Davis on Instagram.

James C Mulligan, Artist

Disney artist James C. Mulligan is known for his deep affection for classic Disney icons and his ability to rework it with reverence and modern wit. His work often feels like a conversation with Disneyland’s past, drawing on familiar imagery and giving them just enough of a twist to feel new again.

For Beatlesland, James turned to the stretching room portraits from the Haunted Mansion, reimagining of the doomed figures as John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The result is a musical journey into the spooky fates of the lads from Liverpool in classic Marc Davis style. Can you identify the Beatles tunes hidden within each portrait?

Follow James C Mulligan on Instagram.

Tiki tOny Murphy, Tiki Artist

Rooted in Southern California’s tiki community, Tiki tOny Murphy is a graphic artist, wood carver, and sculptor based in Ventura, California. His whimsical, instantly recognizable style has appeared in tiki bars across the country and at special seasonal events inside Club 33.

For this piece, Tony turned his attention to the feathered hosts of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, imagining the four parrots donning mop-top wigs for a Beatles tribute called The Enchanted Beatles Room. The resulting poster nods to the attraction’s original tropical luau artwork and includes a viable merchandising idea: Beatles-inspired Mickey ears tucked into the design. Why don’t we have these yet?

Follow Tiki tOny on Instagram.

World of Micah, Vlogger

On his channel World of Micah, Micah treats Disney and pop-culture history like an epic, nationwide scavenger hunt. For this project, he produced a vlog retracing John Lennon’s visit to Walt Disney World in the 1970s, visiting the exact spots where Lennon was photographed during his time on property.

Along the way, Micah also reveals the exact location of the hotel room where John Lennon signed the papers that officially dissolved The Beatles. Equal parts exploration and storytelling, the video connects real locations to real moments, showing how Disney history and Beatles history intersect.

Follow World of Micah on YouTube and Instagram.

Skipper Chuck, Muppet

Skipper Chuck is a muppet Jungle Cruise Skipper with a deep love of bad puns and just enough chaos to derail a boat. Performed by Brian Lynch, Chuck stars in Skipper Chuck’s World-Famous Low Budget Sketch Show!, a comedy YouTube series that gleefully skewers Disney parks, fandom, and Skipper culture with off-the-clock humor and zero budget.

For Beatlesland, Chuck set his sights on Disneyland, staging a series of photo spoofs that overlay Fab Four references onto familiar park sights. True to his Skipper form, the jokes come fast and groan-worthy, with lowlights like “Here Comes the Sun Wheel,” “Ringo Starr Tours,” and the famously unlistenable “Yoko-Ono-Rail.” It’s pure Skipper Chuck: part tribute, part parody, and completely committed to the bit.

(Full disclosure, I got to play a Pixar animator in a Season 1 episode of Chuck’s show.)

Follow Skipper Chuck on YouTube, Instagram and SkipperChuck.com.

Scarlett Rose Wilson, Fashion Curator

Fashion curator Scarlett Rose lives at the intersection of fandom and fashion, using Disney Bounding to tell stories through color, pose, and attitude.

For Beatlesland, Scarlett Rose blended the spirit of Imagination Pavilion with John Lennon’s iconic hymn to peace, Imagine. Drawing inspiration from Figment, she recreated Lennon’s famous photo poses while wearing her own Figment-inspired looks. The result is a joyful act of Disney Bounding, channeling both Figment and John Lennon in a single, fabulous fit that celebrates imagination, optimism, and style.

Follow Scarlett Rose on Instagram.

Banyan, YouTuber

YouTuber Banyan approaches travel as an invitation. Adventures on his channel range from Disneyland to Hawaii, from roadside attractions to national parks, all guided by a spirit of curiosity, kindness, and a bit of ukulele.

For Beatlesland, Banyan created a comedy sketch where the dream of a Beatles concert at Disneyland comes to life with an unexpected twist. The piece reflects Banyan’s signature tone: optimistism, imagination, and ambition to venture somewhere different and discover something new.

Follow Banyan on YouTube and Instagram.

