The time I have spent both playing and working at Disneyland has produced some fantastic memories for me over the years. I’ve written about many of them and often share some of the more “colorful” ones over a drink with friends on occasion!

One of the most thrilling moments for me at Disneyland was while I worked there in the late 1980s. I was just off work and had to go to City Hall for some reason or another. There in front of the building sat two old men, talking to each other and looking through their “Today at Disneyland” brochures. It took a moment for it to register that the two men were Disney Legends Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson! I walked up, greeted them (I was in costume, so I felt a little better about approaching them as a member of the Disneyland cast as opposed to just walking up to them in plain clothes). Immediately, they were very friendly and we spoke about the Park. They wanted to know what the heck Star Tours was, so I had the pleasure of explaining the simulator’s technology to them. They weren’t interested in riding, but thanked me up and down for taking the time to tell them about it. It was completely my pleasure! I asked if I could have their autographs, and they said sure - and then I realized that I had nothing for them to sign! Well, after a few moments of awkward searching, the answer was obvious; that signed “Day at Disneyland” brochure is one of my favorite pieces in our Disneyland archive!

Another great memory I have actually was my first day as a Cast Member in the late ‘80s. I attended an 8-hour orientation class at the Disney University and by the time I walked out, completely pumped and a bit overwhelmed about working at The Magic Kingdom, I realized I had no idea where I had parked my car! I spent the next 45 minutes walking through the Disneyland parking lot searching for my vehicle. However, I wasn’t upset at all - I remember the silence of the afternoon, the occasional passing overhead of a Monorail and the distant whistle of the Mark Twain deep inside the park I now called “home”. That was a very proud and special afternoon that I will cherish forever.

Working at Disneyland, it’s not uncommon to see many famous faces, and I did. I even escorted Mike Tyson through the Haunted Mansion. However, the real thrill for me was always seeing Disney Legends come through the Park. I will never forget following a group of VIPs through Disneyland when Mickey’s Toontown opened. Among them was Marc Davis, whom I had not met at that point. Marc had a chair brought to him and I stood a distance away, admiring him as he sat in the middle of the new land, taking in all of the sights and sounds. He wasn’t just looking around - he was studying the area. In his mind, I am quite sure he was looking at the lines, the gags and the guest interaction. It was a very personal moment to see this aging Disney giant sitting on a chair in the middle of the very busy new area. I didn’t know at that point that Marc and his wife Alice would become important parts of my life many years later.

Believe it or not, I am lost for words once in a while! One Christmas season, during the Disneyland Family Christmas Party (where the Cast Members bring family and guests and all employees throughout the company come to play and “work” for a few hours at Disneyland), some friends asked if I wanted to take a look at the tower (control room) of the brand new attraction, Splash Mountain. I was with the first group of Cast Members to ever test ride Splash, but I had never been in the tower. So, away we went. As we opened the door, there was a single figure sitting at the controls in the darkness. I took a few more steps and realized that it was Tony Baxter - one of the main forces behind Splash. At that time, I was just beginning to get to know which Imagineers were associated with Disney history, etc. Tony was already a hero in my eyes, and so I completely panicked. I feared that he’d turn around and I would have nothing intelligent to say to him, so I turned and promptly left the room! Everyone was stunned and followed after me, asking what was wrong. None of them knew who the guy at the controls was, and they frankly thought I was nuts for not wanting to say hello like that. It just made me very nervous! Ironically, the following night while I was in front of Splash, Tony approached me and said hello! We started a very friendly conversation about the attraction and his accomplishments to date as an Imagineer and the rest is history; he’s now a friend, and will always be a hero of mine!

While none of these events are necessarily “earth-shattering,” I have been at Disneyland several times when the earth moved. The most memorable was when I was in the Park as a guest. I was in Coke Corner in line to buy something with my dear friend, Don Schockow, of Disneyana TV (www.disneyanatv.com). We were getting ready to watch the afternoon parade on Main Street. We were in line talking, when I felt like I had lost my balance and was a bit dizzy. He looked up at a lamp that was swinging and said, “Earthquake!” Right as he said that, the whole building lurched and people became very quiet. We ran outside and looked down Main Street. It was one of the most eerie sights I have ever seen - hundreds of people frozen along the parade route as each individual building bounced up and down as the ground rippled below. The huge tree in the planter outside of Coke Corner bounced and “danced” like it was a twig. There was no damage and no one freaked out. As soon as the earth stopped moving, everyone went back to what they were doing and all had a great afternoon!

