Joe Rohde at Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s 20th Anniversary celebration Legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde has announced that he will retire on January 4, 2021. He made the announcement on Instagram. Rohde has been with the Walt Disney Company for 40 years. He is the creative genius behind almost all of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including Pandora. Thank you, Joe Rohde, for 40 years of magic. You will be missed, but we wish you a happy and healthy retirement!