WALT'S QUOTE

“I get red, white, and blue at times.”

-Walt Disney

 

An ignored part of Walt Disney was his fervent patriotism for America. He loved America and her freedom and opportunity that allowed any hard worker to make their dreams come true. His fairy tales reflected that and he commissioned to be made many American folk tales (Johnny Appleseed, Pecos Bill etc). He even served on anti-Communist committee to combat the menace of restricting, socialist ideas. Many celebrities profess hatred and anti-American feelings. It is reassuring to know not every player in Hollywood disliked the greatest country on earth.

WALT'S QUOTE

“I think we have made the fairy tale fashionable again.”

-Walt Disney

 

As a lover of fairy tales, I become saddened about the misconceptions swirling around about them. Modern society loves to bash the medieval times for all erroneous reasons and fairy tales often get lumped in as a victim.

I wish to be a screenwriter for Walt Disney Animation and I plan to script fairy tales. They are among my favorite stories due to their inspirations and hope. I want to give back that hope.

WALT'S QUOTE

“You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.”

-Walt Disney

 

I recently purchased a book of Walt’s quotations to have all of his wonderful and insightful wisdom condensed in one volume.  I enjoy this quote because it speaks the truth about life. Life is not to be easy all the time (or even some of the time) and sometimes an apparently troubling situation can be your best friend. You never know until when in the future you can look back and realized the plan.

FEBRUARY 1ST PART TWO

After I exited the train station, I checked the time and realized that the 3 o’clock parade was about to commence. (A common question for Cast Members consists of what time does the 3 o’clock parade start? Of course, the guest is trying to ask what the best location for viewing is). I plopped myself down on the bench with the Goofy statue. My seat gave me a straight away screenshot view of the Roy Disney and Minnie statue. Sadly, most guests are not aware of Roy’s contributions to the company. If Walt was a creative wizard, then Roy was a financial wizard. Walt had many talents, but the handling of money was not a skill he possessed. If not for Roy, Walt would have gone bankrupt and worked for others. Walt died in 1966, five years before Walt Disney World opened. The park opened thanks to Roy who delayed his retirement to make sure it was built. Roy changed the proposed name of Disneyworld to Walt Disney World because it was Walt’s dream. Roy eight years older than Walt had spent his life looking after his younger brother and had always encouraged him. Their story is a true testament of brotherly love.

There is a cool story about the statue. Roy, as a true gentleman does, sits down at the end of the bench. This action is done in case a lady would wish to sit down. By positioning himself at the end of the bench, the lady would not have to sit down next to a stranger. However, Minnie is daintily planted right next to Roy signifying her trust of him. It is another one of those Disney details that plusses the plus, a Walt Disney trademark.

Main Street is at the end of the parade route, thus the 3 o’clock parade typically doesn’t reach Main Street USA until 3:25. This edition of the daily parade is the Festival of Fantasy which is accomplished by a catchy theme song and traditional Disney songs. The floats as usual are magnificent and one float in particular is Maleficent! Yes, there is a fire breathing dragon. The guests are both amazed and shocked. Prince Phillip leads the way in front of the float and makes fighting gestures towards his foe. Several princesses share a float including Anna and Elsa! However, my favorite princess Rapunzel has her own mode of transportation and her beau Flynn Rider makes an appearance! That was a pleasant surprise. The Lost Princess>others. The parade finished up with Mickey and Minnie in a hot air balloon! Of course, Mickey is saved for last, he is the star.

After the parade ended, I exited the Magic Kingdom for Disney Hollywood Studios so I could catch Fantasmic! The bus was extremely crowded so I gave up my seat for a lady as all men should, but unfortunately don't. My generation is extremely poor in this regard. Needless to say, the journey to the Studios was not that long; the hardest part is weaving through Magic Kingdom traffic. The bus driver made good time and I entered into the Studios.

Tragically, Hollywood Studios removed the giant Sorcerer Mickey hat from the middle of the park. I put away my grief and entered a clothing shop. There, I found this awesome Galloping Gaucho t-shirt. The store did not have any Steamboat Willie shirts in my size and I did not care for the Plane Crazy design, Plus, Gaucho is the forgotten short of the original trilogy and I am born to be the outcast. Immediately, I raced to find Sorcerer Mickey. In Hollywood Studios, Mickey appears in his outfit from Fantasia his sorcerer incarnation is my favorite Mickey.