As I said, many celebrities come through the Park on a regular basis. Some come without any fanfare - and others make quite a scene. Michael Jackson is one that loves Disneyland and usually visits the Park well disguised. If he were standing next to you in line (like he ever waits in line), you’d never even know it was him. Cast Members are well aware of it when he’s in-Park, as special “security measures” are taken to keep the peace. He wants to enjoy himself and Disneyland doesn’t want a riot of fans on its hands, which is completely understandable. One afternoon while working at the Haunted Mansion, we received a phone call that Michael Jackson was coming to the Mansion and to clear the attraction - no guests were to be anywhere in the ride while he was escorted in. He had a small group with him and was dressed in full makeup. He wore ratty blue jeans, a dark T-shirt and dark jacket, had a scruffy beard and mustache, had an afro going on underneath a baseball cap and was wearing sunglasses. As I loaded him into his Doombuggy, I smiled and said, I just want you to know that I appreciate your work and think you’re a very talented individual. He smiled and said, “Thank you; I appreciate that.” And that was it - off he went into the darkness of the Mansion. That was the first of three times I would see him at Disneyland and the first of two times that I have met him.

The list goes on and on. One of my favorite recent memories was taking my wife, Venus, (then, my fiancée) to Disneyland - for the first time. She had been to the Park for a few hours once before with some friends, but they didn’t go on anything, so that trip doesn’t really count in her mind or mine. I took her to Disneyland for the first time to witness the media preview of new Tomorrowland. The first attraction we rode together was Rocket Rods, so that has a special place in our hearts. After then, I gave her the grand tour of the Park and have been back with her many times since. In addition to taking Venus, I also had the honor of taking her little sisters - who are now my little sisters - for their very first time; anyone with kids will understand how we felt watching them on all the rides and waving at the characters during the finale of Fantasmic!. “Priceless” doesn’t even come close!

I’ve made many friends, shared many adventures and have invested a lot of time and love in the Disneyland experience. The Park is something very special to me - it’s a part of me that is difficult to explain. I have laughed and I have cried at Disneyland. I have had loves and lost relationships there. My publication, Theme Park Adventure Magazine was “born” there late one night while on one of my frequent solo rides on the PeopleMover. Many things that are important to me are somehow related to Disneyland over the years. And that’s appropriate. Disneyland is a special place, but it’s the people behind it and responsible for it that make it so magical. I’ve only worked closely with Disneyland in various capacities for just over a decade. I think of all the people before me that have had similar experiences and all of the untold tales revolving around The Happiest Place on Earth; it’s impossible to comprehend. That is the magic of Disneyland. And what a lucky bunch of people we all are to have such a treasure in our back yards! Happy Birthday, Disneyland!

I will never forget my first trip to Disneyland - although it was 17 years ago. I was getting onto Casey Jr train and hit my head. I was upset because I had to go to the infirmary, and has to stop having fun in the Magic Kingdom. Fortunately, the Seven Dwarfs were there to make sure that I was okay. As I waited for the nurse to get me ice, Sleepy fell asleep on my lap and Doc tried to fix me up. At the same time all the other Dwarfs flooded into the small room and made sure that I had fun even though I had been hurt. To this day I love the Dwarfs and look forward to going to Disneyland as often as I can.

My memory isn't a single moment, but rather a memory I'll always have whenever I cross the gates into the magical realm of Disneyland. I am 17 years old, and live right outside San Francisco, but I visit the park at least twice a year. These past three years have been drastically different. Three years ago, my mother passed away from cancer. We did everything together. When my dad got tired, she was the one who stayed with me from park opening to park closing. I have a strong love for Disney, and I think she had the same if not a bigger affection. In July of 1996 her cancer went into remission, and we took what would be our final trip down to the park together. We went on every ride, saw every show, and spent every minute together. It was truly magical and very special. We didn't know that it would be the last time we'd be able to ride It's A Small World or watch the 10:30 Fantasmic!, but we knew that we should cherish every moment.

When she passed away the following April, I knew my trips would never be the same. No one would be there to share the experiences or recall upon prior trips like she and I had. But the first trip back was special. I knew she was there with me and as I walked through Sleeping Beauty's Castle -(her favorite thing to do). I know she was there with me, and it made me feel much better and secure. To this day, I make a point of walking through the castle and remembering our wonderful times together. I love Disneyland because it is a place that is able to cheer me up, and help me remember my mom and all the fun times we spent there together and great memories that we have from there! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DISNEYLAND!