Eddie Sotto

Edward Anthony Sotto III (March 14, 1958 – December 17, 2025) was an American experiential designer, mixed-media producer and conceptualist.

Sotto spent 13 years with Walt Disney Imagineering, rising to senior vice president of concept design. He was the founder and president of the Los Angeles design firm SottoStudios. Sotto also established the think tank Futureproof Experiences in 2020 to address the challenges posed to the experiential industries by COVID-19.

In 2002, Sotto was named one of the 1,000 most creative people in America in the book 1,000: Richard Saul Wurman's Who's Really Who by TED founder Richard Saul Wurman. In 2018 he addressed the TEDxBermuda event with his presentation "The How of Wow". He was also named one of the Blooloop 50 list of theme park influencers in 2020.

Early life and career Sotto was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on March 14, 1958. His aunt, Marilyn Sotto, was a costume illustrator and designer who worked for Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, and Walt Disney Productions, and his grandfather, Edward Sotto Sr., was a scenic artist at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and a portrait artist.

He grew up fascinated by Disneyland Park and, as a teenager, built a 1/200 scale model of the park based on plans obtained from WED Enterprises (now known as Walt Disney Imagineering). At 21, while working as an appliance salesman at Sears, Sotto acted upon a suggestion to pursue his interests in modelmaking and storyboarding and was hired as an assistant project director at Knott's Berry Farm. At Knott's, he designed Wacky Soap Box Racers, a redesign of the park's Steeplechase-style roller coaster, Motorcycle Chase, and contributed to the design of Camp Snoopy.

In 1983, Sotto became a show designer for Hollywood-based Landmark Entertainment Group. During his tenure, he designed and developed themed attractions for Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags, and Mattel.

Sotto spent 13 years with WDI, eventually being named senior vice president of concept design in 1994. He was involved in early development of the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction for Disneyland, and directed the master planning of Tokyo Disneyland for three years. His proposal to include a hotel at the entrance of Disneyland Paris led to the first instance of guest accommodations being incorporated into a Disney Park.

Other WDI projects Sotto worked on included the Mission: SPACE attraction at EPCOT and the $90 million Pooh's Hunny Hunt ride at Tokyo Disneyland. DEN clients included Ford, Dell, Blockbuster, and Pepsi.

In 2000, Sotto became chief creative officer of Progress City. Seeking to explore the convergence of the Internet, architecture, and wireless devices, Progress City was founded to develop leading edge technology solutions for clients such as BBDO, Kodak, Motorola, Dentsu, San Diego Padres, NASA, and The Walt Disney Company.

Through his company, Sotto has developed television series for VH1 networks, ABC, Showtime and CNN, and created a news format utilizing the Google search engine for Current TV. The studio also developed designs for a McLaren showroom. One of Sotto's collaborations with Embraer, the SkyRanch One, was named Best Private Jet Concept at the 2017 Yacht and Aviation Awards. Other Sotto-Embraer partnerships include the Skyacht One and Manhattan Airship. SottoStudios is also a consultant for Virgin Galactic.

Other projects have included building a film history-themed pop-up store for Turner Classic Movies and partnering with chef John Sedlar to create Los Angeles' Rivera Restaurant. For Rivera, Sotto named and created the restaurant's identity, along with architectural and thematic design elements. He was also a general partner in the restaurant. SottoStudios was also involved in assisting scientist Danny Hillis in the design of his 10,000-year clock for the Long Now Foundation.

Futureproof Experiences In 2020, Sotto created the think tank Futureproof Experiences in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the themed entertainment industry. The group seeks to incorporate talents from the creative, business, and health care industries to create frictionless and compelling entertainment experiences which combine security and pandemic precautions.

Death Sotto died in Orange, California, on December 17, 2025, at the age of 67.

Disneyland Resort Master planning attraction proposals Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye concept design Adventureland renovation Main Street, U.S.A. renovation and audio enhancements Storybook Land Canal Boats enhancements Aladdin's Oasis Fantasmic! viewing area Space Mountain onboard audio enhancements

Walt Disney World Resort Space Mountain FedEx enhancements Mission: SPACE conceptual design World Showcase proposals Pal Mickey interactive toy Videopolis dance club

Tokyo Disneyland Sci-Fi City and New Fantasyland master planning Disney Resort Line station Pooh's Hunny Hunt Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall Alice's Tea Party The Enchanted Tiki Room—Get the Fever! World Bazaar interior designs

Disneyland Paris Main Street, U.S.A. Disneyland Paris Railroad Original Disneyland Paris Hotel concept design

Concept Development Studio ABC Times Square Studios, New York City Encounter Restaurant, Los Angeles International Airport Interactive ride technologies Online worlds

Voiceover work Main Street upstairs windows (Disneyland Paris / Disneyland) Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom / Disneyland) Market House telephone (Disneyland / Magic Kingdom / Disneyland Paris) Radio Toontown (Disneyland) Shrunken Ned (Disneyland) Aladdin’s Other Lamp (Disneyland) Disneyland Paris Railroad / Walt Disney World Railroad boarding calls Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Disneyland Paris)

Acting Star Tours concourse introductory video (Disneyland)