Jessica Kelly, Sculptor

Sculptor Jessica Kelly creates pop culture mashups that feel both mischievous and meticulous. Through her creative venture, Jesstasmic, she produces hand-sculpted, hand-painted resin art that blends Disney influence with mid-century, tiki, and cult-classic flair, always with a wink.

For Beatlesland, Jessica sculpted a resin figure of one of the Blue Meanies from Yellow Submarine, topped with a pair of Mickey ears. The result is a perfectly subversive crossover, equal parts rebellion and nostalgia, capturing the playful tension between two iconic worlds colliding in one unforgettable figure.

Follow Jessica Kelly on Instagram, and purchase her sculpts on Etsy.

Trevor Kelly, Crooner | Designer

Showman Trevor Kelly is a modern crooner with a classic Sinatra style. He’s a comedian, podcaster, designer, and former Jungle Cruise Skipper to boot. Trevor brings his old-school swagger and acerbic wit to clubs and stages across Southern California and beyond, creating performances that feel equal parts singalong and cocktail party.

To celebrate Beatlesland, Trevor staged a special live show where his Sinatra persona covered tunes by The Beatles, slipping in a few Disney favorites for good measure. The evening became a playful collision of musical worlds, capped by an appearance from his plus one, Jessica Kelly, who auctioned off her one-of-a-kind Blue Meanie Mousketeer sculpture. It was a night of music, mixed-drinks, and Rat Pack flair.

Follow Trevor Kelly on Instagram.

Eugene Shin, Digital Artist

Artist Eugene Shin is well known in adventure and Indiana Jones fan circles for detailed tributes to classic action and exploration stories. His work is packed with visual storytelling, pulling from deep knowledge of pop culture and Disney history, and rendered with care that stays true to the source material.

For Beatlesland, Eugene took a playful detour into animation, revisiting a familiar scene from Yellow Submarine. He reimagined the Fab Four wearing souvenir hats of Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto, while Nemo, Dory, and Marlin look on from the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage lagoon.

Follow Eugene Shin as “Lost Delta Outpost” on Instagram and purchase his art on Etsy.

The Backside of Water, Podcast

The Backside of Water Podcast explores the rich, strange, and often-overlooked history of Disneyland through deeply researched storytelling, immersive sound design, and original audio performances. Blending historical deep dives with radio-play-style skits, the podcast brings Disney lore to life in ways that are both informative and delightfully unexpected.

For the Beatlesland episode, the BSOW team investigates one of the most bizarre “what-if” moments in Disney history: a near-collision between The Beatles, Disneyland, and Dick Clark. The result is a theatrical, time-bending journey through an unrealized idea that almost reshaped the park forever—told with curiosity, humor, and just the right amount of snacks and chaos.

Incidentally, I happen to be a cast member on the show, along with Alex Stewart. This episode also features Annie Ruygt and Mike Mulligan. Mixed and edited by Daniel Martin.

Listen to The Backside of Water on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find great audio.

Shaun Peeze, Photographic Historian

Shaun Peeze is the founder of All About Los Angeles, a history-focused project dedicated to uncovering the people, places, and pop-culture moments that shaped Los Angeles. Through detailed research, photography, and then-and-now comparisons, Peeze brings the city’s layered past into sharp focus.

For Beatlesland, Shaun meticulously matched historic photographs from John Lennon’s visit to Disneyland in the 1970s with their present-day locations. The result is a striking visual time bridge—allowing fans to see the park as it was and as it is, grounding the Beatlesland story in the very real moment when a Beatle truly walked through the Happiest Place on Earth.

Follow All About Los Angeles on Instagram.

Lauren Kurtz, Designer

Lauren Kurtz, known as Coppertop Ink, creates bold, cartoon-styled illustrations with a vintage, tattoo-inspired feel. Her caricatures are instantly recognizable by her expressive characters and signature blush-kissed cheeks.

For Beatlesland, Lauren designed a whimsical illustration of The Beatles reimagined as they’ve never been seen before. Some of the group are even “playing” an iconic Disneyland snack instead of an instrument. It’s a playful collision of music history and park culture that invites a closer look.

Follow Lauren Kurtz on Instagram and shop her work on CoppertopInk.com.

Frank Grau, Illustrator

Frank Grau is a Southern California–based illustrator with over 25 years of experience creating bold, colorful artwork for themed entertainment and commercial projects, always with a healthy dose of humor and magical spark.