Since the Art of Animation was closed to make room for the Star Wars Launch Bay (spoiler alert!), Mickey was placed in a soundstage. I think he deserves better. The line was relatively short, but I planned on waiting anyways. I was ushered in to see the boss before his daily showdown in Fantasmic! I hugged him and held out my new purchased t-shirt for him to autograph. I try to have Mickey autograph all my Mickey memorabilia. I told him that he was my favorite Mickey and hugged him. Seeing the characters is possibly the best portion of Disney for me.

I exited the soundstage to see the poster for the new animated movie coming out and I made a silent vow that someday my movie would be up there. Then I headed to the Great Movie Ride. This ride is my dad’s favorite mainly because John Wayne makes an appearance. The waiting area has a great movie screen showing previews for classic movies and my arrival was timed perfectly for Errol Flynn’s Robin Hood picture. Love Errol Flynn. I won’t spoil any of the action, but the ride is still awe-inspiring and feels like you are placed in a real film.

The Great Movie Ride takes up a fair chuck of time so I needed to grab some grub before I went to get a seat for Fantasmic! I decided upon the ABC Commissary mainly due to its convenient location. My family had never eaten before at Hollywood Studios so this was a new experience. I ordered a steak, green beans and fries combo for only $11.99! A bargain. The steak was a good cut and the sides were plentiful. I ate quickly and hoofed to Fantasmic!

The gateway to Fantasmic! is lined with impressive posters and banners of the characters. I snapped a few photos but I was in a hustle to get a great seat. Providence was with me as I managed to grab a second row seat in the middle of the amphitheater. I had to wait about 45 minutes for the show to start but it is worth it and the DJ played some good tunes to pass the time. A fellow guest got the whole crowd to do the wave which was extremely impressive.

I am not going to spoil any of Fantasmic! Mere words cannot do the show justice. It is a spell-binding combo of magic, special effects, imagination and music starring Mickey Mouse as he battles Disney’s fiercest villains in his dreams. I have the show memorized and I will forever get chills and be bought to tears by the performance. It is Mickey’s tour de force. Walt would love it.

When Fantasmic! ends, there is a mad rush to get to the exits, I carefully planned my exit route and I got to the exit without dying. I immediately headed to the Star Wars Launch Bay to meet Chewbacca and Darth Vader. They do not sign autographs, but holy cow who cares?! It is Chewy and Vader! Chewbacca was his friendly self and I made the mistake of asking his character attendants if Vader signed autographs. They, in perfect character, asked if I was an Imperialist. I had to do some quick taking to assure them I pull for the Rebel Alliance. The Vader character attendants are extremely cold and impersonal. You must have your cameras ready and dump your backpacks in a corner. Vader himself is not friendly. He pointed at one place and I hastily obeyed. Then he pulls me away from that spot! Scary stuff.

I explored the props present and left for the exit. However, I forgot about the fireworks and was completely surprised by the resulting booms. The bursts of pyrotechnics were accompanied by Star Wars music and it was completely memorizing. I enjoyed the show and then basically ran to the EPCOT bus stop to sneak in 20 minutes worth of rides before that park closed.

After going through an advanced screening (for the second time that day), I dashed to Test Track. Normally, I would enjoy the beauty of EPCOT at night but I was in a hurry. The single ride line was only 5 minutes and thus I quickly was seated in a car. The ride is still awesome and fast but I prefer the old Test Track to the new version. I finished up my EPCOT journey by buying an Indiana Jones Mickey Mouse. Then, the park closed. A lengthy bus trip later and I was back in my dorm.

FLORIDA NIGHTS

Florida nights where the air is cool, but not chilly

Mosquitoes hover around, but you do not mind them

For the smell of oranges distracts you from malaria

It is an earthly paradise, Ponce De Leon actually found

The Fountain of Youth except the renewal is not drinkable

I long to stay forever, yet I know I cannot since I am not of retiring age.

