Most, if not all of you who are reading this, may have heard the term
“Disney Magic” or maybe even a “Disney Magical Moment.”
Well, those special moments are not just limited to guests of Disney theme
parks, but also include the most underrated people on earth—Disney
cast members.
In this session, let’s look at a special magical moment as seen through
the eyes of a Walt Disney World cast member. It’s a moment that was 40
years in the making.
The source
On New Year’s Eve, I received e-mail from a dear friend, Anne Stepien
of WDW Planner (link).
Anne had sent mail to wish me a Happy New Year, and to tell me a special
story that had all the makings of a “magical” tale. With Anne’s
permission, I would like to share this story with you.
From what I understand, this story was published in The Main Street
Diaries, an employee newsletter for Disney management. A few years
back, the Walt Disney World cast members were asked to select a “Magical
Memory” for the 100 Years of Magic Celebration. One cast member picked
a magical moment that occurred on January 4, 2002 because it was, as she
says, “…of the opportunity I had to spend a very special day
with a very special family.”
The seed for this day was planted in the early 1960s.
The letter
On December 28, 2001, Elizabeth Mayer, a cast member from the Disney
Reservation Center, received an e-mail from a guest, Joanne Stolberg-Alger.
In the letter, Joanne stated that in the early ’60s, her father, a former
executive from General Electric, was used as the model for the father
figure in the Carousel of Progress.
Her father had kept the fact that he was “starring” in the
GE exhibit at the 1964 World’s Fair a secret from his family, and planned
on taking his family to see their reaction. Unfortunately before he had
the opportunity to do so, he passed away at the age of 40.
The family never made it to the World’s Fair, and found out Dad’s big
surprise only after his brother attended the Fair, saw his brother’s audio-animatronic
twin and came home with the news.
Many years later, Joanne brought her family to Walt Disney World and
the Magic Kingdom theme park to experience seeing her father in the Carousel
of Progress. Unfortunately, however, her mother Doris Stolberg did not
make the trip and had never seen the attraction.
In Joanne’s December 28 e-mail to Disney Reservation Center, she stated
that her daughter, her mother, and she would be in the Orlando area on
January 4. Joann asked if there was any way she could buy a ticket just
to experience the Carousel of Progress attraction. Elizabeth, a former
cast member of the Magic Kingdom Event Group, picked up the phone and
called the Event Group to see if there was anything special that they
could do for these guests.
It was obvious that this request was very special, and they made a few
calls and asked Elizabeth to contact the guest and ask to meet her at
the Guest Relations window in front of the park.
The visit
On January 4, 2003, Elizabeth came to the Event Group office, and a greeting
party set out for the turnstiles to meet Joanne, Doris, and Shannon. With
the help of Marvin Smith, Operating Manager of Magic Kingdom Guest Relations,
one-day park hopper tickets were waiting at the Guest Relations Window
for these special guests.
The party met the family and immediately escorted them towards Tomorrowland.
At the Carousel of Progress, a Disney photographer was waiting for the
group and took a picture outside the attraction. Judy Paulsen, a Tomorrowland
Guest Service Manager, was awaiting their arrival, and arranged for the
guests to have their own private showing of the Carousel of Progress show.
As soon as the theater made its first turn and the father could be seen,
Doris, Joanne’s mother, covered her mouth, as tears began to well up in
her eyes. She was not alone, as all who were there were also caught up
in this magical moment.
She could not take her eyes off the animatronic star of the show. She
then smiled and said, “He looks exactly the same as I remember him.”
The show continued, and the family asked the photographer to take a few
pictures of the father on the stage, and another with the family in front
of the stage and “Dad” in the background.
At the end of the show, Doris took out a picture to show everyone what
her husband had looked like, and the resemblance was amazing. As they
exited the theater, Doris took Elizabeth’s hand, looked deeply into her
eyes with a look of gratitude and said, “Thank you! You have no idea
what this means to me.”
At this point Elizabeth invited them to enjoy the park and asked them
to meet her in front of City Hall at 2 p.m.. Elizabeth wanted to be sure
they received copies of the pictures, and with the help of Dean Gaschler
of Magic Kingdom Guest Relations, arranged to have the family ride in
the electric car as Grand Marshals of the Share a Dream Come True parade.
The family met Elizabeth at City Hall and were delighted when Dean presented
them with Mickey Mouse ear hats, and were excited when Dean challenged
them to “wave at each of our guests equally, not only the cute fellas!”
Though Doris was 78 years old, the moment the car reached the parade route,
her eyes lit up and she became a child again. At the end, Doris was beyond
words, but Joanne spoke for everyone when she said it was a day that they
would never forget.
The final note about this story comes from Elizabeth herself when she
says, “Now whenever I am asked about my Magical Memory, I tell people
it is the Carousel of Progress because of the day that I spent with this
very special family.”
Why I’m telling this story
I think that the underlying message here is that there are some very
special people who we as guests of the Walt Disney World Resort, may take
for granted. These are the cast members who work each day to make our
vacations as memorable as possible.
These extraordinary employees are not paid very handsomely and are asked
to always do whatever is needed to make the guests happy. This effort
is not always appreciated by the guests.
I had planned to write this story weeks in advance of the accident that
recently took the life of Javier Cruz, another outstanding cast member.
But this story now seems fitting to tell in the wake of the tragedy. It
speaks of people like Elizabeth Mayer, Marvin Smith, Judy Paulsen, and
Dean Gaschler.
It serves as a tribute to those who get us through the turnstiles, who
look out for our safety in the attractions, who entertain us in parades
and in shows, who bring us that next glass of ice tea while dining, and
who go that extra mile to help us all forget our problems in life and
assist us in our willful suspension of disbelief.
Once again my thanks to Anne Stepien for bringing this story to my attention.
This story made my day, and I’d like to dedicate it to Javier Cruz and
all the cast members of the Walt Disney World Resort. To you, I say thank
you.
Next time
In our next session get ready. We are going to explore the world of luxury
at Walt Disney World.
Class dismissed.
