As a result of having met Disney, he joined the Los Angeles artistic team of the Walt Disney Studios, a relationship that continued, off and on, until his death in 1993. His extraordinary work gave a distinctive character to a number of Disney productions. He is specifically credited with many of the finest inventive effects in Disney's groundbreaking live-action film, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", which he art-directed, even though the movie credit reads: "Production Developed By..." Goff designed the exterior of the "Nautilus", along with sets for every compartment within the submarine. The film was awarded two Academy Awards, for color art direction and best special effects. At that time, in 1954, the Art Directors Union had created a bylaw within the Academy of Motion Pictures, which stated that only union art directors could win the award. The Academy gave the award for "Best Art Direction — Color 1954", to Goff's assistant, John Meehan, because he had a union card. Goff went on to get a union card, but was never given the award.