FEBRUARY 1ST PART ONE

On February 1^st, I went to see Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. However, that is not all that I did that day. In the afternoon, I boarded the bus to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge as a gateway to the Magic Kingdom. However, I took the wrong turn in the lobby and ended up at the bus station. I decided on a whim to head to Fort Wilderness Campground.

In my early days whenever my family vacationed at Walt Disney World, we always stayed at Fort Wilderness since we owned a fifth wheel RV. The campground holds fond memories for this Disney Cast Member. The bus route from the Lodge to the Campground is a backwoods road not usually seen by tourists. There are two bus stations at Fort Wilderness. The Outpost is in at the entrance of the campground and the Settlement is located near Bay Lake and the dining establishments. I was deposited at the Settlement which meant I did not need to pick up another bus to reach Bay Lake.

I snapped some pictures of the dusty trail leading to the restaurants and lake. I felt like a pioneer finally reaching California. Of course, pioneers did not need to worry about dodging golf carts! The boat was not in port or streaming in, so I strolled around and entered the Settlement Trading Post. The Trading Post held an assortment of Fort Wilderness merchandise, general Theme Park material, plushes, food options and coonskin caps. With my generous discount, I purchased a Disney World Railroad t-shirt. I love the railroad and Mickey was on the t-shirt. Love that mouse!

I exited the Trading Post and studied the wanted posters hanging on the wall. They were notices for famous Western outlaws. An idea formulated in my head that Fort Wilderness should have a game like the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom where guests hunt down and capture Western criminals. They could include Davy Crockett and other western Disney heroes and villains (like the Bat Bandit). Imagination is an amazing thing.

I saw the boat coming in so I headed to the docks. It was a beautiful day with the perfect combination of temperature and sunlight reflecting off the water. I was fortunate to claim a front seat on the boat where the breeze danced and the water sprinkled. We passed the relics of River Country and Discovery Island, both silent ghosts to change and misfortune. I was thinking that Bay Lake was the ideal place for a naval battle (except for the narrow bridge separating the Magic Kingdom section from the Wilderness section, it is a bottleneck.) We streamed by the Wilderness Lodge without stopping to my surprise. Apparently, both resorts are serviced by different boats instead of a combined service as in the past.

There was a family next to me that was so excited by the sites especially when Magic Kingdom comes into view that they had to be Disney virgins. The bike dude looking father had the same Mickey muscle shirt that I have in my closet. I did not know if I should be elated or dismayed. It is always nice to see tough guys embrace Disney. The boat docked and I headed in the entrance line, had my bag checked and received my complimentary entry to the park.

I immediately grabbed a park map and headed up the ramp to the train station. I always like to ride the train in a complete loop in honor of Walt. It is a relaxing ride and allows you to see the outlines of the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, there were many chatting tourists who did not realize the concept of quiet train rides. The train has stations in Frontierland, Fantasyland at Storybook Circus (replaced Mickey Toontown’s station) and Main Street USA. All of those stations make logical sense. Trains opened up the frontier, the circus came to town on the train and Main Street USA is homage to Marceline, Missouri Walt’s boyhood home and trains were present there.

You cannot see much of Adventureland from the train since the brush conceals everything. However, you glimpse the back of Big Thunder Mountain and discover that the population is now zero. Plus, there is a cool Indian reservation that the track bisects. The detail is incredible. At Storybook Circus, the station is decorated with posters and authentic touches. Detail is everything with Disney. Soon enough, we returned to Main Street USA, the gateway to the Magic Kingdom.

I disembarked and explored the railroad memorabilia underneath the station. There are rarely seen photos of Walt playing with his backyard railroad. It is tragic how many guests pass by this without taking the time to appreciate it. Railroading is in my family’s blood and I long to ride an old-fashioned train across the nation. Walt loved progress but he also understood the need to appreciate the past. That is why trains circle every Magic Kingdom in the world. There are also many maps of railroad companies located in the lobby. I searched for Warriors Mark to no avail. I did find Tyrone, Altoona, Bellefonte, Birmingham (a little hamlet outside Warriors Mark which we should annex) and Clearfield on the maps. It was cool to see my sphere of influence at Walt Disney World.

TRADITIONS (DISNEY STYLE)

Disney Traditions is eagerly awaited by every Cast Member in the Disney College Program. We receive two special mementos of our storybook journey. I am not going to reveal them right now, that would be a spoiler and what would be the point of reading this blog post?

