John Hench: Celebrating All the Colors of His Rainbow
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As Marty Sklar prepared to introduce the next speaker, he told Rolly, “Thank you for not telling those stories!�? He then went on to talk about John Hench’s contributions to the Disney theme parks—fifty years, ten parks, and an eleventh “blessed by John.�? He then introduced Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald and Wing Chao.

Disney Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald and his Audio Animatronic “twin�?

Tom Fitzgerald prefaced his comments with a statement that explained John Hench’s long devotion to Imagineering, “It’s hard work, so you have to make it a labor of love.�? He went on to add that John Hench was, “an Imagineer before anyone knew what that meant.�? He lauded Hench’s ability to design everything a project required; the architecture, the rides, the costumes…even the bathrooms.

Even the restrooms of Tomorrowland 1967 were given the elegant John Hench treatment.

He related Hench’s pleasure at watching the first middle-aged guests take the trip on Space Mountain, quoting from John Hench’s book, Designing Disney: “As their vehicle came to a stop, there was dead silence. Some seemed to be hyperventilating. One woman stirred first and got out of the car. She knelt down and loudly kissed the carpet. The others got out of the car and started up the exit ramp. I followed them about halfway up the ramp; they broke into spontaneous weak-in-the-knees laughter, patting each other on the back. It came to me than that these people had not felt so alive in years as they did at that moment.�?

John Hench’s timeless design for Space Mountain in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

Fitzgerald went on to say, “John’s training all fed into his unique design philosophy. He taught us to be proud as Imagineers—that our work is important.�? He also pointed out that Hench could be outspoken, yet gentle, in his criticism. Once, when a design he felt was not clear to the public was presented to him, he quietly pointed out to the designers, “You’ve created something that says: there’s something really exciting over here—and you’re not invited!�? Fitzgerald also mentioned Hench’s playful side, saying, “John was a great sport, as illustrated by this video.�? The crowd was then treated to a humorous vignette that found a perplexed John Hench trying to enjoy his lunch as a set of dreadful new “costumes,�? complete with garish corporate logos were paraded before him for his approval. His “spit take�? brought down the house. Tom Fitzgerald concluded his comments by saying that John Hench would always be, “a part of the DNA of what Imagineering is all about.�?

Wing Chao began by relating the description he had been given of John Hench right after his hiring at WDI 32 years earlier. He was told, “John Hench is 64. He just finished working on the Magic Kingdom. It was an exhausting project, so he’ll probably retire soon.�? After the laughter died down, Chao said of his long time friend and colleague, “His endless passion in pursuit of design excellence was contagious.�? Chao then made the first of many references to one of John Hench’s more playful pursuits: fortune telling. “He was quite a good fortune teller, and loved to read palms. Especially lady’s palms.�?

The Wilderness Lodge, one of over a hundred properties developed by Wing Chao and John Hench

Chao related that he had worked with Hench on over 100 Resort developments. As photos were displayed on the screen, he recounted a myriad of properties, covering the United States, France, Japan, the Disney Cruise Line, and Hong Kong. The final image shown was of the Hollywood Hotel for Hong Kong Disneyland. With his voice breaking, Chao stated that he was deeply moved that John Hench, who had been present at the opening of every Disney theme park, would not be present for the opening day in Hong Kong. He went on, “You are the friend who was always there, but now you are gone. I will miss your good morning…your hand drawn Christmas card…�? But, added Chao, “Your design philosophy is a torch we will continue to carry.�? In a voice straining with emotion he concluded, “John, thank you for sharing your wisdom and inspiration. Thank you for the memories. Farewell John; we love you.�?

Detail of one of John Hench’s Imagineering Christmas cards