For Beatlesland, Frank illustrated a Jungle Cruise poster that flips the script on the world-famous “backside of water” joke, replacing the scene’s iconic moment with The Beatles themselves. It’s a clever visual mash-up of Disneyland lore and music fanhood. It’s proof that even the most sacred skipper jokes aren’t safe in Beatlesland.

See Frank Grau’s work on his website, FrankGrau.org.

Joey Hansen, Designer | Photographer

Joey Hansen, known as Motley Kingdom, is a designer and photographer whose work channels bold 1980s pop-art and punk energy—neon colors, sharp attitude, and a visual nostalgia for an era of surfer shirts, mohawks, and counter-culture cool.

For Beatlesland, Joey reimagined The Beatles interacting with some of Disneyland’s most iconic attractions, blending music history with park mythology in a vivid, high-voltage style. Which ones can you name?

Follow Joey Hansen on Instagram and visit his website at MotleyKingdom.com.

Andy Hsiau, Illustrator

Andy Hsiau creates impossible, fantastical worlds through fantasy and anime-inspired character design and bold pop-culture crossovers. His work—seen on t-shirts and in theme park concept art—thrives in the space where imagination runs wild and familiar icons are joyfully reinterpreted.

For Beatlesland, Andy delivered one of its most striking visions: The Beatles as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band… with a buggy twist. Each Beatle appears as an actual beetle—grotesque heads perched atop the famous uniforms—posed in front of the Disneyland Railroad Main Street Station. It’s a little disturbing and a whole lotta fun.

Follow Andy Hsiau on Instagram.

BONUS NEW RELEASE!

Upon publishing this article, one of the creators was struck with fresh inspiration. Andy Hsiau recalled his original mashup above and flipped the script. Instead of Beatles in character heads, how about characters in Beatle heads? And make it Manga! Enjoy this 2026 addition to the Beatlesland art explosion.

Follow Andy Hsiau on Instagram.

Special thanks to Jeff James, the original creative mastermind of the project who put Dick Clark and Michael Eisner together to imagine the Beatlesland that never was. Read the mind-bending article here.

Many thanks to the artists, sculptors, costumers, musicians, podcasters, YouTubers and storytellers who are my co-conspirators sharing this story through their creative work online. Follow #Beatlesland on the socials to see more beautiful and hilarious tributes to this amazing idea. 

They are, in no particular order: Tyler Davis (@tylerdavisdesign), Trevor Kelly (@the.trevor.kelly), Jessica Kelly (@jesstasmic), Alex Stewart (@the_backside_of_water), Brooklyn (@superretrogal), Hula Girls Shave Ice (@hulagirlsshaveice), James C Mulligan (@mulliganjimmy), Joey Hanson (@motleykingdom), Scarlett Rose (@scarlett.rose.barreto), Brian Lynch and Skipper Chuck (@skipperchuck), Lauren Kurtz (@coppertop.ink), Shawna Marie Tice (@thepleatedpeacock), Banyan (@banyansadventures), Eugene Shin (@lostdeltaoutpost), Chris Bonomo (@christopherbonomo), Mike Mulligan (@mikemulliganofficial), Monica (@afrolectic), Kenzie Palm (@talktothepalm), MICAH (@worldofmicah), Frank & Cristina Grau (@lady_grau), Richard Wallace (@skipper_richard), Shaun Peeze (@allaboutlosangeles), Stewart Marshall (@charlesthatcheradv), Penny Martin (@talltink), Daniel Martin (@harryfiasco), Tony Sherg (@tsherg), Disneyland News Today (@disneylandnewstoday), Isaac Martin (@stealawaynorth), Boblseds & Banthas Podcast (@bobsledsandbanthas), The Disney Universe Podcast (@disneyuniversepodcast) and Tiki Tony Murphy (@tikitony)

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One more thing: In 2018, 4 years before the Beatlesland story broke, Mike Jacka wrote a series of Dad jokes on MiceAge imagining Beatle’s answers to Disneyland questions. As a Skipper, I couldn’t resist. Get ready to groan/giggle… HERE.