While my one roommate Michael had his Traditions on Friday at 2:30, JC (my other roommate, see this blog has continuity) and I were scheduled for Saturday exactly 24 hours later. We departed for the bus stop with plenty of time to spare. Unfortunately, JC had forgotten his yellow paper for Traditions and scurried back to the apartment to retrieve it. However, while the bus was supposed to leave at 1:30, our bus driver with NASCAR speed, entered the bus, gunned the motor and zoomed out of Chatham at 1:22. I was texting a friend at this point and I never got the chance to ask the bus driver to wait. I collected JC’s other material and prayed that he could find a way to make it.

Like for Casting, the bus took us past the main gate where Mickey and Minnie were waiting with welcoming waves. Now, in the forward tradition of the company, massive construction was present as an apparent widening of the roads was happening. It certainly dispelled a little of the magic. My close friend Mark Frederick messaged me to rant about his snow woes. Elsa had visited him with around 18 inches of feathery sleet. I responded with a picture of the deceiving sunny weather. It looked balmy, but the temperature hovered around 45 degrees. He did not appreciate the picture.

The bus took us past the Contemporary Resort and the Magic Kingdom to the building that housed Disney University. Massive parking lots where the employees parked were located there. Remember, we do not commute by pixie dust. We limbered off the bus and entered into the Disney themed building. Like the Casting building, the walls were decorated with milestones. When you have as much success as we do at Disney, a little showing off is required and understood. They called out our groups and we processed into our rooms where each individual name appeared on mouse ears on the TV screen.

On each table was a giant red box with a Mickey Mouse ear themed ribbon. We were explicitly told not to open the box. Self-control won out over primeval desire. To pass the time until we start at 2:30, the moderators played a game of Disney Trivia. Intensity, I cracked my knuckles and stretched out my arms in anticipation of victory. Disney Trivia: an event that combines two of my favorite activities: Disney and scholastic trivia. The MVP in me reemerged. The first few questions were distinctly amateur hour and I did not bother answering them. Let the others feed on low hanging fruit. (Yes, I am an elitist when it comes to Disney) But when the moderator asked: “Which two characters made their appearance in Steamboat Willie? My hand shot up on appearance. A reader might be thinking that what an easy question. However, I am the world’s biggest Mickey Mouse fan and it was my obligation to answer it. For my correct answer, I received a pin. Other questions went by without my attendance. I figured it was only fair to let others win. But when no one could finish the answer to “Which two characters made their debut in the Imagination ride in EPCOT?”, I had to step in. Someone correctly answered the popular half of the duo, Figment, but I coolly stated “Dreamfinder” for the other half. I gave away the duplicate pin.

After playing finish the lyric to a song, we moved on to “Stomp the Moderator.” I asked my preferred question “Who scripted and drew the Mickey Mouse Comic Strip for nearly 45 years?” Both Brittany and Michael (the moderators) scratched their brains hoping for a nugget. Eventually, after the fruitless struggle concluded, they requested the answer. I gave the name Floyd Gottfredson. I explained how he wanted to be an animator and that Walt himself told me to take over the strip for only two weeks on a temporary basis. As in great Disney tradition, those two weeks turned into 45 years of adventure and laughs. I informed everyone that they were being reprinted. Well, Mr. Gottfredson, I released your name to them. Hopefully, they take the initiative.

2:30 arrived and the session started with the requisite safety video. Safety is a main concern at Disney as we are responsible for millions of guests and thousands of Cast Members. We were shown a video starring Bob Iger, the CEO and Leader of the Club and he explained to us our great opportunity and duty.  Next, Michael asked us why we were here. I swiftly whipped my hand and said I was here to make magic for others. He nodded and said it was a great answer. To my astonishment, I was handed a Mickey Mouse figure. He took a few more answers and went on to explain our own language used at Disney. We put on a show so we use a different language to grasp our jobs.

The theme of Traditions was that continuously stressed (outside of safety) was We Create Happiness. As sappy as it appears in many people’s minds, Disney is in the business of pushing optimism and creating happy endings. We overwhelmingly prefer fantasy over realism. To prove the point, we watch videos of kids learning that they were going to Disney. I honestly say, if you watched those videos and felt nothing, you have no soul.  The pure joy and unrestricted words brought me to tears. Every kid deserves that chance and everyone deserves the best vacation when they enter Disney’s gates.

