I’d have to say that if there was one person that I would have like to met and talked to… it would have been Walt Disney. I grew up seeing him on Television just like most other kids that were my age. The Mickey Mouse Club, The Wonderful World of Disney, the Wonderful World of Color, Tv specials, and Nature movies. I remember us referring to him as Uncle Walt. He touched the lives of millions… he influenced all our lives… both by what he had to say as a person, and by the stories that told us. Setting the example for how we should be towards others, morals, and in the characters that he developed that gave us good roles models to look up to. Yep… quite the positive influence on millions of lives. It was okay to be a dreamer… and there really were “Happy Endings” where everyone lived happily ever after. Nature films that taught us respect for the land and all living things. And of course, that Magical Place call Disneyland that brought wondrous delights to everyone…. both young and old. Walt’s bigger plans for a whole “world” based on Disneyland in California gave us the Florida Project and Disney World…the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. But it didn’t stop there… Fort Wilderness Campground Resort, and Disney’s Themed Hotel Resorts… The Polynesian Resort and The Modern looking Contemporary Resort were all part of the plan. Themed Shopping areas, golf courses, and themed water parks all came from the Dreams of one man… Walt. Today, following through on Walt’s dreams and visions of the future, there are 20 themed resorts which are an attraction to themselves. My favorite is the Wilderness Lodge modeled after Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park. I think Disney does everything so well and completely, that if you experienced the Wilderness Lodge first and then went to Yellowstone, your reaction would be somewhat less on the wow factor. Disney does everything not only down to the last detail, but it is sensory overload to the maximum… you could be in the same place numerous times and still see more things that you previously missed… it’s all too much to take in at one time. It’s the same with all the resorts… Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Grand Floridian, and Dixie Landing (now called Port Orleans Riverside)… sensory overload with everything designed down to the last detail… the sights, sounds, and even smells that immerse you into a different place and time. After all, that’s what’s it all about… dreams and fantasy’s… taking you to someplace you’ve never been before… experience it all with a sense on wonder… be a kid again in a magical world. It’s easy to get caught up in the whole magical celebration, atmosphere and pageantry of it all. Escape to a happy place. Walt’s welcome to Disneyland…. “To All that come to this Happy Place… Welcome”. Well… that’s my little bit of insight and feelings for the dreams of a dreamer that changed the world. Thanks Walt… you touched my life… and that of millions. Disney Imagineers hold true to everything that Walt imagined and are always planning and making those dreams become reality… all over the Earth. Here’s a few of my favorite photos of Walt… if he could have only seen that his dreams became reality… what her would think of it all now.
1928 It All started with a mouse.
Just as I remember…
announcing the Florida Project…Disney World
Walt and Mickey…
Planning and overseeing attractions
Main Street Pastry and Coffee House
Walt rides with Davy Crockett ( Fess Parker)
Walt’s love for railroads… his backyard train…
At Disneyland…
Saw him every Sunday Night on the Tv
A Man and his Dreams…
A Job well done!
Thanks for the Dreams that touched so many!