Brittany and Michael shared a couple heartwarming stories about creating Happiness. Michael worked at Splash Mountain and once a Cinderella dressed girl rode Splash Mountain while sitting in the front row. Of course, the water descended upon her form and messed up her makeup and dress. Her older brother mercilessly teased her and Michael just said in his Frontierland lingo: “Howdy Princess.” With those TWO words as he emphasized, she recovered her spunk and informed her teasing sibling that “I’m still a princess.”

Brittany told a touching story that was very similar to Up. She worked at a reservationist and an older man walked up to make reservations at the Brown Derby at MGM, er Hollywood Studios. She, using the personal connection, noticed his expansive pin collection. He admitted that he was missing the Grape Soda pin based off the badge Ellie gave Carl in Up. He revealed that his wife had recently died. Now, I am going to introduce my own theological slant, Brittany could have just expressed some sympathy and said a prayer (if she was inclined that way) but going the second mile she hurried to a pin stand, got the Grape Soda pin, alerted the Brown Derby staff and rearranged for the pin to put on the plate. The next day, the old man went up to her desk and asked if she did the deed. She admitted that she had. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and said that he felt like his wife was there.

I will be truthful. I do not know if I will be able to create magic on that same level, but I sure can try and as Michael or Brittany said not every day will be super magical, but you will be renewed by guests and coworkers.

They asked us then to all put our hands on the red box and open it up. We did so and found mouse ears waiting. Michael and Brittany said that they wished we could see our faces as we grabbed  our gift. We were told that while other companies say “big shoes to fill”, Disney says “big ears to fill.” A pity, I have big feet than ears. ;)

After a short break, we were told that we could go to the Magic Kingdom to see Cast Members in action or we could write a 39 page journal. I am a born contrarian, so I voted for the journal. Fortunately, Michael ignored my attempt at being clever. We were divided up into teams. My team became the hero side. Unfortunately, our team name ended up being Hercules. I wanted Mickey Mouse. Sorry, Mickey. The villain team was named Maleficent. Since I was the tallest there, I was tasked with being the caboose of our train. As with was a visit to the Magic Kingdom and not a march into enemy area (Universal Studios), I was safe from being snatched.

We boarded transportation and arrived at the mythical Magic Kingdom tunnels. Needless to say, I will not reveal any of the magical details but I must have had the biggest grin on as my eyes captured everything. We pushed open a door and strolled onto Main Street. It was tough being a caboose when navigating Main Street. Yesterday was very cold and Disney guests should not have to wear sweatshirts and winter jackets at Disney. We made our way to the castle and were allowed to take some pictures.

We did a 180 around the castle and marched past the tea cups and Cosmic Ray’s while maintaining our train movement. Our caravan finally halted at the Carousal and was instructed to go out in groups and watch Cast Members in action. My gang migrated to the Small World. While there, a guest approached us and asked if we worked here. We all answered in a few days, but we decided to hear her out. She explained that her stroller was stolen and did that mean she was required to pay for it. I suggested that she find Guest Services and explain her situation.

Following our helpful task, we met up with our team and returned to the tunnels. A quick ride later, we returned to Disney University and were surprised by a special guest. The Big Cheese himself Mickey Mouse arrived to the marvelous tune of The Mickey Mouse Club March shaking a big gold present. He opened the box to reveal our nametags which Michael informed us that Mickey sprinkled a little extra pixie dust on. He called out the first name and it was yours truly! That was a blessed moment and no they were not in alphabetical order. J

The handout was completed and Mickey left to continue running the park. I was officially part of the Disney family and I had a nametag to prove my allegiance to the Club. Brittany and Michael shared the secret motion for Tradition members to greet each other and said they hoped to see us in the parks. They dismissed us and I reunited JC (I did not forget about my buddy) who managed to catch another bus to Traditions.

Now I cannot wait to start working and hit the parks! Magic making time. As Michael explained it can be hard to work at Disney World. We work while everyone else has fun and their vacation time. But it is truly rewarding.